Furniture News #372

#372 March 2020 www.furniturenews.net

GO WEST

Westbridge leads the charge

Match play How Heal’s met Millennial demand Assessing coronavirus’ impact The Customer Whisperer’s warning

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JANUARY FURNITURE SHOW IMM COLOGNE / BEDROOM DINING / LIVING / TRADE SERVICES

02/03/2020 16:34

We all sleep better with a clear conscience.

Our vision for the bed industry in 2020 and beyond is clear – we want to make it right.

How? By setting standards and driving ethics, transparency and responsibility.

By championing excellence in bed-making and selling, and supporting sustainability.

And by educating consumers on how to improve their sleep. In other words, we’ll keep on making sure our members do the right thing.

If you’re a manufacturer, components supplier or retailer, find out how the NBF can help you at

Because when we do, everyone sleeps better at night.

B E D F E D. O R G . U K

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EDITOR’S COMMENT 3 EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Paul Farley 01424 776101 paul@gearingmediagroup.com Twitter @FurnitureNewsED

SALES SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR (Furniture News portfolio) Sam Horscroft 01424 776100 sam@gearingmediagroup.com Twitter @FurnitureNewsAD OVERSEAS AGENTS Casey Loo (Asia) +65 973 00123 (WhatsApp) casey@apsmediagroup.com Ailsa Yin (China) +86 13113 115335 (WeChat) ailsa@apsmediagroup.com

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GETTING PAST ALL THIS DISRUPTION IS GOING TO REQUIRE SOLUTIONS, NOT SENSATIONALISM In 2007, America ‘sneezed’, and the world caught a cold.

This year, it’s China’s turn, with the coronavirus Covid-19 throwing the influence of the Asian powerhouse into stark relief. Since investigating the virus’ initial impact on 10th February (see my report on p100), when China’s factories and ports were locked down and the supply chain creaked to a halt, the season’s key furniture exhibitions (as far west as Milan) have been postponed, the stock markets have plummeted, and we stand on the cusp of a global pandemic.

We’ll be looking at the short- and long-term ramifications for the furniture industry in later issues. Whatever the projections, it’s unlikely we’ll look back at the efforts to contain the virus as overreactions – even if they prove too late to be effective.

Back to this month’s issue, and ‘The Customer Whisperer’ Kate Hardcastle is also calling for drastic action, as she warns that the trade’s marketing activity has fallen far short of its potential, creating a disconnect between business and consumer, and leaving the sector vulnerable (p16). “You have to stand up and be counted,” she told me at this year’s January Furniture Show (JFS). “If you want to be in business beyond the next five years, you should probably take another look around …”

Yet there are plenty of examples of businesses that have seized the

initiative. As part of our extensive JFS review (starting on p39), we’re celebrating the winners of The Furniture Awards 2020, and revealing why the judges thought their products and promises set them apart from their peers’ (p43).

Still looking back at JFS, cover star Westbridge recounts its star turn (p54), and At The Helm’s principals explain the thinking behind their show-stopping display (p40) – before the fair’s newest recruit looks ahead to JFS’ sister show in Manchester (p105).

Our lead interview is with Heal’s chief upholstery buyer, Kris Manalo, who explains how the iconic retailer shifted its focus upon realising it was lacking Millennial appeal (p10). “Like all good retail, it comes down to listening to your customers,” she notes.

It’s also vital to know your numbers, and we’ve some juicy metrics this month, as we present an exclusive industry state of play courtesy of the Furniture Industry Research Association (p20), plus an expanded version of our monthly product sales survey (p26).

Hopefully that’s enough to whet your appetite. In journalism, we’re taught “if it bleeds, it leads”, and there’s certainly no lack of bad news out there right now. But getting past all this disruption is going to require solutions, not sensationalism – and those solutions are out there, if you know where to look.

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Paul Farley 01424 776101

Editor-in-chief paul@gearingmediagroup.com

@FurnitureNewsED

02/03/2020 16:34

www.gregorryan.com

It’s all about bonding senses Gregor Ryan is an award winning global design service company providing bespoke design projects to clients across manufacturing, retail and brand savvy businesses who want creative packages, delivered by a team of experienced professional individuals with a personal touch.

At The Helm IMM Cologne 2019

With over 20 years of industry experience in the home lifestyle market and with an experienced portfolio across retail, product and exhibition design, art direction and marketing campaigns for leading brands such as Tetrad, Halo, Timothy Oulton, Spink & Edgar Upholstery and new brands At The Helm and Hestia by Furmanac.

Working alongside acclaimed UK retailers including Housing Units, Gillies, Lee Longland’s and 1933 on space planning and interior design within reputable stores nationwide.

Their ethos focuses on creativity with commercial success. Applying a scientific approach, maximising emotional senses for different consumer types. The team’s background in retail sourcing and buying, project management and visual merchandising in Home and Fashion

1933 Dublin Retail Store

certainly helps.

Recently recognised for best stand at the Janurary Furniture show, Gregor Ryan creates exhibition spaces for Tetrad, At the Helm and Furmanac in 2020. Winning best stand with At the Helm.

“Relatable, inspiring, style is always at the forefront of our approach and considered essential in our design DNA. Design New Alchemy” Ryan McNeish Creative Director.

Lifestyle Illustration: Halo

To contact the team please email: info@gregorryan.com marketing@gregorryan.com projects@gregorryan.com

Tetrad Maison et Objet 2020

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CONTENTS

#372 March 2020 www.furniturenews.net

GO WEST

Westbridge leads the charge

7 NEWS 10 INSIGHT

10 Heal’s / 16 Kate Hardcastle / 19 Steve Adams 20 FIRA’s state of play / 26 Retail Barometer

Match play How Heal’s met Millennial demand Assessing coronavirus’ impact The Customer Whisperer’s warning

JANUARY FURNITURE SHOW IMM COLOGNE / BEDROOM / DINING LIVING / FURNISHER / TRADE SERVICES

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30 EVENTS 24/02/2020 14:57

54 WESTBRIDGE (COVER FEATURE)

CONTRIBUTORS 20

30 imm cologne / 34 NWFRAA show / 36 Northpoint

39

JANUARY FURNITURE SHOW 40 Stand of the Show / 43 The Furniture Awards 2020 82 Exhibitor party

84 PRODUCTS 84 Bedroom / 90 Dining / 94 Living / 96 Trade Services

100 OPINION Suzie Radcliffe-Hart, technical manager, FIRA International

100 Coronavirus’ impact / 102 Join the imm-crowd!

105 January Furniture Show / 106 Feedback 10

102

Gavin Boden, business development manager, Rhenus Home Delivery

IT COMES DOWN TO LISTENING TO YOUR CUSTOMERS

105

James Howard, head of sales, Clarion Events (January/ Manchester Furniture Show)

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02/03/2020 16:34

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02/03/2020 16:34

READ MORE AT WWW.FURNITURENEWS.NET

NEWS

7

Frankfurt’s Ambiente saw visitor attendance heavily impacted by coronavirus and Storm Ciara last month.

Around 108,000 buyers visited, from nearly 160 countries – significantly down on the 136,081 recorded last year Ekornes, the business behind the Stressless brand, has appointed Roger Lunde as CEO. Roger, who boasts operational and management experience from international industrial and commercial activities, suceeds Olav Holst-Dyrnes Online retailer Houseology (Houseology Design Group) went into adminstration on 23rd January with 23 redundancies. The Glasgow-based interior design hub was founded as Occa-Home in 2010, and was backed by retail heavyweights including Sir Terry Leahy (ex-Tesco) FIRA International has welcomed two new members of staff to its consultancy team – sustainability consultant Mark Allison and product technologist Rima Lahiry Paris’ Maison&Objet recorded a -3.5% decrease in visitor numbers, with 3238 attending from the UK. Marking the event’s quarter-century, this edition featured 2736 exhibitors, 609 of which were new to the event John Lewis Partnership ceased publishing weekly sales figures when its Future Partnership strategy commenced last month, yet will continue to disclose its performance in FY, HY and annual reports

READ MORE ONLINE AT FURNITURENEWS.NET

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SLEEPEEZEE’S NEW CHAMPION Bedmaker Sleepeezee has partnered with Olympic and three-times world champion heptathlete Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill to help promote the importance of a good night’s sleep and its effect on performance. In her role as brand ambassador, Jessica will share expert advice and tips on the Sleepeezee blog and social media channels.

Sleepeezee’s marketing manager Amy Curtis comments: “Sleep has a huge impact on our ability to take on the challenges of the day ahead. Ensuring

that our customers wake up feeling refreshed is what drives us here at Sleepeezee, and we’ve been perfecting the formula for a good night’s sleep since 1924.

“As one of Britain’s most successful athletes, a mother of two and an all-round champion of a fit and healthy lifestyle, Jessica has continuously inspired us throughout the last decade, and we can’t think of anyone better to help us shape the next one.”

REVENUES DOWN BUT EVE OPTIMISTIC D2C mattress brand eve Sleep achieved revenues of £23.8m (down from £29.3m in 2018) in the UK, Ireland and France in 2019. It also achieved a -43% YoY reduction in full-year EBITDA losses (£10.8m), a -51% reduction in cash burn, and an overhead reduction of -27%. The brand attributes these improvements to more efficient marketing, higher quality traffic, and a more streamlined cost base.

The company made significant cost reductions in Q4, leading to a trading situation which it believes to be more indicative of its prospects for 2020. In the last four months of the year, eve also broke even at an operating level (achieving a positive margin

contribution after direct and marketing costs but before overheads) for the first time. The period also saw the brand launch retail partnerships with Argos, Homebase and Dunelm.

CEO James Sturrock comments: “We are delivering on our priorities of reducing losses and stemming cash burn as we prioritise profitability over sales growth at any cost. We are well placed to make further significant progress in 2020, with a differentiated brand position, a broader product range than our peers and ongoing improvements to the customer experience, supported by a lower cost base, a substantial cash balance and no debt.”

SCS CEO TO RETIRE ScS Group CEO David Knight, who joined the business 32 years ago, has announced his retirement from full-time executive responsibilities, and has given 12 months’ notice.

ScS chairman Alan Smith comments: “David has committed a very substantial part of his working career to ScS and has been pivotal to its success. We are delighted that he will remain in the role of group CEO until we have his successor in place and ensured an orderly handover.”

ScS states that it traded in line with expectations in H1 (to 25th January), and was

encouraged to see LFL order intake growth of +1.2% YoY for the last nine weeks, including the key winter sales period. This was an improvement on the first 17 weeks of the year, which saw LFL order intake decline by -7.1%. In all, LFL order intake fell -4.4% during the half.

“Whilst we are mindful of the continued economic uncertainty and subdued consumer confidence, we believe that this focus puts us in a strong position to take advantage of opportunities which will add value in the longer term,” states the group.

02/03/2020 16:34

8

NEWS

Laura Ashley is trying to secure additional funding after experiencing a -10.8% decline in sales over the 26 weeks to 31st December 2019 due to “market headwinds and weaker consumer spending” Furmanac has arranged a £1.8m loan from alternative lender ThinCats to reduce its costs by refinancing existing loans, and increase working capital to assist growth through new product releases and export opportunities Natuzzi has launched a Natuzzi Italia D2C transactional website in the UK, which is integrated with the store network, and enables customers to buy online and have their goods delivered to their home or a stockist of their choice Harrison Spinks’ new 100% recyclable glue-free pocket spring system, Cortec, will soon be available to North American mattress manufacturers, thanks to the partnership between the bedmaker’s components division and its joint venture partner, HSM 100% Design is moving into a new phase this year as it is rebranded Design London, and relocating to a new venue, Magazine London, in the new Greenwich Design District. The show will run from 16-19th September The Furniture Makers’ Company surpassed its target of signing up 100 companies to its One Step at a Time campaign three months early, with a strong response at the January Furniture Show

READ MORE ONLINE AT FURNITURENEWS.NET

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READ MORE AT WWW.FURNITURENEWS.NET

IKEA PROPOSES STORE CLOSURE

IKEA UK proposes to close its Coventry store this summer. The store, which has made consistent losses, was built in 2007 in the city centre, and was one of the retailer’s earliest experiments in new formats. However, states IKEA, given its location and the size of the land available at the time, the store was built over seven levels, which significantly impacted operating costs and the shopping experience. In addition, the retailer is seeing its customers increasingly prefer to shop in retail parks and online.

IKEA says it has tried a number of initiatives over the years to drive sales growth and make the store more cost-efficient, as well as downsizing or reconfiguring it, yet these have been unsuccessful.

Peter Jelkeby, country retail manager and chief sustainability officer, IKEA UK and Ireland, says: “Although this isn’t an easy decision, this is the

right decision for the long-term success of IKEA in the UK. At IKEA, we are constantly challenging ourselves to find ways to meet the needs of our customers and we will continue to try and test, investing in stores, fulfilment centres, city centre formats and our digital capabilities to make IKEA even more affordable, convenient and sustainable.”

The retailer is exploring alternative solutions for local customers, such as the introduction of collection points across the city.

This year, IKEA opened its most sustainable store to date, in Greenwich, and two Planning Studios in London. Its parent, Ingka Centres, has acquired a shopping centre in Hammersmith, paving the way for the brand’s first small-format UK city store, while planning permission has been approved for a new store on the New Monks Farm site near Lancing, West Sussex.

EVENTS POSTPONED DUE TO VIRUS Travel and safety concerns around the coronavirus outbreak has prompted the cancellation and postponement of numerous Asian trade events scheduled to take place this month. At the time of going to press, China’s CIFF Guangzhou, SIFE and 3F had been postponed to as-yet-unspecified dates, while Design Shanghai has been pushed back to 26-29th May. While stressing that their countries remain safe travel destinations, some trade exhibitions

outside of China have also rescheduled. The Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF) has been rescheduled to 30th June to 3rd July, while Malaysia’s Export Furniture Exhibition (EFE) has been pushed back to 27-29th August. Indonesia’s IFEX and Vietnam’s VIFA have also been postponed.

Singapore’s IFFS had already planned to take a strategic break in 2020.

Italy’s I Saloni has also been rescheduled, to 16th21st June.

SAINSBURY’S CEO TO RETIRE After working for Sainsbury’s for 15 years – almost six of them as CEO – Mike Coupe has confirmed his intention to retire at the end of May. He will be succeeded by retail and operations director Simon Roberts on 1st June.

Martin Scicluna, chairman, says:“Simon has been extremely effective during his three years at Sainsbury’s, leading our store teams through great change in that time. Simon is a dedicated, determined and enthusiastic champion of the customer and

of our colleagues and has overseen sustained improvements in our competitiveness during his time so far.”

Mike comments: “I feel very privileged to have spent almost six years running Sainsbury’s, in a period that has been the most challenging and competitive of my 35-year career in retail. Sainsbury’s is a very different business today to the one I took over in 2014. I have focused on setting the business up to deal with the strategic challenges of our industry.”

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ArtisticU

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10

INSIGHT

KEEPING IN TOUCH Simple, natural and confident, Heal’s SS20 collection is the closest the retailer has yet come to meeting consumer demand, says its upholstery lead, senior buyer Kris Manalo, in conversation with Paul Farley … www.heals.com

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INFORMING INDUSTRY, BUILDING BUSINESS 11

Forever young Yet consumer tastes (and trends) rarely stand still for long, and some disconnect remained between Heal’s and the wider audience.

“Despite our progress, we were still

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Wallis, in fabric by One Night Eight Five

Although cabinet furniture isn’t far behind, upholstery remains Heal’s biggest department. As we speak, revenue is up +12% YoY – a remarkable achievement given the economy, and a sign that the 210-year-old business has lost none of its verve.

Heal’s SS20 collection speaks volumes about the brand’s values.

Natural, sustainable themes permeate a line-up of organic shapes, strippedback palettes and understated craft.

This latest evolution is warm and tactile, yet modestly assured – not unlike its creator.

With buying roles at Habitat, Tom Dixon and The White Company behind her, Kris fulfilled a lifelong ambition to join Heal’s in April 2016, and quickly made her mark.

“When I joined, the upholstery range comprised plenty of well-made, traditional models – but they all just seemed to cater for a certain type of middle-aged customer,” says Kris.

“There were lots of greys and blues!”

She immediately set about making “tweaks and changes”, travelling to Milan to propose a collaboration with designer Russell Pinch “over ice cream and tea” – which resulted in Wallis, a sleek, compact sofa with a feminine touch. “[Ambrose] Heal’s maxim was ‘if in doubt, innovate’,” Kris explains. “So we did.”

One year on, Heal’s AW17 line featured Matera. Kris designed and delivered this premium leather contemporary model – sales of which were just shy of £1m in its first year alone (it remains a bestseller).

That launch also featured the simple yet flexible Richmond. “The promo photo reflected pure opulence, and had Richmond against a teal background,” says Kris. “It really resonated. It was shared widely (so Instagrammable!)

– and inspired our competitors the following season.”

Heal’s was entering a new creative era, with Kris among the architects.

“We came from a land of greys and safe, reliable colours, to having a voice and making a statement,” she reflects.

missing much of the Millennial target market,” says Kris. “Like all good retail, it comes down to listening to your customers, and understanding who they are. “This age group appreciates design (some of their demands were covered by our concession partners, but not so much by our core range).

“Our customers also want quality, and are willing to invest a little bit more.

Many will come in-store with a budget in mind, then be so impressed when they see a model in situ that they trade up – it’s an emotive thing. But we always try to reach out to people that aspire to Heal’s vision, but may not be quite there, budget-wise.”

Kris feels that Heal’s has addressed the demands of younger shoppers better than ever in its SS20 collection, which speaks to the need to achieve comfort in smaller spaces (embracing the growing rental market), and champions sustainability – by employing FSC-certified timber and 100% recycled yarns on the updated Mistral sofa, for example.

“The throwaway culture concerns

THE THROWAWAY CULTURE ANGERS ME

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INSIGHT

INSPIRED RETAIL “I love Pinch, they always remain true to their brand, and each piece has a quiet confidence,” says Kris. “They always deliver on design and quality.

“Then there’s Meridiani, near the V&A – a high-end Italian brand, showcasing upholstery to die for.Everything is displayed beautifully, and there’s a real warmth to the place.”

Heal’s Mistral has been updated for today’s consumer with Designers Guild’s Tejo, a 100% recycled fabric

me,” she says. “If you’re going to bring a piece of furniture into the world, it needs to be built beautifully, and stand the test of time. A lot of our customers would rather save up for something they’ll particularly love and cherish than buy into fast fashion.

“Sustainability is more than a trend, it’s here to stay – and we’re continually asking ourselves how we can address the subject in a more mindful way.

Mistral was always successful (midcentury styling really delivers in every area we stand for), it just needed reinterpretation.”

Offering a fresh line of fabrics – including smart velvets, smart linens and recycled yarns – the SS20 collection not only offers more flexible pricing, but fills the gaps within Heal’s range, believes Kris, and reinforces that the retailer “really understands what people are after. We are constantly working to meet our customers’ needs”.

Kris with designer Lucy Kurrein

Talent show Kris’ creative/commercial skillset didn’t come about by accident. She studied printed textile design at Middlesex University, before honing her craft at Conran, where she managed the brand licensing design team and would engage in inspirational group sketching sessions.

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As outlined in our interview with Heal’s CEO Hamish Mansbridge in last September’s issue, the business encourages its buyers to fulfil the design role when possible, and to trust their instincts when shaping an offer – and this approach suits Kris just fine.

“There’s no design department at Heal’s,” she says, “but that lets the buying team be a bit more flexible.

There’s this illusion of a massive buying team, but it’s actually really small – yet there are so many opportunities. We’re all happy to roll up our sleeves and get involved in different parts of the business.

“In-house – working closely with Sabina [Miller, head of buying] – I’ll propose a strategy based on market trends, and formulate a fit, shape and price point.”

Although Kris will then design many of the models herself, collaboration is commonplace. Heal’s famously works with some of the best in the business (Russell Pinch, Matthew Hilton and Rob Scarlett are just some of the creatives

02/03/2020 16:34

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INSIGHT

Portobello compact corner chaise

14

IT COMES DOWN TO LISTENING TO YOUR CUSTOMERS behind the collections) to develop lines that reflect its values.

Kris also name-checks Lucy Kurrein, the London-based designer behind Heal’s Isola chairs. “Lucy has a fantastic attitude to design and innovation,” she affirms. “She’s worked with the likes of Matthew Hilton and SCP, but she’s so unassuming and humble. It’s great working with her.”

And Kris is always on the lookout for fresh talent and further collaborations. As well as scouring the likes of imm cologne, London Design Festival and Milan (“the main fair is a bit of a monster, I prefer to check out

the satellite shows”) for fabrics and emerging trends, Kris likes attending those smaller events which give upand-coming designers a step up.

“I get a real buzz out of attending events like the Royal College of Art (RCA) graduate summer show,” she says. “They’re great for building design partnerships, and uncovering the seeds of something materially innovative. I love working with new designers to develop commercial products.”

Many of these emerge through Heal’s Discovers, a showcase which takes place during London Design Festival each year, and tasks a select group of

BUYING BACKGROUND 1999 – Furniture purchasing coordinator, Habitat 2004 – Range manager, Tom Dixon 2008 – FF&E procurement manager, Warwick Avenue Group

Matera chaise

2010 – Furniture buyer, The White Company

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2012 – Project manager, Conran 2016 – Senior buyer, Heal’s

young designers to create models for production (and eventual sale). The initiative has helped the retailer recruit some noteworthy talent over the years – including Russell Pinch, Kirsty Whyte and Tom Raffield.

Making friends To realise these designs, Heal’s draws on a relatively small supplier base. In upholstery, Kris works with a handful of British and Italian manufacturers.

“It’s best to keep supply focused,” she says. “We like to work with companies that share our core values, are honest yet flexible, and are in it for the long run.

Of course, we’re always mindful of the volumes that we do with each, and of putting all our eggs in one basket. I’m always looking for new opportunities – they’ve just got to be right for our longterm strategy.

“Our dream scenario is being able to work together on every aspect of development, from concept and production to market.

“They have to be sympathetic to what we’re trying to achieve. Our designs all feature a nod to British and Italian contemporary, and traditional classic style. They’re quietly confident, with discreet luxury elements and little design details that ensure differentiation. Quality runs through everything, and will never be sacrificed in the name of price.

“Ultimately, everything we do has the Heal’s touch – and I don’t think it’s ever been more closely aligned with what people want”

02/03/2020 16:34

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1 Wilmslow House, 1Grove Way, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AG 02/03/2020 11:23 GreenwoodRetail_Mar20.indd 24/02/2020 10:21 sales@greenwoodretail.com www.greenwoodretail.com 02/03/2020 16:34

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INSIGHT

WAKE-UP CALL Having just landed at the January Furniture Show on the back of NYC’s NRF conference, business and consumer expert, industry veteran and ‘Customer Whisperer’ Kate Hardcastle talked candidly to Paul Farley about her perceptions of today’s trade, and why the industry needs to look forward, not back … www.insightwithpassion.co.uk

Mike Wheeler

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02/03/2020 16:34

INFORMING INDUSTRY, BUILDING BUSINESS 17 You should see the concept stores in New York. There are some real eyeopeners.

Camp (the Family Experience Store) launched in 2018, and there’s already five branches. It’s a toy store with a difference – kids are encouraged to play and learn, and the staff are all actors employed to play with them. Apart from being a bit of a parent guilt trip, there’s no hard sell. They don’t have to make the store transactional – they cover their basic costs through savvy brand partnerships and alliances with tech, home and F&B brands, reaching out to parents while their kids are playing.

Of more relevance to the furniture industry is Casper’s Dreamery, a hotel-like space that offers workers and travellers a retreat from the bustle of the city. You make a reservation in your preferred timeslot, and avail of their toiletries and pyjamas in your own sleep pod. Again, there’s no pushy salesmen, just wonderfully subtle brand reinforcement.

What can UK retailers take from these experiential examples? In short, if your consumer is being exposed to shopping experiences like these, their expectation level will grow (like it did when your rivals started offering next-day delivery).

Like a toddler’s wish-list, retailers are constantly being told they need to deliver more – but the more consumers are given, the more they want. And when it comes to meeting these varied demands, from fulfilment to sustainability, a lot of businesses (even the most robust of brands) are being stunned into silence, because they don’t feel they can ever provide everything that’s asked of them.

But it’s better to give them something than nothing. You have to stand up and be counted. You have to say something.

I was last here at the NEC furniture show a decade ago, in 2010. Today, I’m looking at an industry so hurt it’s gone back into its shell – and the more it does that, the further it’ll retreat. It definitely needs more clarity of purpose.

Every sector of the trade has something to offer. Beds are eminently relevant – from health to lifestyle, there’s so much more you can do with them to engage the consumer. But while beds are potential water-cooler conversation fodder, we still haven’t

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really got to the point where people name-check their preferred brands.

I always thought cabinet and upholstery were an easy sell because of the ability to focus on the showcase when promoting them. The consumer’s home is their castle, and these products can really address the house-proud – more so than ever, in our social mediadriven world of influencers, ‘shelfies’ and Mrs Hinch. There’s more demand for personification, and that’s where the benefit of these products can be sold.

The industry is still so price-oriented.

What it really needs to do is better understand the consumer.

Whether you’re selling B2C or B2B, you need to know where your product’s going. What type of house will it end up in, how will it be used, and why should people want it? How much will they pay for it? The furniture trade seems to be so detached from what the consumer actually wants for their home – it’s a bit like a car parts supplier not caring what the driver thinks.

For suppliers, it’s not enough to speak and listen to the end-consumer through the retailer. They need to take ownership of that conversation and learn from it. They need to carry on giving people what they want – but also take them somewhere new.

To that end, consumer research is crucial. On top of sitting down with stockists to know with confidence what their customers want, there’s so much deeper you can go – profiling, focus groups, geographical data, qualitative and quantitative – and it’s a lot cheaper than it used to be.

Of course, research can be wrong (when Birdseye surveyed housewives in the Seventies, they were told the ready meal would never work). And you shouldn’t use data to support an existing argument, so be prepared to be hurt by your findings. But knowing your numbers is the most stabilising asset you can have.

We live in a progressive society. Our social networks are global, with myriad influences. The popularity of avocados, unicorns and llamas doesn’t make any sense when looked at in isolation, but each springboards an emotional need to buy – and people are driven by this more than ever.

Can you imagine a cereal being

invented without testing it with a child?

Suppliers will run their new models past key stockists, so why not past consumers? Conducting research in partnership with retailers tells them that a supplier cares, that they’re invested in their product’s success.

But suppliers shouldn’t neglect their B2B activities. These should always factor into a supplier’s budget. B2B is vital – it’s your megaphone, it’s where the knowledge base is, and its figureheads offer a vital third-party point of endorsement.

You just have to tell the same marketing story, but in a different way.

Your brand’s identity, service promise and place in the marketplace should be crystal clear – you’re just tailoring that message towards a different audience.

And there are more similarities than you might think.

Fundamentally, it’s about confidence. A sofa will be with you for weeks, but it’ll be in the consumer’s home for years.

It’s not just a SKU, it’s where people sit, spend precious time with their loved ones, where their guests sit. The same with a dining table – from homework to dinner, it’s part of the scenery of someone’s life.

And I’d love it if more suppliers and retailers made that consumer connection and spoke with some of that passion.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE BUDGET TO REACH THE CONSUMER, YOU HAVE TO BE INVENTIVE 02/03/2020 16:34

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INSIGHT

It’s hard to find many great examples of furniture retail in the UK. Go into John Lewis, and the chances are the first message you see will be about price. And Dreams stores still look like a sea of cream, despite their efforts to change. Even the best-established indies haven’t moved forward too much, and still just feel like furniture shops when they should be pushing the boundaries.

IKEA has so many of the experiential qualities nailed – a creche for the kids, cheap F&B, a loyalty scheme – and they shouldn’t have been allowed to get such a head-start in the sector!

The truth is, many of these brands could be blown away very quickly if foreign companies turn their eyes to the UK, or another sector gets hungry.

Just look at the number of fashion companies moving into the home sector (H&M, Zara, etc) – they’re on-trend, fashionable and connected, and will take what business they can because online retailers and the supermarkets are taking theirs.

Furniture showrooms can be pretty staid. They’re often clinically laid out, and far too price-led. Do retailers expect a consumer to sit on a product for three minutes then say they’ll be fine with it for the next 10 years?

Retailers need to bring the product to life, in a relaxed environment. Yes, the consumer wants to know if they can afford something, but they’re more interested in how well it will work in their home.

Retail needs to prove itself to be of use to people’s lives. If I look at my phone or TV, I see so many examples of people curating their own experiences. Whether it’s sketching, baking, pottery or sewing, I see the pendulum swinging from AI and technology back to comfort, and a desire to learn and safeguard against change.

And I’d love to see the furniture sector really capitalise on this somehow.

If you don’t have the budget to reach the consumer, you have to be inventive.

Like that toy store I mentioned, if you’re a retailer you’ll have to trade with what you have, and that might end up taking the form of brand partnerships and alliances.

Perhaps you could bring selected home tech partners like Hive (smart

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YOU NEED MESSAGES THAT REACH PEOPLE WHEN THEY’RE OFF-GUARD AND DON’T EXPECT TO BE TACKLED thermostats), Ring (home security systems) or LG (electronics) into your store, and talk to the consumer in a more holistic way? If you want to reach more people for less, you have to be creative.

In 2007, when I was working with Halo, I could already see the impact of social media, and the consumer’s desire to share images and experiences. I created the concept of a partnership with a Hollywood movie that fulfilled the demand for more natural family photo shoots – which culminated in a brand tie-in with Stardust, the fantasy film based on Neil Gaiman’s novel.

We wanted to grow brand awareness and drive traffic in-store, so we conceptualised the film’s themes of making a star of yourself in your own home, and the journey back there.

How could I captivate an entirely new audience that wasn’t thinking about buying furniture? We couldn’t compete with Coca Cola on spend – but in terms of consumer hours spent in-store, furniture trumps FMCG. Executing the campaign through some 1500 stockists, we delivered more minutes of people connecting with the film than any other partner.

We furnished the dressing rooms and hospitality areas at Manchester Arena, which presented so many celebrity photo opportunities, and, at the premiere, the furniture industry hit the red carpet with De Niro and Pfeiffer.

You really have to think outside the box.

If you can make the connection between your product and something completely different, people will remember it for years.

You need fast campaigns and slowburners, and messages that reach people when they’re off-guard and don’t expect to be tackled.

It’s a shame there haven’t been many examples like this in the last decade.

It feels like the industry is entrenched, when it should be confident.

I can’t see the end consumer represented anywhere here at the January Furniture Show. Over a decade ago, you had a team from BBC Breakfast roaming the halls, and a rich presentation programme. I gave a speech about retail theatre to a packed audience – it was standing room only.

As a sector, we pushed ourselves forward. Today, it looks like it’s holding itself back. Although many tried to ignore it, the online genie is out of the bottle, and few businesses really know where they stand any more.

The furniture industry needs to wake up. You are good enough. You are valid.

Don’t see what’s big and brave as scary.

If you have a defeatist mindset or are close to retirement, you probably don’t need to listen to me. But if you want to be in business beyond the next five years, you should probably take another look around

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INSIGHT

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SPIRIT LEVEL By day, mild-mannered Steve Adams is the CEO of Mattress Online, one of the UK’s largest bed and mattress etailers – out of hours, he’s even more measured …

Out of hours, I help support, grow and develop my new venture, LUXLO Spirits, a range of lower-alcohol and lowercalorie spirits. We’re starting with gin, but extending shortly to vodka and rum.

I became involved in this business primarily because I missed the excitement of working for a start-up business, and it falls into my areas of passion – health, wellbeing, and enjoying a drink socially.

It asks that I commit to many late evenings and quite a few weekends – all in all, I average 15 hours a week. At the beginning, when I was single, this was easy – it’s more of a challenge now, however. Thankfully, I have a very understanding girlfriend!

I’M FAST BECOMING AN EXPERT IN SLEEP AND ALCOHOL

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I’m most proud of creating a unique product that tastes amazing and may just change how we perceive what is normal when choosing what spirit to drink. Who says a gin has to be 40% abv when it tastes the same – I would say better! – with half the alcohol?

I’m fast becoming an expert in sleep and alcohol (both very enjoyable). In 10 years’ time, it would be awesome to still have influential roles in both businesses. They do have synergy – improving wellbeing by making good sleep more accessible, whilst helping to reduce alcohol consumption.

I have learned that both industries are difficult to break into, very close knit – but, equally, friendly and supportive.

You might not know this, but LUXLO has been a close personal project, and as such I have hidden a clue to another passion and hobby of mine in the bottle design. I will happily send a bottle of LUXLO to the first person who messages me with the correct answer!

If you want to know more you can visit our website at www.luxlospirits.com or follow us on Facebook @luxlospirits and Instagram @luxlospirits. If you want to drop me a line you can find me at steve.adams@luxlospirits.com

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INSIGHT

STATE OF PLAY The Furniture Industry Research Association’s annual statistics digest summarises how the UK industry has performed in recent years, offering businesses a valuable benchmark. Here, Furniture News presents an exclusive summary of the latest edition.

BY SUZIE RADCLIFFE-HART www.fira.co.uk

FIRA’s new report covers 2015-18, and includes estimates for 2019 and beyond.

Drawing on publicly available data from Government bodies including the Office for National Statistics, HM Revenue and Customs, Communities and Local Government, plus the Bank of England, the report covers areas such as national economic trends, the structure of the industry and trading relationships with the rest of the world across the contract, office and domestic subsectors.

With a focus on the medium-term trends and the changes that took place between 2017-18, here are the key findings …

NATIONAL ECONOMIC TRENDS The UK furniture and furnishings sector Total 2018 turnover for the combined furniture and furnishings manufacturing sectors was £12.2b, representing a YoY increase of +3.1% – the largest portion of which was furniture manufacturing, with a turnover of £9.01b. Turnover emanated from 8707 companies, employing some 123,000 individuals.

Furniture and furnishings sales continued to rise into 2019, with Q1 and Q2 consumer expenditures being +5.8% and +4.8% higher, respectively, than their 2018 equivalents.

Furniture and furnishing sales in 2018 (£16.7b) accounted for 26.4% of overall sector sales – a slight increase on the 2017 figure of 25.9%. The wider sector (including specialist retail but excluding general retail) comprised over 52,500 VAT-registered companies, supporting in the order of 339,000 jobs.

Consumer credit and lending Total net unsecured lending to individuals, having increased on a regular basis over previous years, started to fall in 2009, bottoming out at £207.1b in June 2012.

Since then it has continued to increase, reaching £351.7b at the end of 2018 (a YoY increase of +8.8%).

When considering this in value terms, such lending is now 25% of that secured on dwellings, compared to around a fifth (22%) in 2015/16. Some of this increase in lending was attributable to credit cards (2.7% from 2017-18) while other lending saw a YoY increase of +10.5%. Total net lending continued to rise into 2019, with the latest data (March 2019) indicating an outstanding value of £358.2b – which was +8.5% more than the outstanding net lending figure of £330.2b in March the previous year.

House starts and sales Following a fall in new UK dwelling starts in recent years, a marked increase in the number of starts in 2016/17 of 15,520 (+8.7%) was indicative of further fluctuations in the market – which continued into 2017/18, with YoY growth of +2.3% (equating to an additional 4550 new starts).

CONSUMER EXPENDITURE ON FURNITURE AND FURNISHINGS WAS ALMOST £17B IN 2018 Pages.indd 20

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The 2017/18 period saw the highest number of new dwelling starts in the UK (198,930) since 2007/08 when the sector peaked at 219,090, with the majority of these in England (165,770, just over 83% of the UK total). Provisional data for 2018/19 hints at a slight fall in dwellings starts for Wales (-1.2%) and England (-0.4) with comparably notable increases for both Scotland (+16.1%) and Northern Ireland (+12%).

Any increases in the building of new homes have significant potential for increasing domestic furniture sales – yet, putting this into context, annual dwelling starts remain below those recorded in the four years prior to the 2008 financial crisis, when they were typically of the order of 220,000-235,000.

The number of non-residential transactions has remained relatively buoyant in recent years, yet the latest figures show a sharp decline into negative growth of -1.6% YoY. In comparison, the residential market in the UK, which had slipped into negative growth across all countries during 2016/17, saw an increase of +4.3% overall during 2017/18 thanks in part to an uplift of +14.2% in Northern Ireland and +8.2% in Wales.

Total transactions for 2018 were slightly higher than the previous year, at 1.331 million, equating to an increase of +3.7%.

Consumer spend Total consumer expenditure increased between 2015-18 to ÂŁ1302b (a +7.9% increase over the period, and up +1.6% YoY).

Consumer expenditure on furniture and furnishings was almost ÂŁ17b in 2018 and far exceeded all other spend in the sector. This represented YoY growth of +10.5%.

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INSIGHT

The most significant growth in expenditure was in the furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance sector, which exceeded £60b for the first time (£63.32b).

The latest data shows that furniture and furnishings sales continued to rise into 2019, with Q1 and Q2 consumer expenditures respectively being +5.8% and +4.8% higher than the equivalent periods in 2018.

Furniture and furnishing sales in 2018 (£16.7b) accounted for 26.4% of overall sector sales – a slight increase on the 2017 figure of 25.9%. Education expenditure dipped into negative growth of -0.2% YoY following signs of annual growth of +2.9% and +5.5% from 2015-17.

Average weekly retail internet sales for all products included within this analysis grew to £1.32b in September 2019, reflecting a YoY increase of +11.8% and equating to 18.1% of all retail sales.

FURNITURE INDUSTRY TRENDS Turnover By 2015, furniture manufacturing equated to 1.6% of the UK’s total manufacturing turnover and 4.6% of registered enterprises. These figures have remained the same from 201518, indicating that while UK manufacturing overall has grown,

furniture manufacturing has grown at an equivalent rate.

Total provisional turnover in 2018 was £9.01b, which was +3.1% higher than the previous year and an overall increase over the period from 2015-18 of +13.1%.

In 2018, 6379 UK furniture manufacturers employed an average of 93,000 individuals, representing a YoY increase of +2% in respect of the number of manufacturers, and an increase of +4.5% in terms of personnel.

Despite its turnover being 1.6% of the total for UK manufacturing, the furniture sector employed 3.6% of all UK manufacturing personnel, which is estimated to have equated to 2.4% of the UK manufacturing wage bill.

Following a period of decline from 2015-17, turnover in the office and shop furniture sector grew by +9.4% from £2.02b to £2.21b between 2017-18. Although the initial indication of a potential recovery is encouraging, this sector has yet to reach the 2015 peak of £2.25b.

Three consecutive years of growth in the kitchen sub-sector from 2016-18 of +46.4% overall has resulted in turnover of £2.44b. The number of enterprises also continued to grow by +6.7% from 2017-18, to 1413.

Following an extended period of growth from 2012, 2017/18 YoY figures for both the number of companies and turnover slipped into negative growth in the mattress sub-sector.

Turnover of £0.83b in 2018 reflected +10.9% growth in the period from 2015-18 and +47% since 2012.

The ‘other furniture’ category (encompassing upholstery and cabinet) remains the industry’s largest sub-sector, accounting for 39.2% of sector turnover in 2018.

The greatest growth over the 2016-18 period occurred within the kitchen sector, with manufacturer sales and other income increasing by +10.8% and +28.5%, respectively.

Company size The industry is dominated by micro- and small- to mediumsize businesses, with just 310 companies (3.3%) operating at turnovers in excess of £5m (an increase of 10 when compared to the previous year).

A total of 150 companies turned over more than £10m, which was slightly higher than the previous year (145).

The latest data indicates 6360 companies in the sector, an

ANNUAL DWELLING STARTS REMAIN BELOW THOSE RECORDED PRIOR TO 2008

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increase of +1.6% when compared with 6260 in the previous year, with most of this growth seen in the number of companies turning over less than £1m.

Just over 82% of companies turn over less than £1m, and the largest percentage of companies are in the £100,000-£250,000 turnover band (31.8%).

In the mattress and office and shop sectors, the percentage of smaller companies is lower than for the other sectors (54.3% and 67.4% of businesses within these sectors turn over less than £1m, respectively).

The mattress sector has proportionately more large companies than the others, with 20% of companies turning over more than £5m. In comparison, 11.2% of companies within the office and shop sector turned over more than £5m, followed by the kitchen (3.6%) and other furniture (3.4%) sectors.

There remains a significant proportion of extremely small companies within the whole furniture manufacturing sector, with 55.7% of organisations operating at turnovers of less than £250,000.

In 2018, around 78% of companies employed less than 10 people, and only 40 companies (0.63%) employed more than 250.

The South East has proportionately more companies than any other region (13.6%) and, when combined with London, accounts for 24.7% of all UK furniture manufacturers.

When considering turnover by region, Yorkshire and the Humber has a larger proportion of higher-turnover (£5m+) furniture manufacturers than elsewhere in the UK (9.3% of the companies in the region).

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INSIGHT

INTERNATIONAL TRADE The total provisional estimate for UK furniture manufacturer sales in 2018 was £7.13b. When adding on other manufacturer sales and income derived from other activities, however, the total attributable turnover for the furniture manufacturing sector increased by +4.3% to an estimated £9.63b.

In terms of product sales, imports decreased fractionally to 51.2% of the home market which, based on manufacturing, export and import data, was estimated to be £12.04b. The total home market, including income derived from other sources, was £14.55b (about £0.40b higher than in 2016).

Imports Imports of furniture into the UK in 2018 decreased by -2.3% to £6.17b compared with the previous year’s figure of £6.31b.

Indications for 2019 are that this figure could decrease further to around £6.06b due to continuing uncertainty surrounding the impact of the UK’s departure from the EU. The majority of imports again originated from China (£2.02b), with its share of imports into the UK dipping slightly to 32.8% when compared to 34% the previous year.

In purely financial terms, Italy retained its position of second in the hierarchy of furniture exporters to the UK, albeit following YoY growth of just +1.2%. Poland and Germany remained in third and fourth positions, respectively. Despite negative growth of -7.9%, there remains a reasonable gap between Germany and Vietnam (which is in fifth position).

EXPORTS TO COUNTRIES WITHIN THE EU HAVE REMAINED RELATIVELY STABLE The value of 2018 imports from the European Community was £2.74b, a slight decrease of -1.7% on the previous year (£2.79b).

Initial estimates for 2019, based on data extrapolation, indicate a potential decrease of around -8.75% in furniture imports from the EU itself to around £2.51b. In contrast, imports from non-EU countries may rise to £3.55b.

Exports Furniture exports have continued to grow in recent years, from £1.06b in 2016 to £1.25b in 2018 (+18.7% over the period).

YoY export growth between 2017-18 of +5.6% accounted for an additional £66.4m.

Exports to Europe have grown over the period from 201618 by +24.5%, with YoY growth of +7.7% between 2017-18 (£55.76m).

Exports to the Irish Republic continue to grow YoY and reached £0.28b in 2018, an increase of +8.3% from 2017. In 2018 it received 22.2% of all UK furniture exports.

There was a significant YoY increase of UK furniture exports to the UAE (23.8%), which received 2.5% of all UK furniture exports, and moved from 10th to eighth position with a total value of £32.22m.

Exports to China appear to have slowed considerably following previous YoY growth over 2016/17 of +10.5%. In 2018 the market received £32.16m of goods (around 2.56% of all furniture exports), a sharp decrease of -26.9% when compared with the previous year (around £44m).

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the UK’s imminent exit from the EU, exports to countries within the EU have remained relatively stable overall since 2014, although 2017-18 saw a marginal increase, with 62.4% of all exports going to the EU when compared with 61.3% during 2016-17. Preliminary figures for 2019 indicate this could potentially rise again to around 65%.

In 2018 the negative trade gap narrowed from £5.13b to £4.92b, although the decrease was slightly less than the preliminary figures released in 2017 suggested. Initial figures suggest that the gap may reduce further to -£4.87b by the end of 2019.

While the previous section highlighted exports to European countries as a positive asset, the reality is that many of these countries continued to export more to the UK than vice versa.

However, this narrowed in 2018 to £1.96b when compared with £2.06b in the previous year.

The main positive trade gap, as in previous years, was with the Irish Republic, which has widened from £0.20b in 2017 to £0.23b in 2018. Preliminary figures for 2019 indicate a turnaround, however, with a potential decrease to £1.99b.

The most striking figures were in respect to Belgium, which moved from a negative trade gap of -£10.4m in 2017 to a positive trade gap of £5m in 2018.

The full report is available free to members of the Furniture Industry Research Association, and for £2000 (+VAT) for nonmembers.

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PRODUCTION MANAGER, INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE FACTORY Our client is a large furniture factory located in Kaduna Nigeria, Africa. The vacancy has a two-tier salary/benefit structure for off shore and factory location. The benefits of accommodation, transport and living expenses in Nigeria will be covered by the company.

Production Manager: Salary is attractive but negotiable. Must have experience in the production of wood, metal, plastic and upholstery items.

To apply please contact us on 07494 291980 or email your interest/CV to: expresssecurities@live.co.uk

Order in the UK 01536 444960 kettleinteriorsagencies.com

Order in Ireland 028 3844 6000 decorfurintureltd.com

Container

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INSIGHT

What’s selling, and where? Each month, Furniture News surveys a sample of our readers to see how each product category is performing from month to month …

A FURNITURE NEWS EXCLUSIVE

BAROMETER JANUARY 2020

STABLE 33%

STRONGEST: UPHOLSTERY

L BUSIN L A E ER

UP

SS

A fresh approach to regional sampling, plus a realignment of the survey to better capture timely data, means January is in focus again this month with a new set of results.

The picture is much more closely aligned with traditional retail patterns – January was generally positive, with sales of beds, upholstery and dining all outperforming the previous month’s.

While there were many reports of strong sales, lingering consumer uncertainty – plus the effect of sales starting earlier and earlier each year – meant the peak passed some retailers by.

“The Major Purchase Index was the only measure to decline [in January], reflecting January’s seasonal post-Christmas emptywallet feeling, and further impacting the longer-term contraction and sluggishness experienced across the retail sector,” comments GfK’s client strategy director, Joe Staton. “However, if current trends continue, we’d expect a return to positive headline scores soon. Are we finally seeing an end to the UK’s jittery consumer mood?”

RETAIL OV

26

45%

DOWN 22%

BEDS

BEDROOM CABINET

UPHOLSTERY

42% 32% 26% 19%

28% 45% 26% 28%

51% 26% 26% 22%

WEAKEST: ACCESSORIES

WE’VE JUST HAD A STRONG SALE. JANUARY’S ALWAYS GOOD! Pages.indd 26

LIVING ROOM CABINET

DINING

FURNISHINGS

ACCESSORIES

36% 40% 26% 24%

39% 34% 26% 27%

24% 43% 26% 33%

21% 40% 26% 38%

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27 GFK CONSUMER CONFIDENCE INDEX Overall Index: –9 (+2 MoM, +5 YoY) Major Purchase Index: +1 (-2 MoM, -1 YoY) SPRINGBOARD FOOTFALL MONITOR Store footfall: -0.5% YoY Shop vacancy rate: 9.8% (-0.1 YoY) Retail park footfall: +1.4% YoY Shopping centre footfall: +0.2% YoY High street footfall: -1.8%% BRC-NIELSEN SHOP PRICE INDEX Overall prices: -0.3% MoM,-0.3% YoY Non-food prices: -1.0% MoM, -1.5% YoY BRC–KPMG RETAIL SALES MONITOR Total sales: +0.4% YoY (2019: +2.2%) LFL retail sales: flat (2019: +1.8%) Online non-food sales: +2.5% (2019: +5.4%) Online non-food penetration rate: 30.6% (+1.1% YoY)

46%

BARCLAYCARD REPORT Consumer spending: +3.9% YoY Consumer positivity: 42% (+12% YoY)

50/50% 57%

56% 82%

STRONGEST REGION: NORTH WEST

57%

WEAKEST REGION: NORTH EAST

43% 58% 67% 40/40% 63% 57%

UP STABLE DOWN

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE SALES FEEDBACK WITH FURNITURE NEWS? Contact the editor on paul@gearingmediagroup.com to join our survey pool

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EVENTS IMM COLOGNE

INTERNATIONAL IMM More than 128,000 visitors (including estimates for the last day) attended this year’s imm cologne – a significant drop on last year’s 150,000, but an increase when compared to the last edition of the event without the colocated LivingKitchen show (125,000 in 2018). www.imm-cologne.com

As in previous years, imm had a strong international profile. Of the 82,000 trade visitors (80,704 in 2018), around 50% came from outside Germany. And, despite the ongoing concentration of the German trade, the event recorded a small rise in domestic trade visitors, again bucking the trend of recent years.

“With these results, imm cologne not only underscores its prominent position in the global business, but the increase in planners, architects and contract furnishers from Germany further emphasises its importance for the German market,” says Gerald Böse, president and CEO of organiser Koelnmesse. “imm cologne presented the relevant issues emotionally this year and gave a whole industry new, creative impetus.

With its international attractiveness, it was a dynamic event that made for a highly promising start to the new year.”

Outisde of Germany, the highest numbers of visitors came from the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and France. The largest increases were recorded from Switzerland (+18%), the Netherlands (+11%) and Belgium (+10%). The numbers of visitors from North America also increased significantly (+14.1%).

Specialist retailers and highprofile international visitors were in attendance, many of them coming from the global top 30 chains. Growth here was especially strong from the UK, including visitors from DFS, Heal’s and John Lewis, plus Amazon, the Otto Group and Wayfair

Ligne Roset

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Soma

STEENS’ SUSTAINABLE MODEL The responses to Steens’ new products and sustainable initiatives unveiled at this year’s imm cologne healthily exceeded the Danish flat-pack specialist’s expectations …

Loke

Bodie

www.steensfurniture.com

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Product launches were made across Steens’ Bedroom, Living, Dining and Kids categories, but Soma was undoubtedly the star of the show.

Showcasing Steens’ core capabilities in the design of furniture and beds in solid wood and MDF, the range attracted rave reviews from customers across the globe.

Designed and developed in partnership with Morten Georgsen and his design studio, Soma not only showed what can be achieved with a detailed aesthetic approach to using sustainable Scandinavian pine and MDF, but also set a new bar for Steens’ in-house design and development studio. Importantly, Soma was the first collection specifically aimed at being internationally successful and not country-specific.

There was a similar story in children’s bedroom furniture, with Steens further enhancing its credentials as one of Europe’s leading suppliers. There were full bedroom collection launches Loke and Gaia, together with additions to the already-extensive bed collection, in the form of Nice. Again, the intention was to launch internationally viable ranges, which proved popular. Versatility in design and use of colour was evident, proving the flexibility and capabilities

of Steens’ design and production operations.

With the sustainable use of materials and their impact on the environment at the forefront of many minds, Steens’ key messages on these vital areas were universally applauded. From recycling its woodwaste to using this waste to reduce power consumption, Steens demonstrated that it takes these issues seriously.

UK MD Alan Cozens comments: “Once again, Steens has raised the bar with regard to product design and development, and this was evident in the responses from the many visitors from the UK and Ireland.

“Of course, you’re always wanting more, but we’d have to say our expectations were not only met but exceeded considerably by the number and quality of visitors, from companies large and small.

“The new ranges were extremely well received, with Soma definitely the star of the show. And, satisfyingly, Steens’ focus on making sure it does its bit towards a sustainable, low-carbon future received as much attention as the new products.

All in all, it was a very rewarding week at imm, which was repeated at the January Furniture Show here in the UK”

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SHOW SUCCESS FOR STEENS GROUP

SOMA...

WELCOME TO OUR GREEN FUTURE!

OUR ALL NEW ECO-FRIENDLY RANGE DESIGNED

BY MORTEN GEORGSEN EXCEEDS ALL EXPECTATIONS!

STEENS

CO2

CARBON NEUTRAL PROGRAMME

Pages.indd 32 Double Page Spread.indd NM8424 - Steens March 2pp1FN Advert vr4.indd 1

ALL TIMBER WASTE IS RECYCLED ON SITE

OUR GOAL IS TO USE RECYCLABLE & RENEWABLE PACKAGING MATERIALS

02/03/2020 11:15 16:34 24/02/2020

NM8424

0 11:15

SOMA I SMOKED WOOD & CHARCOAL LACQUER

TO DISCOVER ALL OUR OTHER NEW RANGES LAUNCHED FOR 2020 PLEASE CONTACT US ON 01489 778890

FOR THE SECOND YEAR RUNNING WE HAVE BEEN VOTED UK’S BEST CHILDRENS FURNITURE MANUFACTURER

NM8424 - Steens Pages.indd 33 March 2pp FN Advert vr4.indd 2

ORDER HOTLINE / 01489 778890 EMAIL / sales@steens.dk www / www.steensgroup.com

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34

EVENTS

NORTH-WEST REVIVAL www.furntech.co.uk/nwfraa-show-2020 The North West Furniture Representatives and Agents Association (NWFRAA) trade show sees a revival this month, and invites retailers to explore some of the best regional sourcing opportunities.

Taking place in five suites across the Centenary and Makerfield stands at Haydock Park Racecourse from 15-16th March, the show is open to all retailers, and promises a variety of bed, cabinet and upholstery manufacturers and agents.

The revival of the regional show has long been mooted by the NWFRAA, which aims to showcase members’ products in an intimate, conveniently located venue. The show will be open from 10am-5pm on the Sunday, and 9am-4pm on the Monday, and the NWFRAA hopes that its return signals the start of a new annual event.

1

THE B 1

THE BE FRIENDL

2 RACECARDS

3 THE BE FRIENDL 4 BETTING RING

5 THE BE FRIENDL PADDOCK TRAN

B B BETFRED

GENE

FIRST AID POINT CASH MACHINE T

SALES / TICKET

C

GRANDSTAND & TICKET COLLEC

W

WINNING LINE

S

BIG SCREEN

R

BETTING RING M

LESTER PIGGOT BM

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BOOKMAKER’S

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NORTH

THE NORTHWEST FURNITURE THE NORTHWEST FURNITURE REPRESENTATIVES AND AGENTS REPRESENTATIVES AND AGENTS ASSOCIATION 2020 REGIONAL REGIONAL SHOW SHOW ASSOCATION 2020 I N F O R M0HQ AT I O HAYDOCK WA12 0HQ HAYDOCKPARK PARK RACECOURSE RACECOURSE WA12 S THE BE FRIENDLY STAND

3 1

B

2 BM

W

GRANDSTAND & PADDOCK

4 3 5

7

B 1

R

5

4

4

2

THE BE FRIENDLY STAND

1 MAIN ENTRANCE

3

2 RACECARDS

BAR & CAFÉ

4 BETTING RING 5 THE BE FRIENDLY STAND TO GRANDSTAND & PADDOCK TRANSFER POINT

BETTING SHOPS B BETFRED

3 MAKERFIELD STAND

GENERAL INFORMATION

CASH MACHINE

THE SANDON BAR

FIRST FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

THE FINAL FURLONG BAR HORSESHOE SUITE, WINE RACK COOLE’S KITCHEN

THE PARK SUITE

THE LANCASTER SUITE THE SPRINT CUP BAR

THE SPORTS BAR

GROUND FLOOR - THE WINNING POST, SANDON BAR LANCASTER SUITE, CHASERS BAR

4 THE MAKERFIELD LAWN - BAR & FOOD

GROUND FLOOR - WEIGHED INN BAR & FOOD

7

4

COUNTY ENCLOSURE

2 CENTENARY STAND

VIEWING

SECOND FLOOR - PARK SUITE RESTAURANT - PARK SUITE PRIVATE HOSPITALITY 5 GRANDSTAND

FIRST AID POINT

RECEPTION AREA, SHOW PLAN

- FINAL FURLONG BAR &

2

3 THE MAKERFIELD STAND

1 COUNTY ENTRANCE, TICKET COLLECTION, OWNERS AND TRAINERS & RECEPTION

GROUND FLOOR - SPORTS BAR FIRST FLOOR

8

6

1

THE CENTENARY STAND

2 GRANDSTAND & PADDOCK ENTRANCE

3 THE BE FRIENDLY STAND

PREMIER LOUNGE SECOND FLOOR

- THE OAKS BAR

HARRY’S BISTRO PREMIER SUITE

PADDOCK AREA

1 PADDOCK TOILETS

2 DISABLED VIEWING

3 COFFEE SHOP 4

OWNERS & TRAINERS’ BAR AND PADDOCK PAVILION

5 WINNER’S ENCLOSURE 6 PARADE RING 7 WEIGHING ROOM 8 TWIN OAKS

BE FRIENDLY STATUE

The 2020 return of the NWFRAA show is being held across the Centenary and Makerfield stands at Haydock Racecourse.

There will be a variety of Bed, Cabinet and Upholstery agents and principals showing at this event. All trade welcome.

SECOND FLOOR - CUE CARD BAR & FRONT SEATED VIEWING

T

SALES / TICKET OFFICE

C

GRANDSTAND & PADDOCK TICKET COLLECTION POINT

W

WINNING LINE

S

BIG SCREEN

R

BETTING RING MANAGER’S OFFICE LESTER PIGGOTT STATUE

BM

2

1

B

GRANDSTAND & PADDOCK

1 RACECARDS

5

2

6 T

THE BE FRIENDLY STAND ENTRANCE

2

3

C

1

PADDOCK AREA

COUNTY ENCLOSURE

BOOKMAKER’S BADGES

3 TOMMY WHITTLE STAND

GROUND FLOOR

JUBILEE SUITE, BAR CHAMPAGNE, BAR

FIRST FLOOR

WHITTLE SUITE, KAUTO STAR RESTAURANT

SECOND FLOOR

HOSPITALITY BOXES 1-11 LEVERHULME ROOMS 1-3

THIRD FLOOR

HOSPITALITY BOXES 12-22 DAVIES ROOMS 1-2

FOURTH FLOOR

HOSPITALITY BOXES 23-29 THE BOARDROOM

6 GRANDSTAND & PADDOCK TO COUNTY TRANSFER POINT

7 TRACKSIDE BAR

4 MINI-MOËT COUNTY LAWN

KAUTO STAR STATUE

Please direct any enquiries about the event through the contact us form at www.furntech.co.uk

SUNDAY 15th MARCH 10:00 - 17:00 SUNDAY 15TH MARCH 10:00 - 17:00 MONDAY 16th MARCH 09:00 - 16:00

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36

EVENTS Dinner venue, Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club

WARM RECEPTION Having consulted buyers and suppliers, the team behind Scotland’s Northpoint show decided to push the January event to after the Easter sale period this year – the agent- and rep-led show will now run from 26-28th April at Edinburgh’s Highland Hall.

Eric Davidson

www.thenorthpointshow.co.uk

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The date change has already helped secure over 60 exhibitors for this year’s show, many of which are new to the event.

“The move to April has been very well received,” says exhibition organiser Bob Dymond, “with a noticeable rise in confirmed upholstery companies exhibiting such as Buoyant, Lebus, Alpha Designs, Platinum, V-Sofa, Ashwood Designs, Furnico, Vale Bridgecraft, Kebe and Divania International, joining our regular exhibitors Celebrity, Cintique, Sherborne, Scanthor, Gradi Living, Call Salotti, Sofa Factory, Mini Divani, Royams and Global Furniture Alliance, with more to follow.”

Buoyant’s MD Mike Aramayo comments: “We are glad to be back at the Northpoint show – not only to exhibit our new product, but because we get to see a great selection of our customers.”

John O’Hagan, director of regular exhibitor Value Mark Furniture, is very much in favour of the move, saying: “We have exhibited at this show for over 40 years, and the move to April

allows us the opportunity to fine-tune and enhance the offering we presented earlier in the year.”

Meanwhile, Arun Pasi, director of Store Interiors in Glasgow, comments: “We have always attended the Northpoint show and are delighted about the move to the new April dates.

This gives us a chance to view and consider potential changes to our upcoming summer sale displays.”

To further enhance visitors’ experience, the show’s organiser has chosen the Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club as the venue for the 40th SFRA Presidents Dinner on the Monday evening of the exhibition. Set in a rural location, Dalmahoy is just five miles from the Royal Highland Centre and easily accessible from the show.

Entertainer Eric Davidson has been secured as the after-dinner speaker.

In 2003, Eric started performing on the busy Scottish circuit, and has worked across the length and breadth of the UK, picking up several after-dinner speaking awards along the way, and sharing top tables with politicians, sporting greats and TV personalities

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JANUARY FURNITURE SHOW 39

SHOW OF FORCE Exhibitors in all five halls of the UK’s biggest furniture-buying event reported strong sales and positive reactions to the thousands of new products launched at the four-day show, which concluded on 22nd January – reports fair organiser, Clarion Events … www.januaryfurnitureshow.com

Continuing to attract the key UK buyers from independent, group and online retail stores – as well as contract and interior design buyers – January Furniture Show (JFS) still proves its worth at every level of the market.

Confidence was evident in every hall, with new displays and sectors winning a favourable reception. While visitor numbers remained “consistent with previous years”, states Clarion, many exhibitors expressed satisfaction with the quality of the buyers present.

Event director Cleere Scamell says: “The 2020 January Furniture Show has been a great success. Rising to the challenges of the uncertainty that has pervaded the UK recently, our exhibitors showed confidence and dedication of purpose – presenting imaginative and

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beautifully made new collections.

“Also rising to the challenge of reducing waste and the re-use of materials, our exhibitors proved adept at that too, with a host of ranges and products made from recycled wood, plastics and composite materials.

“We would like to thank all of our exhibitors for the energy and inventiveness they demonstrated at JFS 2020, and a big thank-you to all our visitors for supporting this must-attend event. We look forward to welcoming our exhibitors and visitors again next year.”

Read on to discover our Stand of the Show (p40) and the winners of The Furniture Awards 2020 (from p43), plus post-event analysis from a host of successful exhibitors and some snaps from the exhibitor party (p82) …

OUR EXHIBITORS SHOWED CONFIDENCE AND DEDICATION OF PURPOSE

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JANUARY FURNITURE SHOW

NEW HORIZONS This year’s January Furniture Show boasted some of the event’s most dazzling displays to date. Furniture News’ pick of the bunch was At The Helm’s lavish take on classic luxury … www.atthehelm.com

THIS BOLD NEW DIRECTION HAS REALLY SET US APART FROM THE COMPETITION

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Fresh from wowing its growing international following at imm cologne, At The Helm’s (now signature) look was replicated at the January Furniture Show the following week, and proved a true showstopper.

A marriage of eastern and western influences, At The Helm’s look is a celebration of global design with the 21st century traveller in mind.

The creative driving force of owner and CEO Jonathon Tan, combined with art direction from designer Ryan McNeish, produced a fusion of historical and 21st century style, blending global luxury designs to represent a voyage of discovery into a bold world of style and comfort.

A circular LED-lit tunnel welcomed visitors to a glamourous retreat full of the brand’s newest models, including an inviting bar. “Circular styling pieces, beautiful botanical and travelling references blend to create our modern interpretation,” Ryan explains.

The stand featured signature shingle walls and textured cloudy plaster, complementing handcrafted leathers and opulent fabrics. Contemporary libraries, astrological wall art and classical oil portraits, alongside eclectic yet simple styling, form the design traits of the duo’s main influences.

Over little more than 18 months, At The Helm has become a player in the lifestyle furniture segment, complementing the more mainstream Hydeline business and setting a new standard for upholstery presentation.

“The combination of this bold new direction and our new designs has really set us apart from the competition and given us our own identity,” comments commercial director, Michael Sheedy, explaining that stockists are starting to embrace the brand’s in-store gallery concept, which enables them to deliver their own At The Helm-styled retail theatre

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manufacturing ingenuity and outstanding quality

diverse range from simple foam to natural fibres

re-assuring 10 year structual guarantee

unmatched value for entry level mattresses

T: 01629 823680 | E: customerservices@breasley.co.uk | www.breasley.co.uk MADE IN THE UK

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www.timberartdesignuk.com 01978 660768 / sales@timberartdesignuk.com 108 Abbey Road South, Wrexham Industrial Estate, Wrexham, LL13 9RF

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JANUARY FURNITURE SHOW

43

FIVE-STAR FURNITURE The sixth edition of The Furniture Awards saw exhibiting hopefuls put their best foot (well, new range) forward in a bid to be crowned best in class, writes awards co-ordinator Paul Farley.

It’s a noisy world. With every business clamouring for attention, getting ahead of the competition takes real invention and quality output – and the level of entries to The Furniture Awards this year proved there’s no lack of either in the UK furniture industry.

From design flair and commercial appeal to support services and reliability, every shortlisted supplier offers something of value to today’s marketplace. Yet winners must be chosen – and this year’s selection truly deserve to be called category leaders.

For anyone not au fait with The Furniture Awards, they were developed in 2014 by Furniture News in partnership with the organiser of the January Furniture Show (now Clarion Events) to celebrate the best suppliers present each year.

A panel of industry experts (principally retailers and buyers) assesses each entry, before inspecting the shortlisted

products in person, then bestowing the title of Supplier of the Year upon the strongest business in each category (Upholstery, Bedroom Cabinet, Living & Dining Cabinet, Mattresses and Divans, and Accents).

The awards’ scope has grown steadily over the last six years, and they are now a well-recognised seal of industry approval.

As well as a hearty prize package (comprising free stand space at the 2021 event, a CG visualisation package courtesy of Orbital Vision and various promotional opportunities), winners enjoy the prestige of being named an outstanding supplier in their sector.

You’ll have to read on to discover which businesses made the cut this time around. In the meantime, our thanks go to Clarion Events, and this year’s sponsors: the British Furniture Manufacturers’ Association (BFM); Orbital Vision; and furniture technology specialist, Lectra.

We’re also grateful to our panel of expert judges (chaired by yours truly): Malcolm Walker, FIRST MW; Dids Macdonald, ACID and The Furniture Makers’ Company; Royce Clark, Grampian Furnishers; and Mike Murray, Land of Beds.

“It was amazing to see such innovation across the industry in this year’s award winners,” says Rob Walker, MD of sponsor, Orbital Vision, a creative agency that specialises in digital design and 3D rendering. “We can’t wait to work alongside the winning companies and create some stunning imagery to promote their new products.”

If you plan to exhibit at the 2021 January Furniture Show and think your business has a chance of winning The Furniture Awards next year, keep an eye out for details of how to enter this autumn. www.januaryfurnitureshow.com/ the-furniture-awards

GETTING AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION TAKES REAL INVENTION AND QUALITY OUTPUT

The judging panel: Paul Farley (chair); Mike Murray; Malcolm Walker; Royce Clark; and Dids Macdonald

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JANUARY FURNITURE SHOW

BEDROOM CABINET GLASGOW DEMONSTRATES WIEMANN’S ONGOING INVESTMENT AND COMMITMENT

WINNER:

WIEMANN UK www.wiemannuk.co.uk Entry: Glasgow With an unprecedented third straight win, Wiemann further reinforced its position as an undisputed leader in bedroom furniture supply.

Its entry, Glasgow, is a flexible, design-rich contemporary collection which features a new finish (matt glass) plus smart contrasting handles and trims.

With a fitted look but a freestanding price tag, Glasgow caters for various demands, offering hinged, sliding and combi-wardrobe options plus corner units and beds, to help maximise bedroom storage space.

“Glasgow demonstrates Wiemann’s ongoing investment and commitment to creating high-quality, design-focused products that ooze functionality and represent great value for money,” says Wiemann’s UK/Ireland export sales manager, Kai Schwenke. “Thank you very much for this award (again!) – it’s a huge achievement for us and Wiemann.”

Simon Hewitt, MD of Litmus Furniture, Wiemann’s agent for the UK and Ireland, adds: “We’re delighted to again be celebrating excellent results in The Furniture Awards. We’re now looking forward to capitalising on our success”

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THE JUDGES SAID:

“Wiemann’s hat-trick is well deserved. As usual, their entry is attractive, well-priced, innovative, robust and space conscious, but Glasgow’s lovely contemporary matt glass finish takes it a step beyond. Incredibly tactile and inviting, we’re expecting to see this finish popping up everywhere in the next couple of years, and Wiemann have given it a great headstart.”

From left: Rob Walker (MD, Orbital Vision); Kai Schwenke (UK/Ireland export sales manager, Wiemann); Simon Hewitt (director, Wiemann’s UK and Ireland agent, Litmus Furniture); Paul Farley (editor-in-chief, Furniture News); Cleere Scamell (event director, January Furniture Show); and Nick Garratt (MD, BFM)

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Get the award-winning look with Wiemann’s Glasgow

Glasgow

“Wiemann’s hat-trick is well deserved. As usual, their entry is attractive, well-priced, innovative, robust, and space conscious, but Glasgow’s lovely contemporary matt glass finish takes it a step beyond. Incredibly tactile and inviting, we’re expecting to see this finish popping up everywhere in the next couple of years, and Wiemann have given it a great headstart.” The 2020 Judges.

made in germany enquiries@wiemannuk.co.uk | www.wiemannuk.co.uk

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JANUARY FURNITURE SHOW

UPHOLSTERY IN OUR 150TH YEAR, BAILEY & BANKS ARE A CELEBRATION OF OUR VALUES WINNER:

COLLINS & HAYES www.collinsandhayes.co.uk Entry: Bailey & Banks Since acquiring the IP rights to the heritage brand in 2017, Sofa Brands International – whose stable already comprised Parker Knoll, Duresta and G Plan – has moved mountains in a bid to recapture some of Collins & Hayes’ earlier glories.

Under the stewardship of Jo Slaven, Collins & Hayes has struck a fresh balance between traditional form and contemporary appeal, and in the year in which the brand celebrates its 150th anniversary, Bailey & Banks exemplifies this strategy.

Jo describes the Bailey sofa as “a celebration of our design versatility and our ongoing commitment to casual style”, while the accompanying Banks chair reinvents a classic design, Beagle.

A range of options is offered, from fixed to slip cover, natural fibre fabrics and soft leathers, while stockists will be supported by a consumer marketing campaign and lifetime frame promise.

“Sofa Brands International have been custodians of the Collins & Hayes brand for three short years,” says Jo. “Since then, we’ve relaunched the business and have a nationwide distribution of over 100 stockists, with a growing commercial appeal and a strong product offering.

“In our 150th year our newest ranges, Bailey and Banks, are a celebration of our values, taking the best of our archive of collections but very much looking forward to the future”

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THE JUDGES SAID:

“Uncompromising, and near-faultless in terms of execution. Despite the extremely high quality of entries in this category, Bailey & Banks really stands out. Its exudes quality, fashionably reinventing a traditional look for the 21st century, and offering a great, welcoming sit.”

From left: Nick Garratt (MD, BFM); Rob Walker (MD, Orbital Vision); Meisha-Grace Nicely (head of brands, Sofa Brands International); Jo Slaven (sales & marketing director, Collins & Hayes); Paul Farley (editor-in-chief, Furniture News); and Cleere Scamell (event director, January Furniture Show)

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ACCENTS WINNER:

GINGKO ELECTRONICS www.ging-ko.co.uk

Entry: Octagon One desk lamp

THE JUDGES SAID:

“Gingko specialise in quirky, innovative lighting and speaker solutions, and Octagon One is a great example of their inventiveness.

There’s no need for plug sockets so it’s truly portable, making it ideal for stores and showvans as much as home offices – and it has enough weight to it to make it feel like a quality item.”

From left: Rob Whotton (creative director, Orbital Vision); Larissa Russell, director assistant, Gingko; Francis Bayliff (senior account manager, Gingko); David Herbert (sales account manager, Gingko); James Howard (head of sales, January Furniture Show); and Paul Farley (editor-in-chief, Furniture News)

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Founded in 2011, multi-award-winning home and gift product supplier Gingko takes a fresh approach to design, and strives to imbue everyday objects with simplicity and personality.

The Octagon One rechargeable desk lamp boasts a modern industrial aesthetic, utilising wood- and marblelook finishes. Comprising long-life LED bulbs and sustainably sourced materials, this wireless lamp can be positioned at various angles thanks to its shaped base, which houses a touchcontrol button and built-in rechargeable battery.

“This product stands out from any portable desk lamp crowd,” says Gingko’s co-founder and creative director, Paul Sun. “While in use, it’s a very useful light – either a reading or bedside table lamp, or office table lamp.

When not, it can be used as decorative table art, thanks to its beautiful modern industrial design.

“It’s great to win this award, and thanks to the judges for honouring us with this accolade”

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LIVING & DINING CABINET FORTUNE WOODS IS THRILLED TO HAVE WON THE AWARD

WINNER:

FORTUNE WOODS www.fortunewoods.co.uk Entry: CM Although a relatively small company, Fortune Woods’ creativity has seen it grace The Furniture Awards shortlist a handful of times, and the business was highly commended in 2018. But, with CM, Fortune Woods has finally taken top billing.

A contemporary dining collection, manufactured and produced using a combination of real cement and hardwood materials, CM is tantalisingly on-trend yet eminently practical, and includes a number of seating and bench options.

Durable, scratch-resistant concrete tops, complemented by solid and veneered hardwood carcasses, ensure CM hits the mainstream industrial zeitgeist without breaking the bank.

“Everyone at Fortune Woods is thrilled and proud to have won the award,” says sales director Mark Bonner. “It’s nice to get some recognition after all the hard work that goes into the development of a new range”

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THE JUDGES SAID:

“CM picks up industrial style and runs with it. With its stain- and scratch-resistant surfaces, it’s both fashionable and on trend (and there’s even a corner bench – they’re selling a huge amount of these in Europe).

They’ve come up with something that looks fantastic and has so many great credentials – this is the sort of thing people want right now.”

From left: James Howard (head of sales, January Furniture Show); Paul Farley (editor-in-chief, Furniture News); Craig McGowan (MD, Fortune Woods); Mark Bonner (sales director, Fortune Woods); and Rob Whotton (creative director, Orbital Vision)

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MATTRESSES & DIVANS WINNER:

SILENTNIGHT www.silentnight.co.uk Entry: Yours&Mine

THE JUDGES SAID:

“This could be massive. As soon as you get that customer coming in with a partner that disagrees with their preferences, you’re onto a winner.

Plus it creates in-store theatre, has great marketing support, and is delivered so clearly and simply it won’t scare the sales reps. As each element is interchangeable, it could lead to more repeat custom – and will enable people to buy dual-tension solution in sizes smaller than 6ft. They’ve made the concept sellable, and transferable. It’s definitely a gamechanger.”

From left: Rob Walker (MD, Orbital Vision); Hannah Shore (sleep researcher, Silentnight Brands); Danny Blackmore (NPI manager, Silentnight Brands); Ian Lambert (group marketing director, Silentnight Brands); Cleere Scamell (event director, January Furniture Show); Paul Farley (editor-in-chief, Furniture News); and Nick Garratt (MD, BFM)

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While sustainability and natural stories remain high on the agenda, Silentnight addressed both while returning to an age-old problem with this year’s entry – a dual-sleeping solution that aims to put compromise to bed.

Yours&Mine is an innovative and affordable system which enables couples to choose individual sprung support systems from softer, medium to firmer, and one of three comfort layers – Eco, Memory and Geltex – which zip to the spring units. There is no join in the comfort layer, and each model breaks down into three pieces.

The range was informed by a collaboration between Silentnight’s product development team and a scientific study by the University of Central Lancashire. By collecting data on spinal alignment, muscle activity and pressure, Silentnight created an algorithm that recommends a firmness rating based on body shape and size.

“We are delighted to have received the award,” says Silentnight sleep researcher, Hannah Shore, whose PhD thesis formed the basis of the bodymapping science behind the range.

“Our analysis of over half a million data points has taken a great deal of time and dedication, but receiving this recognition has made all that hard work worthwhile”

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HIGHLY COMMENDED UPHOLSTERY: CINTIQUE www.cintique.co.uk / Entry: Mayfair The Mayfair sofa, part of a new-concept line, is a wellfinished piece of show-wood furniture with unique styling. Both subtle and statement piece, Mayfair is the result of a combination of traditional and modern manufacturing processes, with which Cintique hopes to reach a wider audience.

Due to the success of its new ranges and The Furniture Awards accolade, Cintique’s development team have already set to work extending the wider Lifestyle collection.

The judges said: “We love the idea of Cintique reinventing themselves. This on-trend, good-value range has a simple sales story that offers great variety.”

LIVING & DINING CABINET: GALLERY DIRECT www.gallerydirect.co.uk / Entry: Madrid Walnut Taking influence from mid-century style and Scandinavian design, this contemporary living and dining range features soft curves and edges, and employs solid walnut and walnut veneers in a mellow finish.

Also available in oak, Madrid features rounded tops and elegant underframes and cross-rails, plus handle-less doors and drawer fronts. “From the lozenge-shaped console table to the stylish yet practical display unit, this unique collection brings something exciting to the market at outstanding value,” says Gallery’s commercial director, James Hudson. “It was one of our outstanding ranges at the show, so tactile and fabulous to touch.”

The judges said: “Tactile, inviting, and very well finished – could this range help walnut recapture its mainstream status? We were also impressed by the services and infrastructure behind it – Gallery boasts great sustainable credentials, a huge offer, and some of the best marketing materials in the business.”

BEDROOM CABINET: ARTE-N FURNITURE www.concept-lenart.com / Entry: Bed Concept With smaller homes and apartment living a common theme in today’s society, Poland’s Arte-N has developed a hidden wall bed with a difference.

A quiet, pneumatic mechanism enables easy lifting, while the laminated chipboard carcass is stylish and built to last. Shelves offer extra storage, while built-in LED lights, chargers and duvet-holding straps add further convenience.

We’re honoured to be highly commended,” says MD Kasia Konwinska.

“The result validates all our dedication and hard work, and we hope it will bring us greater industry recognition.”

The judges said: “Great value, innovative, and a nice example of retail theatre that takes up a small display space, this leans into the trend for multifunctional bedroom furniture when space is at a premium, and is practical, yet looks stunning.”

Think your business has a chance of winning next year’s competition? The Furniture Awards will be open for business again this autumn …

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HIGHLY COMMENDED

Tel: +44(0) 01623 444896

•

info@cintique.co.uk

•

THE FURNITURE

AWARDS 2020

www.cintique.co.uk

Common Road, Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire, NG17 2JY

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CURTAIN CALL When it’s time to put on a show, Westbridge always works hard to deliver a high-calibre performance – and this year’s programme attracted a standing ovation, writes sales director, Nichola Bell … www.westbridgefurniture.com

54

Pitch It’s show time again, and I have to admit that it doesn’t seem a year since we were last building our stand. As with any good theatre production, we wrote the ‘plot’ well in advance, with a focus on getting back to basics, concentrating on what our customers had asked for – good-value, commercial ranges (with a healthy measure of fun and glamour thrown in!).

Dress rehearsal It’s Saturday, and our stage hands have been busy creating our set and everything is running to schedule. It’s freezing cold in hall 1 so we are all beavering away and already showing some ‘early bird’ customers to their seats, so I guess our dress rehearsal is complete. The cast are confident and excited with just the right amount of pre-show nerves.

Curtain-up It’s Sunday morning – break a leg everyone, and don’t mention the Scottish play!

Interval No time for an interval! We are mad busy, with a full house. How wonderful to see our stand so busy, but also

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COVER FEATURE

frustrating that we’re missing some key customers – hopefully we’ll get to see them in the second half.

Cast The absolute favourite characters are Buddy, Libby and Hardy, our smallscale, affordable and fun collection, with bright velvets and funky ‘poodle’ fabric – followed closely by the family-friendly Isla, Cloud and Miro.

The showstopper has to be the glamourous Solace, a dramatic corner, offering epic scale and comfort. It’s great to see a good spread of business, from the safer commercial pieces to the vibrant jewel colours and scale of our Spirit range.

Finale British upholstery is in a strong position in the market, and we shared the stage with some fantastic companies in hall 1.

I can’t speak for those businesses, but Westbridge had a fantastic show, and our box office takings exceeded expectations (and last year’s performance).

Curtain call For those that missed us, there will be a chance to meet the main characters at our showroom in Wales, plus a curtain call at May’s Long Point show

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Thank you To all our customers...

for visiting us at January Furniture show!

New Photography coming soon! www.westbridgefurniture.com

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JANUARY FURNITURE SHOW Grandeur 10,000 is available through the Millbrook Fasttrack service

MILLBROOK BEDS www.millbrook-beds.co.uk Millbrook Fasttrack is a new rapid delivery service which offers one of the fastest turnarounds in the bed industry.

Once a customer has selected a Millbrook bed in a stockist’s showroom, they can be guaranteed delivery to their room of choice within just 48 hours.

The bestselling Majestic 5000 and Grandeur 10,000 handmade mattresses are both available in king size, standard comfort for 48-hour delivery with Millbrook Fasttrack. For those preferring a firmer bed, the Ortho 2000 is also available, plus the option to add a headboard and divan set with drawers in Millbrook’s bestselling fabric and style – Belvedere silver with a matching Claridge headboard.

For customers needing an adjustable bed fast, Fasttrack is available across the complete range of six Adjustable 90cm beds in standard tension, complemented with a natural tweed divan fabric and Pluto natural tweed headboard.

ALPHA DESIGNS sales@alpha-designs.co.uk Alpha Designs is a progressive UK manufacturer at the forefront of design and fabric – which it demonstrated again at this year’s show with the launch of its new Hillier, Nyos and Vanguard collections. The well-established Nido, meanwhile, saw the introduction of a corner group, which is set to further enhance sales. All of these were presented in vibrant new fabrics.

The new ranges have been designed and developed with a leading furniture designer, and, alongside Alpha’s existing lines, promise to ensure the business’ continued growth. Offering a breadth of styles, total flexibility on all fabrics across all models and a ‘cando’ attitude, Alpha offers an enticing proposition.

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ASPIRE EUROPEAN LIVING enquiries@aspireeu.net

When Aspire European Living identified a gap in the market for mixed container products in 2018, it set about bringing a raft of upholstery and cabinet models to the UK, and has received “extremely positive feedback” ever since.

Offering modern and contemporary designs in a good range of colours and high-quality fabrics, Aspire encourages customers to create their own mix of products (with minimal MOQs, and all engineered to last), enabling them to create compete room sets from one reliable source.

In upholstery, Aspire offers sofas, accent and dining chairs, employing high-quality elements such as recyclable steel precision frames, channelled fibre-back cushions, tensile 9G springs and steel-core woodgrain legs – while its casegoods, consisting of dining, coffee and end tables as well as cabinets, boast solid timber edges with thick veneer tops, and butcher block construction, so they do not shrink, crack or split.

Picasso

Rimini

WORLD FURNITURE www.world-furniture.biz Once again, the show exceeded all of World Furniture’s expectations, and its new ranges were “exceptionally well received”. Particularly worthy of mention were the Rimini and Picasso ranges in textured grey melamines (also available in oak and natural stone looks), which provide the retailer with something different but are still eminently commercial.

Electric recline also seems to be on the ascendant, says World Furniture, which, following up on its successful Layla and Farrow models, presented a full Italian leather offering in modern and traditional styles, adding to its already-strong selection.

The company’s new catalogue will be available early this month – in the meantime, contact Paula with any enquiries on 02891 828202.

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JANUARY FURNITURE SHOW Picasso

DURA’S UPLIFTING RETURN There are four models in Dura’s new range, all pocket sprung, and starting with two models containing 1000 pocket springs, an additional 1500 option, and currently topping out with a 3500 spring count offer.

With prices focused on the lowermiddle to middle market, Dura Beds firmly believes that these models represent fantastic value for money and offer the retailer a completely different feel and look, enhancing Dura’s overall range.

All four options are available now, and are subject to the short lead times Dura’s retail customers have come to expect, with a weekly delivery service to every region in the UK.

After an absence of seven years, Dura Beds enjoyed a successful return to the show, with the launch of an innovative range under the Cloud Lite brand.

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Splendour 3500

Tranquility

www.durabeds.co.uk

“This is an important and exciting product launch for Dura Beds,” says sales director, Gary Rhodes. “We have spent a great deal of time and effort to create a product range that both perfectly fits into – and also adds to – our current successful product portfolio.

“The Cloud Lite collection has been designed to offer a very different feel and look to anything else within our range, thereby increasing even further the already-wide choice of products available to our current retail partners and new customers. The range uses a softer-feel foam, which also offers greater density and therefore support, creating a feeling for the sleeper like ‘floating on clouds’ – or a ‘Cloud Lite’ sensation.

“We were absolutely delighted with the reaction to this range at the exhibition – indeed, in terms of numbers it was the most successful launch of a product range the business has seen – and we are very confident that the Cloud Lite range is on course to become a real winner for both our business and – more importantly – our customers”

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DuraBe

OPULENCE 1500

SPLENDOUR 3500

TRANQUILITY 1000

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HO Dining

IB Bedroom

KETTLE’S SIGNATURE STYLE Unveiled at the January Furniture Show on an impressive stand that underlined its position as the supplier’s premium brand, Signature by Kettle Interiors offers high-quality furniture with a firm eye on trend-led style.

IB Dining

HO Living

www.kettleinteriorsagencies.com

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From industrial to classic country, the Signature by Kettle Interiors collections are all about details and quality touches that help pieces stand apart.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the IB Collection, with bedroom and dining variants now available. The collection clearly owes its roots to the growing popularity of industrial-style furniture, but Kettle Interiors has added some deft touches to make sure it raises the bar and puts a new twist on the style.

By using a hand-designed parquet inlay in a striking grey oak finish for the cabinet fronts, IB looks premium and takes a more sophisticated approach to urban style, blending classic and modern influences without losing that important industrial feel. Paired with discreet top-mounted handles and angled legs in gunmetal, the overall look is impressive, and sure to draw shoppers’ attention.

Quality construction and details such as metal runners and soft-close drawers affirm that this is a collection for those looking for something a little special.

Sales director Simon Ainge says: “The response we had to Signature by Kettle Interiors at the January Furniture Show was nothing sort of extraordinary, proving there is a strong demand

from consumers for a more premium furniture offer from us.

“We’re hugely excited about the potential for our new brand to bring quality and forward-thinking style to stores up and down the country, without forgetting that delivering on a customer’s perception of value underpins strong sales for any range.

This is something we have learned through our years of strong growth, and that we are determined to uphold with Signature by Kettle Interiors.”

The show also saw the brand launch the HO Dining Collection, a traditionalstyle oak range, with rounded corners and thick tops adding a real sense of solidness to pieces. A more conventional take on style than the IB Collection, the range features all the quality hallmarks one would expect. Finished with antique pewter-effect handles to enhance the classic look, it is sure to build on Signature by Kettle Interiors’ appeal to the more traditional customer.

The MN Collection, now also part of the brand in both dining and bedroom ranges, proves this approach, with grey painted cabinetry and chrome handles giving the range a period feel. Featuring detailing from top to toe, including carved legs and bun feet, this collection would make an attractive addition to any home

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Roma

Keswick Classic

response to all the new introductions.

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Pride of place went to the stunning, contemporary Roma Recliner/Suite and the Keswick Classic range on stylish legs, offering for the first time a powered Recliner on legs alongside

Westminster (new legs)

Fixed Chair and Settee options. The new Ravello and Dovedale fabric ranges were also exceedingly popular. We also successfully launched our new upmarket Adjustable Bed range, the Devonshire, with three new Headboards and the Sunset Collection of new fabrics.

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FURMANAC GOES UPMARKET Adjustable bed and chair specialist Furmanac made waves at the January Furniture Show with a breathtaking new look, heralding the next step in the company’s evolution …

Furmanac MD John Hilliard, and his wife Gee, Furmanac’s operations director

www.furmanac.com

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Looking for premium upholstered beds that will immediately chime with today’s style-conscious consumer?

Furmanac has it covered – and it proved its ability to marry ingenuity and creativity at this year’s show, where its plush stand in hall 5 turned many a head, with visitors eager to find out more about the reinvented Hestia brand.

Bearing the strapline ‘a decade of decadence’, Furmanac’s new collection – which comprises upholstered beds, sofabeds and headboards – was presented around and within a dramatic yet inviting display stand, designed by industry visionary Ryan McNeish [who we profiled in January’s issue].

“Ryan’s worked with brands like Halo and Tetrad to really bring their products to life,” says Furmanac’s head of sales and marketing, Tim Short, “and we enlisted his consultancy, Gregor Ryan Design, to help reinterpret our Hestia line.

“Hestia has been a successful part of our product stable for some time, but it’s a high-end product, and, as such, deserves a high-end look. At Furmanac, we dominate many areas of the sector, from adjustable beds to lift-and-recline chairs – but we also operate at the top level of the bed market with Hestia, and want our customers to appreciate that we can help them meet a broader range of consumer demands.”

Building on over 50 years of experience, the West Midlands-based manufacturer has taken great strides to embrace premium fabrics, investing in its upholstery capabilities and establishing itself as a real trendsetter with this relaunch.

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Furmanac’s stand at the January Furniture Show, displaying the new Hestia concepts to great effect

“[MD] John and [operations director] Gee Hilliard have truly demonstrated their passion for our upholstered bed line,” Tim continues, “forging ahead with new fabrics, bed designs and contemporary and modern beds and headboards, all artisan-made in the heart of the UK, and nicely complementing our other lines, such as MiBed.” In collaboration with Ryan, Furmanac has developed a new gallery concept, with which to display the Hestia brand in-store to best effect. Building on examples of the suggested layouts and graphical support presented at the show, each gallery comprises beds, side tables, swatches and tasteful PoS, with which to achieve Hestia’s new luxury look.

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“We’ve invested significantly in R&D and our team to create this trendy, eye-catching gallery design, which will help Hestia stand out instore and generate a good deal of interest from shoppers,” explains Tim, adding that Ryan will be working on new product designs for Furmanac throughout the year.

Yet there are already plenty of new launches for consideration. In fabrics, Furmanac introduced a new line of high-quality textured fabrics, including faux sheepskin and teddy bear-esque feels – all of which offer invitingly tactile qualities without compromising on elegance.

The exhibition’s bestseller was

Furmanac’s new entry-level Pillow Bed, a luxurious, inviting model with a heavily padded headboard that feels like a down-filled pillow, lending the sleeper a high degree of comfort and support.

Meanwhile, an ottoman bed was launched which includes power lift functionality on five of the frames. With a weight limit of 85kg, this new addition proved popular for its space-saving capabilities and uncompromising take on design and comfort.

Also launched were: an extending corner group with sofabed and high leg action; and an ottoman storage chaise longue with an adjustable headrest that offers 68 positions. The new sofabed designs are in keeping with the stylish and on-trend philosophy for which Furmanac is now renowed – and the company also launched matching twoseater power recliner sofas, which are available in an abundance of fabrics.

Joining these were new upholstered beds (headboard-only options also available) – all of which are neatly compact because the mattress fits flush within the frame: Spirit, a stylish adjustable bed with a 25st weight limit, that comes with a built-in massage unit, underbed lights and USB options; Dumbo, whose headboard boasts sizeable ‘ears’ for that distinct luxury look; Cloud, with a slight curve to the headboard; and Kimmy and Luna, which both incorporate button pleats and winged pillows.

“Furmanac isn’t just a manufacturer,” concludes Tim. “We’re a crafts workshop, a trendsetter, and we make unique products, in harmony with what our customers need – and with added wow-factor for good measure!”

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EST 1968

Furmanac, the UK’s largest quality adjustable bed manufacturer and industry leader for lift and recline chairs is your one-stop shop for adjustable beds, divan beds, upholstered bedsteads, occasional furniture and Rise & Recline Chairs

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T 01384 408844 / E sales@furmanac.com / www.furmanac.com

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Hampton

Jasper

Grace

AT THE CUTTING EDGE

The Quebec dining and occasional range was among the top-selling new launches from Seconique, which thanks customers old and new for making the 2020 show a success. www.seconique.co.uk

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Seconique’s Quebec dining set is available in two styles – a straightedge dining table and a wavy-edge dining table – with matching brown faux-leather chairs. The collection is completed with a straight-edge coffee table, straight-edge console table and round coffee table set. The medium oak-effect veneer and black metal legs offer a trendy modern design suitable for most homes.

Seconique has also introduced the Ottawa occasional range, which can be teamed with the Quebec and offers a sideboard, console, coffee table and TV unit, all finished in the same medium oak and emboldened by an attractive honeycomb pattern.

The supplier’s bed range, meanwhile,

has been expanded this year with 20 new additions, which include: the Camden, which is available in three on-trend fabrics, and offers a gas-lift version; the Hampton, which is available in 4ft 6in and 5ft, and features a tall headboard with attractive line stitching and contrasting chrome legs, and comes in light grey and teal fabric; and a high-value low-sleeper with matching bedroom sets, available in white/pink gloss or white/blue gloss, which is suitable for parents on a budget.

In addition, the popular Prado 4ft 6in bed and Tempo tub chair are now available in a fashionable mustard and striking petrol-blue fabric.

Seconique’s sofa collection has a new Capri reclining chair available in grey or black faux leather, while the new Grace sofa offers both a three-seater and two-seater, in addition to an armchair, with opulent grey, silver and black scatterback cushions. Meanwhile, the Astoria sofabed in navy and light-blue fabric and Chester 3+2 suite were also well received, thanks to their impressive value and eye-catching designs.

But this was just a small selection of the new products launched at the show – to find out more, contact Seconique to request a catalogue or arrange a visit to its showroom in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, or see more online

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Seconique Furniture

Wobaston Road, Wolverhampton, WV9 5EY

0121 506 4888

OT TA W A O CC A S I O N A L CAMDEN BED WITH LISBON

QUEBEC WAVE EDGE DINING SET

JASPER BEDROOM

B E R G E N O CC A S I O N A L

For more details call 0121 506 4888 or visit our website www.seconique.co.uk COMPREHENSIVE PRODUCT RANGE - FIRST CLASS SERVICE - OUTSTANDING VALUE Pages.indd 67

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BREASLEY www.unomattress.co.uk Trailblazing bedmaker Breasley enjoyed a busy show, presenting its streamlined Uno collection along with its rebranded and upgraded luxury Salus range. Uno, one of the the UK’s original rolled and boxed mattress collections, boasts 12 models, including four value products unveiled at the show. Full details are available on the brand’s updated website.

Alongside Uno, the East Midlands-based, family-run business also presented its premium Salus range, displayed with its latest base and headboard options including a unique space-maximising ottoman.

Uno Zing

From left: MD Darren Crowshaw; South East sales agent Andy Clarke; sales director Rob King; key account manager Karen Sandiford; South West sales rep Paul Gammon; and Scotland sales rep Iain Andersson

Carden

TIMBER ART DESIGN UK www.timberartdesignuk.com

Riva

Founded in Wrexham, North Wales, Timber Art Design UK has a commitment to providing best-inclass service with quality product, and demonstrated a sample of the latter to the show’s visitors.

Serving retailers, buying groups and etailers through wholesale distribution channels, and operating a dropship service for the latter, the business manufactures product at its two factories in Johor in Malaysia, and oversees the entire conception, design,

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prototype, final design certification, production and wholesale process – ensuring an accurate and efficient service for the customer, with a team of trained specialists on hand to offer guidance.

Timber Art Design UK’s comprehensive range of self-assembly furniture products include bedroom

and living room ranges in a variety of styles, colours and concepts, comprising wardrobes, chests of drawers, storage cabinets, sideboards, TV cabinets, shoe storage solutions and desks.

Hundreds of products are available, all produced and quality checked to the company’s high standards to ensure maximum customer satisfaction.

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Rushden

WOOD BROS www.woodbros.co.uk Wood Bros launched a variety of upholstery and cabinet models. These include the Hardwick, Pickering and Rushden sofa and chair designs. The Hardwick (pictured in a popular fabric combination of leather, velvet and new Abbotsford wool) is a modern take on the wingback accent chair, which features a leather trim, studwork and a comfortable sit.

Hardwick

Pickering

The Pickering group (shown in a new Abraham Moon herringbone and velvet) saw a three-seater sofa added to the mix, while the Rushden group is a streamlined channel-back design which features a vivid new green velvet story. Two new Harris Tweed colourways were also added to the 2020 swatch, and these generated a lot of interest from buyers.

On the cabinet front, Wood Bros’ new dining chair gallery, featuring wool, also proved popular.

AMC 312

IAIN JAMES FURNITURE www.iainjamesfurniture.co.uk Iain James enjoyed a successful show, where it presented updated versions of its successful classical burr walnut tables. This refined collection, which features several enhancements, is slightly more architectural in design, and was well received by buyers.

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Defontes

As part of the Inter Wood and Furniture Project, the Portuguese Association of Wood and Furniture Industries (AIMMP) promotes ambitious Portuguese exporters, and presented a delegation of six of them at this year’s show …

X8

www.aimmp.pt

Suffa

Ronfe

Movelvivo

Arc

PRIDE OF PORTUGAL

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ARC With over four decades’ experience, Arc (www.arc.pt) is a high-quality brand that has made a name for itself across Europe through notable design projects and elegant yet functional collections.

It specialises in storage solutions such as TV stands, shelves, bookcases and display cabinets, and also offers dining tables topped with oak, lacquer, ceramics and glass.

RONFE With a production model based on traditional French manufacture, Ronfe (www.ronfe.com), established in 1992, specialises in classic wooden cabinet furniture in timbers such as oak, cherry, ash and beech. Ronfe has two aims – to support the local Portuguese economy sustainably and profitably, while demonstrating its competitiveness on the global stage.

DEFONTES Defontes (www.defontes.pt) presented its Hatt and Royal Club collections, plus a selection of new products inspired by natural elements and classic design, and comprising high-quality materials. Defontes understands that furniture is more than just aesthetics and functionality, but is part of a story, from concept to production – which is communicated in the business’ literature.

SUFFA Global upholstery brand Suffa (www. suffadesign.com) works with designers and sector professionals to develop the right designs and shapes for its target markets. From working with diverse raw materials to exploring the best ergonomic grounding for each model, Suffa keeps the customer in mind at all times, and lets them choose from a huge range of hides and fabrics.

MOVELVIVO Contract furniture specialist Movelvivo (www.movelvivo.com) gives buyers the opportunity to customise and adapt any piece of furniture based on a project’s demands. The company’s new commercial division creates professional solutions for hospitality projects and offices, and boasts a wealth of interior design expertise, for the creation of attractive spaces.

X8 From mainstream designs to statement chairs, and from dining to occasional, X8 (www.x8chairs.com) manufactures to order, and offers an extensive range of fabrics and leg stains. Based in Lordelo, Portugal, X8 was established in 2009, and today prides itself on understanding and reflecting the decor, design and architecture trends impacting various markets

“Th BFM 02/03/2020 16:37

www.buoyant-upholstery.co.uk Telephone - 01282 691631

We kicked off the year with a fantastic Show, please visit our website to view the new collections..

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TREND-SETTER New Trend Concepts Italia launched a collection comprising seven contemporary seating models and enjoyed its best show in years, states CEO Giuseppe Castellano … www.newtrendconcepts.it

New Trend’s 2020 collection features seven models – Aldebaran, Blossom, Brooklyn, Cassiopea, Garbo, Nashira and Vancouver – and offered buyers a fresh take on cutting-edge upholstery design.

“The new models were set to bring a fresh perspective to upholstered furniture and a new living concept to the market, and they did just that,” says Giuseppe. “We had lots of positive and constructive feedback.

“Our challenge was to create something that offered flexibility for modern living, whilst maintaining the fluid aesthetic we’ve specially conceived for the UK market. We fused our commercial and design knowledge of the soft seating industry with the expertise of our upholsterers to find techniques that could combine structures, forms and premium covers, and the result is striking”

Villeneuve

Garbo

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GREENER BLUEBONE WINS NEW FANS One trend that stood out at this year’s show was a move towards more natural and organic interiors – and Bluebone embraced this natural fibre vibe by launching several ranges, from fringed storage baskets, wall hangings and pompom stools to statement mirrors and a five-piece rattan cabinet range.

Fair were the Kleo reclaimed boatwood coffee table, and the new Iona driftwood round coffee table – both embody the trend towards pared-back, informal style, and showcase the attractiveness of natural timber.

Bluebone’s newly extended Chair Gallery was also a success. All styles are now available in three high-quality vegan leathers and two soft moleskin fabrics. The supplier also launched the Healey chair and backseat dining bench, while the Shelby dining chair was applauded for its comfort. The Buick and Mantis soft seating solutions were both show favourites, and, teamed with the little Pinto stool, are available in three chenilles and the two moleskins.

Bluebone was delighted with the response to its stand this year, which confirmed that its design choices are right on-trend for 2020

Shelby cocktail chair and Aspect range

www.bluebone.co.uk

Rattan is easy to harvest, and much easier to transport than heavier materials, states the importer – and with the consumer becoming increasingly conscious about where their products come from and how they are made, the material has really started to grow in popularity.

Bluebone has always used sustainable timbers such as mango – or completely reclaimed wood, including recycled boats, driftwood and village teak root. For 2020, the business has decided to reduce its footprint further still, by moving from paper to digital brochures (scan the QR code on the opposite page to go directly to Bluebone’s digital flipbook), and investing in more environmentally friendly packaging materials.

Two of the standout pieces from both the January Furniture Show and Spring

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bluebone NEW 2020 COLLECTIONS

Tactile raw textures and surface details play a big part in our 2020 collections. Explore rattan, driftwood, metal and reclaimed wood.

DISCOVER MORE...

SCAN FOR DIGITAL STYLEBOOK

bluebone.co.uk

sales@bluebone.co.uk

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Catalina

RATTAN REPUBLIC www.rattanrepublic.co.uk Imola

The Rattan Republic team has been in the furniture industry for many years, so it knows from experience what is important to its customers. Stock arrives weekly and is held in the company’s warehouse in Walsall, Birmingham, from which customers are welcome to collect.

The garden furniture specialist also prides itself on offering 72-hour Direct Home Pallet Delivery direct to endcustomers on behalf of its stockists, plus impressive value for money with stylish designs, original new colours and weaves, generous proportions and fully assembled furniture.

Call Rattan Republic on 0800 246 5917 to find out more.

SPRING CRAFT www.spring-craft.co.uk Spring Craft debuted a collection of fashionable furniture at the show, capturing visitors’ imagination with an inviting stand design, which complemented the manufacturer’s attractive bespoke beds and bedroom furniture, including chaises longues, footstools and tub chairs.

Offering a plethora of fabrics, fixtures and fittings, and daring to be different with original designs, the Yorkshirebased business did everything it could to live up to its bold mission statement, “crafting dreams into reality”.

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BUOYANT UPHOLSTERY www.buoyant-upholstery.co.uk Buoyant is proud of its ability to build over a century’s worth of knowledge, experience and quality into every piece of furniture it makes – and the business enjoyed a “fantastic” show this year, unveiling a number of impressive additions to its upholstery portfolio.

Buoyant continues to expand its breadth of styles with ranges such as the Blaise collection, a detailed model which comprises both corner groups and sofas of various sizes.

The show’s success was topped off when Buoyant was awarded best use of the trade body’s new branding by the British Furniture Manufacturers’ association (BFM).

Roma

Blaise

SHERBORNE www.sherborneupholstery.co.uk Sherborne would like to thank all the customers who visited its stand. The business was delighted with the response to its new introductions – pride of place went to the contemporary Roma recliner/suite, and the Keswick Classic range, which comes on stylish legs, and offers, for the first time, a powered recliner on legs alongside fixed chair and settee options. The new Ravello and Dovedale fabric ranges also proved popular.

In addition, Sherborne launched an upmarket adjustable bed range, Devonshire, with three new headboards and the Sunset Collection of new fabrics.

COLLINS & HAYES ww.collinsandhayes.co.uk Collins & Hayes celebrated its 150th year at the show. The brand started its story in 1870, and has always delivered enduring comfort and understated living room style. “Some things never change,” states the brand’s owner, “and that’s because they don’t need to.”

At the exhibition, two collections were launched that encapsulate this story: Bailey, a modular sofa; and Banks, a chair inspired by an original design. Both collections were styled in monochrome fabrics, something that will be key to their 2020 launches.

Bailey and Banks made an immediate impact, helping Collins & Hayes scoop first place in the upholstery category in The Furniture Awards this year (read more on p46).

Banks

Bailey

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Orla floating bed

Riccia lounger

CUSTOMER FIRST In recent years, Gallery Direct has continually developed and expanded its catalogue with new products and categories – and 2020 is no different, with Gallery’s SS20 Collection featuring over 400 new lines.

Bari side table

www.gallerydirect.co.uk

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“The 2020 show was a record-breaker for us, with sales up +22%”, says MD Peter Delaney. For the first time, Gallery presented a display of beds and sofabeds in hall 5, as well as its huge stand in hall 3.

With a nod to sustainability, highlights included the Sea Green mattress range, reclaimed upcycled furniture Orchard & Parquet, and the Simply Green textile range – while Gallery’s new solid walnut collection of living and dining furniture, Madrid, was highly commended in The Furniture Awards 2020.

“Our key aim is to help our customers,” Peter continues. “The core of our business has always been design, backed up by a well-managed technical team with the skills and expertise to develop quality products at value-for-money prices.

The decision to widen our catalogue, introducing new product categories, was taken to enable us to provide a one-stop solution to our clients.”

The depth of Gallery’s offer is astounding, with over 3500 stocked lines across its Furniture, Home Accessories, Lighting, Soft Furnishings and Wall Décor product directories, along with more than 120 models in the Made to Order directory.

“Each category is now a substantial business in itself,” continues Peter. “The wide and varied selection of products in each, which are all carefully designed

and manufactured, ensures there are styles to suit all tastes and interior spaces, from sleek and contemporary to classic and traditional.”

On the Made to Order side, the upholstered products are offered in a choice of 58 fabrics (all available to CRIB 5 spec) while new CRIB 5 mattress collections enable customers to buy for commercial use, as well as for the home. Combined with Gallery’s onestop solution, this has quickly proved beneficial to property developers and interior designers.

“We are continually looking at ways to support our customers,” Peter adds. “After listening to feedback and consideration of our clients’ needs, all our Furniture, Lighting, Made to Order and Wall Décor collections will be whitelabelled, so customers can creatively curate their own branded collections, whilst still having access to use our stunning lifestyle photos under our image licence agreement if they wish.

“Our key message is that we want to give our clients a sustainable business model where they grow with our success – we design, manufacture, stock and distribute … they sell.”

To find out more about Gallery’s extensive product range, visit the company’s website to view individual products and flip through the six new directories

02/03/2020 16:37

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NEW FOR 2020

INTRODUCING PA R Q U E T Maintain subtle elements of the traditional farmhouse aesthetic while remaining fresh and contemporary in style with our Parquet Collection. This new range for

PARQUET 3 DOOR SIDEBOARD

2020, features stunning parquet detailing,

W1515 H450 H850mm

framed by matt black metal across a range

5059413114250

of products including a large, 8 seater dining table for entertaining.

STUNNING PARQUET DETAILING

PARQUET COFFEE TABLE W900 H900 H450mm 5059413114281

www.gallerydirect.co.uk | 01795 439159

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PROTECT-A-BED www.protectabed.co.uk Building success takes focus, hard work and drive – all qualities mattress protection specialist Protect-A-Bed has demonstrated while helping its retail partners grow sales.

Protect-A-Bed enjoyed a strong start to the year, with the launch of new wellness-oriented mattress protectors at the show, plus the continued success of the Protect-A-Bed Platinum Club. “We are extremely excited to have seen such a positive reaction to our new Therapeutics range,” says national sales manager, Paul Lake. “The wellness market has grown rapidly in the last five years, from an estimated £10.3b in 2015 to £12.4b in 2020, in the UK alone.

“This is directly linked to consumers’ active decisions to try to keep fit and well. It’s clear consumers have a greater focus on better nutrition, greater amounts of exercise and the importance of sleep. Trends now show that consumers are also willing to invest more in helping achieve these goals, with consumer spending on wellness forecast to grow by +20% in 2020. Our Therapeutics range aligns directly for those looking to enrich their sleep experience, and when we showcased the range at the show, the response was phenomenal.

“It features copper,graphene and charcoal, which are embedded within the protectors to increase and enhance the sleeper’s wellbeing. It has been well documented that ProtectA-Bed can help retailers significantly grow retail sales whilst offering better sleep solutions, and the new Therapeutics range is a perfect evolution.”

Lebus Haven Skyline Advert artwork 188 x 128 (Sofa) Nov 2019 (non nec) copy.pdf

Comfort

Style

1

22/11/2019

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Sophistication

Lebus Upholstery Ltd, Queensway Ind Est, Dunlop Way, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, DN16 3RN, United Kingdom

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Springc

CR A F T I N G

D R E A M S

I N TO

R EALI TY

+44 (0) 1924 488 994

SPRING

CRAFT

I N F O @ S P R I N G - C R A F T. C O . U K W W W. S P R I N G - C R A F T. C O . U K @ S P R I N G C R A F T LT D

U N I T 1 , R AV E N S T H O R P E M I L L S , H U D D E R S F I E L D R O A D , D E W S B U RY, W E S T Y O R K S H I R E W F 1 3 3 N A

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THE HIGH LIFE The Genting Hotel High Line, NEC, Birmingham / 19th January 2020 www.januaryfurnitureshow.com

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The first day of this year’s January Furniture Show closed with a glitzy exhibitor party at the on-site Genting Hotel. Exhibition organiser Clarion Events treated exhibitors to drinks and canapes at Resort World Birmingham’s High Line New York Bar & Lounge, in celebration of 30 years of furniture shows at the NEC.

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GOING FOR GOLD Having enlisted Olympian Jessica Ennis-Hill as its brand ambassador, Sleepeezee has developed a unique mattress in her name and is working hard to make sure its message is heard. www.sleepeezee.com

The subject of sleep, and how it affects wellbeing and health, has never been more topical. It has implications for all generations, so actively promoting the value of getting the best possible night’s sleep fits well with Sleepeezee’s brand purpose – to bring the best sleep to the nation.

Sleepeezee’s invitation to Jessica Ennis-Hill, to work with the bedmaker as its brand ambassador, was based on the very real link between high performance and good-quality sleep.

As the gold medal-winning Olympian who wowed the world at the London Olympics with her Super Saturday triumphs, Jessica Ennis-Hill is now a British sporting icon, and leads a busy life as a working mum of two young children. As such, she knows the benefits of sleep, both as part of a world-class training programme and as a necessity for parenting and ensuring family wellbeing.

“Sleep matters,” she says. “Whether I’m exercising, doing the school run, or at work, I know that sleep is the thing that makes my busy life possible. It’s the one thing that we all need to be at peak performance. That’s why I’m proud to be Sleepeezee’s ambassador. Their beds are expertly designed and made to the highest standards to ensure the very best sleep, meaning we can all have a great day, every day.”

Jessica has worked with Sleepeezee to develop a unique mattress, fittingly called the Jessica, which has also reached a high point of performance with a coveted Which? award. The foam-encapsulated mattress meets high manufacturing standards and is designed, like all Sleepeezee mattresses, to offer a high degree of comfort and support.

A donation of £20 will be made by Sleepeezee to the Sheffield Children’s Hospital for every mattress sold, supporting one of Jessica’s long-held charitable interests in her home city

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BRAND

BASSADO

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JESSICA ENNIS HILL

A

M

Introducing the

AWA R D W I N N I N G M AT T R E S S

Sleepeezee will donate £20 for every mattress sold to the Sheffield Children’s Hospital

“Sleep matters to our everyday performance. That’s why I’m proud to work as ambassador for Sleepeezee, one of Britain’s leading mattress makers.”

1800 SPRINGS

EDGE TO EDGE SUPPORT

STAYCOOL™ GEL

HYPO-ALLERGENIC

E V E R Y T H I N G’S E A S Y W H E N YO U S L E E P E E Z E E

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WIEMANN www.wiemannuk.co.uk

Glasgow

German bedroom furniture manufacturer, Wiemann, topped a successful January Furniture Show with a special hat-trick, scooping an award win in The Furniture Awards’ bedroom furniture category for the third year in a row with its new Glasgow collection.

Simon Hewitt, MD of Wiemann’s sole agent in the UK and Ireland, Litmus Furniture, says: “True credit goes to the Wiemann design and production team for creating a well-crafted product of the highest quality, at a fantastic price, year after year.”

As well as unveiling seven new ranges, innovations and two carcase and door finishes, Wiemann displayed 10 of the current collections from its budget- to top-quality, VIP and semi-solid wood offerings.

“It was an outstanding show for us, eclipsing a record-breaking 2019 show and marking an incredibly positive start to the year for the team,” says Simon. “We had lots of great feedback and meaningful conversations with existing and potential customers – taking more display orders than previous years.”

www.sweetdreamsuk.com

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A smart mattress that combines multi-award-winning Octaspring technology, individual pocket springs and the comfort of memory foam, the Octasmart Hybrid Collection represents an opportunity to upgrade to the next level of comfort, states Dormeo.

Octaspring technology at the mattress’ core provides a feel that cannot be found elsewhere. Its unique structure enables the mattress to ‘breathe’, while smart body zones create optimal support for the head, shoulders and hips. Combined with a layer of individual pocket springs, the mattress responds intelligently to the body, keeping the sleeper supported while providing a more traditional responsive feel.

This combination of technologies and materials results in impressive performance and comfort. With a reassuring 18-year limited warranty, the Octasmart Hybrid will be a welcome addition to many UK showroom floors this year.

Phoenix Zonal Support

After success at the January Furniture Show, where it saw show sales up +20% YoY, the Lancashire manufacturer is now looking ahead to April’s AIS show. A supplier to the buying group for around seven years, Sweet Dreams boasts over 40 AIS accounts, and will launch three beds for the AIS Dreamworld brand.

These include Lyra Memory Support, which uses 13.5 gauge open-coil springs with an added 25mm layer of memory foam. A quilted, knitted fabric to the rotate-only sleeping surface and a microquilted damask border enhance its looks, while the base comes in five colourways and offers the usual headboard and storage options.

Phoenix Zonal Support features Sweet Dreams’ exclusive Sleepzone spring system, which has almost twice as many springs as traditional bonnell. The no-turn mattress sports a quilted knitted fabric to the top and a microquilted damask border. With base and other options similar to Lyra, Phoenix also offers extra support thanks to the popular Sleepzone spring system.

www.dormeo.co.uk

Lyra Memory Support

SWEET DREAMS

DORMEO

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New Collection 2020

Launched at January Furniture Show 2020

Upgrade to the next level of comfort with the Octasmart® Hybrid Collection Octaspring® technology at the core provides the difference that can’t be found anywhere else. Not only does its unique structure make this mattress actually breathe, the smart body zones create optimal support to your head, shoulders and hips. Combined with a layer of individual pocket springs, the mattress responds intelligently to your body keeping you supported whilst providing a more traditional responsive feel.

Octaspring® technology

Pocket springs

It literally breathes

Smart zoning

Designed for couples

Hundreds of individual Octasprings move 3-dimensionally to support and cradle every inch of your body helping to alleviate pressure from the back, hips & shoulders.

Each 8cm tall pocket spring works effortlessly combined with the Octaspring® technology to support your body and provide a more traditional, responsive feel.

Our patented Octavent™ Air System makes your mattress 8 times more breathable than regular foam, and cooler by 3°C, helping you get to sleep faster and sleep deeper, for longer.

Different firmness Octaspring® springs are arranged in 3 body zones to provide customised support for your back, with extra support for your hips and shoulders allowing for more natural spine alignment.

The individual support of Octaspring® technology makes it almost impossible to feel your partner getting in and out of bed.

This mattress really is designed with couples in mind for a peaceful, undisturbed sleep.

18 18 year warranty

antiallergenic

fits all UK bed types

kind for you

Free from harmful chemicals

MARCH

OFFER 1. Special introductory floor model discounts - Hurry limited offer 2. Free luxury Octasmart® Pillow with every mattress

3. Tailored POS and training packages 4. Direct Home Delivery options 5. Immediate stock availability

For more information on introducing the Dormeo Octasmart® range to your floor display or to book an appointment, please contact:

David Green, National Sales Manager 01494 899 935 david.green@dormeo.co.uk *Which? Award presented to Octasmart® Deluxe Mattress Pages.indd 87 Full page USE.indd 1

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Central Furniture Manufacturing Ltd For a Full Colour Brochure please call 0121 766 8110

Newport Range Gloss grey

Mulliner Works, 154 Bordesley Green Road, Birmingham, B8 1BY Tel Fax Email Web

: : : :

0121 766 8110 0121 766 7450 info@centralfurnituremfg.co.uk www.centralfurnituremfg.co.uk

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Central Furniture Manufacturing Ltd For a Full Colour Brochure please call 0121 766 8110

Newport Range White

Mulliner Works, 154 Bordesley Green Road, Birmingham, B8 1BY Tel Fax Email Web

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: : : :

0121 766 8110 0121 766 7450 info@centralfurnituremfg.co.uk www.centralfurnituremfg.co.uk

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PRODUCTS DINING Oak Loire chair, oiled, with natural hopsack seat

Oak Hamburg carver with jet hopsack seat

90

WOODMAN CHAIRS www.woodmanchairs.co.uk Following on from a successful January Furniture Show, Woodman Chairs is looking to build on the past year’s growth, which it achieved despite the many challenges facing the industry.

“We expect this year to test us all once again, and we will be meeting those challenges head-on with several new products and our continued commitment to offering unrivalled choice in solid wood chairs, stools and other options,” says MD Tom Woodman.

“Having stock or short lead times always available, and with a wide choice, our customers have a decided edge without needing to hold large stocks themselves. Able to supply most chairs in beech, oak or ash, finished or

unfinished, in large or small quantities, as well as making bespoke chairs or frames for other manufacturers, Woodman has appeal across the industry. If you’re not doing business with us, why not?”

Woodman can be reached on 01884 841789.

M&P Chairs Limited WWW.MANDPCHAIRS.CO.UK

110 - Slat Side (& High Back) Chair

111 - Spindle Side (& High Back) Chair

112 - Fiddle Side (& High Back) Chair

114 - Slat Low Carver

115 - Spindle Low Carver

116 - Fiddle Low Carver

QUALITY EUROPEAN HARDWOOD (BEECH AND OAK) CHAIRS THIS IS JUST A SMALL SELECTION OF OUR RANGE - PLEASE CONTACT US FOR FURTHER DETAILS ON OUR FULL OFFERING ALL AVAILABLE FROM STOCK • FINISHING SERVICES AVAILABLE • LARGE OR SMALL QUANTITIES • DISCOUNT FOR COLLECTION EMAIL OR CALL US TO REQUEST A BROCHURE AND PRICE LIST Please visit our website to see our full ranges - WWW.MANDPCHAIRS.CO.UK All enquiries to: Mike Hodgson – mikehodgson@gmx.com • Call: or Paul Hodgson – paul.holroyd.hodgson@gmail.com • Call:

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07802 648383 07469 819520

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YOTFC www.yotfc.co.uk When the going gets tough, YOTFC continues to help its customers achieve sales, says MD David Harrison.

“Our character oak tables offer the opportunity to create bespoke products to fit in with almost any specification,” he says.“We also offer farmhouse and shaker leg styles in finishes that meet most tastes, in paints, oils and lacquers, and our fabulous range of waterproof fabrics and leathers are available for even the most discerning buyers.

“All of the above is backed up with the will to give our customers the service they deserve,” David concludes.

Rustic oak tops / Oak legs or available painted / farmhouse / shaker • Cast & metal bases available • Ranges of oak and beech chairs • All colour options • All from stock

YOTFC YOTFC_JA.indd 1

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Ye Olde Traditional Furniture Company

t: 01604 890 956 / e: md@yotfc.co.uk / brd@yotfc.co.uk visit www.yotfc.co.uk for further information 26/02/2020 09:47

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WorldF

world furniture ni ltd

MITZI Round table x 1 + dining chairs x 4 – £509

MANHATTAN 1.6m table x 1 / dining chairs x 6 – £296

VIRGO OAK 1.2m (+0.4mm) ext oak table x 1 / taupe dining chairs x 6 – £296

VIRGO GREY 1.2m (+0.4mm) ext grey table x 1 /grey fabric dining chairs x 6 – £331

SOFIA - all electric sofa Leather 3 seater – £437 - 2 seater – £362 - Chair – £285

WINDSOR - all electric sofa Leather 3 seater – £477 - 2 seater – £396 - Chair – £299

028 9182 8202

paul@world-furniture.biz

2 Ballyharry Business Park, Donaghadee Road, Newtownards, Northern Ireland BT23 7ET

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PRODUCTS LIVING

94

KETTLE INTERIORS www.kettleinteriorsagencies.com Launched at the January Furniture Show, the IE Collection is the latest value-oriented range from Essentials by Kettle Interiors. Providing opportunity in the growing market for industrial-styled looks, IE brings oak-finished panels matched to dark grey metal frames, in pieces proportioned for apartments and modern homes.

With a choice of dining tables and benches, as well as sideboards, TV units and occasional tables, the IE Collection features the usual assortment one would expect from Kettle Interiors. It also includes a range of striking storage and shelving units that add to the warehouse living feel.

Gambia Coast

LOUIS DE POORTERE www.louisdepoortere.com Launched at this year’s Domotex show, Shores is the latest addition to the Waves Collection. The range features delicate patterns that evoke the ripples created when water meets earth, and uses texture and colours to bring the subtleties of muddy browns, bright blues, leafy greens and metalliferous reds to home interiors.

The Shores collection uses a flat-weave construction and is hand finished with reinforced corners and an anti-slip backing for a secure fit. Created using an 85% cotton and 15% polyester chenille yarn, each rug is woven on jacquard Wilton looms, with multiple layers of texture, distressed areas and intricate stitching for a vintage look.

INFORMING INDUSTRY BUILDING BUSINESS

#372 March 2020 www.furniturenews.net

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ALPHA DESIGNS UPHOLSTERY LIMITED T: 01902 492937 F: 01902 493700 E: sales@alpha-designs.co.uk Unit 1, Stag Industrial Estate, Oxford Street, Bilston, Wolverhampton WV14 7HZ

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L&P SPRINGS UK www.beddingcomponents-intl.com

L&P Springs’ Barnsley HQ

L&P Springs UK delivers high-quality innerspring components to the bedding and furniture industries, offering manufacturers world-class professionalism, delivered as a personal, flexible, local service.

The company aims to be the obvious choice when it comes to innerspring design and supply. Part of Leggett & Platt’s International Bedding Division, and backed up by more than a century of experience from Leggett & Platt Incorporated – a diversified manufacturer, and member of the S&P 500 – the business promises quality and reliability. Its innovative products are extensively tested and researched, and represent some of the latest developments in bedding component design.

Foam Encore (profile)

FIBRELINE www.encorecushion.co.uk Fibreline has achieved what it describes as the “Holy Trinity” of superior cushion fillings, and now offers Encore buyers a choice of Fibre, Feather and Foam cushions. Fibreline is now confident it offers the very best in foam, fibre and feather cushion interiors.

SATRA www.satra.com SATRA will launch an Introductory Flammability seminar on 26th March, in which it will focus on the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations for the domestic market. Other flammability seminars – which include information relating to domestic and contract markets, and practical advice on European chemical legislation including REACH – will run on 14th May, 20th August and 26th November at SATRA’s headquarters in Kettering, Northamptonshire.

SATRA is also holding an Introduction to Furniture Safety seminar on 11th June, which will look at applying the concepts of general product safety to furniture and the use of lab testing, plus an overview of REACH legislation and the legal requirements for furniture flammability. The day includes a tour of SATRA’s testing facilities.

Finally, a Children’s Safety seminar, focusing on the relevant requirements and appropriate testing for children’s furniture, will take place on 12th November. To book a place, email furniture@satra.com.

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GOING BEYOND TEST RESULTS Pass or fail, you will always have a better understanding with SATRA. www.satra.com furniture@satra.com + 44 1536 410000

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PRODUCTS TRADE SERVICES

MIDLAND FURNITURE AUCTIONS www.mfa.bid

“Roll up, roll up! It’s auction day, and the crowds are gathering to see the greatest furniture show on earth,” proclaims Midland Furniture Auctions (MFA), which sells unwanted stock through its weekly Wednesday sales, and is looking for new vendors to send their end-of-lines, seconds, returns, prototypes and excess furniture for quick disposal.

“Make your furniture the star of the show at the next auction. With no sale, no fee to pay, MFA’s service is your golden ticket to sell unwanted stock,” promises the auction house.

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OPINION

GOING VIRAL With the novel coronavirus spreading fast, Furniture News’ Paul Farley looks at some of the likely implications for the UK furniture industry.

THE OUTBREAK HAS THROWN CHINA’S ROLE IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY INTO STARK RELIEF Pages.indd 100

It’s Monday 10th February. Four more people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the UK (taking the total to eight), and the Government has announced its intention to tighten quarantine rules. The number of cases worldwide has exceeded 40,000, with 908 deaths (all in China – so far). While the risk to the UK remains ‘moderate’, the virus itself is still a ‘serious and imminent threat’, states the Department of Health.

In China, the rate of new infections appears to have stabilised, and much of the country is returning to work following a purposefully extended Lunar New Year break. Apart from the human toll, the virus has already made a considerable economic impact – Oxford Economics predicts that China’s GDP will grow by +5.4% in 2020 (-0.6% lower than expected, and a best-case scenario at that).

“The coronavirus outbreak has come at an unfortunate time, when GDP is already on a downward trend and China is facing complex challenges, including a trade war with the US,” comments professor Qing Wang, a professor at Warwick Business School.

Movement in and around China remains restricted, varying according to province – and while China’s service sector is already reeling, manufacturing will be hit hard. Many factories remain unstaffed, their workers quarantined or reluctant to travel.

Although Core Products sources a relatively small proportion of its cabinet furniture from China, one of its factories is located just 250 miles from Wuhan, the coronavirus ground zero.

“We’re anticipating six months of disruption,” says Core’s Mike Rowley.

“The orders we expected to receive in May, we’ve put back to August – but there’s a good chance of further delays.

Although many Chinese workers will be expected to return now their new year holiday is over, most will have to travel to do so, and that could be problematic.”

Core has enough stock for the coming months – like most suppliers, it had already expanded its stockholdings to see it through the annual Chinese holiday, and beyond.

“There’s plenty of cabinet furniture available right now,” says Mike. “But what happens if the factories get locked down again?

“We need to carry out our product development selections in March if

we’re going to deliver new lines next January.”

Although Mike cannot see the situation getting better in the short term, he points out that the furniture trade will not be hit as hard as other industries more reliant on Chinese exports, such as giftwares (although a nice spring here in the UK could mean garden furniture sells out).

“Ultimately, we won’t see the majority of the repercussions for six to eight months,” he says. “We’re lucky that the majority of our stock comes from Brazil, so we’re not anticipating any major impact on our turnover – but there will be a degree of disruption. We’ve already lost two weeks of production – and it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

A key component The outbreak has thrown China’s role in the global economy into stark relief.

While China’s response quickly upset stock markets and industrial commodity prices, its role within the wider integrated supply chain – which is far bigger than when Sars struck in 2003 – threatens much greater disruption.

For example, in Seoul, one of the world’s biggest car factories suspended production on 7th February, due to a lack of Chinese parts – and European furniture components suppliers too have warned of delays.

One fabric supplier told customers that a lack of raw materials would hold up shipments by a minimum of a week, while further delays would only create more congestion. In response, it increased its safety stock, ordered additional volumes from non-Chinese sources, and established new regional sources to complement its operations.

Indeed, Trump’s trade war with China had already prompted some importers to reconsider where they manufactured their furniture – and coronavirus is only likely to catalyse their efforts to relocate production.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government’s decision to suspend large-scale economic and trade events means all of China’s principal Q1 trade shows (CIFF, SIFE, Domotex asia and Design Shanghai) have been cancelled or postponed. Suppliers quizzed could not see the sense in pushing these events back to the summer – especially with Shanghai’s September fairs just around the corner.

“UK buyers are a hardy bunch, but the

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INFORMING INDUSTRY, BUILDING BUSINESS 101 Chinese will have to rebuild confidence over time,” says Mike Rowley.

At the same time, key events elsewhere in the Far East have reaffirmed that they remain open for business. Malaysia’s MIFF, for example, has stressed that the country is on high alert, and that medical personnel and basic hygiene measures will be in place during the exhibition. Nevertheless, the barriers to travel (and aforementioned importance of Chinese materials, businesses and personnel) will have a noticeable impact right across the region.

Other sourcing options are available.

For UK-based agents such as ASG, which operates a direct distribution model from a number of Chinese factories and holds a large amount of stock in its Birmingham facility, the disruption represents an opportunity to reinforce its fast-tracked proposition.

“The Chinese government has stopped production, but we can start as soon as the factories are back under our control,” says ASG’s supply chain director, Echo Yang.

She explains that the bulk of these factories are in northern China, somewhat removed from the outbreak, and anticipates the resumption of mass production on 20th February (and in March for those factories in the south).

A matter of time For some sectors, the choice is more restricted. Chinese-manufactured upholstery is set to among the worst-hit sectors, with one importer describing the virus’ effects as “terrible”, prompting delays to factory audits and severe worries about colleagues’ health. “We have orders that still can’t be processed, let alone made and dispatched,” they stated.

Their long-term outlook was more positive, and rooted in the belief that Chinese (principally leather) upholstery production would remain more costeffective than any Eastern European alternative, regardless of delays. But how long can this argument hold up?

From a retail point of view, Fairway Furniture’s Peter Harding says that while direct imports only account for

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10-15% of his sales, and (unlike Core’s operation) his primary suppliers are based far from Hubei province, he is working closely with them to manage the situation.

“We factor in a longer lead time than is actually required, so we hope the situation eases so as to minimise any ‘real’ delays,” he explains. “The additional movement restrictions imposed by the Chinese government coinciding with the Lunar New Year holiday at least meant that if ever there was a ‘good’ time for something as ‘bad’ as this to occur (in terms of the supply chain), then it was now.”

According to Peter, shipping times are set to lengthen due to a lack of ready-to-

COVID 19 BRINGS FRESH DISRUPTION TO A SECTOR ALREADY HURTING FROM AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF CONSUMER UNCERTAINTY

ship containers in China at present – not to mention crews placed in quarantine.

He has also seen some UK-based importers take measures to protect themselves, withdrawing stock purchase offers in anticipation of a drought. “We expect others to follow if the flow of new stock/ranges isn’t restarted soon,” he says. “If there’s not a resumption of Chinese exports within a few weeks, prices will inevitably start to rise.”

Communication breakdown In the meantime, the rest of the trade will be monitoring the situation closely to assess the likely damage – and the opportunities. For UK (and European) furniture manufacturers without any

Chinese ties, any delay to overseas rivals means a chance to recapture market share.

And in China, fear of infection and the quarantine procedures surrounding it could prompt workers to return to rural areas in a desire to work closer to home, meaning less pressure on factories short on staff, suggests Mike Rowley. Either way, it will take clear, honest communication from all stakeholders to successfully navigate the coming months.

“I remain hopeful – confident even – that the UK can remain essentially virus-free, because of our border controls and health system infrastructure,” says Peter Harding.

“But should that situation deteriorate, then face-to-face retail will inevitably suffer – the most dangerous thing we need to be cognisant of is public hysteria and scaremongering.”

Prejudices against Chinese people and businesses in the UK is already more pronounced, and there are fears that this could translate into a reluctance to buy Chinese goods.

Speaking to US retailers earlier this month, Dr Anita Patel, deputy incident manager for coronavirus response at the CDC, stated that there had been no reported cases of the virus being transmitted from imported goods from China (or anywhere else), and that the risk of transmission from products or packaging to people was “low”.

Nonetheless, the coronavirus (and its payload, Covid 19) brings fresh disruption to a sector already hurting from an extended period of consumer uncertainty, dampening hopes of a rapid recovery.

While the situation is changing too fast to fully grasp its potential impact (economic, social and personal), most will be monitoring the situation closely, so as not to put their business – or themselves – in harm’s way in the coming weeks and months

PLEASE NOTE: This article is based on a snapshot of the industry on 10th February. The situation will doubtless have evolved a great deal since.

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OPINION

JOIN THE IMM-CROWD! Germany’s imm cologne, which took place from 18th-24th January this year, is the top dog of furniture exhibitions, explains Gavin Boden …

WITH AN EXHIBITION THIS SIZE, YOU NEED A PLAN OF ATTACK

BY GAVIN BODEN www.rhenus-home-delivery.co.uk

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From a bustling train direct from Dusseldorf, I arrived onto the busy raised platform of Koelnmesse station – only to feel overwhelmed by the atmosphere and anticipation which surrounded me. The short walk from the station, passing one new development after another, made me realise that the whole area around the centre was going to be a heaving metropolis in the near future.

There was a definite buzz of excitement upon entering the behemoth of a foyer, and I was astounded by the number of people already queuing to put their coats and bags into the cloakroom (€3 per item). I had already paid the entrance fee of €50 per day to get into the fair (travel from the airport included) online – if I’d left it to buy a ticket on the day it would have cost me €65.

The fair was open to the trade from Monday to Thursday, and then to everyone Friday to Sunday, and admission on the public days was only €15.

I’m completely behind the organisers charging the trade to attend the show, but maybe not €50 a day! Charging attendees deters the public coming in on trade days (for as long as I’ve been working the UK shows, it’s been an issue trying to keep the public out of the halls – they waste a lot of the exhibitors’ time, and while you’re dealing with one of these ‘tyre-kickers’ you could miss the opportunity to speak with an important prospect) but also subsidises the costs for the exhibitors, which are growing every year.

Once past ticket inspection I had to decide which of the 17 huge halls I wanted to visit first. The imm makes it as easy as possible for visitors, by putting each product group into its own hall (as much as possible) – for example, the show had two halls full of beds and bed-related products, so if I was a bed buyer I wouldn’t have to trudge around the full 17 halls to find the suppliers I wanted to visit …

With an exhibition the size of the imm, and with over 128,000 visitors every year, you need a plan of attack (without this you could be roaming the halls aimlessly

and risk getting lost in the style and design brilliance it exudes).

I decided to go and have a look at hall 6.1 first, which had mostly leather sofas and accessories. It was full of amazingly designed stands from the likes of himolla and Polipol, whose displays reminded why they dominate the German market, offering some amazing innovations, designs and quality coverings. In fact, 99% of the stands in the hall created concepts and atmospheres with quality stamped all over them – Polipol had no less than seven stands, with different brands including Hukla, Polinova and Megapol, all of which looked amazingly commercial.

I’ve attended imm for the last five years, and have always been impressed with its organisation and how it attracts visitors. Even walking around between the halls keeps you interested, with art installations and cute coffee houses to peruse.

This year, the organisers introduced a special Future Interiors event area, which focused on German furniture trends and the increasingly important issue of sustainability. The further conceptual enhancement of hall 11 in the Pure Atmospheres segment was also seen as an important step in imm cologne’s development. In the future, visitors will see a lot more changes, and the organisers will continue to systematically expand imm into a global marketplace for the international furniture and interior design industry.

Although the exhibition has been overlooked by 99% of UK buyers over the years, you will occasionally see the likes of Barker & Stonehouse, Stokers and Stollers tirelessly strolling around the halls, and recognise exhibitors including Actona, Hydeline, Fama, Novamobili and Vi-Spring.

In summary, the organisers of the furniture shows in the UK could learn a lot from imm cologne – and, with respect to the UK retail buyers who don’t attend, it would be well worth your time and money to get out to this beautiful venue and see what you’re missing

02/03/2020 16:38

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OPINION

IN AT THE DEEP END

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It may be a trial by fire, but there’s nothing like going out on-site when you’re starting a new job in event management, says Clarion Events’ new head of sales, James Howard.

JAMES HOWARD

years), and the buying appetite of a retail distributor. All of this will help me and my fantastic team deliver the UK’s most important furniture shows (as we organise not only the January Furniture Show, but also its sister event, Manchester Furniture Show, in July).

We have ambitious plans for both shows, which include complementing these already successful events with some exciting new sectors – I can’t give too much away at this stage, but keep an eye on our website and social media for details …

As organisers, we are pleased to announce our revamped VIP programme, which encourages our partners and clients to nominate the buyers they would like to meet at our events. Our team will contact these buyers directly and offer a number of benefits to encourage them to visit the shows – for some, we’ll even pay for their accommodation.

We are looking at a 365 [should that be 366?!] sales and marketing approach.

Our two shows account for seven days of trading per year, so we are working to increase our activities to help you, our visitors and exhibitors, get even more from the exhibitions for the rest of the year.

I’m really excited about the future of the January and Manchester furniture shows – we have lots of work to do, and I’m confident that the events will continue to go from strength to strength.

My door is always open to hearing our customers’ feedback, and, when it comes to actioning suggestions, I pride myself on ‘making it happen’!

WE HAVE AMBITIOUS PLANS FOR BOTH SHOWS, WHICH INCLUDE SOME EXCITING NEW SECTORS

INDUSTRY PARTNERS

www.januaryfurnitureshow.com

To say I’ve had more straightforward first days on the job would be an understatement! Walking into the organisers’ office on the opening morning of January Furniture Show to start my new role as head of sales was unusual, to say the least.

While most sensible people are parked on a comfy sofa thumbing through the Sunday Times and nursing a warm mug of tea, I was giving out awards, shaking hands with industry leaders and having photos taken with award winners – much of which involved those beautifully designed comfy sofas I might normally be found sitting on of a Sunday morning, ironically.

I’ve worked on a number of events over the years, from networking and conferences to consumer and trade events – but the January Furniture Show felt special (and by that, I mean as in feeling ‘at home’).

Instantly, I got a great feeling walking around the show on that first morning.

The layout is exceptionally well planned, with Premium Design in hall 1, through to halls 4 and 5 where one could find all kinds of upholstery and beds. There’s hall 2, which hosts incredible international brands showcasing what our neighbours in Europe are producing, and then, last but by no means least, there’s hall 3, where one can find those finishing touches, from artwork to soft furnishings.

My background has afforded me the opportunity to understand the mind of a premium consumer, the workings of an interior design project (having worked on Channel 4’s Grand Designs Live for two

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OPINION

THIS MONTH, WE’RE ASKING …

Steve Pickering (Sussex Beds) Of course, you can highlight great work and effort with thanks and reward, but, actually, simpler gestures can be more motivating – such as acknowledging good morning, goodbye or, even better, providing them with your time to talk and listen Jerry Cheshire (Surrey Beds) I now have only two staff, so we work closely and share responsibility. They are rewarded well when business is good

James Hudson (Gallery Direct) We have a one-team approach – everyone is ‘in it together’ to achieve one common goal, which helps achieve high levels of motivation. We are very team-oriented, with a friendly, inclusive atmosphere in which to work. As we are constantly growing, there is real opportunity and potential for staff to progress

Tom Bourne (Select First) We’re a small team here, but it’s about treating people with respect, valuing their input and working together to get the job done to the best of our ability Paul Galley (Symmetry CGI) I’m keen to show my appreciation directly when good work has been done (apparently, it doesn’t carry any weight if you thank someone retrospectively!).

We have drinks and play pool at the pub on a Friday

#372 March 2020 www.furniturenews.net

Simon Ainge (Kettle Interiors) Include them in as many of the company’s plans as possible and encourage their feedback to help evaluate and improve on what we do

How do you make your staff FEEL APPRECIATED?

Mike Murray (Land of Beds) We have an open forum with all staff members every week where we discuss anything we feel has worked/not worked. Staff can talk about anything they wish and ask management anything they want.

We then promise to try and sort out any issues by the following week’s meeting. We also have a ‘star of the week’ award for people that have gone above and beyond – they’re rewarded with a little gift and a certificate at the Friday meeting.

The individual who receives the most is awarded ‘star of the year’

Kate Pilling (January Furniture Show) Praising good work and connecting with them on a personal level. When we are on top of our work I make sure that we spend time going to industry talks and events to get a balance between office and ‘on-the-ground’ experience. As part of a large company, we are made to feel appreciated with summer and Christmas parties/events Steve Adams (MattressOnline) A simple ‘well done’, creating a positive feedback loop, is the most cost-effective and rewarding motivational tool Rob Scarlett (Scarlett Furniture & Print) I only have one intern.

I have them round for dinner occasionally Peter Harding (Fairway Furniture) Bonus schemes related to specific performance, ensuring everyone’s voice is heard and communicating what the business is doing and why to all team members David Ashton (JYSK UK) By genuinely appreciating them. We close our stores Christmas Eve – staff need time with their families too. We invest in our people. We have a target to recruit the majority of our store managers from within our existing staff.

We closed all our stores for our staff summer party in September. We had a music festival. I get out to every store as often as I can and we make sure the management team is accessible. Our people are our business – of course we value them, and want them to know just how much they’re appreciated

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

GO WEST

JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON TWITTER @FURNITURENEWSED MESSAGE THE EDITOR AT PAUL@GEARINGMEDIAGROUP.COM FOR ADVERTISING AND SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES, SEE P3

Westbridge leads the charge

Match play How Heal’s met Millennial demand Assessing coronavirus’ impact The Customer Whisperer’s warning

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JANUARY FURNITURE SHOW IMM COLOGNE / BEDROOM / DINING LIVING / FURNISHER / TRADE SERVICES

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