Hall 1 / 70 Hall 2 / 72 Hall 4 / 76 Hall 5

VISIONARY VALUES

Award-winning CGI agency Orbital Vision prides itself on being a onestop shop for the furniture industry, supplying clients with everything they need to sell a product online – and this year’s show will see its services reach new heights …

www.orbital.vision

IT’S TIME TO GET READY FOR CHANGE

Facing a plethora of fresh challenges and opportunities, Orbital adopted a different approach to working with its clients in 2021, offering additional support in marketing and ecommerce strategies – the agency began to work even more closely with clients to understand their business needs, and offers advice on what can be achieved when making the most of CGI.

Orbital prides itself on being a onestop-shop for the furniture industry, supplying clients with everything they need to sell a product online (apart from the physical product itself).

Orbital will launch its enVision product configurator at the show

With online shopping more popular than ever, customer expectations are only growing, says Orbital Vision’s director, Rob Walker, and showing a piece of furniture in all available fabrics is no longer enough to secure a sale: “Customers want to experience an online try-before-you-buy shopping approach, and if businesses aren’t keeping up with tech trends, customers will find somewhere else to shop.

“After talking with our clients about what we can do to help them further improve their ecommerce capabilities, we discovered that most were all missing the same thing – a product configurator.”

In timely fashion, Orbital Vision is about to launch its own product configurator, enVision, which comes with an array of features ready to be plugged into any website – whether a site is built in WordPress, Magento, Shopify or any other platform, Orbital can integrate it. enVision allows customers to fully customise, rotate, zoom in or out, and view products on any web or mobile browser, on any device. Sellers will also be able fully customise their product with running costs, and will have access to many more useful features, such as adding product dimensions or animating each product to open and close.

To top it off, enVision will also allow customers to view products in their own home, with the built-in, app-less AR viewer (see our discussion in last month’s issue). All of this runs as a website plug-in, meaning set-up is quick and easy, with added CSS to make sure the customiser fits with the client’s individual branding – and the add-tobasket feature means enVision can be seamlessly integrated into existing online stores.

Benefits to retailers include offering an upgraded shopping experience, increased sales, reduced returns, an increase in new and returning customers, and an improved overall customer-business relationship, due to better management of customer expectations.

Manufacturers can also expect to see an increase in sales, as they will be able to supply their retailers with exceptional digital assets. In the same way as online shoppers want to experience more online, manufacturers should expect to see an increase in customer uptake, as they will have more to offer retailers than their competitors, says Rob.

With big benefits and small costs, enVision allows customers to have a more personalised and interactive shopping experience, as well as making them feel more involved in the design process (according to Forbes, brands using configurators reduced their online return rates by -80%).

“The possibilities of CGI are endless,” says Rob. “Once you have a furniture model built in CGI, you can use it endlessly to bring an upgraded ecommerce experience to your customers.” If Orbital already

Orbital’s product configurator, enVision, comes with an array of features, ready to be plugged into any website Real or not real? The images behind Orbital’s popular online spot-the-difference challenges begin with bare frameworks before colour is added

has a retailer’s product built for the manufacturer, it’s a quick switch-on process for the team to put it live on a site.

Orbital’s focus on delivering imagery of unrivalled quality means the team is also able to supply clients with lifestyle imagery to sit alongside enVision. “With traditional photography becoming increasingly expensive and difficult (not to mention the environmental impact), CGI allows you to create endless shots, styled to your preference,” states Rob. “So, as the seasons change, in hand with the trends, these digital assets become a vital tool needed for an unsurpassed speed to market.

“Not only this, but Orbital can also animate the room to bring your products to life – all at a fraction of the cost of a photography or video shoot.”

With enVision launching at the show (stand 1-E73) this April, Orbital will be able to not only offer its clients highquality imagery and marketing assets, but a complete digital sales package – with everything needed to sell a product online. “It’s time to get ready for change,” Rob concludes. “Contact our unreal team of creatives today!”

AS THE SEASONS CHANGE, DIGITAL ASSETS BECOME VITAL FOR UNSURPASSED SPEED

TO MARKET

Audrey

Selsey

ALPHA DESIGNS

Alpha Designs is a progressive UK manufacturer at the forefront of design and fabric – which it will once again demonstrate through the presentation of new collections at the upcoming January Furniture Show in April.

The new models come hot on the heels of a succesful autumn launch, which saw Alpha introduce the now proven Audrey, Selsey, Ciara and Niamh models, which were all presented in vibrant new fabrics.

The new 2022 ranges, which have been designed and developed alongside a leading furniture designer, are set to further fuel Alpha Designs’ growth in the marketplace, offering a breadth of styles to compement the manufacturer’s successful existing ranges, with total flexibility on fabrics across all models – all in all, an enticing proposition, from a company with a distinctly ‘can-do’ attitude.

Contact sales director Barry Webb on 07702 603971 or barry@alpha-designs.co.uk, and find Alpha Designs on stand 1-E80 at April’s show.

We warmly welcome you to our stand Hall 5 E70

Hyder will be showcasing its UK manufactured frames and mattresses as well as new twists on some of it’s existing ranges. After two years of holding back it’s innovations we are looking forward to our new launches. We love them, we know you will. Don’t miss out. See you soon.

www.hyderliving.com (+44) 01484 531000

SYSTEM STEP-UP

Iconography is heading to the January Furniture Show (stand 2-G5) in April to tell visitors how it can take their ecommerce systems to the next level. Here, director Wayne Robbins explains why the need to upgrade retail IT systems is more pressing than ever …

www.iconography.co.uk/furniture

What kept Iconography busy in 2021? It’s been our best year to date. We’ve been active producing sites for retailers such as Fairway and Peter Green. We’ve also rolled out OMNIS (our unified commerce platform) to a select number of furniture retailers who want a better way of doing things in this omnichannel age – online and in-store. They want to raise their game and move on from relying on problematic integrations between legacy retail management systems and their ecommerce platforms.

Why is now a good time to overhaul an underperforming IT system? Many retailers are trying to be relevant to modern consumers and develop a meaningful online business in addition to their stores. Often, though, they are hampered by the fact their old IT systems.

There is a fundamental ‘faultline’ between online, in-store and back-office functions – data stored in different formats and systems which needs to be move and managed to keep the wheels turning. Integrations can bridge the gap, but there are often limitations, workarounds, operational inefficiencies and higher staff and running costs associated with this approach.

Now, there are alternatives to this old-school approach – systems such as OMNIS Retail are purpose-built to meet the demands of omnichannel retailing.

Given the demands on their spend, why should retailers prioritise this? I think retailers should always think about how they can improve their operations and become more efficient. Making do with old tech has a price – you may well need more user licences and staff to manage inefficient workflows and processes.

Why not just link up with an online store? We’ve been linking our websites to legacy systems for years, but we think this approach is past its sell-by date. Integrations work, but they can be high maintenance, and they throw spanners in the works daily, weekly, monthly. What sort of capabilities can retailers discover by levelling up? Perhaps you want to place purchase orders on your suppliers for MTO products associated with customer special orders. Whether that order occurred in store A, B or C, via the phone or from the website, all orders should be in one place, easily identifiable as customer special orders and quickly grouped and collated onto purchase orders with relevant suppliers. The orders can then be placed and fully managed through one system.

When problems arise on a website, they might be caused by the integration or changes made in the legacy system – a retailer is often caught in the middle, and issues can take time to investigate and resolve. Let’s say a whole new collection has been added to the legacy system – and somewhere in this data are characters which the integration doesn’t read, or has mis-read. Hours of work are wasted, and a weekend’s promotional activity lost.

This sort of thing simply cannot happen with a unified commerce system, because everything is underpinned by a single common database. Last year, we picked up a number of clients from the furniture sector who had been let down by legacy software companies operating in the sector selling them Shopify- or WooCommerce-based sites which will integrate with their main system.

How might user experiences be impacted by poor technology? I think legacy systems (primarily built for retail as it used to be) and integrations add to the pressures felt by internal ecommerce teams as they struggle to work efficiently and effectively to deliver the numbers online. Also, customers can be impacted, let down and disappointed.

How is ecommerce evolving? For several years now, it’s all been about workflow automations, intelligent merchandising, personalisation and other forms of conversion rate optimisation. I’d be happy to discuss the bigger picture at the show!

STAUD AND PROUD

Having established a firm foothold in the UK marketplace, German bedroom manufacturer Staud is approaching the postponed January Furniture Show with both style and substance – Furniture News gets the lowdown from Michael Tattersall, sales director UK, and Stephan Paffendorf, MD, sales and marketing …

www.staudmoebel.de/en/

What are you bringing to April’s show? Staud is extremely happy to be exhibiting at the show for the first time! We’ll be bringing innovation and design from our bestselling Sinfonie Plus Collection, which offers a large number of combinations and colours – and sliding doors, hinged wardrobes, chests and bedframes to suit all bedroom designs.

New ranges such as Bodega display a stylish use of glass and mirrors – while our Swing collection brings innovative flip doors, where a complete wardrobe compartment can be opened without any noise and in just one movement (the flip door folds in half and slides to the side, thereby helping to save space and optimise access). Finally, our Aperto range, with its ‘wardrobe without doors’, is perfect for the dressing room area.

Staud will show these three new and innovative line-ups, together with favourites like Satino, which features frosted glass fronts, Includo and Includo Glass, as well as decor or glassfronted variations with their respective accessories. The team is looking forward to taking our visitors through our collections on our 200m2 booth.

Can you summarise Staud’s UK journey so far? After initiating our journey with market research and first pilot projects, Staud has been present in the UK for 2.5 years now. We were planning a big push in 2020 – however, due to the pandemic and Brexit we took a conscious decision to tackle the market in a holistic way,

Sinfonie Plus

focusing on extensive preparation and analysis as well as on-site presence.

With the NEC event being the biggest furniture show in the country, our presence is sending just the right signal that Staud wants to be a major player in the UK market, in 2022 and beyond.

Has demand for your product changed during the pandemic? The importance of home, and living comfortably, is definitely increasing – ‘coocooning’ might be the right buzzword. Perhaps now more than ever, our customers continue to spend a significant amount of time at home and invest in creating comfortable interiors.

A digital presence in the market and communication via this sales channel is more crucial than ever, as customers choose to gather information on the web. However, we are utterly convinced that, moving forward, our customers will continue wanting to physically experience their future furniture pieces on-site before they decide to purchase. Therefore, to be present in the market via different sales channels is, in our opinion, the right way into the future.

Are you noticing any particular colour/ material trends emerging? In the past, the great variety of decors and glass colours that Staud has available would be continuously updated, always enabling the customer to find a matching, trendy combination for themselves. But there are some stand-out developments – our recent presence at local furniture shows, where we showcased our Satino collection, indicated that our frosted blue glass from this range proved to be a real winner, as the material properties differ from what’s available elsewhere.

Anything else in the pipeline? We’re planning to expand in the UK and in our home markets, and take more advantage of the variety in our portfolio.

Where can the trade find out more? They can visit our NEC stand this April (provisionally 4-B30), call Michael on 07736 269636, or email michael. tattersall@staudmoebel.de

PACKED WITH VALUE

Core Products will be showcasing its new collections at the big January Furniture Show this April …

www.coreproducts.co.uk

Dunkeld

The past year has seen a real surge in demand for flat-packed furniture, says Core, as consumers spend more time at home, while spending time on DIY has seen a noticeable surge in popularity.

Core has responded to this by increasing stock levels considerably so orders can be completed in a matter of days, redesigning many products so they are easier to assemble in the home, and redeveloping packaging to meet the requirements for more and more direct home deliveries.

A considerable investment in technology over the past year also makes access to stockholding, product information, customer ordering and delivery tracking much easier for retailers.

This year, Core’s renowned flatpacked pine collections will be further enhanced with additions and an entirely new Texas cabinet collection. Each piece in these new ranges has been designed to meet the space constraints of modern

Texas

Capri in carbon

living, combining Core’s bestselling (and subtle) grey and wax finishes with real metal. The effect is not only attractive but extremely practical, and will appeal to consumers looking for high-value furniture.

Core’s painted collections have been considerably expanded with new ranges and colours, all of which will be on display for the first time at the show – while the demand for darker finishes has been answered, with new colour versions of proven ranges.

Television furniture has seen a huge surge in sales during the past year, says Core, whose new Vision range addresses that demand through a large choice of freestanding and wall fixing units.

Casual living is also undoubtedly popular, and Core offers a varied selection of pieces for around the home, plus an extensive home office collection (the supplier was named the winner of the prestigious Furniture News’ Readers’ Choice Awards 2021 in this category). Each piece is designed to optimise storage capabilities within minimum space, and is sure to attract style- and price-conscious customers, says Core.

Meanwhile, Core’s Highland Home collection answers the need for traditionally constructed cabinet furniture which is practical in design and very easy to assemble. Bold ideas, combined with vibrant paint finishes, wood, glass and stone, give a completely fresh look to these ranges of bedroom, living and dining furniture.

Core will present pieces from all its ranges at April’s show (provisionally on stand 4-A40), so visitors can see their quality and value for themselves

choice among Furniture News’ readers Core’s home office solutions are a popular

SINTER STAGE

Despite the many challenges the pandemic has created, World Furniture’s growth has continued unabated, and the ambitious business is looking to the coming year with greater optimism than ever …

www.world-furniture.biz

Sintered stone table in kass gold

Sutton

World Furniture, now entering its 23rd year of business, remains one of Ireland’s leading wholesalers, delivering throughout the UK and Ireland, with an ever-increasing direct container programme to many countries across the globe.

This year, World will unveil a significant number of new sintered stone ranges. Having gained a “formidable” reputation for gloss/glass and melamine dining ranges in attractive textures and colours, the company, which considers its lines innovative, of exceptional quality and price sensitive, sees this as a very natural progression.

“Essentially, sintered stones are the next generation on from quartz tops, perfecting the blend of man-made processes with natural minerals to create a surface which is more resistant to chemicals, abrasion, scratching, impact and thermal shock,” World Furniture explains. “Sintered stone is full of incredible benefits which make it one of the best materials you can buy for dining tables and other home products.”

These benefits include: resistance to scratching, UV rays and high temperatures; waterproof; recyclable, and 100% natural. “These attributes are extremely beneficial to the retailer – and, ultimately, the end-consumer – and the range of natural finishes such as kass gold, vilas grey, Italy white, etc, make for stunning pieces of furniture.” The range offers great flexibility, comprising 12 new designs, and 24 different colour and size options.

To accompany such a significant launch of dining tables, World has also developed an extensive range of chairs in an array of designs and colours.

Indeed, the emphasis this year is very much on textures and colours, explains MD Marc Bunting: “Our focus for 2022 has been firmly on design for our sintered stone ranges. In order to complement our tables, we felt that colour and texture in fabrics need to be at the forefront. We see a willingness from our customers to get more colour into their floorspace – not just for show, but because consumers are asking for it!”

World Furniture plans to display its newest lines at the postponed January Furniture Show this April, provisionally on stand 5-H35

MEET THE TASTEMAKER

La-Z-Boy UK will present a new-look stand at the forthcoming January Furniture Show in April, and promises to “surprise and delight visitors with head-turning designs which are big on comfort” …

www.la-z-boy.co.uk

Bartelli

Collins

April’s big event will be the motion specialist’s first show since acquiring its La-Z-Boy Manufacturing UK division, and more than 10 UK-made models will be presented at the NEC (on the back of this development, the firm has become a member of the Made in Britain organisation).

Head of marketing Adam Morley says: “The whole team is looking forward to unveiling our new-look La-Z-Boy stand in April. It will be great to meet customers once again, and we can’t wait for people to see what we believe is our strongest product range to date.

“Whether it’s comfort and reliability that consumers are looking for, or a suite with ‘wow’ factor to relax in style, we have something for all tastes.”

Visitors will be able to see 14 product ranges, featuring design-led new additions and updated versions of classic models – such as the Winchester, which has proven highly popular, with a minimal lead-time stock programme – while a new rise-andrecline collection will bolster the current catalogue. Popular releases from last year’s Manchester Furniture Show will be shown in eye-catching colourways, including the elegant Bartelli, and the debut of three new UK models.

Visit La-Z-Boy on stand 5-E32 (provisionally)

BUILT TO LAST

Highgrove Beds plans to use April’s show as a launchpad for several new products, ranging from innovative and upgraded mattress specifications to improved stylish base options, all available with exclusive show offers …

www.highgrovebeds.co.uk

Majesty

A new celebratory mattress called Majesty will feature strongly on the stand. Designed to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this year, Majesty comes with high-impact PoS and the opportunity for a lucky retailer and consumer to win “a royal weekend in London”. And, for every Majesty mattress sold this year, Highgrove will also plant a tree donated through the National Trust’s tree-planting scheme.

Highgrove has taken additional space in Hall 5, with its new Sanctum Collection being unveiled for the first time on stand F20. Sanctum will benefit from new covers, with a focus on luxurious natural fillings and handtailored comfort.

“It’s great to be getting back to some form of normality after the challenges of the past 18 months or so,” says head of marketing, Shane Harding. “Those of us that love this industry really enjoy meeting customers and having the opportunity to showcase our latest products and promotions.

“2021 was particularly challenging for many reasons, with material price increases and shortages affecting all UK manufacturers. The fact is that we’ve all got used to virtually zero inflation and prices that have been stable for years – we’re now all faced with raw material and component prices being increased, often with little or no warning.”

Despite this, Highgrove remains confident in its UK operation, investing a further £500,000 in a new 25,000ft2 storage facility at its Liversedge site (completed during lockdown) to ensure the business has sufficient spring stocks to meet future demand.

A further £800,000 has been invested in new vehicles with improved driver facilities, and these will make an appearance this month.

Shane is also confident that the business will continue to take market share, despite what is acknowledged as one of the toughest retail environments in many years.

“We have now firmly bedded our three main brands into the marketplace: HG at the entry level; our established flagship Highgrove brand taking up the centre ground; and Sanctum targeting the premium, hand-tailored sector.”

In recent years, Highgrove has invested more than £600,000 in supporting high street retailers with high-impact in-store displays and additional PoS, which includes branded footmats and pillowcases, and these have proved “extremely popular” with stockists. says the bedmaker.

Finally, although the internet plays an increasingly important role in consumer decisionmaking, Highgrove made the tactical (and commercial) decision to support the high street, and its brochure collection is strictly not available for internet trading. “We feel that consumers still want to try before they buy, and although internet sales continue to outpace retail, high-ticket comfort items will still be primarily sold in-store for many years to come – and that should be encouraged,” Shane concludes.

Find Highgrove on stands 5-E20 and 5-F20 this April

£800,000 in new vehicles Highgrove has invested a further

Europa

VALUE MARK FURNITURE

www.valuemarkfurniture.co.uk

Value Mark Furniture’s sizeable occasional and exclusive dining ranges will once again feature several new introductions, with the former offering retailers a notable point of difference, and all designed to sit well with a variety of upholstery groups.

The team looks forward to welcoming visitors to stand 4-B10 in Hall 4 at the rescheduled January Furniture Show.

Amalfi

Hyder will showcase its UK-manufactured frames and mattresses, as well as unveiling a few new twists on some of its existing ranges.

“After two years of holding back our innovations, we’re really looking forward to unveiling our new launches,” states Hyder Living. “We love them, and we know you will too.”

Find out more by calling Hyder Living on 01484 531000 or visiting the company’s website. Find Hyder Living on stand 5-E70 at the January Furniture Show.

KELSTON HOUSE

www.kelstonhouse.com

Kelston House says it is “delighted” to be returning to the January Furniture Show this April, at which it promises to unveil a stand full of new collections – Kalahari and Motley among them. Promising fresh and exciting collections to offer customers “something different”, Kelston House’s team looks forward to meeting customers old and new on stand 2-G20.

Motley

HYDER LIVING

www.hyderliving.com

Belgravia

Proud members of the Made in Britain Association.

To experience our new designs including our NEW Made in Britain ranges, visit us at the January Furniture Show Hall 5 E32.

EMMA – THE SLEEP COMPANY

www.emma-sleep.co.uk

Emma Motion brings smart technology to the sleep sector

Emma – The Sleep Company says it is “revolutionising” sleep, and the award-winning mattress brand has its sights set on further expansion and development this year.

Combining smart technology and world-class engineering, Emma’s dedicated research and development team work hard at Emma’s in-house sleep lab to create innovative products, to make a positive impact on people’s lives by enhancing their sleep – products like the newly announced Emma Motion mattress, which actively interacts with the sleeper to adapt to every change in sleeping position, and the Emma Motion base, which promises to make any mattress ‘smart’.

TORELLI

www.torelli.co.uk

Each year, contemporary furniture specialist Torelli strives to bring fresh and unique products to the market, and 2022 is no exception.

With demand for ceramic furniture on the increase in the UK and Europe, Torelli has grown its ceramic furniture offer – new ranges Brando, Alonso and Lorenzo will make their debut in 2022. With 12 new ranges added to its current collection, Torelli is fast establishing itself as a leader in this field.

The introduction of ceramic-top tables to Torelli’s existing glass models will add an ultra-modern look to its offer, while this year will also see the addition of new fabric and leather dining chairs in various fabrics and on-trend leather colours.

Brando

Duo

SIESTA BEDS

www.siestabeds.co.uk

Softheads Group – comprising Siesta Beds, Mayfair Beds and Mulliners Beds – has executed a full review of its materials.

For many years, high priority has been placed on recycled materials, with the business being well aware of the need to be responsible, and the effect manufacturing has had on the planet. Indeed, many of the materials derived from Softheads’ suppliers come from recycled sources (apart from the natural fibres, foam and latex). In fact, says Softheads, one can also lay claim to its steel content falling within this category – but it is harder to determine the percentage being recycled.

The results speak for themselves. The new Opulence 3,000 Encapsulated Pocket boasts superior edge-toedge support, and is infused with copper latex, a thermal conductor that rapidly transfers heat away from the body, and is thought to promote health and wellness.

CUSTOMER INVESTMENT

Julian Bowen is thinking big this year – and the scale of its ambition is reflected in the sheer number of new products coming to market, across all categories …

www.julian-bowen.co.uk

Berwick dining table and Brooklyn charcoal chairs

Langham teal bed

Julian Bowen intends to make a big impact this year, and its design team has developed a diverse range of new furniture to ensure the business fulfils its ambitions.

The supplier says its new launch will build upon its established strengths in dining and bedroom, with new ranges including oak with a rattan feature panel, painted furniture, and an extensive selection of contemporary dining and occasional ranges.

Brushed gold, smoked glass and soft, sumptuous velvet dining chairs in a wide range of colours will be a key feature of the show.

The company is an acknowledged leader in children’s furniture, and this remains a key focus, with some innovative, modern and highly functional new designs incoming, including: the Mars bunk bed, which combines multiple storage options; and the Maine bunk bed in dove grey, anthracite, and surf white, which coordinates with the successful Maine bedroom collection; and the Jake Slide bed, a clever, contemporary children’s low sleeper with a feature slide – a practical but fun addition to Julian Bowen’s extensive children’s collections.

The business is currently enjoying an aggressive investment programme focused on delivering an everimproving customer proposition and experience, which has seen the creation of a new 28,000ft2 warehouse, adding an incremental +20% of storage capacity, plus even greater additions to the amount of stock held, ensuring high levels of availability.

In addition to its focus on product, Julian Bowen is keen to improve every aspect of its customers’ experience. The business’ emphasis on bespoke solutions and customer support has been a key factor in the development of its successful direct container business, which offers a one-stop solution from product development through quality control, shipping and in-bound distribution and ongoing stock management support, while leveraging the firm’s significant buying power to its customers’ advantage.

As is the case across the whole business, the emphasis is on making the buying process as easy, efficient and pain-free for its customers as possible.

As MD Emmett Lenaghan explains: “We continue to forge ahead with new product innovation, working more closely with our customers, and this has resulted in much stronger business relationships, building solid growth plans for the future.

“Customers can see that we aren’t resting on our laurels, and are continually pushing ourselves to give them an ever-wider range to choose from, with the quality and prices they are used to (and value us for).

“I am really excited by our new product pipeline, which we’re looking forward to showing to our customer base in the coming months. Across the whole business, the entire Julian Bowen team will keep challenging itself to improve in everything that we do”

Bordeaux sideboard

Saturn midsleeper in taupe oak with Erika office chair

JULIAN BOWEN

Sandringham 3 Seater - In Stock Now