SMG News - Summer 2013

The OfďŹ cial Publication of SMG The National Flooring & Furnishing Group

news Summer 2013 Issue 173

Fantastic opportunity for SMG Members to protect their margins!

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Visit the SMG Team on Stand M4

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Summer 2013

Dear Members, I thought I would use this opportunity to take you back a few months to the Buying Groups’ National Flooring Show in Solihull. I am pleased to say that it was another monumental success and the feedback from Suppliers and Members was excellent. I was delighted to see so many Member faces in our Member Suite and to have meaningful conversations about business and some of the initiatives we have launched.

Because of its growth, next year the Show will be held over two days on the 13th and 14th May 2014. Here at SMG we will be supporting it in exactly the same way and I very much hope that the addition of a second day will increase Membership attendance again.

Talking of shows we will also be present at the Harrogate Floor Show this year. Our stand, M4, is right next to Ball & Young and Mohawk. We would be delighted to welcome any Members onto the stand to discuss business, hear about our future plans or share your good ideas. There is a lot on offer and I have no doubt that Cormar, Abingdon and Regency will have something special to talk about, so you must register soon.

Marketing is hugely important in driving customers to your store. All that you read, see and hear from SMG is created in-house and is available to you.

In the last three months we have designed magazine adverts and posters, created websites for a number of Members and we would like to help more.

If we can be of any assistance to your business please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best regards

on the cover The SMG Stain Control System was launched in January and has received a fantastic response from the membership. It is an exceptional opportunity for all SMG Members and if you don’t have it yet it’s not too late!

Turn to page 16 for more details.

Contact Details SMG The National Flooring & Furnishing Group 9 The Markham Centre, Station Road, Theale, Reading, Berkshire RG7 4PE

Mike Symonds Head of Group Operations SMG The National Flooring & Furnishing Group

This Issue Sensational choice from Cormar

Hot on the heels of the hugely successful Sensation Original and New Feeling ranges comes Sensation Heathers, turn to page 10 to read more about the new member of Cormar’s Easy Clean carpet family.

T 0118 932 3832 F 0118 930 4515 E info@smg-group.co.uk W www.smg-group.co.uk Published by: SMG The National Flooring & Furnishing Group.

Printed by: Lamport Gilbert Limited 3 Darwin Close, Reading, Berkshire RG2 0TB.

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Question time with...

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This issue sees SMG quiz Peter Sharpe, Sales Director of Regency Carpets, on the success of the British Manufacturer and current market challenges.

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Newsupdate

Ultra makeover for Cormar’s Primo Leading UK carpet manufacturer, Cormar Carpets, has recently re-launched its Primo Ultra easy clean heavyweight range with brand new plain and heather colours.

Primo Ultra is part of the Easy Clean family, one of the most successful polypropylene twist carpet collections of recent years. Made with 100% Excellon – a polypropylene fibre renowned for its stain resistance and hardwearing properties - it also comes with a 10 year stain warranty. Primo Ultra is a fine tenth gauge carpet and is available in 4 and 5 metre widths.

Said David Cormack, marketing director of Cormar Carpets: “Heavy weight polypropylene carpets are becoming more and more popular in the market and with colour trends constantly evolving, it made sense to update Primo Ultra with a fresh palette of heather and plain shades.”

“Over the last few years we have had great success with our Primo easy clean family of carpets and as such have continued to update and expand the collection to give our customers more choice.”

All Cormar’s stain resistant polypropylene carpets, wool twists and wool loop carpets are produced on site at its Lancashire mills and distributed in the UK and Eire via its own delivery fleet.

For further information on the Primo collection or any other Cormar Carpet range please contact 01204 881200 or visit www.cormarcarpets.co.uk.

Ulster annual golf event is a success again!

Ulster really value the continued support they receive from independent retailers and in recognition of this they treated a number of their high performing independent accounts to a mid week golf break at the world-renowned five star luxury Lough Erne Resort in Co Fermanagh.

place on next year’s event then talk to your Ulster Representative on the level of business required to earn your place.

Ben Taylor, Joe King and Andy Bourner on the 18th green!

A great time was had by all involved and following the departure from the resort, preparation for the G8 Summit, being held there the following week, was able to get into full swing!

Ulster holds this event annually and are keen to build on its success. If you are a keen golfer and would like to win a

Jeremy Wilson takes his time on a tricky putt.

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It’s official... Penthouse is quality!

UK carpet manufacturer Penthouse has achieved the BS EN ISO 9001:2008 quality management standard, just a few months after applying for it.

The Rochdale-based company, which is owned by its employees, was put under the microscope during a rigorous two-day inspection before being awarded the internationally recognised accreditation. But sailing through the assessment with flying colours came as no surprise to the Penthouse management team, as Shirley Jackson, production director, explained: “Penthouse has always been known for quality - quality products, quality control and quality service! Our carpet backing, for instance, is highly renowned in the trade for it’s soft handling, giving ease of fitting, even at low temperatures.”

that is only part of the story. Combine it with our manufacturing methods, knowledgeable and experienced staff and our rigid quality programme and that adds up to a truly top-class product.”

At five separate stages of carpet production, Penthouse operates stringent quality check procedures: raw materials, tufting, backing plant, shearing and despatch.

What is more, each of the people performing those quality control functions has been with the company for more than 30 years; boasting an impressive 196 years of experience “Penthouse has always been known between them.

for quality - quality products, quality control and quality service!” The Penthouse team are proud of “Yes, we use high quality raw materials, natural jute and premium latex, but

their quality and see the ISO 9001 accreditation as official recognition of what the company does everyday.

“It is a seal of approval. We were already doing everything that was required for it, so it was just a matter of formalising that” said Shirley. “Recently a retailer visited Penthouse. After touring the factory and witnessing all our quality procedures, he said ‘No wonder your carpets are so good!’ I think that says it all!”

For more information about Penthouse Carpets please contact 01706 341231.

Discover how SMG Members can slash their annual fuel costs!

Forecourt Fuels are already helping businesses throughout the UK save thousands of pounds on their fuel costs through their portfolio of fuel card products.

SMG have teamed up with Forecourt Fuels to help members reduce their fuel costs and increase efficiency for their company vehicles. The range of fuel card products enable you to purchase fuel at the kind of commercial rates normally only enjoyed by the large transport companies, from a choice of UK networks, covering over 7000 sites.

Forecourt’s unique price guarantee – guaranteed to save at least 3 pence per litre (including VAT) off the national average pump diesel prices over a 12 month period, gives you complete confidence that you are getting the most competitive price for fuel.

In addition to the savings you can make on the fuel itself, you will also benefit from the following: • NO set up fees and NO minimum usage requirements to help control fuel spend.

• FREE access to the online management reporting software to control your fuel purchases and reduce administration.

• VAT approved invoices to help eliminate the headache of having to keep driver receipts.

• A dedicated account manager on hand to help you with any queries you may have.

For more information please contact Clare Makepeace at Forecourt Furthermore, as they are an independent company without bias to a particular product or brand, you can be sure that any Fuels on 0800 043 8999. advice they give is 100% impartial and if that’s not enough...

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Newsupdate

SMG Member wins two awards!

Long-standing SMG Member Charles Wilson Carpets has been hailed for its customer service by recently winning two regional business awards. The Hertfordshire retailer took home the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Hertfordshire Business Awards 2013 Service Excellence award and North Hertfordshire Business of the Year title.

“We are overjoyed to have won Service Excellence and North Hertfordshire Business of the Year. These awards are dedicated to our late father and founder Charles Wilson who would have been so proud to see our 41 year old business recognised in this way. These awards acknowledge all the hard work that our team of professionals offer our customers year in and out. We have moved with the times and continue to strive for the very highest levels of customer satisfaction in not only our industry but in our community. We are honoured to have won such distinguished awards,” says Adam Wilson.

Adam and Mark Wilson with the awards.

“We are overjoyed to have won Service Excellence and North Hertfordshire Business of the Year. These awards are dedicated to our late father and founder Charles Wilson who would have been so proud to see our 41 year old business recognised in this way”

Brockway honours first employee to reach 50 years’ service Kidderminster’s Brockway Carpets has held a special presentation to celebrate its first employee to achieve 50 years’ service.

The company, which has been creating quality carpets in the town since 1964, put Ray Mallard in the spotlight to recognise his 50 years’ service and dedication to the carpet industry.

and maintain its position as a highly respected and trusted supplier of premium wool rich carpets.

As well as making life-long friends, Ray also met his wife at Brockway more than 37 years ago.

“I left school on the Friday and started my two week trial on the Monday morning and since then, I’ve never looked back,” said Ray.

Ray was presented with his long service award alongside his wife Mary He commented: “I’ve had many happy Mallard by managing director Charles Annable at Brockway’s production site in days working for Brockway and look forward to even more. It’s great to be a Hoobrook. part of a family firm and really feel like The 65 year old, who has always lived in you belong.

Kidderminster, joined Brockway in April 1963 when it was a small Axminster and Brockway’s managing director Charles Annable commented: “It is a Wilton carpet manufacturer. tremendous pleasure to celebrate Ray’s remarkable achievement of 50 years’ He started life at Brockway on the service with Brockway Carpets. production floor as a bobbin boy at 15 years old and then worked as a weaver within the Axminster department before “Ray was already at Brockway when my father and his co-owner Skene Walley its closure in 1996. Since then, Ray has acquired the company 49 years ago. He worked as a tufting operative, creating has seen Brockway Carpets grow and the firm’s Bespoke, made to order establish its position as a leading carpet carpets. During his 50 years, Ray manufacturer.” has seen the family run firm expand

Ray Mallard and Charles Annable.

“Ray has always been dedicated to his role and more recently, he has shown great aptitude by working on our new bespoke carpet range.

Brockway also presented long service awards to employees celebrating 25 years’ service or more including Jeanie Garfield, Wayne Jones, Bob Bush, Fil Vaccaro, Darren Rollings, Mark Daniels, Jane Paczkowski and June Lane.

The company currently employs over 80 people and over 23 per cent of the staff have been with the firm for 25 years or more.

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Newsupdate

Cormar hosts Flooring Guild training course

Red Noses to start new life as carpet underlay

Leading carpet manufacturer Cormar Carpets hosted its annual Flooring Guild training course to give independent carpet retailers a chance to boost their sales skills.

Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief are helping supporters of Red Nose Day to do their bit for the environment. People who purchased the iconic Red Noses to support Red Nose Day on the 15th March 2013 are now being encouraged to return them to Sainsbury’s supermarkets to be recycled.

The three-day ‘Selling Quality Carpets’ event, run by independent industry expert and course tutor Ray Morgan from the Flooring Guild, has been held every year for the past five years to help retailers train staff that are new to the carpet and flooring trade. It is designed to provide basic product knowledge about carpets, selling techniques and how to effectively plan and estimate.

Held at Cormar’s Brookhouse Mill site, the carpet training course was attended by 21 carpet retailers from throughout Britain and Ireland.

Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief have partnered for a second year with leading UK carpet underlay manufacturer, Ball & Young, to recycle the PU Foam Red Noses. They will be collected from Sainsbury’s supermarkets nationwide and taken to its factory in Corby, Northamptonshire to be washed and prepared for recycling. They will start a new life as part of Ball & Young’s award-winning Cloud 9 range of underlays used mainly in British homes. It takes a day to turn them into underlay and the red flecks from the Red Noses can be easily spotted in the underlay.

David Cormack, marketing director of Cormar Carpets said: “This year it was really pleasing to see how many young people attended the course.

Every year we get really good feedback from those carpet retailers that attend and I am sure that the training not only helps them in terms of their sales, but also their overall customer service.”

The Flooring Guild is a ‘not for profit’ organisation, which was founded in 1999 to raise standards in the flooring industry through training and educational programmes. The organisation aims to provide a formal induction programme to assist people coming into the industry and a skills development programme, to motivate current employees.

Katherine How, Sainsbury’s Comic Relief Partnership Manager, said: “The success of Red Nose Day shows our customers want to help transform lives across the UK and Africa. We also know they care about the environment so we’re making it really easy for them to recycle the Red Noses. It’s good news for the environment and it’s helping Comic Relief supporters make an even bigger lasting impact.”

Ann Shaw, Sales Director at Ball & Young, said: “The Noses will be processed in our state of the art factory where they will be chipped, bonded and rejuvenated to attain the quality necessary for our carpet underlay. The enthusiasm from customers and employees has been tremendous and we’re pleased to continue our work with Comic Relief and Sainsbury’s.”

Putting all waste to positive use, as well as finding opportunities to re-use it, is a key part of Sainsbury’s work around environmental sustainability and is one of its targets to achieve by 2020 as set out in its industry-leading 20x20 Sustainability Plan.

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@ the sharp end

Many of you in the midlands will be familiar with Steve Perks of Brockway, having been in the carpet industry for 30 years he is very well known. For the last ten years he has represented Brockway Carpets, here we find out a little more about his views on the current market and conditions.

“

SMG “How did you get into the trade?”

SP “My father and grandfather were in the carpet industry so when I left school I played with a different career choice but shortly afterwards decided to follow in their footsteps.

Striped carpet designs are very popular at the moment and fast growing, as a salesman this is obviously very pleasing to see.”

“Striped carpet designs are very popular at the moment and fast growing, as a salesman this is obviously very pleasing to see”

Born and bred in Kidderminster, the carpet capital, also swayed my decision.”

SMG “What have you seen change the most in last five years?”

SMG “Outside of work, what are your interests?”

SP “With the onset of on-line trading and the introduction of smart phones, the current generation generally buy most things on-line and carpets are no exception. It is so easy to go into a retailer, take a picture of the sample label and then search on-line for the best deal. Also due to the decline in spending power the sale of man-made carpets has greatly increased.”

SP “I have three sons of which two are very keen on sports, one in athletics which takes us all over the country, the other football. So if I am not watching my team the Wolves I am taking them somewhere.”

“Don’t worry what others are doing that’s out of your control, concentrate on what you are doing and follow your instincts” SMG “What’s your favourite product?

Which sells most in your area?”

SP “That’s easy the answer to both of those questions is Jubilee Plains and Stripes.

Jubilee - Burgundy Stripe

SMG “As a representative what are your biggest challenges?”

SMG “If you didn’t work in this industry what would you be doing now?”

SP “In a nutshell, keeping my company’s products at the forefront of retailers’ minds.”

SP “I have been in the carpet industry over 30 years now so I genuinely couldn’t answer that question!”

SMG “Of all the retailers you visit what common denominator contributes to them being successful?”

SMG “What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?”

SP “Many have branched out into other areas such as laminate flooring, wood and lvt thus enabling them to become all round flooring specialists.”

SMG “What do you see as the key market challenge for retailers at the moment?”

SP “Being able to cater for every pocket and every taste and to figure out a way to stop themselves becoming an internet showroom.”

”

SP “Not to worry what others are doing that’s out of your control - concentrate on what you are doing and follow your instincts.”

Who Steve works for...

Brockway is a family run business that believes strongly in British craftsmanship. Because they manufacture in their own factory, they have much more control and influence over the choice of raw materials and designs that make up their carpets.

Brockway are always working with industry leading designers and colourists to stay one step ahead of consumer preferences.

Jubilee - Sweet Plum

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More sensational choice from Cormar Hot on the heels of the hugely successful Sensation Original and New Feeling ranges comes Sensation Heathers, a new member of Cormar’s Easy Clean carpet family.

Made on 1/8th gauge, Sensation Heathers is another heavyweight carpet, using the two-fold specialised yarn to create a lustrous, luxurious handle. The new addition comes in the same easy-clean fibre, 100% Luxelle polypropylene, for a super-soft touch and stain resistant properties.

Available in a choice of 10 fashionable heather shades, from traditional stone beiges and browns to contemporary neutrals and greys, the carpet is ideal for all around the home. Dirt and stain resistant and bleach cleanable, it is available in both four and five metre widths.

Says Cormar’s marketing director, David Cormack: “Sensation has been a real winner for both Cormar and our customers. It’s unique tactile feel, the fact that it is simple to clean, easy to live with, and tremendous value-for-money, has meant that it has been a real success story. It seemed the obvious next step to introduce a heather collection, from the ‘same stable’ to give our customers even greater choice.”

“Sensation has been a real winner for both Cormar and our customers. It’s unique tactile feel, the fact that it is simple to clean, easy to live with, and tremendous value-for-money, has meant that it has been a real success story” All Cormar’s stain resistant polypropylene carpets, wool twists and wool loop carpets are produced on site at its Lancashire mills and distributed in the UK and Eire via its own delivery fleet.

For further information on the Sensation collection or any other Cormar Carpet range please contact your local representative or Cormar on 01204 881200.

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20 Voted ‘Best New Flooring Exhibition’

THE SHOW REVIEW...

Another successful show at Solihull!

The feedback from Members and Suppliers who attended this year was very positive and there is no doubt that this event is gathering momentum as there is no other show that offers the same number of quality manufacturers in such a convenient location. The lucky winners of the annual membership prize draw were Choice Homes who travelled from Brentwood in Essex!

“The show continues to grow each year, it is fast becoming THE industry show!” Mike Symonds, SMG Head of Group Operations.

SMG would like to thank all of the members who visited the show for their support and the SMG Approved Suppliers who put so much effort into providing such a professional exhibition.

If you were unable to attend the show in May following pages showcase what you missed!

New Approved Supplier It was a first visit to the show for new Approved Supplier Penthouse and they weren’t disappointed! Their stand was very popular with interest especially focussed on the exclusive SMG promotion launched at the show on Pentwist.

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THE SHOW REVIEW...

Sophistication launched

Great developments from Abingdon

Associated Weavers proudly launched their new range Sophistication. Available in two weights 45oz Deluxe and 65oz Supreme and judging by the response it is sure to be a big success with the Membership.

The Abingdon stand was buzzing for the entire show with the introduction of ‘Emperor’ a 90oz Saxony that will be displayed on their Ultimate Stainfree Saxony lectern with the two other weights.

But that wasn’t all as Abingdon also featured the new Stainfree Reflections and Stainfree Innovations, both with very contemporary colour palette.

Under their Wilton Royal brand, they launched Anniversary Twist a plain wool twist range which was well received.

Positive response from Membership Farrow & Ball link up for Adam Adam showed visitors a sneak peak of their upcoming range ‘Revelation’. It includes eight colour schemes made up from eight stripes and eight designs.

For many it was the first chance to speak to Axminster about their future developments and initiatives and they were well received by all.

The future certainly looks exciting for Axminster, turn to pages 20 and 21 for a feature on what’s to come!

They also showcased some exclusive Farrow & Ball colour schemes for Fine Worcester Twist to help customers get the most from their paints by matching them with one of the finest twists on the market.

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Heathers joins the Sensation family!

The main show stopper for Cormar at the Buying Groups’ National Flooring Show was the launch of Sensation Heathers.

This new range joins the original Sensation and Sensation New Feeling in the family of products.

Cormar also showcased the refreshed colour palette of Primo Ultra which was well received.

Both ranges had a great response and are certainly solid additions to Cormar’s Easy Clean collection of carpets.

Smart new stands The Brockway stand showcased some smart new wall units which looked fantastic. Each unit maximises the amount of colours on display and will make any store look superb.

Gaskell and Mr Tomkinson The Gaskell and Mr Tomkinson stand looked impressive, with new point of sale displayed for The Essential Wool Collection from Mr Tomkinson and a smart tombola for the Gaskell collection including Kennington.

New colours in Bell Twist revealed Brintons Carpets Limited had a very successful two days at the Buying Groups’ National Flooring Show, showcasing ranges from both Brintons and Woodward Grosvenor brands including Causeway and The Wool Carpet Company.

During the show, circa 100 quality retailers visited the Brintons stand to review the latest additions to the portfolio including the new exclusive colours in Bell Twist, exclusive Brintons roll opportunities and the new Causeway range Evolution.

The show was also the opportunity to update new and existing retailers on Brintons range activity with upcoming new launches for this autumn.

For more information, contact your Business Manager or 01562 748000.

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THE SHOW REVIEW...

Royal approval for Victoria

The next big thing

The Victoria Carpets’ stand looked very impressive and attracted a lot of attention - the Royal Warrant was proudly displayed on their unitary!

For Regency the launch of their much anticipated 60oz saxony ‘Opulence’ took centre stage! The header of the lectern uses incredible 3D graphics to attract customers to the product. It combines the usual palette of neutral colours with some striking additions which is sure to make an impact.

They also launched Strathmore in two weights that will replace the popular Celtic and Gaelic Heathers.

Striking from Ulster The Ulster stand looked great as usual with Country House Beaumont making a striking impact in its modern and contemporary colour palette.

Other Approved Suppliers at the show included...

Put next year’s dates in your diary... Don’t miss out!

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ilable a v a rs e ff o rn te c Great le e your e S . .. rs e b m e M for SMG etails! d r fo te a d p u ly month Stainfree Ultimate Saxony The Ultimate Stainfree Saxonies all on one lectern including the new 90oz Emperor range.

For more information on Stainfree Ultimate Saxony or any other range please contact Abingdon Flooring on 01274 655668.

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Contact SMG on 0118 932 3832 for more information on this superb collection!

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Foundation focus

New Carpet Foundation Website The Carpet Foundation has launched a totally new website. With the key objective of promoting retail members as ‘the experts’, and with recurring reference to the TSI backed Code of Practice, the aim is to actively and quantifiably drive footfall into retail shops. As a result, the retailer search facility is prominent throughout and is even animated to draw further attention to it. The new look is fresh, clean and contemporary in appearance, with easy to use navigation, while the copy is packed full of high ranking Google key words to improve Search Engine Optimisation.

““Increasingly, consumers in the market for carpet do their due diligence on line and it is essential that we have a site that is modern, well optimised and is full of relevant information in bite size chunks” Consumer oriented, it targets ‘females who are in the market for carpet’, and avoids ‘carpet speak’. There are 5 highlighted areas, in addition to the retailer search facility – Top Tips on Buying carpet; local experts; Quality Mark carpet; current trends and lastly advice on how to clean a carpet when accidents occur. These main areas are backed up by technical advice on areas such as underfloor heating and asthma, a pdf of the Code of Practice and there is a dedicated media section.

There is also a ‘member log in’ facility for retailers to track visitors to their shops.

Standalone one page member websites are also included.

The new site heralds the beginning of a concerted digital drive by the Carpet Foundation to increase and improve its online proposition.

Commenting on the new site, Chief Executive Andrew Stanbridge said:

“Increasingly, consumers in the market for carpet do their due diligence on line, and it is essential that we have a site that is modern, well optimised and is full of relevant information in bite size chunks. The design is ‘du jour’ and we have trawled through Google analytics to ensure that the content is relevant.

I am confident that it ticks all the boxes for the end user. This is the first step on our digital journey that will be rolled out to our members later in the year.”

in Brighton in June of the new TSI sponsored Codes, the TSI pledged its on-going commitment to Codes and its confidence that more Codes would be approved from varying sectors, including some well-known household names, in the not too distant future.

SMG members are urged to ensure that they have the new point of sale material on show and continue to promote and highlight this highly influential point of differentiation.

TSI Switch Complete

Autumn Media Coverage

The move of Codes of Practice to the Trading Standards Institute from the Office of Fair Trading is now complete.

All code sponsors have signed up to the new operating arrangements and it is very much business as usual for Carpet Foundation members and their use of the exclusive Code of Practice.

A raft of new point of sale material has been produced for retail members and the Carpet Foundation continues to promote the Code. At the launch

This Autumn will see a lot written about carpet in the influential home interest magazines. Homes & Gardens, House Beautiful, Real Homes and Build It are just some of the well-known titles that are running features on carpet. These magazines are read by hundreds of thousands of consumers who love their homes and are in the mood to redecorate. Carpet is punching above its weight in the media.

“SMG members are urged to ensure that they have the new point of sale material on show and continue to promote and highlight this highly influential point of differentiation”

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An update from Axminster Carpets There have been some significant changes at Axminster in the last few months, SMG wanted to take this opportunity to update the membership on their plans and provide you with some valuable information.

Axminster have been overwhelmed in the last couple of months by the encouragement and support they have received from both suppliers and retailers in the industry. Josh Dutfield, Managing Director at Axminster Carpets comments “We would like to thank everyone for their encouragement, especially our customers for their patience and continued support, your business is extremely valuable to us.”

Please find the customer service contact details on the right, should you need to get in touch; for information on their ranges and for up to date lead times or requests for promotional images/ literature please don’t hesitate to contact them.

deliver high service standards from knowledgeable people who are passionate about the Axminster brand.

So you know who you’re talking to, please see opposite an overview of the Axminster customer services team, who, between them, have many years’ experience and fantastic knowledge.

Axminster are currently finalising the recruitment of their regional account management team and will introduce you to your personal contact in the near future.

Key Initiatives Supply chain - In Axminster’s initial letter to customers they told you about the new process to improve the visibility

“We would like to thank everyone for their encouragement, especially our customers for their patience and continued support, your business is extremely valuable to us.”

Axminster have also produced a new consumer brochure, the format has a fresh, light and conversational style which will appeal to today’s consumers.

All ranges have been clearly laid out to enable retailers to easily access the information they need.

of product availability. Since then their focus has principally been on improving stock levels and service. Over the last six weeks they are pleased to advise that stock level has increased from 46% to 76% and they are continuing to strive to achieve the levels of service your require.

The retail price list has also been updated, the current issue is valid from 1st July 2013. The new price list is clearly colour coded for ease of reference on pricing of key ranges. Many of you have asked Axminster for access to materials from their image bank and additional promotional material – Axminster would like to encourage all Members to contact them with any requests and they’ll do their best to provide what is needed.

For up to date and accurate lead times they recommend you contact the customer service team.

Getting to know each other

Product Update

As a family business Axminster know the importance of strong relationships and that having access to responsive and efficient service is of the utmost importance to retailers. Therefore they are constantly striving to ensure they

There are a number of updates in product availability which are outlined below;

Stock disposal - Axminster are clearing the way for new product lines which will launch in Autumn 2013 and, as a result, have some great disposal offers; if you would like to find out more about these great deals contact Chris Jobson at the Axminster Carpets Outlet on 01297 33993.

Axfelt - Axminster’s premium underlay is currently unavailable, but, please hold

on to your display samples because the product will re-launch in August with full service being restored by 1st September.

The delay in availability is to avoid interrupted supply whilst they moved the production plant to the Axminster, Devon site. Whilst this was a difficult decision they believe it is a responsible approach.

Sophie Conran for Axminster - Exclusive distribution of their successful Sophie Conran for Axminster range will be rolled out in the Autumn. Look out for more details soon, but, in the meantime visit www.sophieconranforaxminster.co.uk to view the range.

Commercial products - Axminster can offer a range of commercial designs to support your sales to local businesses, however, these products are not available from stock. Call the Project Team for more information on product availability and pricing.

A number of stock lines have been deleted from the Axminster ranges; these include Swaledale and Revelry the commercial stock line. If you haven’t done so already please make sure you register your email address online to receive regular updates on key initiatives: www.axminster-carpets.co.uk/support Axminster will also be looking for retailers to help them by taking part in their retailer panel, more information will be available in due course.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact your local representative or the customer service team on 01297 33533, they will be glad to help you.

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Meet the new Axminster Account Managers

Meet the Axminster Customer Service Team The friendly faces of Axminster Carpets, contact them on 01297 33533

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Newsupdate

Vinyl off-cuts taken by Forbo’s Back to the Floor scheme Cushioned vinyl flooring installation off-cuts are taken back by Forbo’s Back to the Floor recycling scheme, a first in the UK for any flooring recycling initiative.

“In turn, this also increases the sustainability credentials of new flooring products while also helping to divert more flooring waste from landfill.

It’s a win-win for the sector as a whole.”

Acceptance of this material type, including the Novilon and Novilux cushioned vinyl ranges, is a unique aspect of Forbo’s recycling initiative and the clean off-cuts can be re-processed for use in carpet tile backing.

Launched last year, Back to the Floor is gaining momentum with a number of drop-off sites already established across the UK and further ones planned.

Matt added: “The scheme has got off to a good start and people are working

Back to the Floor also collects and reprocesses smooth vinyl, Marmoleum and Flotex installation off-cuts for recycling back into new Forbo products – helping participants to save money and safeguard the environment.

Scheme Co-ordinator, Matt Charlton said: “The ability to collect and recycle cushioned vinyl off-cuts, typically from domestic installations, sets Forbo’s initiative apart from other schemes and widens the recycling options for flooring contractors and installers.”

hard with collections coming in. We’re also involved in some large commercial projects which are helping to swell volumes for recycling.”

Flooring contractors, installers and distributors can contact Axion on 0161 355 7618 for more information and to sign up to the scheme, which can offer potential cost-savings as opposed to landfill.

Registered Back to the Floor participants are provided with colour-coded polythene bags and bulk bags which can be collected from site, or dropped off at participating distributors, when filled with the specified materials.

Add a personal touch to a room with heuga rugs Heuga rugs are not only perfect for creating your own deigns but are also simple and easy to install.

With the option of choosing from 3 basic designs in Chequer (features colours from Lazy Lounge/2 and Puzzle Pieces/2 collections), Uni (features 10 different colours from the Funky Feet range) and Zones (features 3 colours from the Country Contemporary range) or simply create your own look by combining different colour and textures from high and cut pile finishes.

If you are unsure if your designs will suit try the online rug builder at www.heuga.com. You can mix and match the colours until you find the perfect combinations, even choose from 155 standard shades to re-colour the walls to help your inspiration.

Heuga rugs can be easily installed using heuga TacTiles™, a small clear plastic adhesive square that is placed under the corners of each carpet tile fixing them firmly to each other.

For more information please contact Heuga on 01675 43307.

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. .. !

W offer NOctern LL eat le CA g r

ra Fo

!

W E N

vailable a rs e ff o rn te c le t Grea ee your S . .. rs e b m e M G for SM details! r fo te a d p u ly th mon Anniversary Twist Wilton Royal’s latest addition is a clean plain twist available in 32oz and 42oz.

For more information on Anniversary Twist or any other range please contact Abingdon Flooring on 01274 655668.

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Newsupdate

Adam Carpets launch email newsletter Adam Carpets have continued their recent pro-active approach to retailers by launching a monthly email newsletter.

The newsletter started in March and has carried articles regarding their Farrow & Ball link up on Fine Worcester, a report on the recent Buying Groups’ Show and some interesting stories about their past products.

New range launches will feature in the coming months.

The newsletter is being sent to over 700 retailers at the moment and if you don’t currently receive it, you can join the mailing list by emailing sales@adamcarpets.co.uk.

Turn to page 31 to read about more exciting developments from Adam Carpets.

Jaymart sets the standard at the Business Design Centre The Alligator range of aluminium entrance matting systems is one of the latest additions to the Jaymart portfolio of prestige protection matting. Alligator provides a more aesthetic approach to entrance matting, combining colourful, texturally decorative yet consistently effective insert materials with aluminium scraper sections.

The Alligator systems are not only designed to keep dirt and grime outside, but also to simultaneously enhance the appearance of the entrances of the buildings they protect.

The Alligator range’s applications include schools, universities, theatres, surgeries, art galleries and museums.

Jaymart’s Alligator-King was recently the entrance matting system of choice for the prestigious Business Design Centre, dense fibre bonded polypropylene dirt London’s premier conference and control matting/carpeting. exhibition venue.

Alligator-King combines the proven advantages of alternating aluminium scraper sections with replaceable heavy duty Contract King extra heavy duty

The range of prestige mattings also include Alligator-Forefront, Alligator-Interzone, Alligator-Raincheck, Alligator-Track and Alligator-Warcord.

For further information on the Alligator range or free samples, please contact Jaymart on 01373 864926 alternatively email sales@jaymart.co.uk.

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Regatta makes TV debut on Channel 4’s ‘Hollywood Me’ Brockway’s stunning Regatta carpet brought Hollywood style to life for one unsuspecting Hertfordshire homeowner on Channel 4’s brand new series ‘Hollywood Me’ in July.

Part of Brockway’s much celebrated Designer Collection, Regatta’s striking black and white stripe design caught the eye of Hollywood’s most celebrated Interior Designer and show host, Martyn Lawrence Bullard – whose clients include Elton John and the Osbournes.

‘Hollywood Me’ featured a surprise Hollywood home makeover for Deborah Fegan from Shenley in Hertfordshire.

Used as a statement carpet to complement a monochromatic scheme, Brockway’s Regatta was shown in the hallway, stairs and landing.

Injecting A-list glamour into the lives of hardworking and selfless homeowners, ‘Hollywood Me’ showed Deborah being whisked off to LA to meet Billy Zane and embark on an outrageous shopping trip before the final grand unveiling of her new-look home.

“We’re delighted our successful Regatta featured in ‘Hollywood Me’ and helped bring the wow factor,” commented Charles Annable, managing director of Brockway Carpets.

Charles continues “Stripes provide a stylish way to add colour and interest to a home décor scheme without being too ‘busy’ and distracting from the overall theme.”

“Regatta proves popular as runners and on stairs and hallways as a dramatic welcoming statement, as it combines both timeless elegance with an ‘on trend’ contemporary appeal.”

Regatta offers a deep pallet of designs including ‘Black Raven’, ‘Cowes Green’, ‘Henley Blue’, ‘Oxford Damson’ and ‘Charleston Red’.

For more information about Regatta please contact your local representative or Brockway on 01562 828200.

Available in 4 metre width, Regatta is inspired by the collegiate scarves, the clean, crisp lines of New England beach houses, rowing at Henley and the thrills of sailing on the wide open seas.

“Regatta proves popular as runners and on stairs and hallways as a dramatic welcoming statement, as it combines both timeless elegance with an ‘on trend’ contemporary appeal”

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Brockway’s Regatta in ‘Raven Black’ as featured on Channel 4’s ‘Hollywood Me’.

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Ulster Velvet enhanced with the addition of five new colourways Ulster Carpets portfolio of woven wiltons has been further enhanced with the addition of five new colourways to their Ulster Velvet range.

One of the finest wilton products on offer, Ulster Velvet is a luxurious wool-rich flooring that looks and feels as its name suggests; smooth, with a texture akin to velvet.

The five new colours created: Cloister, Dovecote, Mead, Mullion and Mushroom will further complement the extensive colour palette of velvets available.

Ulster Velvet is woven in an 80% wool, 20% nylon yarn blend and is suitable for extra heavy wear. Available in 5 colour matching widths: 5m, 4m, 3m, 2m and 1m, Ulster Velvet enables a reduction in waste and cost by using Ulster’s multi-width offering.

Ulster Velvet Mullion

www.ulstercarpets.com

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smgnews 27 29/07/2013 11:19:27

Interfloor launches new sales tools to help retailers Interfloor have recently launched three new sales tools to help retailers sell more branded underlays and flooring accessories.

These are the online Underlay Selector, the Underlay Selection Guide and the sixth issue of their popular Flooring Accessories catalogue.

The Underlay Selector, featured on Interfloor’s web site (www.interfloor.com) showcases dozens of the top selling Tredaire and Duralay branded underlays. As Steve Woodhead, Interfloor’s marketing director explains, “We have seen sustained demand in 6 key underlay segments. We define these as Premium Comfort, Premium Durability, Underfloor Heating, Heat Insulation, Sound Insulation and Wood & Laminate.

Interfloor have taken the same concept and produced it in a printed format – the Underlay Selection Guide. It’s a really useful summary of the best performing products and folds out into an A2 poster. This is available from Interfloor’s territory managers and can also be downloaded from the Interfloor web site.

Customers are increasingly demanding the right product solution for them – whether that is for the most comfortable, the hardest wearing, the best for sound insulation, and so forth.

We frequently get retailers asking for this kind of information so that they can recommend the best product to the consumer.

Although we have detailed technical specifications we wanted to develop something which is more accessible and quicker and easier to use. The Underlay Selector does this. It enables the user to choose the best underlays for comfort, durability, heat insulation, sound insulation, underfloor heating and suitability for wood and laminate floors. The products are visually arranged in order – just like magic!”

The 400 plus products in Interfloor’s accessories range are showcased in the sixth issue of the Flooring Accessories catalogue. Featuring their popular Gripperrods and Stikatak Each of the products shown has its own information page and ranges the catalogue includes 23 carpet grippers, including full technical specification. It enables the retailer to get all the Tackfast and Golden Gripper, and over 170 floor edgings, information they need and the Selector can be used in real time including metal and wood effect and a new range of stick down in the store. Steve Woodhead adds, “branded underlays provide metals. In addition there are over 50 fitting tools, including the real benefits to the consumer and allow the retailer to maximise Speed Catt and Invisiseamer, 38 adhesives and tapes, 7 heat their margins. We hope it will become a really useful tool to aid seam tapes and 70 retail packaged products. up-selling and cross-selling.”

Steve Woodhead says, “We have made the catalogue easier to use with more photos, diagrams and selection charts.

We’ve improved the layouts to make them clearer, and thus easier and quicker to use.

We’ve included more installation advice and improved the indexing.

We think it’s the best catalogue we’ve ever done and it should be helpful to the retailer in finding the right product for the job”.

For further information please contact your local representative or telephone Interfloor on 01706 238810.

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An update from Adam Carpets Manufacturing in the home of carpets, Kidderminster, is something that Adam Carpets wanted to highlight.

They have done this by introducing a brand new ‘Made in Kidderminster’ logo.

“Whilst we are very proud to be a British company, we are also proud to be manufacturing in the heartland of the carpet industry” Eamonn Prescott, Sales Director explains.

“Kidderminster is a special place. The Carpet Museum has just opened here to great success. That’s why when we introduced our Union Flag symbol, we wanted to emphasise not just the UK, but Kidderminster too.

We have designed it in our own colours as well, to give it a unique Adam look!”

The new logo can be seen on Adam Carpets’ stunning new wall units and will be part of all future point of sale material.

New Farrow & Ball link up!

Adam Carpets have recently launched some exclusive Farrow & Ball colour schemes for Fine Worcester Twist to help your customer get the most from their paints by matching them with one of the finest twists on the market.

“More and more retailers have been telling us that they have customers coming into their stores with paint charts

by Farrow & Ball. These customers are looking for a quality carpet to match their paints.” says Eamonn Prescott, Sales Director at Adam Carpets.

“We approached Farrow & Ball and explained what we would like to do.

Together we have been working over the last couple of months to produce a guide as to which Fine Worcester Twist colours will match in with the Farrow & Ball colour chart and vice-versa.”

The result is that Farrow & Ball have produced colour schemes for each Fine Worcester Twist colour. Adam Carpets have put that into a beautiful brochure which you, the retailer, can use to help your customers choose the right carpet for their colour scheme.

New lifestyle imagery Adam Carpets have continued to invest in new lifestyle imagery of their ranges.

“We have listened to retailers who are telling us that good lifestyle imagery is what interests their customers. Our new wall units have been very successful in catering for this” “Two years ago we started to develop our new website” says Eamonn Prescott.

“We launched it last year to great success, but we knew that although we had photographed the majority of the ranges, a couple still needed to be completed. The latest new images are of Sylvan Shadows and Inspirations.

To say we are delighted might be an understatement!”

Sylvan Shadows

The new images are part of a long term strategy of Adam Carpets.

“We have listened to retailers who are telling us that good lifestyle imagery is what interests their customers. Our new wall units have been very successful in catering for this. These new images offer our customers even more choice for those units or future point of sale.”

For more information please contact your local representative or Adam Carpets on 01562 829966.

Inspirations

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Question time with Peter Sharpe Sales Director at Regency Carpets.

Whilst many have found the last few years particularly challenging, Regency have managed to make double digit volume increases in that time. SMG sat down with Peter Sharpe recently to find out more about the growth of this British manufacturer and why it has ‘all come together’ so well.

Peter joined the flooring industry over 24 years ago and has certainly seen it change over that time. After spending six rewarding years at DLW he was approached to join Hall’s Floorings as Commercial Director in 1997 at their North London headquarters. He then spent 12 years at Hall’s, being part of the management team that introduced a well supported vinyl offer to the membership.

Since joining Regency Carpets in 2008, the company have launched one successful product after another and developed fantastic branding and point of sale which has captured the interest of the independent retailer.

SMG were delighted that Peter agreed to take part in ‘Question time’, here are his answers from the interview.

SMG “You’ve been with Regency for several years now, how has the company changed in this time?”

PS “Well, what hasn’t changed! My brief was clear when I joined this business and that was to move from a multi-product wholesaler that also sells its own manufactured goods to a leading manufacturer supported by a distributor’s level of service. The support and determination of all the staff here has hugely contributed to what has been a major change in the strategy of this business; without them we could not have achieved what we set out to.

Furlong were already regarded as being a good service provider with good value products, so the forefront of this change has been in the Regency product development and the marketing and point of sale package we have created to underpin the product. Of course, Bleach Cleanable carpet has become the driving force of the marketing of our Regency Carefree brand; its popularity and demand increasing as Polypropylene carpet becomes more acceptable, even within those traditional wool retailers. I can think of countless examples of carpet retailers who only sold wool carpets up until about three years ago who now believe they would not have survived if they had not adapted their business to sell good quality, discernible polypropylene carpet such as Trident Heathers, Elegance and Opulence.”

Our factory manager told me the other day that “we now make 75 miles of carpet a week”. Another sad individual (like me) I know, but also someone who is very proud of his achievements.

I believe our success rate directly relates to us ‘ticking all the boxes’ and being the Supplier of choice. Our products are ‘best in class’ ranging from entry level to top drawer, our delivery service is next day, maximum 48 hours, our complaint factor is the lowest known. I am always being told by customers “I can’t remember the last manufacturing complaint I had on your product.” Our point of sale and marketing support is a proven winner giving the retailer a great rate of return. Our prices offer best value for money for service delivered. We are clearly meeting our key objective of combining the benefits of a low cost manufacturing base with a distributor’s level of service.

The support throughout my time at Regency from the customers has been phenomenal, without which the above would not have been achievable.”

SMG “What challenges are you currently facing as a Manufacturer?”

PS “With double digit volume increases our challenge is to maintain the standards we have set ourselves in terms of service. We are 96% in stock across the ranges which means we need to carry in excess of 3 million square metres of finished product in the distribution centres. Driven people that we are, we have set ourselves a target of 98%!! To do this, and manage our growth requirements, we are heavily investing in yarn storage at the Regency Manufacturing site coupled with planned expansion of the UK distribution sites to give us a platform to continue our progress.

External challenges are simply the volatility of the economy and continued uncertainty in certain market sectors. Recovery of the Euro and GBP exchange rate, long term oil price increases, further erosion of market demand, long term environmental challenges and even the popularity of hard flooring on ground floors are all influences out of our control ...continued and can impact on our business markedly.

SMG “How would you describe Regency’s success?”

PS “To become the largest manufacturer in the Country in just five years has been an extraordinary achievement, particularly in the unique market conditions we have worked in during this time. Looking at the Office of National Statistics’ figures on the tufted carpet demand, volumes have declined from 211 million m² to 153 million m² in the last five years, a 27.5% drop. In this same period of time Regency has grown from 5.6 million m2 to 18.9 million m2. We have done this with only 12 ranges of carpet which is an incredible achievement and something I am hugely proud to be a part of.

It is neccesary for Regency to carry in excess of 3 million square metres of finished product in the distribution centres.

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To combat this, we need to continue our drive for greater volume which in turn drives our production costs down. This coupled with a very strong balance sheet and a strong record of re-investment into our business should keep us on the right side of the track.”

SMG “Independent Retailers are also facing major challenges, what advice would you offer them?”

PS “The challenge is to get more buying customers through the door and this is a hard one to achieve at this moment.

I hear that certain marketing campaigns such as radio and leaflet drops are working to a degree but it is difficult for a retailer to justify such speculative costs when there is simply no guarantee of success. So the question becomes, what are the other challenges that can be overcome? Well, customers are scarce, so you need to hang onto them when they do venture into your premises and primarily that is down to your service, reputation and experience. What can make them deviate? Well, I believe there to be three factors, namely: internet price comparison customers driving prices downwards on branded products. Secondly, fitters working from home and thirdly, local competition selling the same branded goods for less. And what can be done about that? Be selective in the suppliers you buy from. Is it right that you should buy from a supplier who happily sells to fitters and home operators in your town? A significant proportion of high street business has been taken away by allowing fitters to access the same products at the same price. I am vehemently and unequivocally against supplying fitters direct and believe Retailers should make the same choice of their suppliers.

How can suppliers help combat Internet price comparison customers and protect you, the Retailer, from local competition? Simply look for flexibility in your Supplier of choice. Fully recognising this threat, we have devised the Stain Control System branding in co-operation with SMG. All your point of sale from us can be own labelled giving you the protection you deserve. You do the hard work, you get the reward.

If we give you what you need and the tools to succeed, be it product, service, quality, POS or price, then we will succeed too and will naturally fall into that position of your supplier of choice. It’s what I believe in.”

SMG “How would you like to see the industry change in the future?”

PS “Dare I bring it up? Sample costs! There is not another industry I know who willingly scatter free of charge pattern books to all and sundry. The cost and waste is astronomical! It completely lacks focus and please don’t think they are free as it is all costed into the price that you are paying for the product.

If you look at our business module, we charge for lecterns and yes, we charge a high price for certain lecterns such as Elegance and Opulence. Take Elegance as an example, we charge £250 per lectern. The product is only available to stand holders (even if you have an account with us). This decision has been instrumental in the success of this product as Elegance is one of the largest selling products in the marketplace. Ask any retailer/member who has paid for their Regency POS. Most recovered their money in the first order or two and they remain focused on the product thereafter. As unpalatable as this may be, it does ensure you streamline your offer, ensuring that there are no dead products on your shop floor taking up room. This concentrated approach migrates your business to those suppliers who give you the best support and back-up. In return, as you become more meaningful to that supplier, the commitment strengthens and the desire to keep you happy.”

SMG “What are your Regency highlights?”

PS “Gosh! Getting the job there in the first place! The backing and support from the Chairman and Managing Director has been unwavering (or are they just giving me enough rope to hang myself?). The freedom to create, air and agree initiatives, the speed of the decision making has allowed my experience with Regency to be a highlight of my career so far and long may it continue. It’s been hard work but also uniquely rewarding.

The ideas and initiatives we create are all a team effort and the key here is to listen! Listen to our customers, our representatives, our staff and deliver on those ideas within the resources available to me. Incredibly, some of the best ideas have come from throw away statements in meetings!”

SMG “What has been your favourite Regency product over the years?”

The introduction of the Carefree brand and the Elegance range have been hugely successful for Regency Carpets.

PS “Opulence. The product was conceived when we dropped our nylon Saxony’s some four years ago. We were determined to manufacture a deep pile Saxony with a very clean finish and a depth and strength of colour unseen in the polypropylene sector, but also one that was going to perform under arduous conditions. This has been a true labour of love and culminated

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in us launching the product in May this year. The finishing touch is a lectern with optical graphics, giving a 3D effect of shimmering stars as you walk past, a fantastic, prestigious partner to an opulent product. Love it.

But, watch this space! Recognising that product development is the future of our business, we have invested in creating a superb, state of the art development facility at our factory.

The dedicated Research and Development team are already evolving a very exciting product launch plan of some great looking ranges with key differential advantages. Can’t wait!”

SMG “Aside from Regency Carpets which other manufacturer do you most admire and why?”

PS “Ulster Carpets. Their commitment to re-investing in their own factory, the strong pursuit of product development and their continued integrity on quality are characteristics I admire.

I like the business module they have adopted. As a quality supplier, they “tick all the boxes” and have remained relatively recession resistant throughout these challenging times.”

I could talk for hours on the subject so don’t get me started.

Pure escapism and something I am completely passionate about.”

SMG “In your whole life, what makes you most proud?”

PS “You know the answer already! Molly is now 9 years old, George 5. I try, as much as I can to see all the plays, shows, presentations, assembly’s they are in. My Dad missed out on a lot of my childhood by working away from home and regrets this a great deal. I’m trying to not make the same mistake.

Besides, after a day talking carpet (some would use a different term), you come home with your mind still buzzing only to be completely distracted by your little boy wanting to talk about superheroes and farting, which are the two key topics in his life at present. Wonderful.”

SMG “Do you have any regrets?”

PS “Yes, I should have taken that job at Delsey all those years ago and bored people about luggage instead.”

SMG “Outside of work, what are your passions?”

SMG “What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?”

PS “I have been flying gliders most of my adult life. I find it an absolutely captivating sport that I simply cannot get enough of. It always surprises people when you tell them that on the right day, in the right conditions, you can launch your glider from one location, fly for up to 6 hours and cover 500 km of distance in the meantime returning back to base at the end of the day. It’s a sheer adrenalin rush and requires upmost concentration to keep in the sky that long and go those sorts of distances. At a half decent speed as well! In my glider on the final glide back to the airfield I can reach speeds of up to 145 mph. I have travelled Europe flying in some of the most beautiful countryside including the Alps and the Pyrenees where I reach heights of 26,000ft! Just on rising air from the mountains.

PS “I always remember a colleague once tell me “don’t be the first to leave the bar as they will talk about you!” My Managing Director keeps me constantly in check with “Where are we now? Where are we going? How do we get there?

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My most memorable piece of advice came from my Piano teacher prior to a concert at Windsor, it went something like this; “If you don’t have passion, then you have nothing! If you don’t believe in what you are doing, why would anyone else?”

SMG would like to thank Peter for taking the time to speak with us and answer our questions. For more information about Regency’s product portfolio please contact 01322 628707.

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Newsupdate

WoolSafe to clean up the Flooring Show 2013 The WoolSafe Organisation will once again be exhibiting at the Flooring Show in Harrogate, keen to show visiting retailers and manufacturers the exciting developments that have been keeping the busy team occupied over the past year.

Harrogate will provide an ideal platform for WoolSafe to showcase its award-winning Carpet Stain Cleaning Guide App to the hundreds of expected visitors to its stand (A33; just inside the main entrance) and demonstrate just how it can help their businesses. As Steve Bakker, marketing manager, The WoolSafe Organisation, explains:

stains, equipping them to answer any queries that their customers may have and allowing them to provide greater levels of service than ever before.

“The carpet industry is experiencing a shift in popularity towards polypropylene fibre carpets that are sold as very simple to keep clean, so we are excited to introduce this app to wool carpet manufacturers as it highlights that wool carpets can be kept spot free just as easily and effectively.,” continues Steve Bakker. “We really “The Flooring Show will be a brilliant opportunity for carpet believe the app can help change consumer attitudes towards retailers and manufacturers to really get to grips with the maintenance of more natural fibres, and the best thing is that WoolSafe Carpet Stain Cleaning Guide App, and it will allow many of the fuss-free solutions that the app suggests can us to directly show them how they can use the app to be done with easy to purchase WoolSafe approved cleaning benefit their working day. The app arms retailers with expert products.” Download and explore the WoolSafe Carpet Stain knowledge about how to remove common and more unusual Cleaning Guide app for free from the App Store.

Eco-friendly hotel chooses Ulster One of Ulster’s most recent projects was The Orchard Hotel, a new eco-friendly hotel located on The University of Nottingham’s main campus.

Ulster manufactured the carpets throughout, collaborating with Graven Images, who used the natural surroundings of the hotel to influence the interior design.

The Orchard Hotel has been built to the highest of environmental standards featuring state of the art technology to minimise carbon emissions including a green roof, photo voltaic panels, energy-efficient lighting, ground-sourced heat technology, as well as a lower energy assisted-cooling ventilation system.

Earthy, organic tones of green displaying a contemporary leaf motif runs throughout the public areas, while the corridors and guestroom carpets are reminiscent of foliage underfoot, akin to that of the surrounding woodland.

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DON’T FORGET...

Sealy Be

ds are availab le through SMG Orde rlink!

Crown Jewel Beds... The Jewels in the Sealy Crown With royal stories still in the news, St Edward’s Crown, the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels, came out of the Tower of London this summer for the first time in sixty years and was the centrepiece of the service commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen’s Coronation.

Crown Jewels represent the very best ... something that is coveted, desired, admired and creates a feeling of awe....

That is exactly what the top of the range beds from Sealy UK are all about.

Only available from the most select retailers nationwide, and certainly not to be found on anything as common as the internet.... these handcrafted masterpieces will only give you the very best night’s sleep you have ever experienced.... truly you will become a royally deeper sleeper.

The experience of sleeping on a Crown Jewel bed is like sleeping on a cloud.... soft and fluffy yet amazingly supportive wherever you need it.... almost like magic. As befits a product that aspires to be the veritable jewel in the crown, the Sealy Crown Jewel range contains everything that is the very latest and best in modern sleep technology, including...

•

Airstream wool – a layer of special elastomeric fibres with memory made from soft, white and fluffy natural sheep’s wool. These newly developed fibres deliver all the comfort and support of memory foam, but in a far more advanced and clever design, which lays the fibres in a different way to give a wonderful spongey and springy feel. This material ensures you keep cool too – unlike some other beds containing memory foam which can make some people feel hot and uncomfortable.

•

Thousand upon thousand of motion responsive pocket springs to cushion your every movement – both full size pockets plus an additional layer of mini pocket springs

•

Amazing torsion springs in the sprung edge divan base supporting the mattress so you can stretch out to the very edge of the bed in comfort

•

Deep layers of foam and latex in differing zonal sections to support every part of your body along its entire length to prevent tossing and turning

•

And, of course, the famous Sealy “Smart Fibres” to keep the mattress materials cool, fresh, dry and hypoallergenic.... as if a mere house dust mite or other undesirable mould or fungus would even contemplate taking up residence in such a splendid piece of bedroom furniture!

There are 3 beds to choose from in the range: Blenheim, Balmoral and Windsor, each a masterpiece of sumptuously engineered, ecstatic comfortness... from the very bottom of the springs through to the soft deliciousness of the pillow or cushion tops. Truly, once you are laying back on one of these beds you will never want to be late to bed again…. And will become a royally Sealy Deeper Sleeper.

Bleinheim

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vailable a rs e ff o rn te c le t Grea ee your S . .. rs e b m e M G for SM details! r fo te a d p u ly th mon Stainfree Reflections This fantastic new range is sure to be a success featuring 16 contemporary plain colours in a tight, velvet like finish.

For more information on Stainfree Reflections or any other range please contact Abingdon Flooring on 01274 655668.

SMG News - Summer 2013.indd 38

26/07/2013 13:55:51

Brockway adds a touch of sophistication with new Dakota Brockway Carpets has unveiled its latest new product launch featuring the brand’s most sophisticated collection of stylish natural hues.

Made from 100% pure new British wool, Dakota is a range of premium, textured loop pile carpets available in six distinctive natural shades, making it the ideal choice for almost any location in the home. The totally natural colour range includes Stone Cable, Wheat Cable, Linen Cable, Pebble Cable, Cream Cable and Hessian Cable.

The unique strength of this deluxe carpet range comes from its rugged cable texture effect and superior 3-ply yarn. Part of the Classic Collection, Brockway’s Dakota is available in standard 4 and 5 metre widths.

“Our Dakota range really shows simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” commented Charles Annable, managing director of Brockway Carpets.

He continued “We recognise there is a real appetite for textured loop pile carpets at the moment from retailers and

homeowners alike. Dakota’s strong palette of natural shades will be popular and suit both contemporary and classic home decor schemes.”

“Our Dakota range really shows simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, it’s strong palette of natural shades will be popular and suit both contemporary and classic home decor schemes.”

“Homeowners investing in Dakota will be immediately impressed with its resilience and durability.”

Brockway is supporting the Dakota launch with samples available to new and existing retailers.

For more information please contact your local representative or Brockway on 01562 828200.

Dakota - Pebble Cream

smgnews 39 SMG News - Summer 2013.indd 39

26/07/2013 13:55:53

Marmoleum today, tomorrow, forever!

Forbo have been creating Marmoleum floor coverings for well over 100 years. In doing so they have preserved the rich heritage that created this well-known brand with an eye to the future, ensuring that they offer the world’s most sustainable floor covering while meeting the needs of the real world. By choosing Marmoleum flooring, you create better environments, today, tomorrow, forever.

Forbo Marmoleum stands for versatility, sustainability and durability. It combines ecological and economic values that help bring modern and contemporary architecture to life. Marmoleum is a natural floor and is the most sustainable floor in the resilient flooring category.

new insights and creates subtle nuances that are reflected in their collection and colour groups. The Marmoleum colour spectrum is unique and does not start from a purely white base.

“Forbo Marmoleum stands for versatility, sustainability and durability. It combines ecological All Marmoleum floors now include Topshield2, a water based polymer which and economic values that help is double UV cured finished, delivering bring modern and contemporary floor performance in the real world, that architecture to life” results in the lowest cost of ownership over its long life time. The new ranges offer a wide choice in colour and design with rich, warm, refined and contemporary looks. Welcome to the new world of high performance sustainable floor coverings and the Next Generation of Marmoleum.

Creating a new collection

What’s more, the manufacturing process, which subtly creates the structure of the design, always creates random, all-over patterns that never show any repeat which creates the natural charm of any Marmoleum floor.

For this collection, the design focus was on a new direction, one that paid attention to non-marbled visuals. New designs in the collection resemble subtle concrete with fine colour nuances as well as an extension of a vintage stripe design that has been recreated to suit modern environments.

For more information about Marmoleum and to find out how you can unlock the potential, please contact your local representative or Forbo 0800 0935 846.

For their main collections Forbo rely on the expertise of their design team to evaluate Forbo’s collections with leading architect offices practices, design agencies and end users around the world. Some 150 architects and designers provide input and evaluation on the colour, balance and structure of new designs. The interaction provides

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smgnews 41 SMG News - Summer 2013.indd 41

26/07/2013 13:58:33

SMG News - Summer 2013.indd 42

26/07/2013 13:58:36

Coronation Festival enjoyed by all!

The Royal Warrant Holders’ Association are celebrating the success of the Coronation Festival, being staged in the Gardens of Buckingham Palace to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.

One lucky SMG Member, Mike Trew-Fay, was there to enjoy the celebration as well. As you are all aware during the first quarter of 2013, SMG ran a promotion with Brintons, Royal Warrant holders themselves, offering a SMG Member a pair of tickets for the event.

Mike is the owner of JQ Carpets in Hampshire and commented “I was so pleased to hear that my name had been drawn for the tickets. We were delighted to attend the event, it was a truly memorable day!”

The four-day event saw 60,000 visitors tour the Gardens of Buckingham Palace in incredible British summer weather, as they enjoyed a unique showcase of British innovation, excellence and industry of the past 60 years, as a wide range of brands showcased their products, services and skills, in a celebration of the very best of the UK. Royal Warrant holders since 1958, Brintons were invited to mark the Coronation Festival by designing and curating a 1950s style room, set in the grounds of Buckingham Palace.

Brintons also launched a rug collection at the festival, called The Coronation Rug Collection inspired by original 1950’s designs from Brintons’ archives, including the Mimosa design

by Matisse that dates back to 1951.

The look of the room drew a modern take on a 1950’s living room, the floors and the walls were covered in Brintons carpet inspired by the famous “Net and Ball” design that was used in the Royal Festival Hall foyer for the 1951 Festival of Britain and the very same design covered a 1950s sofa on jersey fabric that created a play on scale and challenged the interpretation of a living space. A woodland image was displayed, woven on

Brintons’ pioneering High Definition Weave loom. This patented technology can produce photo realistic, three-dimensional design definition in 32 colours, compared to conventional looms that use 8-12 colours.

The Coronation Festival began with a Royal Preview on Thursday 11th July attended by Her Majesty The Queen, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, and other members of the Royal Family.

The BBC also confirmed an audience share on Saturday evening of 20.9 per cent, as an average of 3.1 million and a peak of 3.5 million viewers watched the broadcast of the Coronation Festival evening Gala, featuring performances from Katherine Jenkins, Russell Watson, Katie Melua, Laura Wright, The Feeling, Only Boys Aloud and the National Youth Orchestra, amongst others.

Hosted by the Royal Warrant Holders Association and organised by Media 10 Ltd, the event has shone the spotlight on over 200 Royal Warrant holders and raised worldwide awareness of the importance of what it means to be granted such an accolade. The event is the first occasion of this scale to see so many Royal Warrant holders come together to showcase their products, services and skills to the world.

Secretary of the Royal Warrant Holders Association, Richard Peck, said, “The success of the Coronation Festival has been extraordinary and astounded all who have been involved.

I have had so many of our Royal Warrant holders comment that the general awareness of their business, as well as the new contacts that they have made and the opportunity for potential international trade has overwhelmed them. They are all incredibly happy. The real benefits of such a successful event will no doubt be seen over the coming months.” smgnews 43

SMG News - Summer 2013.indd 43

26/07/2013 13:58:46

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26/07/2013 13:58:49

Newsupdate

Latest news from Christie-Tyler Christie-Tyler are continuing to move forward with new models, Nikki Savannah, Lexus and Temara and will now hold stock of their best-selling model the ‘Nevada’ from August.

They are also going to speed up the delivery times to all customers as they are aware this has been an issue. From Autumn 2013 Christie-Tyler will also be stocking for wholesale the new Pendragon range which will feature two recliner models Camden and Windsor.

Both models will be stocked in black leather/match and brown leather/match and cream as a special order. This is where Christie-Tyler can add any orders placed for the product on their containers for the new Pendragon models which will speed up delivery.

Secondly, 1.8mm Rose white leather will continue to be used but lead times may be longer as this leather is ordered specifically for special orders.

From mid-June there was a very small increase to the price list as raw material costs increased over this last year and they were unable to maintain the prices.

Prices for the new Pendragon value range are available on request and if you would like to place an order for your showroom display, please contact your Please contact your agent or Christie-Tyler agent or 01664 823364.

Christie-Tyler with any queries on There have been several product 01664 823 363 alternatively email updates worth making note of, firstly customerservices@christie-tyler.co.uk. the pull up leather on swatch reference Don’t forget... Christie-Tyler P/1076 is to be discontinued as the products are available through range is refined.

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smgnews 45 SMG News - Summer 2013.indd 45

26/07/2013 13:58:54

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26/07/2013 13:58:56

Cushion launch bolstered by unique manufacturing story!

Recent reports from The Real Shetland Company have indicated that considerable interest is being shown in their new Shetland Wool cushion range since its launch earlier this year.

A fascinating and unique manufacturing story lays behind the launch which centres around a remarkable Prisoner Rehabilitation Scheme currently being operated at Armley Prison in Leeds.

This was featured in the Spring issue of SMG News and readers will recall that the largest wool processing plant in the U.K. Haworth Scouring Co Ltd, directed

by Martin and Simon Curtis and David Gisbourne of Curtis Wool Direct, has been a massive supporter of the scheme by employing several ex-prisoners at its site in Bradford.

The SMG marketing team have now had the opportunity to see the 100% Shetland Wool cushions first hand and are extremely impressed with the quality and workmanship of the product.

Furthermore, the excellent packaging is also enhanced by the inclusion of the ‘Campaign for Wool’ ticketing giving a huge endorsement to the entire initiative.

items and using the unique story as an interesting feature during the sales process.

For further information, please contact Adam Curtis at The Real Shetland Company on 01423 734723 or alternatively, visit www.realshetland.com for details of their entire range of wool products.

We at SMG, therefore have no hesitation in suggesting that Members consider promoting these superb cushions in their stores as ancillary ‘impulse purchase’

Real Shetland christening robe Recently The Campaign for Wool Chairman, John Thorley, presented the Real Shetland wool Christening Robe to His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales in Scotland.

The Robe was made entirely from wool grown in the Shetland Islands where it was graded and sorted by hand and then sent to Haworth Scouring and Combing Companies in Bradford for processing. The combed Real Shetland wool tops were spun into yarn in Yorkshire which was then sent back to Lerwick.

Sandra Manson from Shetland developed the pattern and hand laced the beautiful Christening Robe.

We can only hope that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will use the Robe for the Christening of Prince George when the time comes. The sheep farmers of Shetland along with most other Shetland Islanders will be glued to the television when the Christening takes place!

SMG News - Summer 2013.indd 47

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Wools Of New Zealand push the boundaries Wools of New Zealand’s commitment to meeting the growing need for truly authentic and sustainable interiors for the environmentally conscious is clear for all to see. Laneve, the only fully traceable carpet wool, is going from strength to strength in the marketplace and its scope and potential as a fibre can be seen in the diversity of product on offer from key partners such as Crucial Trading, Ulster, Brockway and Flock.

The recent introduction of Crumbwool, their environmentally friendly carpet underlay manufactured in the UK from 100% recycled carpet fibres and 100% recycled rubber, cements their desire to show the world, and SMG members, that it is possible to have a truly ethical and eco-friendly floor and give you a ‘real’ Pictured above is the first prototype story to sell. produced by Daniel... a suitcase.

Their work with Crumbwool has led to This work is typical of Wools of New another recent innovation – and a new Zealand. It builds on their ‘green’ product category and use for wool. credentials but also demonstrates Daniel McLaughlin, a New Zealand its passion for and commitment to student at the Royal College of Arts, innovation. As Steven Parsons says: approached Wools of New Zealand “What I really like about this is that it is with some work he had done on wool. the beginning of a whole new era for Secure in the knowledge that they innovation with wool. By moving into were able to produce needle punched new product categories, there are no materials with Anglo Recycling, Wools of preconceived ideas about how wool can New Zealand worked with him to create be used and what its value might be.

‘Biowool’. Biowool combines wool with We can push the boundaries in product bio-resins which creates a substrate development while at the same time that is incredibly strong, completely reducing waste and upcycling the left Actions really do speak louder than renewable and, at the end of its life, is overs from the manufacturing process words for Wools of New Zealand who biodegradable. into new materials and products.” are truly committed to a better world.

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26/07/2013 13:59:47

Ryalux continues its tradition of firsts Ryalux, the UK’s leading quality carpet manufacturer, is renowned for pioneering “Firsts” in the industry...

To mention just a few: •

The first carpet manufacturer to produce 5 metre wide carpet.

•

The first to produce any width carpet.

•

The first to offer custom dye carpets.

They continue this traditional with the launch of their new 2 ply 80/20 velvet, Ultimate 18.

Ultimate 18 is the first, and only, true pass machine manufactured velvet that is available as a custom colour. Ultimate 18 is a 2 ply, 80% wool 20% nylon velvet cut pile carpet, made using the finest New Zealand wools. As with all of Ryalux’s Ultimate ranges, Ultimate 18 is offered in any width up to 7 metres and as a custom colour using Ryalux’s special dye service.

Darren Longden, Ryalux’s Commercial Director explains more about yet another Ryalux first. “Whilst there are several 2 ply custom dye products on the market that purport to be velvets, they do not have the “billiard table top” appearance of a true velvet. This is because the hank

“Ultimate 18 is the first, and only, true pass machine manufactured velvet that is available as a custom colour” dyeing process slightly curls the tips of the yarn, meaning the appearance of a true pinpoint velvet cannot be achieved.

Using our extensive yarn technology, dyeing and manufacturing experience, along with a lot of hard work, we now have a way to overcome this issue, and in Ultimate 18 have a hank dyed true velvet carpet which has the traditional velvet appearance you associate with stock dyed products”.

This new quality now features on all their Ultimate display units, and to coincide with its launch, they have produced a compact swatch book which showcases Ultimate 18, along with their other Ultimate qualities.

For a sample of Ultimate 18, or to find out more about this exciting new range please contact your local representative or Ryalux on 0161 762 3030 alternatively email info@ryalux.co.uk.

“Whilst there are several 2 ply custom dye products on the market that purport to be velvets, they do not have the “billiard table top” appearance of a true velvet” Ryalux offer custom colours on all their Ultimate ranges with no minimum order quantity (surcharge applies for orders under 10m2).

smgnews 51 SMG News - Summer 2013.indd 51

26/07/2013 13:59:53

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For more information please contact Quality Carpets Direct on 029 2088 9184 or visit www.smg-group.co.uk/qcd SMG News - Summer 2013.indd 52

26/07/2013 14:00:00

Marquette Plaid

SMG News - Summer 2013.indd 53

29/07/2013 14:33:14

FANTASY FOOTBALL IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE SUN DREAM TEAM

We have a winner!

After a thrilling season SMG’s Ben Young has scooped the SMG Fantasy Football title!

Unfortunately for Ben a rule was upheld that doesn’t let an SMG employee take the cash prize...only the CUP! Therefore, in early June the prize money made its way down the M3 to the Isle of Wight and JT Hotspurs manager Mark Dunn-Coleman where he was presented with the winnings by SMG’s Head of Group Operations Mike Symonds.

Finishing in third place was the first ‘Manager of the Month’ back in September, Derek Seale. He collected the £100 prize and Stephen Pulley of Gaskell & Mr Tomkinson won £50.

‘Dezzers Dazzlers’ managed to hold onto their slender 13 point lead on ‘Cut my Arshavin’ although the last game of the season could have proved a turning point.

For Lucky XI some timely transfers and faith in the Chelsea defence proved a winning combination and the team finished in the top 2000 of the entire Dream Team league. The final players included a solid defensive pairing of Cech and Ivanovic supported by the midfield dynamo’s Mata, Hazard and PFA Player of the year Gareth Bale. But perhaps the point clincher was the awesome front line of Suarez (biting aside) , Van-Persie and Demba Ba. Speaking on his title-winning season Ben Young commented “I am delighted to have won such a coveted award, the cup will take pride of place on my desk!”

Second place Mark Dunn-Coleman is presented with the prize money from SMG’s Head of Group Operations Mike Symonds.

“I am delighted to have won such a coveted award, the cup will take pride of place in my office!”

who, although not back to his best form, still collected some valuable points for the team.

Although not financially better off it has been a great season for the ‘Lucky XI’ manager who first went to the top of the league in October. The Christmas fixtures certainly put pressure on his over reliance on Chelsea players and the gap was reduced to just 12 points at one stage!

The final league standings are published on the right.

Thank you to all SMG Members and Approved Suppliers who took part in the SMG Fantasy Football league, we hoped you enjoyed it!

The January transfer window couldn’t have come sooner and it was used to re-balance the team with Manchester United’s Van Persie replacing Torres

54 SMG News - Summer 2013.indd 54

31/07/2013 09:28:01

THE FINAL STANDINGS Team Name

Manager

Company

Points

1

Lucky XI

Ben Young

SMG

2

JT Hotspurs

Mark Dunn-Coleman Coleman’s Carpets

1872

WON £200

3

Dezzers Dazzlers

Derek Seale

Topfloor

1796

WON £100

4

Cut my Arshavin

Stephen Pulley

Gaskell & Mr Tomkinson

1783

WON £50

5

Blades Reserves

Martin Peace

Abingdon

1759

6

Eazylay

Paul Jacques

Eazylay

1711

7

Weavers Shed

Scott Piggott

The Weaver’s Shed

1699

7

Euroken FC

Shushil Halai

Euroken

1699

9

Zinzari

Tony Lavers

SMG

1685

10

Associated Weavers

Warren Phillips

Associated Weavers

1674

11

Akien Athletic

John Akien

Regency Carpets

1643

12

Steve’s Stars

Stephen Glover

Brockway Carpets

1620

12

Ray Smith Furlongs

Raymond Smith

Regency Carpets

1620

14

You Must Be Joking

Joe King

Ulster Carpets

1611

15

Matty’s Marauders

Matthew Smith

16

Mr Tomkinson

Mike Dobson

Gaskell & Mr Tomkinson

1558

17

Party Boys

Ian Pierson

Topfloor

1540

18

Mr T’s Flops

Mark Hunt

Gaskell & Mr Tomkinson

1538

19

Ajax Down Trees

Philip Arnott

Aldershot Carpet Service

1525

20

Morris Jones and Son

Antony Powell

Morris Jones and Son

1509

21

Glovers Geezers

Daniel Glover

Brockway Carpets

1491

22

Kidsgrove Carpets FC

Simon Tinsley

Kidsgrove Carpets

1445

22

Boynes Bandits

David Morris

1445

24

Samiadspurs

James Camilleri

1444

25

Just Smith’s FC

Mark Smith

1423

25

Carefreelondon FC

Ian Collacott

27

SW Select

Michael Storf

28

Forest Stars

Frank Hyder

Hyder Flooring

1393

29

Symbo’s All Stars

Mike Symonds

SMG

1365

30

Masterfit Flooring FC

Daniel Coules

Masterfit Flooring

1308

31

Darrens Diamonds

Darren Ironside

Carpet Barn

1199

2008

1564

Regency Carpets

1423 1396

smgnews 55 SMG News - Summer 2013.indd 55

26/07/2013 14:00:09

SMG News - Summer 2013.indd 56

26/07/2013 14:00:14

Mohawk to unveil brand new qualities at Harrogate Once again, Mohawk is planning to delight visitors to the Flooring Show 2013 with its range of innovative fibres that are as beautifully soft as they are stylish, This year will be the first time that the Lano Carpets’ team will be taking the helm after signing a distribution agreement for the Western European residential broadloom market with Mohawk International.

The popular SmartStrand collection, which is famed for its inherent stain and soil resistance, will be on show and retailers will be encouraged to explore the many different qualities available. This includes the textured Dramatic Flair carpet

as well as the super-soft SmartStrand Silk, the SmartStrand collection will prove its versatility and diversity.

“As well as displaying the well-known SmartStrand collection, we will also have a space dedicated to demonstrating the benefits of EverStrand carpet, which is crafted from 100% recycled plastic bottles” “The Harrogate Show looks set to be very successful for Mohawk, and will allow us to reach potential new retailers and stockists of the flagship Mohawk carpets, including SmartStrand,” comments Joe Lano, Lano Carpets. “Since Lano Carpets signed the distribution agreement with Mohawk, our dedicated sales team has met with many existing Mohawk stockists, but Harrogate will offer the opportunity to forge new relationships and convey the benefits of this improved distribution model.

“As well as displaying the well-known SmartStrand collection, we will also have a space dedicated to demonstrating the benefits of EverStrand carpet, which is of course crafted from 100% recycled plastic bottles,” continues Joe Lano.

“The Flooring Show will allow us to demonstrate the environmental and performance benefits of EverStrand carpet to retailers and we are predicting that our range of EverStrand styles will rise in popularity over the coming years as homeowners become more and more concerned about using eco-friendly and sustainable products in the home.”

For further information please contact Mohawk alternatively visit www.mohawkinternational.com.

smgnews 57 SMG News - Summer 2013.indd 57

26/07/2013 14:00:18

Durham Velvet

Neil

Whitestone’s new wool ranges will have broad appeal Whitestone Weavers’ new pure wool pairing Durham County Loop and Durham Velvet offer retailers two distinct ranges designed for particular market segments Launched under the Hugh MacKay brand, the high quality offering will appeal to discerning consumers seeking luxurious textures to complete home interiors.

While new Durham County Loop lends itself to the rustic natural look with its chunky finish and muted earth tones; Durham Velvet’s deep cut pile and exquisite colours create a sumptuous feel underfoot and the perfect finishing touch to a sophisticated room setting.

“Though they share the same namesake, Durham County Loop and Durham Velvet are two completely different carpets that we’ve purposely brought together to champion contrasting textures,” said Whitestone Weavers’ Managing Director, Steve Byrne. “We’ve satisfied both ends of the shopper spectrum with a shabby chic option versus a more traditional flooring style brought bang up to date with a stand-out colour selection.”

New Durham Velvet is a 100% New Zealand wool product offering an exceptionally plush palette. From beiges and greys at the muted end of the spectrum through to a dramatic black, the full 20-strong colour bank has been carefully selected to appeal to all tastes and decors.

Sister range Durham County Loop features a superb broad stripe, plus plain and Berber finishes. A pure wool 3-ply loop, its heavy duty composition lends itself to high footfall zones in domestic and contract settings. Available in 4m, 5m and now 1m widths, the latter option is new for 2013 due to retailer demand.

Ideal for stairways and other feature areas Whitestone is one of the few manufacturers to make these narrower cuts available in the popular striped designs.

Durham County Loop

For further information please contact your local representative or Whitestone Weavers on 01429 892555.

58 SMG News - Summer 2013.indd 58

26/07/2013 14:00:34

Become a Deeper Sleeper All the benefits offered by Sealy beds and mattresses are now on show in their very own Sleep Studios that are rolling out in selected department stores and furniture retailers across the UK. “Sealy’s Deeper Sleeper campaign was created as the Company are on a mission to help eliminate the confusion associated with technical product jargon which customers often cannot get to grips with” says Neil Robinson, Marketing Director of Sealy UK. “And as part of a wider campaign” he explains

Neil Robinson, Marketing Director of Sealy UK

“We also want to continue to support the independent bricks and mortar Sealy retailer which is still a vital part of our business.” Sealy want to help their retailers engage with consumers - their customers – using recognisable branding about Deeper Sleeping and Smart Fibres as well as bespoke POS materials to help merchandising. It’s generally thought that these days consumers are willing to travel up to thirty miles to look at a product they want to sample before considering purchase. The idea behind Sealy Sleep Studios is to ensure that customers making the effort to travel to see a range of beds and mattresses and to hopefully make their purchase, will have a much wider variety of models to look at and try out as well as informed and expert guidance about the benefits available from different beds in the Sealy range.

These Sealy Deeper Sleeper Studios will carry an extensive range of Sealy products, at least 9 or 10 in a small store and covering up to 50% of the floor space in larger furniture retailers or department stores. So whether customers want just a simple mattress, a double divan or a top of the range, luxurious Crown Jewel bed they can now

SMG News - Summer 2013.indd 59

visit a Sealy Sleep Studio in the knowledge they can see, try out and buy from a wide variety of the famous Posturepedic beds.

They can then go away happy in the knowledge they will be joining the ranks of Sealy Deeper Sleepers.

With Sealy’s website now getting over 50,000 unique visitors per month and an active social media campaign, Neil says “the traffic to the website with enquiries about products or nearest retailers enables Sealy to direct consumers and customers to the most appropriate seller, and also now there are separate links for all our five star online partners and the Sealy Sleep Studio retailers which are going to be rolling out nationwide over the next year.”

For more information about Sealy Beds and their unique Sleep Studio concepts please contact Sealy on 01697 320342.

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vailable a rs e ff o rn te c le t Grea ee your S . .. rs e b m e M G for SM details! r fo te a d p u ly th mon Stainfree Innovations Based on the hugely popular Stainfree Tweed this new range includes modern and contemporary colouring.

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member focus

Frank Harwood (right) with showroom manager Alex Clarke.

SMG Member Focus... Oxbridge Carpets Last month SMG took a visit to Hertfordshire Member Oxbridge Carpets.

Oxbridge Carpets was established in August 1989 when Frank Harwood and Richard Oakes opened their first shop in Dunstable, near Luton. They soon outgrew those premises and it wasn’t long until they moved the store 14 miles south to The Marlowes Shopping Centre in Hemel Hempstead. It was here that the business really took off and a decision was made to relocate again to the affluent town of Berkhampstead in Hertfordshire.

After only spending the day at Oxbridge it was clear to see they have a well organised, dedicated and professional team in place. Frank and Richard now employ fifteen people and many of them have been working there for over 10 years. SMG put several questions to Frank and members of his team...

It was in the mid 90’s that Oxbridge began to develop a strong contract division, working with several homebuilders on national contracts. This necessitated the purchase of a small warehouse where today they hold a large amount of stock and a modern showroom. As well as catering for the domestic customers the showroom is also used by Interior Designers and Specifiers, therefore it features a wide range of manufacturers at various price points. In fact to inspire customers and interior designers further Oxbridge have project mood boards hanging in the reception, displaying their media coverage and a taster of the bespoke service they can offer. Recently this has tempted Crest Nicholson and St. James Group to install bespoke solutions in some of their projects explained Frank.

“Yes! In fact we’re big supporters of Cormar especially, I think the way they market themselves as British is really valuable to our contract and domestic customers. Although we do deal with a few European manufacturers there is no great depth to the ranges we offer.”

Oxbridge are also Members of The Guild of Master Craftsmen, NHBC Safemark Scheme and The Flooring Guild. In addition they are currently working in partnership with Abingdon and Carpet Recycling UK on a trial to recycle all of their offcuts.

These affiliations and an active interest in a ‘green agenda’ has helped them when tendering for contracts in the homebuilders market.

SMG has a strong policy of supporting British Manufacturers, is this something you support?

What are the most common questions you have from customers?

“Thankfully it’s certainly not price driven, we are lucky to be located in a thriving area. I think it’s generally just advice on the right carpet for the right area. The way I judge everything is ‘Would I have that in my ‘lounge, bedroom, hallway’? ‘Would I be happy with it in that location?’ Ultimately I want them to be happy, because our reputation is vital to the future of our business and this guarantees us a lot of repeat customers.”

What is the key market challenge today?

“In my opinion, the challenge is to set yourself apart from the internet! The internet has certainly made customers more price aware and the challenge is to talk yourself up and sell the benefits of the product. It has also created a lot of price

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confusion, for example some sites show prices excluding vat and excluding fitting. To combat this we now include both prices in a clear and transparent way to help the customer.

Oxbridge aim to inspire customers with media and bespoke options in reception.

Although I don’t think anyone will ever make a success of selling online because of the obstacles, such as delivery, fitting, returns etc. it certainly makes it a more challenging sale process.”

What do you feel is the independent retailer’s strength?

“We offer good value for money. We know we can deliver on product and price but our customer service sets us apart. This is what we use to differentiate ourselves from the internet.

Here at Oxbridge Carpets we all have a ‘can do’ attitude even when what’s required might sound impossible we always make sure we overcome the obstacles to provide the customer with a great experience!”

What has changed most during your time in the industry?

“The change in technology has raised expectations dramatically, customers expect much more for less. We now work twice as hard for the same outcome and in the process customers have also become far more unreasonable.”

If you could ask suppliers to change one thing, what would it be?

“I think the way they deal with complaints could be improved.

As I mentioned earlier, customers’ expectations are so much higher now and when there is a complaint they expect an instantaneous response. Obviously in the first instance we try to resolve the issue ourselves, however when this is not possible it becomes an extremely time consuming process of filling out forms for manufacturers. The customer then becomes impatient and sometimes this can have a negative effect on their perception of us.

Ok, I know you said one but another really useful improvement would be to equip retailers with imagery and marketing for use on their websites and advertising. Sometimes it can be very difficult to get hold of these resources, so to help retailers embrace the promotion of carpet would be hugely beneficial.”

What is your top selling product at the moment?

“Sensation from Cormar is flying and with the introduction of Sensation Heathers there seems to be no stopping it. Cormar have achieved a look and feel that is luxurious at a great price... This has helped it to appeal to customers that traditionally wouldn’t think about buying polypropylene carpet.

Interestingly in contrast to that our wool twists are selling well too, the great value New Oaklands range has been very popular in the last 12 months.”

Finally, what would your advice be to non-aligned retailers?

“Interesting... We’ve actually been Members of another group and SMG is by far the simplest group to understand and reap the rewards immediately. The great thing about SMG is that they don’t dictate how to run our business.”

The Oxbridge Carpets’ showroom has a huge variety of carpets at different price points.

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