DESIGN
MANUFACTURE
RETAIL
Cabinet Maker takes another look at the 2018 Design Guild Mark winners.
Paul Russell, head of product at Techlink, speaks to Cabinet Maker on the emerging trend of standing office furniture.
ScS to exit from all House of Fraser concessions by early next year.
2nd NOVEMBER 2018 ÂŁ3.75 l
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DAN SqUIRES
CAbINET-MAKER.Co.UK 01223 846 825 PUBLISHER Stewart Rickersey stewart@cabinet-maker.co.uk EDITOR Dan Squires dan@cabinet-maker.co.uk PRE-PRESS PRODUCTION Chris Randall production@cabinet-maker.co.uk SALES Sharon Rickersey Operations & Sales Manager sharon@cabinet-maker.co.uk Kacem Ellabbar kacem@cabinet-maker.co.uk Chris Manning chris@cabinet-maker.co.uk
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In keeping with the positivity emerging out of the furniture industry last week, it was pleasing to hear anniversary celebrations at a number of businesses throughout our industry. As you may remember earlier this year sofa manufacturer Tetrad marked its 50th year of trading, which set the benchmark for 2018 as a milestone year for businesses up and down the furniture trade. More recently, bed manufacturer Sweet Dreams celebrated its 30th anniversary at the Bed Show in September; whilst earlier this month fitted furniture specialist Brayer Design achieved the long-standing milestone of 100 years. Established back in 1918, Brayer Design was founded by cabinet maker and joiner William Brayer, with the company currently run Barry Sawyer, marking a fourth generation in the family business. Another family business that recently celebrated its anniversary was independent furniture and flooring firm Honours Furnishing, who paid tribute to one of its long serving employees. Mick McCarthy (not the former Ipswich and Wolves football manager) celebrated 40 years with the company after initially joining back in 1978 at the age of 16. Fellow independent carpet business Rob Santwris Carpets & Flooring is currently celebrating its 25th year of trading. The Newport company launched back in 1993 and hosted a day of entertainment at its store on 25 October to mark the achievement.
In this week’s issue, Cabinet Maker gets the latest insight from the Trade Furniture Company, who discuss the latest trends in furniture design and reveals how the business is adapting to meet changing customer demands. Staying with design, we revisit the winners of the 2018 Design Guild Mark as entrants for next year are encouraged to submit their work, whilst Flora Davidson, of Supplycompass, rounds off the issue with this week’s Last Word looking at how to build a more responsible furniture brand. There is also a look at the emerging trend of standing office furniture from industry guru Techlink. As 2018 has been a ‘challenging’ year for many across the industry, it is good to highlight success where achieved. Whether it’s by reaching company milestones, gaining industry recognition or investing for the future, it is encouraging to report on some ‘feel-good’ stories within uncertain times. If your business has recently celebrated a company milestone or has one just around the corner, get in touch and share your success. After all, everyone loves a birthday party!
Dan Squires Editor
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ON THE COVER CHELSEA 2000 POCKET NATURAL COLLECTION BY PARK LANE BEDS LTD
w www.parklanebeds.co.uk
INSIDE ThIS wEEK’S ISSUE
06
NEWS
DESIGN THE PERSONAL TOUCH
MANUFACTURE
16
Trade Furniture Company talks about the latest trends in furniture design and reveals how the business is adapting.
CLASS OF 2018
18
Cabinet Maker takes another look at the 2018 Design Guild Mark winners.
14
TAKE A STAND
Paul Russell, head of product at Techlink, speaks to Cabinet Maker on the emerging trend of standing office furniture.
22
LAST WORD Flora Davidson, co-founder of Supplycompass, has the Last Word.
14
18
16
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NEWS IN BRIEF NEw SToRE opENING Fashion and homewares retailer Matalan has announced the opening of its new store in Belfast. Situated at CastleCourt, the new 24,000sq ft store officially opened its doors on 20 October 2018, creating 50 jobs for the local area. The new store takes the place of a former Toys R Us unit.
Product design award German kitchen manufacturer Rotpunkt has been recognised with a product design award. Rotpunkt won the ‘Innovation in Kitchen Product Design’ for its Zerox Fineline XT Snow Kitchen with innovative room divider at this year’s Designer Kitchen & Bathroom Awards.
Sales up for a fifth year Upholstered furniture manufacturer Whitemeadow has reported a fifth consecutive year of turnover growth as sales rose 10.7% to £48.3m for the year ended 31 December 2017. Gross profit rose 8.3% to £15.6m, whilst pre-tax profit increased to £3.1m from £2.9m, an uptick of 6.8% year-on-year.
2nd November 2018 | 06
Cricket tour display Bed manufacturer The Shire Bed Company has announced it is on show during England Cricket Team’s current tour of Sri Lanka. Shire Beds is featuring on a perimeter board across all nine game grounds to show its support for the squad throughout the tour, which runs from 10 October - 27 November.
pRopERTy ACqUIRED Department store retailer House of Fraser has acquired its property in Glasgow. Sports Direct International – the new parent company of House of Fraser – has acquired the store on Buchanan Street in a deal worth £95m from Glasgow City Council.
MANUFACTURE
wooD SUppLIER opENS SECoND EU FACToRy Sustainable wood producer Kebony has announced the opening of its new factory in Flanders, Belgium. The launch of the factory marks their intention for domestic and international expansion and was officially opened on 9 October 2018 by Philippe Muyters, Flemish Minister for Work, Economy, Innovation and Sports. Kebony has experienced continued annual growth with international sales rising by an average of 30% year on year for the last seven years. In order to meet the increased demand, the new factory has been opened to enable Kebony to double its current annual production capacity.
whilst maintaining its status as the company’s Research and Technology hub. Bruno Van den Branden, CEO at Kebony, said: “The opening of our second factory is a momentous occasion in Kebony’s history and will be vital to our continued growth for many years to come. “We are delighted to be in a position where we can significantly increase our production capacity of environmentally-friendly products, which will only serve to help us to continue positively influencing the sustainable construction industry worldwide.”
w www.kebony.com/en
Kebony’s original factory in Norway will continue to specialise in the production of Kebony Character wood
RETAIL
Furniture retailer expands store with new technology Jersey-based furniture retailer MyPad has brought internet shopping to the high street with a build your own bed touch screen TV. Customers can come in to the MyPad store in the Island’s main town and use the 50-inch screen to choose the various elements to build their furniture and see the virtual results before placing an order.
Product recall Home furnishings retailer B&Q has identified a potential safety risk with the Cooke & Lewis mirrors, which includes the BEAUPORT Arch mirror, CLARACH Rectangular mirror and the GARWICK Regular mirror. The retailer has decided to recall these products as in some circumstances the safety backing may be ineffective or missing. This may result in the mirror detaching from the fixings and falling.
MyPad has also expanded the floor space of its West’s Centre store by taking over the premises next door to the current showroom, doubling its size. Commenting on the investment, Paul Clark, owner, said: “There are some great opportunities out there to revitalise the industry and bring life and customers back to centre of St Helier but retailers have got to be innovative and find ways to bring technology in-store so that people get the best of both worlds. The nature of high street retailing has changed and we can’t turn the clock back. “The fact is that customers find it easier to shop online so we’ve got to provide the same service and convenience and combine that with the parts of the high street experience that they still want.”
w www.mypadci.com
IMM-COLOGNE.COM
RETAIL
Furniture retailer secures investment from parent company Furniture and interiors brand Habitat has reported a decline in turnover as losses widened.
co-located with:
According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 10 March 2018, total sales fell 17.8% to £44.5m from £54.2m in 2017. Gross profit declined 23% to £15.6m from £20.3m, whilst pre-tax losses increased to £8.6m from its loss of £1m the previous year. Stated within its report, Habitat, which is owned by Sainsbury’s, saw its parent group inject £40m of investment, outlining its commitment in ‘confidence’ in the brand for future growth. During the year a further eight Mini Habitat concession stores in Sainsbury’s were opened taking its total number to 11, which continued to deliver double-digit like-for-like sales growth.
w www.habitat.co.uk
DESIGN
New MD appointment International lighting design consultancy firm Nulty has announced the appointment of Alexander Holler as its new managing director for its Studio N division. Studio N is a new architectural lighting design studio in the UAE that provides lighting design solutions on projects with limited budgets in the region. It launched earlier this year and has seen rapid growth, leading to the appointment of its new MD. Alexander has the ability to grow Studio N into a leading lighting design consultancy service, with a background in sales and business development in the sector. Commenting on the new role, Alexander said: “I want to continue to develop Studio N as the go-to partner when it comes to a flexible, efficient lighting design consultancy service. “I think over the next 12 months we wilI see further improvements in smart lighting control systems, which are able to learn a kind of ‘lighting consciousness’ by constantly adding new capabilities and automatically adapting to its users.”
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Sales down by 14% at lighting firm
Gross profit was also down by 1.5% to £260,917 from
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MANUFACTURE
According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 January 2018, total sales fell 14% to £516,767 from £602,221 in 2017.
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w www.nultylighting.co.uk
Lighting wholesaler Terkan has reported a decline in both its top and bottom figures.
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£264,459, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £1,883, which was down on comparison to its profit of £4,417 recorded the previous year.
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Established back in 1973, Terkan operates from its headquarters in Perth, Scotland.
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w www.terkan.co.uk
2nd November 2018 | 07 104x297_imm19_Cabinet-Maker_EN.indd 5
08.10.18 09:44
|ne w s RETAIL
RETAIL
Department store retailer posts huge loss; more stores to close
Family business celebrates anniversary milestone
Department store retailer Debenhams has confirmed it plans to close around 50 stores after reporting its biggest loss in its 240year history.
Independent carpet business Rob Santwris Carpets & Flooring is celebrating its 25th year of trading.
According to its preliminary results for the 52 weeks ended 1 September 2018, total sales were down 1.8% to £2.90bn from £2.95bn in 2017. Debenhams reported a statutory pre-tax loss of £491.5m from a profit of £59m last year, with the bulk of losses due to the result of non-cash writedowns totalling £512.4m on things such as store and lease provisions and the cost of IT systems. The retailer said it has taken ‘decisive action’ in ‘challenging market conditions’ to generate cash, reduce debt and reshape its store estate. As part of this, Debenhams said it will extend its previously announced store closure programme from 10 to a possible 50 sites over the next three to five years, as well as reducing investment in a further 20 stores. In a statement, Debenhams said: “We have undertaken a comprehensive review of our portfolio, with a detailed analysis, based on current market trends and looking forward up to five years. As a result, we have identified a further 40 stores beyond the 10 originally identified, that are operating in challenged markets where we no longer see a long term future. “All but those stores previously mentioned are currently contributing positively. However, rolling forward current trends, we do not believe they will remain profitable in future years and therefore we intend to exit these stores over the next 3-5 years. We have identified a profitable core of up to 100 stores in flagship and vibrant markets where we can see a positive return on future investment.” It is understood that the potential closures could impact between 4,000-5,000 staff at Debenhams as its structural review remains ongoing. Sergio Bucher, CEO, commented: “It has been a tough year for retail in 2018 and our performance reflects that. We are taking decisive steps to strengthen Debenhams in a market that remains volatile and challenging. We are taking tough decisions on stores where financial performance is likely to deteriorate over time.”
w
MANUFACTURE
Sales dip at furniture firm
According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 December 2017, total sales fell 3.7% to £7.7m from £8m in 2016.
2nd November 2018 | 08
Five years ago the company relocated to its current premises from its shop in Maindee due to increased demand for expansion, with the business looking to grow its team further with the appointment of new carpet fitters. To celebrate the anniversary, Rob Santwris Carpets & Flooring played host to a day of entertainment at its store on 26 October and was joined by the Deputy Mayor of Newport.
w www.robsantwriscarpets.co.uk
MANUFACTURE
Swedish group to acquire lighting business Swedish lighting group Fagerhult has signed an agreement to acquire Italian lighting firm iGuzzini. The deal, which remains undisclosed and is set to be completed by the end of this year, will be funded through new debt and a rights issue, the group said in a statement. “The letter of intent provides that Fagerhult has the right to initiate and conduct an exclusive phase due diligence with the aim of signing the final purchase contract before the end of 2018,” a statement read. Upon completion of the transaction, Adolfo Guzzini, chairman of iGuzzini, and Andrea Sasso, CEO of iGuzzini, - in addition to respective
www.debenhams.com
Fitted furniture manufacturer Browns 2000 has reported a decline in sales ending a three year run of consecutive growth.
Situated in Lower Dock Street in Newport, the business, owned by Rob Santwris, was launched in 1993 and has continued to grow over its 25 years.
Gross profit declined 4.5% to £4.2m from £4.4m, whilst pre-tax profit fell into the red at a loss of £23,134 compared to its profit of £1m the previous year. The company stated that it has invested over £2m in plant and machinery during year.
w www.browns2000.co.uk
positions, will continue to remain in iGuzzini and will also take on extreme roles relief within Fagerhult’s higher management. The Fagerhult Group commented on the acquisition: “The strategic partnership with iGuzzini will significantly strengthen the competitive positioning of Fagerhult in the professional lighting market in terms of increasing presence geographical and significant complementarity of the product range.” Founded in 1959, iGuzzini designs, manufactures and markets architectural and interior lighting solutions for interiors and exteriors, with revenues of over 230m euros.
w www.fagerhult.com
MANUFACTURE
Independent business delivers record profit Norwich-based furniture business Warings Furniture has posted record profits despite sales slighting slipping. According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 December 2017, total sales fell 6% to £9.8m from £10.5m
in 2016. Gross profit increased 6% to £1.7m from £1.6m, whilst pretax profit resulted at £715,715, up by 31% from its profit of £547,222 recorded last year.
w www.waringsfurniture.com
f o r F ull st o ries and dail y ne w s u p dates : W W W . C a b i n e t - m a k e r . c o . u k
aQO
RETAIL
MANUFACTURE
Furnishings retailer continues strong performance
Bed manufacturer boss sentenced to prison
Failsworth-based independent home furnishing retailer Housing Units has reported another year of turnover over £25m. According to its latest filed accounts for the 52 weeks ended 1 April 2018, total sales slightly dipped by 0.3% to £25.4m from £25.5m in 2017. Gross profit stood at £11.5m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £1m, just down from its profit of £1.1m recorded last year. The company stated within its report that during the year it completed the expansion of its distribution centre, the first stage of a larger investment programme worth around £5m. The business also modernised its visual branding and signage and has continued to invest in improving its customer experience both in store and online.
w www.housingunits.co.uk
RETAIL
MBO at department store retailer The CEO of department store retailer Beales has taken over the business in a management buyout. Chief executive Tony Brown has bought 97% of the shares in the store chain, which remains undisclosed, after securing the backing of a private equity group. Under the terms, investor Andrew Perloff, who bought the company for £1.2m in 2015 and is also chairman of Panther Securities PLC, which owns mattress group Airsprung, will leave the business. Brown completed the acquisition from Portnard Limited and English Rose Limited. In a statement Brown said that the move was to secure the businesses future and under a new ownership structure it has managed to ‘secure those funds’ for future investment.
w www.beales.co.uk
RETAIL
Retailer secures Nasons store lease Furniture retailer AHF has taken a lease on the Nasons of Canterbury store in Wincheap. In an earlier statement, the company closed its Canterbury city centre store, its furniture outlet in Wincheap and its warehouse on 11 September 2018 after failing to secure a rescue deal following administration. Now AHF has secured a new lease at the property and is currently in the process of re-fitting the store, which is set to reopen in a number of weeks.
w www.ahf.co.uk/nasons
The owner of a Sheffield bed manufacturer has been sentenced to prison after breaching health and safety regulations. Craig Williams, owner of Playtime Beds, appeared at Leeds Crown Court on 26 October 2018 and was sentenced to three years and four months in prison. He was given 21 months for the fraud charge and 19 months for the breach of Section 3 of the Heath and Safety Work Act. Williams has also been disqualified from being a company director for 10 years. Last week, Williams, who was on trial following the death of a seven-month-old baby boy Oscar Abbey, pleaded guilty to breaching section 3 of the Health and Safety Work Act. He admitted that he failed to ensure that the bed he designed, manufactured and supplied to Oscar’s family was safe and as a consequence it caused Oscar’s death. He also pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation. Appearing alongside him, Joseph Bruce pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation at an earlier hearing and was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. He was also disqualified from being a director for 10 years. During a two week trial, a jury heard how Williams, owner of bespoke children’s bed manufacturer Playtime Beds Ltd, ignored safety guidelines and made and supplied dangerous beds which had been purchased by families for their children to sleep in. Overnight on 2 November 2016, baby Oscar became entrapped in an opening of a cot gate fitted to the bed supplied by Williams, and as a consequence he died of positional asphyxiation, which occurs when a person’s position prevents them from breathing adequately.
a gap backwards, which had been cut into the cot gate, but his head, which was too large for the aperture, became stuck. Despite the efforts of his parents and emergency services, Oscar was pronounced dead on arrival at York Hospital. Evidence of a Facebook conversation between Oscar’s mother, Shannon Abbey and Williams was shown to the jury. The court also heard that in the months prior to Oscar’s death, other customers had raised safety concerns with Williams following incidents involving their own children. Williams stated that his beds exceeded safety standards, and informed one such customer that Trading Standards were happy with the products manufactured by him and if she continued to raise her concerns he would take her to court. He then continued to manufacture and supply beds to unsuspecting families, ignoring the dangers they posed to children. Following Oscar’s death, police informed Williams of the incident and Sheffield Trading Standards issued Playtime Beds Ltd with a cease and desist warning, directing him to stop the manufacture and supply of his beds, due to serious safety concerns. However, through the extensive investigation conducted by North Yorkshire Police, officers found that Williams wilfully ignored the instruction and instead, masterminded the setting up of another business called Magical Dream Beds Ltd, fronted by co-worker Joseph Bruce, with the specific intention to keep on supplying the deadly beds to other families, hidden under another company’s name. Read the extended report on the Cabinet Maker website below.
w
www.cabinet-maker.co.uk/ 21609.article
Oscar had wriggled through
2nd November 2018 | 09
|ne w s MANUFACTURE
RETAIL
Flooring group grows sales towards £90m
Tile specialist plots future growth with appointment
Flooring firm Amtico has reported a fifth consecutive year of turnover growth as UK sales surpassed £50m.
tax profit resulted at £12.1m, down by 18% from £14.9m the previous year.
According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 December 2017, total sales rose 2.6% to £88.3m from £86m in 2016.
Stated within its report, the company, which is owned by US-based Mannington Mills Inc, said that strong external sales of 11% were offset by lower US intercompany sales.
UK sales rose 11.4% to £52.4m from £47m, whilst EU sales also increased 12.5% to £28.7m from £25.5m. Outside the EU, sales declined 46% to £7.1m from £13.3m.
During the year the business signed a 15 year lease on a new 75,000sq ft warehouse in Coventry to maintain the support of its continued growth.
Gross profit remained consistent at £37m, whilst pre-
w www.fagerhult.com
RETAIL
Upholstery retailer to exit from House of Fraser concessions Upholstered furniture and flooring retailer ScS has confirmed it will exit from all House of Fraser concessions by early next year. Announced through its latest trading update for the 12 weeks ended 20 October 2018, ScS said that it would cease trading from its 27 concessions within House of Fraser by the end of January 2019. The House of Fraser concession business accounted for only 2.7% of the Group’s order intake for the period with the group currently working with affected employees, as it looks to redeploy them within the wider ScS business, where possible. ScS also revealed that trading as a whole is in line with expectations with like-for-like order intake growth of 1.2%. The core ScS business has continued to perform well, with like-for-like order intake growth of 4.5%. During the period, its House of Fraser concessions have seen a decline in like-for-like orders of 52.5%.
North East tile business Westerhope Tile Centre (WTC) has announced the appointment of advisory firm RG Corporate Finance (RGCF) to help it prepare for future expansion. The company has enjoyed annual growth in both sales and profits each year since it was founded in 2005 by Leo and Angela Brown. WTC opened its first showroom in Redburn Road, Newcastle, and has since established two further showrooms in North Shields and Sunderland, resulting in the company delivering revenue of £3.7m in its most recent financial year. Following strong growth in recent years the business has now secured the services of Newcastle-based RG Corporate Finance to provide a clear strategy for the firm to achieve continued success. Commenting on the appointment, Leo said: “The company has achieved solid growth over the years and has established an excellent reputation among our private and trade customers both regionally and nationally. “I’m really proud of what we have achieved but I still have an ambition to grow the business and RG Corporate Finance has the expertise to guide us through this process.” Adam Cassidy, corporate finance manager at RGCF, added: “Westerhope Tile Centre is a great example of business success inspired by the hard work and vision of its founders. We are proud to work with the company to provide the advice and assistance necessary to take it to the next level.”
w www.westerhopetilecentre.com
MANUFACTURE
One-off costs impact profits at furniture manufacturer British furniture manufacturer, Vitsœ, has reported a slight decline in turnover as profits fell into the red following its new HQ move.
David Knight, CEO of ScS, commented: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our colleagues who have worked in our House of Fraser concessions over the past few years for their dedication and hard work. However, given developments in House of Fraser over the last few months, it has become clear that the partnership was no longer beneficial to ScS.
According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 December 2017, total sales fell 1.4% to £6.7m from £6.8m in 2016.
“We are pleased to announce that we have continued to trade well in the core ScS business in the first 12 weeks of our financial year.
Gross profit was also down by 13% to £2.6m from £3m, whilst its pre-tax profit of £582,439 recorded last year fell to a loss of £591,954.
“We will continue to focus on our successful value offering proposition, coupling this with the excellent service that ScS provides and that our customers know and love.”
w www.scs.co.uk 2nd November 2018 | 10
Stated within its report, the company said that one-off costs due to its move into their new headquarters and production facility in Royal
Leamington Spa impacted its bottom line. The new 39,581sq ft building saw the business invest £8.7m in total, with the move only causing minimal disruption as revenue reduced by £76,000. Vitsœ’s sales to the US, Vitsoe Inc, generated £2.6m with a pre-tax profit of £90,000. During the year, the company secured a £5.5m 15-year loan from Triodos bank. £5.1m of that loan was drawn down at the balance sheet date with the remaining £400,000 available to help fund future growth.
w www.vitsoe.com
aQO DESIGN
MANUFACTURE
London design event a ‘fantastic’ success
UK flooring group posts another record year
Organisers of design event designjunction have revealed another successful year with more than 27,000 visitors attending the show. For its eighth edition, designjunction, which took place from 20-23 September 2018 in London, celebrated its most criticallyacclaimed show to date with a line-up of 200 brands across three venues including Doon Street, Oxo Tower Wharf and the Riverside Walkway, public installations and a pioneering talks programme. designjunction attracted over 27,000 visitors over the course of the four day event, with 81 visiting countries recorded. Of that 53% of visitors were from the UK whilst 47% were international. Will Sorrell, managing director, designjunction, said: “This year presented a fantastic opportunity to bring designjunction right into the centre of London, interacting with the Thames. Thanks go to our exhibitors and partners, who did the location justice with a strong showing of product launches, installations and engaging talks. Notably, this year’s programme also addressed some of the key issues facing the design industry, including inequality and mental health.” Cabinet Maker takes a look at some of the key highlights from the show, starting with the Doon Street sites furniture and lighting space.
Commercial flooring manufacturer and distributor James Halstead Plc has reported a second straight year of turnover growth as profit reaches record levels again. According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 30 June 2018, total group sales rose 3.6% to £249.5m from £240.8m in 2017. UK sales, its core market, experienced growth of 3.1% to £82.6m from £80.1m, whilst EU and Scandinavia sales climbed 5.8% to £109.4m from £103.4m. Within this segment, sales in Germany represented £57.5m, rising by 3.7% from £55.4m the previous year. Sales outside the EU in Australasia and Asia declined 5% to £37.7m from £39.7m (with Australian sales down to £10m from £10.2m).
On the first floor of the Doon Street site, designjunction presented a stellar line-up of UK and international brands - both established and emerging - such as leading British design brand Deadgood which launched the Hug Chair; London-based upholstery specialists Hitch Mylius with new additions to its Flix and Quiet Surfaces collections; family-run Italian company Bontempi Casa introduced new designs including the Lexington bookcase, the Mood and Galaxy chairs as well as the Secret desk; craft-conscious design brand Resident from New Zealand, unveiled the Offset dining table, a bold and heavy-duty furniture piece designed by Philippe Malouin.
Sales across the Rest of the World rose 13.8% to £19.7m from £17.3m year-on-year.
Leading bathroom brand VitrA presented its new Plural collection conceived by Milan-based American designer Terri Pecora and inspired by the heritage of communal bathing spaces and rituals.
Stated within its report, the group said that despite the growth, it was a ‘challenging year’ and cited a continued rise in raw material prices.
Other furniture brands included Northern, Broste Copenhagen, Gemla, VitrA, Petite Friture, Ochre, Erik Jørgensen, Johanson, Resident, New Tendency, TON and Uncommon Projects amongst many others. British designer Terence Woodgate unveiled Sum, a new collection from his eponymous lighting brand. Moving on to the Bargehouse, which featured exhibitions and talks across four floors, Swiss furniture manufacturer Vitra delivered a programme entitled ‘The Original. About the power of good design’. Furthmore, designjunction has announced plans for a new Christmas shopping show, The Gift Shop. Taking place in King’s Cross from 23-25 November, the show will present a curated mix of over 70 design-led brands from the homeware sector as well as fashion and food.
Gross profit remained consistent at £104m, whilst pre-tax profit increased 0.2% to £46.7m from £46.6m on last year, marking a ‘modest’ growth in what was second year of record profit.
The group said the year-onyear adverse effect of raw material price increases was 9.5%, which equated to around £1.8m. This was the result of weak sterling and was offset by sales outside the UK at ‘better exchange rates’. “Nevertheless, it did affect profitability on sales in the UK but we took an active decision to hold back on price increases to maximise sales volumes. Favourable mix of sales largely offset the bottom line effect of these raw material costs,” Mark Halstead, CEO, said. Anthony Wild, chairman, added: “I am pleased to report in my first year as chairman that we have, again, achieved record turnover, in addition, we have also achieved a record profit before tax. “The growth in profit is modest but we have made some significant investment in new product during the year and this is reflected in the profit before tax figure. “Trading since our yearend continues to be solid, particularly in the UK. Given the adverse raw material cost increases over the last twelve months or so we have increased our prices which our trade partners have accepted.”
w www.jameshalstead.com
RETAIL
Etailer appoints new digital director Accrington-based online retailer Express Gifts has announced the appointment of Chris Chalmers as its new marketing and digital director. Chris joins Express Gifts, which trades as Studio.co.uk and is owned by Findel plc, from Thomas Cook where he was marketing and ecommerce director.
In 2019, designjunction’s flagship show will return to King’s Cross on 19-22 September.
The appointment marks the continued progress of its acceleration plan to develop its digital operations to further improve customer experience.
w www.thedesignjunction.co.uk
w www.findel.co.uk 2nd November 2018 | 11
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MANUFACTURE
Funding package secures furniture business relocation
Manufacturing group grows top and bottom lines
Morayshire-based furniture business Grampian Furnishers has moved into a new premises, tripling its current square footage, following a £2m funding package from Bank of Scotland.
Manufacturing company Niagara Healthcare has reported a second year of turnover growth.
Established in 1975, the business has moved from its original building in Lossiemouth to a purpose-built 30,000sq ft store on the edge of Elgin. The family business, which currently employs 14 people, is looking to recruit six new staff over the next six months following the opening of the new store. The move comes as the firm reported an increase in annual turnover over the past several years, prompting the owner to secure a new location for the business. The £3.5m project was funded by Bank of Scotland and the firm’s own capital, allowing Grampian Furnishers to acquire two acres of land, install a new access road and build the two-story building with coffee house. Royce Clark, director at Grampian Furnishers, said: “I took over the company 20 years ago from my father who established the business in Elgin back in 1975. I felt it was time to expand our offering as our loyal customer base, and the demand for our products has increased year on year. Because of this, we had really outgrown our existing premises. However, due to the lack of availability of suitable buildings, the only viable option was to build our own showroom. “Getting planning permission wasn’t straightforward, but all the effort has been worth it. Thanks to the Bank of Scotland, we’ve been able to secure the site at the gateway in Elgin which has great visibility and a high volume of passing traffic on the A96. The road’s easy access will also hopefully lead to attracting more customers to our new store.”
w www.grampianfurnishers.com
MANUFACTURE
group reflects on ‘disappointing’ year Northampton-based workplace furniture design and manufacturer Frem Group has reported a return to sales growth. According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 December 2017, total sales rose 5.8% to £10.4m from £9.8m in 2015, ending a two year run of falling turnover. Gross profit remained at £3.3m, although the group reported a pre-tax loss of £174,498, compared to its pretax profit of £46,801 the
2nd November 2018 | 12
previous year. Stated within its report, the company said that the results for the year were ‘disappointing’ with turnover less than budgeted due to delays in the launch of new product ranges and understaffing within its sales team. Frem added that profit margins were adversely affected due to focussing on the development of new products and stock write offs.
w www.frem.co.uk
According to NHC Holdings Limited’s latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 December 2017, total sales rose by 5.1% to £14.4m from £13.7m in 2016. UK sales, its core market, increased by 5.9% to £14.2m from £13.4m, whilst EU sales remained consistent at over £196,000. Sales in the US rose 212% to £50,000 from £16,000, as did revenue from Australia, up by 70% to £17,000 from £10,000. The company, which includes the Adjustamatic Beds, Niagara
Therapy and Equissage brands, posted a pre-tax profit of £412,575, up by 14.4% compared to its profit of £360,220 recorded the previous year. Stated within its report, the company said it continues to grow with an emphasis on expanding its range and by increasing further routes to market both in the UK and overseas. NHC, which has been established for over 50 years, has its manufacturing facility based in Denbigh, North Wales.
w www.niagarahealthcare.co.uk
RETAIL
Bed retailer forms strategic partnership with sleep expert Beds and mattresses retailer Bensons for Beds has announced a new partnership with Sleep Physiologist, Stephanie Romiszewski. Stephanie has been appointed as Bensons’ official Sleep Expert and will be working with the retailer to offer expert advice on how to get the best night’s sleep possible and forms part of the retailers science of sleep wellness brand strategy. Working with a Sleep Expert will allow Bensons for Beds to encapsulate its brand proposition of ‘Sleep WellnessTM’. Stephanie will be supporting Bensons on a number of creative campaigns, sharing her scientific knowledge base so customers can benefit from genuine tips and advice on sleep and wellness, helping them to understand their own sleep requirements. Stephanie has a wealth of knowledge in the field of sleep and has been working in Sleep Medicine for 13 years. She will be working with Bensons alongside running her own practice ‘Sleepyhead Clinic’. Lynda Stretton, Bensons for Beds head of brand said: “We are proud to announce our partnership with Stephanie, who will be working as an extension of the Bensons team. Stephanie’s simple, yet scientifically driven advice makes her the perfect partner to join us on our mission to help the nation get the best night’s sleep possible.” Stephanie Romiszewski added: “It was clear when Bensons for Beds and I first met that we held the same ethos – sleep wellness needs to be simple, and it needs to work. I’m excited about this collaboration.”
w www.bensonsforbeds.co.uk
aQO RETAIL
MANUFACTURE
Sales event specialist appoints new digital manager
furnishings firm delivers ‘resilient’ results
Family owned sales event specialist The Lynch Sales Company has announced the appointment of Stephanie Elizabeth Lynch as its new digital marketing manager. Stephanie, who joins the business as a fourth generation family member, is responsible for managing the Lynch website, blog, and social media platforms, as well as creating print and digital advertisements. Stephanie earned a Master of Social Work degree at Barry University in Miami, Florida and a Bachelor of Arts degree at Sewanee: The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. She has served as a mental health counsellor with children and adults, and as an addiction recovery counsellor. Stephanie has past experience in advertisement, social media management, retail sales, and graphic design. Established in 1914, The Lynch Sales Company is a family owned sales event specialist, based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and conducts events throughout North America, the UK and Ireland.
Manchester-based soft furnishings company J. Rosenthal & Son has posted a growth in turnover. According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018, covering an 18 month period compared to last year’s 12 months, total sales rose by 49% to £48.9m from £32.8m in 2016. UK sales, its core market, saw positive growth, up by 47.8% to £47.6m from £32.2m, as sales from the rest of the EU
doubled by 98.3% to £1.2m from £605,328. Gross profit increased by 48% to £12.8m from £8.6m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £865,754, down by 10% from its profit of £943,872 recorded in 2016. Stated within its report, the company said that a fire back in February this year resulted in a loss of stock worth £0.9m, although this had minimal impact due to insurance.
w www.jrosenthal.co.uk
DESIGN
Furniture group expands team
w www.lynchsales.com
Global furniture manufacturing group KI has expanded its design team with two new appointments.
MANUFACTURE
Following record growth across the EMEA region in 2018, KI has appointed Alexander Gifford to the newly created role of design director.
UK sales surpass £70m at flooring group Floorcoverings business Karndean has reported an eighth successive year of turnover growth as sales climbed over the £80m milestone. According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 December 2017, total sales rose 14.1% to £84.9m from £74.4m in 2016. UK sales, its core market, rose 11.3% to £70.5m from £63.3m, whilst EU sales also increased by 30.4% to £13.7m from
£10.5m. Sales from outside the EU improved 38.8% to £675,981 from £486,223. Gross profit increased 2.1% to £33.4m from £32.7m, whilst pre-tax profit rose 7.6% to £12.7m compared to its profit of £11.8m the previous year. The bottom line figure was the highest profit achieved in over a decade when pre-tax profit resulted at £12.9m back in 2006, as well as marking five years of consecutive growth.
Bringing his vast experience across the UK and European furniture industry, Alexander will lead an expanded Londonbased design team that will work closely with clients on bespoke furniture solution projects. KI has also appointed Grace Souky to its London-based design team, who brings over 10 years of experience working for product design studios as well as established furniture brands. Commenting on his new role, Alex said: “I’m really excited to lead this growing team and support our customers bring their projects to life. As we continue this exciting journey, we invite you to come and meet the team and see the results!” Jonathan Hindle, group managing director, KI EMEA, added: “The shared wealth of knowledge within our team here in Central London gives our customers a really valuable resource.”
w www.karndean.com
RETAIL
w www.ki.com MANUFACTURE
Police issue rogue traders warning
Another year of record growth
Cambridgeshire Police has issued a warning over rogue traders selling garden furniture after numerous complaints against two men have been reported near Huntingdon.
Independent fitted furniture business Greenheart has reported a record growth in turnover for a second successive year.
The men were seen selling furniture out the back of a white Transit van between 15 – 17 October employing an ‘aggressive’ sales strategy. The pair are understood to be unlicensed. Cambridgeshire Police are urging the public to be vigilant and contact the police if anyone has any information.
w www.cambs.police.uk
According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 July 2018, total sales rose 14.3% to £461,593 from £403,324 in 2017.
This marked a second straight year of record sales, both over the £400,000 milestone, since its inception back in 2009. Material costs increased 13% at £241,810, whilst year-end profit rose 27.2% to £98,113 from £77,364 last year.
w greenheartfurniture.co.uk 2nd November 2018 | 13
F E A T U R E |T E C H L I N K
Paul Russell, head of product at Techlink, speaks to Cabinet Maker on the emerging trend of standing office furniture. Sitting for more than four hours a day has been proven to cause many serious diseases. In fact statistics show that the risk of getting heart disease, cancer or diabetes is 40% higher if we sit down for more than four hours a day.
– but it’s tough for people to incorporate regular activity into the working day.
And now a new survey from the US reveals that spending all day at your desk or all evening on your sofa may make your brain shrink and increase the risk of Alzheimer’s.
A survey of staff at 2,500 companies which signed up for the On Your Feet Britain campaign earlier this year shows 76 per cent know they sit too long – often spending 90 minutes at a time or more ¬every day. And 68 per cent spend a total of five hours or more seated. Forty-three per cent said their job is the main reason for being inactive at work.
So when you consider that most of us in the UK actually sit down for almost 9 hours a day, this is all very bad news. Earlier this month the BBC reported on a recent trial (The research team, led by Loughborough University and experts from Leicester, assessed 146 mainly sedentary NHS staff) whereby a number of NHS staff who were given such desks, reported they were ‘less tired and more engaged’ as a result. So not only are they good for health, but also help boost work performance too. Study after study makes the benefits clear 2nd November 2018 | 14
Walking around, stretching or even switching from sitting to standing every hour or so at work is too difficult, say office workers.
But 85 per cent believed their employer cared about their health. And 40 per cent said bosses were “very aware” of the risks of prolonged sitting. And this figure was up from 14 per cent three years ago. “Awareness of the need to break sedentary habits in the workplace is spreading, which is heartening,” says Gavin Bradley, Founder of Active Working and the Get Britain Standing
¬campaign. However, on the world scene we are a long, long way behind. In Denmark 90% of office workers have sit to stand desks. And if a job requires someone to sit at a desk 2 or more hours each day, it must be a sit-stand desk. Sweden is not far behind with around 80% penetration. Leading BBC Radio 2 broadcaster Jeremy Vine most recently highlighted sedentary working and its associated health risks. He admitted to spending two hours each day sitting at his desk adding “It’s where we are at with our human evolution”. The programme’s resident doctor, Sarah Jarvis, claimed that people in offices were spending more time sitting down than pensioners. And she told listeners: “People hunching over their desks for hours on end causes all kinds of problems from bad backs, to obesityrelated ailments such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, RPI, mental problems and even reduced sperm count”.
FoR FULL SToRIES AND DAILy NEwS UpDATES: WWW.Cabinet-maker.Co.uk
aQO
Recognising the problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle the design team at Techlink have used their skills as leading AV furniture designers to come up with a range of sit to stand desks and workstations to help combat these problems. And they are set to generate a lot of interest in stores as the trend makes its way to the UK. The range also includes a number of accessories to enhance the sit-stand experience, from foot rockers to pressure relief mats and cable trunking. And in these days when retailers are aiming to introduce a little ‘theatre’ in-store to attract consumers, this product area offers great demonstration opportunities. It will certainly be a great talking point. And, as you have in the past sought out local hotels to sell furniture and accessories, now is the time to target local offices. So don’t’ miss the boat. Take a stand now….
w www.evo-office.co.uk
Gas Spring Sit-Stand Desk Dual Column
“MoST oF US IN ThE UK ACTUALLy SIT DowN FoR ALMoST 9 hoURS A DAy. ThIS IS vERy bAD NEwS.” Premium Electric 2nd November 2018 | 15
F E A T U R E |T R A D E F U R N I T U R E C o M p A N y
Tony Clark, co-owner of Trade Furniture Company, talks to Cabinet Maker about the latest trends in furniture design and reveals how the business is adapting to meet changing customer demands in the fast-paced sector. The growing expectations of consumers are bringing significant changes in the retail landscape, none-more-so than in the furniture industry where customers are seeking greater choice, flexibility, and the opportunity for their own design input when it comes to purchasing furniture. As customer demographics shift, with millennials now making up a large proportion of purchasers in the UK furniture market, so too does the approach to furniture design and retailing. Not only has this new generation of buyers driven a surge in e-commerce sales in the home furnishing sector, as shoppers seek a simplified buying experience, but they have also made many retailers re-think their approach to furniture design. Although certain trends have remained popular in the furniture market for several years, such as the desire for furniture crafted from quality solid woods, several new exciting trends have emerged, reshaping the 2nd November 2018 | 16
retail market and giving consumers a broader choice than ever before. One trend that has garnered greater appeal with today’s consumers is the option of bespoke-designed furniture. As more buyers strive for a greater level of individualism, in a bid to differentiate themselves from their peers, there is now a real consumer appetite for personalisation of products, with many furniture businesses in particular starting to realise the value of letting consumers create their own unique pieces. What was once seen as the ultimate luxury, the possibility to purchase custom-made furniture is becoming far more accessible for consumers, and perhaps more importantly, it is also becoming more affordable. A custom-made style As the move toward tailor-made furniture design – or adding the bespoke look
Trade Furniture Company are the UK’s premier importer of Mango and Sheesham wood furniture, with over 20 years’ experience designing solid wood furniture to fit bespoke customer requirements.
f o r F ull st o ries and dail y ne w s u p dates : W W W . C a b i n e t - m a k e r . c o . u k
to a home – becomes the new normal, customisation requests are taking on unique new approaches. Gone are the days when customisation meant a simple alteration to size, or indeed finish, furniture retailers are now offering customers truly custom-made design services that enable them to tailor furniture to their exact specifications. What this means is, the possibilities for today’s consumers are greater than ever before. Whether they are seeking a madeto-measure dining set crafted from Mango wood, or are on the lookout for a bespoke bed, they are now able to get exactly what they want thanks to increasingly costeffective customisation services that enable custom-made furniture on a budget. The advent of advanced Computer Aided Design (CAD) technology has brought a seismic shift in the approach to furniture design, reducing the amount of time required to produce tailor-made designs and opening up a world of possibilities for more distinctive pieces of furniture – all with a greater level of precision and accuracy than was previously achievable.
aQO
Customers can also see a visual representation of what their furniture will look like before it is manufactured, with the use of photo realistic 3D furniture modelling and renderings. Whilst trends in furniture design continue to evolve, one thing has remained constant is the requirement for great customer service. In an age where consumers can search a wider variety of furnishing goods with a click of a mouse or a tap on a smartphone screen, retailers have quickly come to the realisation that they must do more to make the furniturebuying experience a rewarding one for consumers – in order to differentiate themselves from their competitors.
Mango wood drawer chest
A new approach to customer service
At a time when the average home square footage is shrinking – with the average lounge in new-build homes now 32% smaller than equivalent homes built in the 1970s, according to recent research by LABC Warranty – there is a renewed requirement for versatile designs and made-to-measure furniture, paving the way for a new era of bespoke furniture.
Today’s consumers expect more than just a high-quality product, they want fantastic service too, as well as a competitive price. In an omnichannel market, driven by e-commerce purchases, one of the greatest challenges for leading furniture retailers is matching premium quality products with a first-class delivery service – especially when it comes to website sales.
By choosing bespoke designs, developed using innovative CAD technology, furniture can be accurately crafted to exact dimensions to maximise available space. This, in turn, saves homeowners the time and effort often associated with finding furniture items that will fit into a specific space in their home.
In a world where orders can be made at the click of a button from the comfort of your own home, customer expectations are changing when it comes to delivery. As a result, the perceived quality and speed of the delivery service have become major decisionmaking criteria for online customers.
Experienced furniture stores have a distinct advantage, having mastered the fundamentals of sales, they are now further enhancing their customer service offering with innovative delivery options tailored to the omnichannel market. At Trade Furniture Company, for instance, we strive to deliver all of our products within a reasonable timeframe for customers and have managed to effectively streamline our delivery service. Our average delivery time is currently nine days, and we are working hard to reduce this further to just seven days. Whilst the lead time for our bespoke furniture is 12 weeks from CAD approval to final delivery to any UK address. We also understand that we need to be flexible and work around our customers, which is why we offer early weekday delivery slots between 6am-7am, as well as Saturday deliveries. Our customers also have the opportunity to accept or decline a delivery slot through SMS or via email, giving them more control when it comes to receiving their products. In such a competitive market understanding consumer behaviour and the latest market trends is critical to staying ahead of the competition. Furniture companies, therefore, are increasingly on the hunt for innovative ways to expand their product ranges, in-store footfall and offering for customers.
w www.tradefurniturecompany.co.uk
Indian Sheesham Wood 2nd November 2018 | 17
F E A T U R E |D E S I G N G U I L D M A R K
Cabinet Maker takes another look at the 2018 Design Guild Mark winners as The Furniture Makers’ Company calls for next year’s entries.
“2018 has been a successful year. Congratulations to all of the holders.” Britain boasts a wealth of talented designers within the furniture industry and what better way to acknowledge these designs than to achieve a Design Guild Mark. The prestigious Design Guild Mark rewards excellence and raises the profile of British design and innovation. Organised by The Furniture Makers’ Company, a City of London livery company and the furnishing industry’s charity, the 2018 Design Guild Mark holders were unveiled earlier this year. The call for next year’s entries has already been begun but let’s reflect on winning designs of 2018 once more. In its 10th year the Design Guild Mark introduced a 2D design category – rewarding excellence in fabrics, textiles, wall coverings, floor coverings and carpets. 2D Design Guild Mark 2018 award recipients included Silicastone, designed by Alasdair Bremner & David Binns for Alusid, Jitterbug from the Shoreditch Range, designed by Gary Bridge for Axminster Carpets, and The Alchemy Collection, designed by Rachel Evison for Bute Fabrics. There were 13 other award winners this year, which included The Hugo Settee - designed by Ian Archer and manufactured by SITS, the 2nd November 2018 | 18
Aphelion Console - designed by Byron and Gómez for Benchmark, Mozaik - designed by Mark Gabbertas for Allermuir, AXYL designed by Benjamin Hubert of Layer for Allermuir, Thinking Quietly - designed by Jones & Partners for Thinking Works and the Magnetic Copper Cube - designed by Paul Kelley for Paul Kelley Ltd. Completing the 2018 honours list was the T1 Chair - designed by Rodney Kinsman RDI for OMK, Manta - designed by Lyndon by Boss Design, Group - designed by Philippe Malouin for SCP, Famiglia - designed by PearsonLloyd for Allermuir, the Edge Executive Desk - designed by PearsonLloyd for Modus Furniture and finally the Race Antelope Chair - designed by Ernest Race for Race Furniture Limited. The standard of designs proved to raise the benchmark yet again, with Rodney McMahon, Design Guild Mark chairman, praising this year’s winners: “2018 has been a busy and successful year for the Design Guild Mark. Congratulations to all of the holders.” Not only has the Design Guild Mark welcomed the new 2D design category, it has also recently launched a new brand identity and standalone website. Designed by
creative director Scott Thomas, the new logo features a contemporary interpretation of a D that subconsciously references innovation. The new logo, which retains some of the Design Guild Mark’s historic signature features such as the gold colourway, has been designed to be powerful but unobtrusive so it can be utilised alongside other visual identities. The new website includes information on all previous winners of the Mark, as well as the latest news and information about submitting an entry. And to that call, designers and companies have until 29 November 2018 to apply to meet the early bird deadline and until 24 January 2019 to meet the final deadline for to make the 2019 list. Designs awarded a Mark benefit from increased industry and consumer awareness, press and social media coverage, with the designers and companies behind them also receiving enhanced brand recognition. www.designguildmark.org.uk
f o r F ull st o ries and dail y ne w s u p dates : W W W . C a b i n e t - m a k e r . c o . u k
aQO
Alchemy by Rachel Evison
AXYL by Benjamin Hubert
Famiglia by Pearson Lloyd
Group by Philippe Malouin
Manta by Lyndon
HUGO by Ian Archer
Race Antelope Chair by Race Furniture
Shoreditch by Axminster Carpets
Silicastone by Alasdair Bremner and David Binns
Thinking-Quietly by Jones and Partners
T1 Chair by Rodney Kinsman
Edge Executive Desk by Pearson Lloyd
Aphelion Console by Byron
Magnetic Copper Cube by Paul Kelley
Mozaik by Mark Gabbertas
2nd November 2018 | 19
F E A T U R E |D E S I G N G U I L D M A R K
What the Winners said... Awarded Designer comments
DGM 197 - IAN ARCHER
“It’s very satisfying to receive acknowledgement for a one of my designs. I’m sure the kudos of the Design Guild Mark will bring the HUGO design and myself - greater commercial exposure.”
DGM 198 - BYRON AND GOMEZ
“We are thrilled and honoured to have received our first Design Guild Mark, hopefully the first of many.” - María Gómez
DGM 199 - MARK GABBERTAS
‘‘The Design Guild Mark scheme goes from strength to strength and the standard of entries and recipients continues to rise, it seems. We are very proud that our work has been recognised.’’ DGM 200 - BENJAMIN HUBERT DGM 201 - JONES & PARTNERS
“Receiving the Guildmark is a great honour for the studio. The ability to present directly to the judges makes it a unique experience.”
“The Design Guild Mark for us represents a commitment to British design and as one of our only partners in the UK furniture industry it is a pleasure to win the award with Allermuir.”
DGM 202 - PAUL KELLEY
“I’m pleased that my work has been recognised by my peers in the industry and I hope it will help me become more involved with the Furniture DGM 203 - RODNEY KINSMAN RDI Makers Company in the near future.” “The Design Guild Mark recognises the highest standards in quality and excellence within the British furniture industry. T1 has been in production for over 50 years and I am very pleased to receive this award.” DGM 204 - MANTA DESIGNED BY LYNDON BY BOSS DESIGN
DGM 205 - PHILLIPPE MALOUIN
“It is an honour for one of my designs to receive a Design Guild Mark of excellence. The joint effort between SCP and myself got us this distinction, I am aware that not many are awarded and I feel very privileged.”
“The Design Guild Mark ratifies the British design and manufacturing excellence behind Manta, and we are proud and delighted to have been awarded such an accolade. Bringing Manta to life has been a thoroughly rewarding challenge and being acknowledged with the award is proof our hard work has paid off.” - Richard Jones
DGM 206 & 207 - PEARSONLLOYD
“It’s always pleasing to obtain an award but in this case, a local award for the UK design industry makes it a little special. It’s also great to have a varied set of judges view the products, which in our view, grounds the award and makes it relevant both from a cultural and a commercial perspective.” - Luke Pearson DGM 208 - RACE ANTELOPE CHAIR
“Race Furniture is delighted to have its Antelope chair selected to receive a Design Guild Mark. The Antelope chair was designed by Ernest Race as a commission for the 1951 Festival of Britain. The chair has been greatly admired since that time and has been supplied throughout the world. The receipt of an esteemed Design Guild Mark will further enhance the design credentials of an iconic, classic chair designed by one of Britain’s most influential post-war furniture designers.” Comment supplied by Martin Long, Sales & Marketing Director for Race Furniture
2nd November 2018 | 20
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LAST WORD FLORA DAVIDSON, CO-FOUNDER OF SUPPLYCOMPASS for your brand and products. Plus, with an increasing number of brands out there offering sustainable and ethically sourced products, how do you differentiate yourself and position your brand in an increasingly competitive playing field? The key is to choose the areas and terminology that are right for you. Focus in on one or two that are just right. It doesn’t have to be everything or suit everyone – but it does need to be clear, consistent and make sense in the context of your offering and your brand. Sustainability & materials Focusing on the origin and impact of the raw material you use for your products, ensuring fibres and other materials (e.g. wood) are sustainably and ethically sourced and manufactured. Fabrics considered to be amongst the most sustainable are linen, recycled PET, organic cotton and tencel. Keep an eye out for new innovations like synthetic spider silk by Bolt Threads, fabrics made from orange and pineapple fibres, and low impact and biological dyes.
How to build a more responsible furniture brand With ethics and sustainability becoming so much more important to consumers, how can you ensure that your furniture brand is genuinely responsible and catering to the needs of both consumers and the planet? Positioning your brand Consider how you will interpret sustainability for your brand by thinking what is consistent and in-line with your brand values, brand story and the products you make. It’s impossible to be 100% ethical and sustainable, plus perfection is also not necessarily what consumers are expecting or looking for. But they are looking for clarity – consumers want (and need) to know what it is you stand for and what you are doing to be sustainable and ethical. If you are starting out, don’t over complicate it or over promise; keep it simple. What stands out for consumers in a busy marketplace is a clear, singular approach to responsibility that cuts through and resonates with them. Pick your area of focus and stick to that. Choosing your focus With terms like ethical, sustainable, conscious, responsible, transparent, and organic often being used interchangeably, it can be confusing to know which is right
CIMC BATH BESPOKE WOODLAND HERITAGE
Durable design Creating high quality products that don’t go out of fashion and are built to last a lifetime, products that you encourage your customers to use them again and again and to love forever. This can mean thinking about end of life and supply chain circularity, working out ways for your customers to recycle, reuse and repair your products. For example: Neptune uses sustainable wood and offers a lifetime guarantee People and ethics
community. Certifications such as Fairtrade, SA800 and GOTS indicate social compliance, though, make sure to take the time to visit your supply chain partners to understand what they are doing, and why, first hand. Transparency Positioning your brand as open and transparent means telling your consumers not just who your key manufacturers are, but providing details on all your other suppliers; from zips and fabrics to labelling and packaging. Transparency can also mean offering a full break down of costs on your website, splitting out labour costs, material costs, logistics costs and taxes. Working the right manufacturing partners Picking the right manufacturing partner is key; it is one of the most important relationships for any fashion brand. Certifications are always a good starting point to help you identify who might be the right fit, but go beyond this and find out if a potential partner shares similar values to you and your brand. Visit them in person, tell them what’s important to you, the things you are willing to be flexible on and things you are not. For example, if it’s complete transparency you want, ask your partner at the start and if it’s not something they can offer or feel comfortable with, then they aren’t right for you. Don’t force it on them, look for a better fit.
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This means more focus on your supply chain partners and working exclusively with those who are focused on having positive social impacts and caring for the wellbeing of their workers. This could be; offering benefits such as bonus schemes, crèches, and free health care, or giving back and supporting the local
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