Furniture News 343

The essential guide to the UK domestic furniture and furnishings trade #343 October 2017 | www.furniturenews.net

Sport Line 1500, Highgate Beds

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INFORMATION

“September is one of the busiest months of the year in terms of events for the trade, and last month was no exception”

Editor Victoria Noakes 01424 776105 victoria@gearingmediagroup.com Twitter @Victoria_FNmag Advertising manager Sam Horscroft 01424 776100 sam@gearingmediagroup.com Twitter @FurnitureNewsAD Sales executive Caroline Littler 07861 231461 caroline@gearingmediagroup.com Production manager James Ash 01424 775304 james@gearingmediagroup.com Production assistant Mike Beales mike@gearingmediagroup.com

COMMENT

Digital production assistant Nathan Khan digital@gearingmediagroup.com Copy administrator Steve Merrick 01424 776108 production@gearingmediagroup.com Proofreader Keith Fitz-Hugh Editorial director John Legg 01424 776104 john@gearingmediagroup.com Publisher Nigel Gearing Accounts Wendy Williams 01424 774982 wendy@gearingmediagroup.com Subscriptions subscriptions@gearingmediagroup.com Annual Subscription Rates UK-£65 Europe-£85 RoW-£95 Repro, print and distribution Acorn Web Offset Ltd

Gearing Media Group Ltd 4 Red Barn Mews, High Street Battle, East Sussex TN33 0AG ISSN No: 1475 - 3731 © Gearing Media Group Ltd 2017 General information No part of this publication may be reproduced without the specific prior written agreement of the Publisher and may not be stored on any type of retrieval system. Furniture News/ Gearing Media Group Ltd accepts no responsibility for variations in colour reproduction. Special colours (Pantone etc) can be catered for with prior arrangement.

Some elements of the editorial content in this publication are submitted by the trade, however, all efforts are made to ensure that the editorial remains true to fact and unbiased.

Monies may have been accepted to offset the costs of colour reproduction. Gearing Media Group Ltd reserves the right to alter without prior notice any content other than customers’ advertisements. No correspondence will be entered into regarding altered or adjusted editorial content. The editor’s decision is final. All material submitted for inclusion in Furniture News is done so entirely at the owner’s risk and no responsibility is accepted for the safekeeping or return thereof.

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S

eptember is one of the busiest months of the year in terms of events for the trade, and last month was no exception. The October issue of Furniture News takes a closer look at the recent Autumn Fair (p24) and Long Point (p22) exhibitions, two events with very different focuses – the former placing emphasis on furniture and accessories for all areas of the home, and the latter concentrating on a pure upholstery and cabinet offering.

Another key industry event held last month was the NBF Bed Show, and in this month’s issue Furniture News pays homage to the winners and runners-up of the Bed Industry Awards, announced during the exhibition (p10). Now in its seventh year, the awards acknowledge the companies considered to be at the top of their field in the last 12 months. Look out for a comprehensive review of the show in next month’s issue.

Global Vision Direct is the furniture manufacturer and supplier under the spotlight this month (p16), and Bruna Martins, head of sales and administration for trade, talks Furniture News through the business’ philosophy, aims and offering. In addition, handmade furniture e-tailer Sorsha Rose Designs is featured in October’s Clickthrough Q&A (p20), providing insight into its working practices and driving force.

What’s more, don’t miss an extensive profile of The Belfield Group, a major manufacturer of mattresses, upholstery and soft furnishings (p52). Made up of five distinct divisions, the group recently acquired top upholstery name Tetrad into its impressive portfolio, and has made substantial investments fuelled by ambitious plans for growth.

I hope you enjoy the issue!

Victoria Noakes Editor T 01424 776105 E victoria@gearingmediagroup.com Twitter @Victoria_FNmag

27/09/2017 11:51

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THIS ISSUE

8

News

16

Interview

22

Events

Furniture News learns more about furniture manufacturer and supplier Global Vision, and Sorsha Rose Designs is featured in this month’s e-tailer Q&A

Including reviews of the recent Long Point and Autumn Fair exhibitions, and previews of the upcoming Brussels Furniture Fair and next year’s January Furniture Show and London Fabric Show

36

The Belfield Group (52)

Resources

Incorporating expert advice on dead stock, EU suppliers and how to build a successful e-commerce site

42

Update

52

Profile

62

Beds & Bedroom

Autumn Fair (24)

Featuring the latest developments from Corndell and CIMC

Furniture News breaks down the divisions that make up leading upholstery, mattress and soft furnishing manufacturer The Belfield Group

ON THE COVER

Sportline 1500, by Highgate Beds (www.highgatebeds.com)

76

Living Room

82

Dining Room

84

Trade Services

90

Furnisher

96

Designer

A round-up of transportation, training and operational services for the industry

The essential guide to the UK domestic furniture and furnishings trade #343 October 2017 | www.furniturenews.net

Soft furnishings and decorative accessories for the home

Exploring office furniture with a human element

Sport Line 1500, Highgate Beds

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CIMC (50)

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If you’re in the business of furniture, we’ll see you in January.

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Partner Comment | 7

Simon Whittaker Simon Whittaker is a specialist adviser at SAGAR, and is responding on behalf of the BFM (www. bfm.org.uk). SAGAR is an associate member of the BFM and will be at its seminar on 15th November 2017, to talk about GDPR and how cyber liability insurance can offer businesses safety and security against the costs associated with a data breach.

Keeping information secured

A

fter four years of preparation and debate, the new legislation – the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – comes into force from May 2018, aiming to keep customer and client information safe from fraud.

Produced by the EU, the new guidelines will work alongside the current Data Protection Act (1998), created when the relationship with personal information was a much simpler affair.

The GDPR aims to bring this alliance up to date and prevent individual details from being exploited in the increasingly record-driven world, replacing the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC. All businesses within the EU will need to ensure they have appropriate controls and processes in place, when collecting and managing personal and sensitive information.

Staying up to speed on changes is not only a legislative requirement but makes great sense too.

For SMEs, the biggest change the GDPR will bring is the strengthened conditions of consent. This means that companies must record and keep details of how and when a person gives consent to store and use their personal data.

The legislation will also expand the rights to access, meaning that subjects are able to get confirmation if personal data is being processed, where and for what

purpose. It also provides the right to be forgotten, forcing the controller to delete information and stop further sharing by third parties.

Privacy by design will become a legal requirement and data portability will also be covered. It means that material concerning a particular individual is available to them.

Currently data protection officers have to notify processing activities with local DPOs. Under the new GDPR, they will no longer be required to submit notifications or registrations. Neither will it be compulsory to notify for approval for transfers based on the Model Contract Clauses (MCCs).

At the moment there is also no legal obligation to notify the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) of a data breach. However under the new legislation it will be compulsory for businesses to disclose a data breach to the ICO within 72 hours. Businesses will also need to inform those individuals affected by the data breach and provide ongoing credit monitoring to ensure they are not disadvantaged by the theft of their personal information.

In the case of the most serious violations, businesses which have failed to follow proper procedures or set up suitable cyber-security measures could find themselves facing fines from the ICO of up to £17m or 4% of global turnover.

Media Partners

Furniture News enjoys partnerships with a wide range of key global and national institutions and exhibitions Exclusive UK member

Furniture News supports the aims and objectives of ACID (Anti Copying In Design) which is committed to fighting intellectual property theft

Official media partner

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8 | News

British furniture and homeware brand Loaf appoints COO Loaf has appointed Neil Barley as the company’s new chief operating officer. Neil joins the British furniture brand having spent 17 years at Boden, most recently in the role of director of merchandise planning and systems. At Loaf, he will be responsible for the dayto-day running of the business in addition to overseeing logistics and warehousing operations as the company prepares to double turnover in the coming years.

Charlie Marshall, founder and CEO at Loaf, says: “I am delighted to have Neil on board. He joins armed with a wealth of experience having seen it all at Boden, a company that has achieved tremendous growth over the past decade.

He has a strong track record of helping businesses deliver fast, profitable growth, and he shares our passion to deliver an outstanding experience for our customers.

We’ve got big plans in store and I can’t wait for him to get stuck in.”

Founded in 2008, Loaf has become one of the UK’s fastest growing furniture companies, reaching a turnover of £34m in 2016/2017, and qualifying for the ‘Virgin Fast Track 100’ four years in a row. Having opened three destination showrooms in London, Loaf is working on plans to double annual turnover to £80m and open a further 11 showrooms across the United Kingdom.

Serene Furnishings launches lighting division Serene Furnishings is proud to announce the creation of a new lighting division and the launch of its first range of pendants, wall lights and lamps.

The unveiling of this new arm to the Serene business follows eighteen months of research and development.

This took Tasleem Tasab, Serene’s founder and MD - and his creative team - on an extensive journey in to the world of lighting and the trends of different countries, cultures and ethnicities.

The resulting new range is a reflection of that journey, an eclectic mix of the contemporary and the traditional with many

designs displaying a handsome marriage of materials and a touch of opulence; a blend of past, existing and future trends.

Tasleem says: “Serene Lighting is the natural addition to the ever-growing Serene business, which continues to successfully expand in the furniture sector with living, dining and occasional collections, from its position of strength as a leading bed supplier.”

Serene Lighting launches this month with a collection featuring thirty-two ranges of pendants, wall lights and floor/table lamps.

There is something for each of the recognised price-points with the majority of designs tailored to the mid to upper tiers.

BFM offers more help for disabled workers Together with its EU partners, the British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) is going one step further to help companies within the furniture sector who employ disabled workers.

SupportAbility is a follow up of the Working Tri-21 project which developed courses to support people with a disability for roles within the sector.

In the first phase of the project, the BFM has been involved in compiling a report identifying changing conditions in the employment of people living with a disability, following publication of the UN convention (ref: Article 27 in UNCRPD).

Jackie Bazeley, MD of the BFM, says: “The BFM is once again working with its EU counterparts to support SMEs within the furniture industry, who currently employ or may in the future employ workers with a physical disability or mental illness.

“The report looks at current resources within the sector, identifies good practice and achievements and aims to identify where alternative training for managers and staff can help improve outcomes.”

The document also looks at the current capacity of international and European policy to deliver support for people with disability in the SME labour market. It includes a summary of individual country reports from Spain, Portugal, Turkey and the UK. Jackie continues: “Our focus now is to research and develop a central bank of useful information and references which can be used by companies across the sector. We believe that, once completed, it will prove a really valuable resource. Once established the project emphasis will then shift to developing resources/courses to support management teams in furniture SMEs.”

Highgrove Beds appoints new sales manager

Richard Shaw

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Highgrove Beds Group has appointed Richard Shaw as its area sales manager covering the East and West Midlands region.

Richard has more than 20 years experience in the bed industry, having worked in similar roles with Silentnight Group and Simmons Bedding.

Head of marketing, Shane Harding, says: “Highgrove is delighted to have Richard on-board and I’m sure that he will provide excellent service to our existing customers.

“He will also help strengthen our brand presence in the Midlands as we look to further increase market share in this area.”

27/09/2017 11:51

MALivin

visit our showroom at 231 Spen Lane, Gomersal BD19 4PN Sales enquiries: sales@maliving.co.uk

www.maliving.co.uk

ORIS

The Oris is a classic chesterfield inspired bed handcrafted with the finest deep buttoned detail.

Displayed here in a rich woollen grey complimented with black and chrome castor legs.

SCALA

Designed and hand crafted by our senior upholsterers the very simple but elegant Scala bedframe shown here in a mink velvet complimented with dark mahogany legs.

FN 343 Pages.indd 91 MALivingOct17.indd

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10 | News

NBF launches retailer supporter programme at the Bed Show The National Bed Federation (NBF) has launched a new initiative specifically designed for retailers who stock NBF approved beds and bed products The NBF Retailer Supporter Programme was officially unveiled at this year’s Bed Show, Telford, where retailers could collect a free point of sale (POS) pack from the NBF’s Village Green stand near the main entrance.

The supporter programme is designed for retailers to promote their support of NBF Approved manufacturers and the NBF Code of Practice. To qualify as a ‘supporter’, at least 50% of their beds’ floor display must be from NBF members.

The free POS package includes a large window vinyl with the ‘Proud To Stock Beds Made By NBF Approved Members’ stamp of approval, plus, vinyl logos for internal showroom use, stickers to highlight selected products and pyramid shaped show-cards to explain why consumers should buy beds made by NBF Approved manufacturers.

The supporter package also includes a USB stick containing free marketing artwork for retailers to produce their own offline and online marketing material and two, newly developed consumer videos for use on retailers’ websites and social media platforms. The short, animated videos highlight the potential dangers and pitfalls of buying cheap mattresses from the doorstep ‘white van man’, or from unscrupulous internet traders and offers advice on why consumers should ‘look for the big tick’ on NBF Approved brands.

Going forward, the NBF is looking to develop a listing of supporting retailers on its website to enable consumers to locate their nearest one.

Retailers that qualify for the Retail Supporter Programme are encouraged to sign up and use the new logo and marketing material in all their offline and online promotion and social media platforms. Those retailers that are interested can get in touch directly by emailing simon@bedfed.org.uk or calling 01756 799950.

Bed champions celebrate award wins

Richard Shaw, area sales manager, Highgrove Beds Group

Bakaert Deslee, winner of the Judges’ Choice Award Six bed industry champions celebrated at the National Bed Federation (NBF) Bed Show Gala Dinner in Telford after winning industry awards.

The winners were Hypnos for Bed Manufacturer of the Year (over £10m turnover); Duvalay for Bed Manufacturer of the Year (under £10m turnover); John Cotton Group for Bed Component Supplier of the Year; Bensons for Beds for Bed Retailer of the Year (over £5m beds turnover); Prestige Beds for Bed Retailer of the Year (under £5m beds turnover). The Judges’ Choice award went to BekaertDeslee.

Runners up for the Bed Manufacturer of the Year (over £10m turnover) were Highgrove Beds and Harrison Spinks; Vogue Beds for Bed Manufacturer of the Year (under £10m turnover); Rawson Fillings for Bed Component Supplier of the Year; Archers Sleepcentre and Leekes for Bed Retailer of the Year (over £5m beds turnover); and The Carriage for Bed Retailer of the Year (under £5m beds turnover).

Now in its seventh year, the highly sought after Bed Industry awards recognise the companies considered to be ‘best in class’ in the last 12 months.

The winners were chosen, from a bumper crop of entries, by an independent panel

of judges including Richard De Melim (Furnishing Report), Roy Beagent (Minerva), Peter Mallinson (AIS), Bernard Eaton (Greenwood Retail) and Jessica Alexander, executive director of the NBF. Jessica Alexander says: “The standard of entries, in all categories, was very high and the gap between winners, runners up and other entrants was very small. Everyone who entered should be very proud of their achievements whether or not they were winners.

“The determination to do better, the innovation, investment and progress being made demonstrates just what a vibrant and exciting industry this is and why we should all be justly proud of it!”

The awards were announced to the winners

by Meera Syal at the Bed Show’s Gala Dinner (19th September) at the Telford International Centre, attended by more than 500 people from the industry.

Simon Spinks, president of the NBF, says: “We’ve been holding these awards for seven years now and yet it never fails to amaze me what our industry is capable of. The awards just go to show that we are all constantly innovating, strengthening and adding to our offerings – it’s fantastic to see, and be a part of. Well done to all the winners.”

Mike Crowshaw

Changes at the Furniture Industry Research Association and Darren Crowshaw, joint MDs, Breasley

The Furniture Industry Research Association hosted its Annual General Meeting last month, which signalled some changes to the Council which governs the Research Association.

Two new members were elected to the Council - Nigel Punshon, sales director, Hille Educational Products, and Alan Bennett, MD, Stuart Jones.

In addition it was announced that Margaret

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Miller, chairman of Knightsbridge, was retiring from the Council. Also stepping down from their Council roles are Andy Corbett, Dave Huss, Jeremy Stein and Richard Stevenson.

Speaking on the council changes, Charles Vernon, chairman of the Furniture Industry Research Association, says: “Firstly I would like to extend a warm welcome to both Nigel and Alan. Their skillset and backgrounds will very

much complement colleagues on the Council, as we continue in our work to support the furniture supply chain through knowledge, research, information and influence.

“Secondly, I would like to thank Margaret, Andy, Dave, Jeremy and Richard for their contributions to the Council, and wider research association, over many years’ of service. Their support has been very much appreciated.”

27/09/2017 11:51

Home

Home Inc. - Wholesalers of Premium Quality, Contemporary, Indoor Furniture Ranges to the Trade We have recently completed the installation of a showroom at our new warehouse at Riverpark (behind the Etihad Stadium in Manchester). If anyone would like to view some pieces there ahead of the trade shows in January, please contact Alistair to arrange an appointment.

We have also recently developed some exciting new ranges involving new and innovative ceramic surfaces.

We will take pleasure in releasing further news about these products in future editions of Furniture News.

Showroom & Warehouse Riverpark Trading Estate, Riverpark Road, Eastlands, Manchester M40 2XP Please contact Alistair on: 0800 772 0807 or info@homeinc.co.uk

www.homeinc.co.uk FN 343 Pages.indd Home IncOct17.indd11 1

27/09/2017 07/09/2017 11:51 11:00

12 | News

Oak Furniture Land opens Romford showroom Oak Furniture Land, one of the UK’s largest retailers of solid hardwood furniture, opened its first showroom in Romford on Saturday 9th September 2017, and its 22nd store in the South East.

Featuring a mezzanine floor, the 13,320ft² showroom is located at the Gallows Corner Retail Park. The new showroom has created seven new jobs and forms part of the company’s on-going expansion plans.

The new Romford store features over 19 ranges, including the St Ives range – a classic country style. The showroom also features a large range of its sofas and armchairs, all with 100% hardwood frames and strong high grade steel serpentine spring bases for support and durability.

David Forrest, regional manager at Oak Furniture Land, says: “We’re delighted to be opening our first store in Romford, this will be our 22nd store in the South East.

Our South East customers have been loyal to us over the years and were are looking forward to extending out 100% solid hardwood furniture offering to customers in the area. We know when customers shop with us they return time and time again, and we are looking forward to serving our Romford customers for many years to come.”

The store is located at Unit 1 Gallows Corner Retail Park, Colchester Rd, Romford, RM3 0AD. The Romford store opening times are Monday to Friday from 9am to 8pm, Saturday from 9am to 6pm and Sunday from 10.30am to 5.00pm.

New appointments at Devonshire Pine and Oak

Steve Upperton, sales director, Devonshire Pine & Oak

Directorate change at Dunelm Dunelm Group, one of the UK’s leading homewares retailers, has announced that John Browett will be stepping down as chief executive, with immediate effect. Dunelm has made good progress over the last two years during John’s tenure, however the next phase of growth requires different leadership.

Andy Harrison, chairman, says: “I would like to thank John for his contribution to the business and the strategic progress made under his leadership, most notably the exciting acquisition of Worldstores.

“We will immediately start a search for John’s replacement and, in the meantime, I will provide interim executive leadership, supported by Will Adderley, our deputy

Breasley announces new management structure Breasley Consumer Products has confirmed its new management structure following the retirement of MD Stuart Hibbert last month.

Stuart was a 50% shareholder of the consumer division of the Breasley Group and has sold his shares back to the Crowshaw family business.

Brothers Darren and Mike Crowshaw will become joint managing directors of the Breasley Group with their father, Alan, taking on the role of CEO. Darren will be heading up the sales division and Mike will be responsible for operations. Mark Hughes will continue as

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As part of Devonshire Pine and Oak’s ongoing program of commercial improvements, the firm has appointed Steve Upperton as its new sales director. It has also appointed Adam Canham to its design team, and, as part of the shakeup, Andy Waddell assumes a new role as operations director.

“I am delighted that we have appointed two excellent new senior team members.

Both come with fantastic experience and will help Devonshire reach the next level of our planned development,” says Andy Waddell.

Steve Upperton, who has held a number of senior positions in the interiors industry, says: “I am very excited to be joining such a fantastic British manufacturer. I have been very impressed both with the factory and the quality of the 18 ranges of painted, oak and pine.”

North Devon-based Devonshire Pine and Oak is one of the country’s largest manufacturers of pine and painted cabinets and is also a leading supplier of oak furniture.

Breasley Consumer’s sales director.

Darren Crowshaw says: “Mike and I have been involved with Breasley Consumer since day one and the very first vacuum packed mattress that rolled off the production line some 12 years ago. It is amazing to see how the business has grown under Stuart’s leadership but with the support of the team around us we are very much up for the challenge of emulating his hard work and success. On an operational level nothing has changed, so business will continue to run as usual.”

chairman, and Keith Down, our CFO. “Dunelm remains the market leader in homewares and we have ambitious and profitable growth plans to continue building the UK’s biggest and best multi-channel homewares retailer.

“We have a very strong executive team in place to make this happen, and the Board remains confident in the Group’s future prospects.”

John Browett says: “I am pleased to have led the development of Dunelm over the last few years and feel that we have achieved much in a challenging retail environment. It is, however, time to move onto a new challenge, and I am looking forward to the next chapter of my career.”

Mike Crowshaw and Darren Crowshaw, joint MDs, Breasley

27/09/2017 11:51

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14 | News

Myakka remains ethical leader in UK furniture market Myakka is celebrating its fifth year of a perfect score in research compiled by the Ethical Company Organisation (ECO).

Widely accepted as the benchmark for assessing businesses’ corporate social responsibility the ECO’s research indexes each company according to certain factors tailored to industry sectors. For Myakka’s Furniture sector there are seven factors including environmental impact, the timber sourcing policy, human rights and animal welfare.

Myakka’s full marks in the research findings puts the company right at the top of the list, ahead of large, well known, high street retailers.

Georgie Hopkins, founder and director of the company, says: “We are immensely proud of our working practices so it is great

to be recognised in this way. We started the company 18 years ago with a basic business premise of trading with people as we like to be dealt with ourselves and keeping our environmental footprint as small as possible.

This award proves that it is possible to build a successful business on ethical foundations.”

Kat Alexander, director at the ECO, says: “Five years of perfect scoring in this rigorous research is a major achievement.

Myakka is one of our highest-ranking Ethical Accreditation members and we hope that this independent endorsement continues to benefit the successful development of the business.”

Myakka is also included in The Good Shopping Guide, produced by the ECO to provide clear information on companies.

Duvalay secures Chinese brand license agreement Yorkshire-based sleep expert Duvalay has secured a brand license agreement for its premium Hilary Devey collection and new Rosalia collection. Working with Broadbrand International, the agreement will see the collection launch into the Chinese market later this year.

An expert in manufacturing, Broadbrand International will take over the production on the collection in China, but will work alongside Duvalay on marketing activities and brand development to ensure the success of the collection.

Thomas Colleran, brand director at Duvalay, says: “Entering into a brand license agreement with Broadbrand International marks a new chapter in Duvalay’s history and will see our brand enter new markets.

“We’re excited about the possibilities of our collections being available to over a billion people and the new opportunities that this

poses.

“Duvalay will continue to manufacture the Hilary Devey and Rosalia collections for the UK and Western markets from our Yorkshire base, ensuring we continue our ethos of British made.

Jeremy Waller, director at Broadbrand International, says: “The Hilary Devey and Rosalia Collection has a strong Western presence and is supported by excellent marketing and POS which will help us to achieve market penetration within China.

“China has a strong tradition of being excellent at manufacturing and we’ll be honouring the innovation and heritage techniques that go into every Duvalay mattress.”

Broadbrand International has already successfully launched western products into China including, Stanley Power Tools and DuPont.

Emma mattress continues to achieve European recognition Following victories in the Netherlands and France, the Emma mattress has now been awarded as the best mattress in Italy by the leading consumer magazine Altroconsumo.

This makes Emma one of the first mattresses to be awarded as the besttested mattress in three European countries. Add to this the fact that Emma mattress recently received the coveted Which? Best Buy award by the largest consumer group body in the UK, it is clear to see Emma is impressing with its quality mattress.

Consequently, the company is continuing on its fast-paced growth path and is now expanding to Italy and Spain. Just one and a half years after its inception, the popular Emma mattress is now available online in ten European countries, and with the help of strong partners will also be available in retail stores in five countries by the end of the year.

This European success is also reflected in the figures – in August alone, around 10,000 Emmas were sold. This is an increase of 150% compared to the previous year.

In its first full year (2016), Emma generated an income of €15m in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Emma is now on an ambitious path, and in the second fiscal year, sales are expected to more than double.

habitat.co.uk launches Click & Collect homewares service Habitat now offers its online customers the choice of picking up their purchases in a convenient location at the time of their choice, or continue to have them delivered direct to their home. This will make buying Habitat homeware easier and more convenient than ever before.

Following a major upgrade of the habitat.co.uk website 18 months ago, Habitat is improving the service it offers to its rapidly increasing online customer base. Over 60% of Habitat’s sales originate online and the retailer is evolving its multi-channel strategy to ensure it offers

FN 343 Pages.indd 14

customers great products and service whenever and wherever they want to shop.

Habitat’s Click & Collect service will cover over 3000 products from the Habitat collection such as lighting, small flat-pack furniture, textiles, tableware and decorative accessories.

The service is available from over 2300 DPD Pickup collection sites including over 200 Sainsbury’s supermarkets, as well as Habitat’s own stores in London, Leeds and Edinburgh.

Clare Askem, Habitat’s MD, says: “The way our customers want to shop with us is changing and we’ve worked hard at evolving

our digital offer at pace to meet this demand.

Over 60% of our sales are now generated online so giving customers the choice of fast delivery to a collection point close to where they live or work at a time that’s convenient makes sound business sense.

“Our customers increasingly want speed, flexibility and choice and our aim is to develop the Habitat brand into a multi-channel business for the digital age, more accessible to an increasingly online customer base and to provide a flexible delivery proposition that works around modern life.”

27/09/2017 11:51

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FN 343 Pages.indd 15 1 SherwoodOct17.indd

27/09/2017 13/09/2017 11:51 09:45

16 | Interview

The importance of a broad vision Furniture distributor Global Vision Direct sources and produces handmade solid wood and upholstered furniture, with two separate and clear offerings – wholesale and trade. Bruna Martins, head of sales and administration for trade, talks Furniture News through the background of the business and its aims within the furniture marketplace.

Tell us about the history of Global Vision Direct Amit Basu is the founder of Global Vision Direct Limited. He started the furniture import and export business from a garage office, cowshed factory and jungle floor infrastructure in Jaipur, Rajasthan, in India in 1997, with just £450 of scholarship money earned during his school days.

India-born Amit is now a British resident though remains an avid globetrotter owing to his varied business interests. He has an MBA in International Marketing Management, backed by a specialisation from London School of

Economics.

Amit had made his first million living in India before he turned 30. However, he has chosen Britain as his true home because of, in his own words, the greater opportunities, rewarding culture, fairness and freedom the country has offered him.

Global Vision is now a multi-million pound company and we ship to more than 12 worldwide markets. We have storage units in the UK and the US – and are soon to have one in Germany – backed up by a fully-integrated and compliant 70-strong team working in the factory based in Jaipur, India.

What type of product does Global Vision offer?

Handmade solid wood and upholstered furniture. We offer more than 400 product choices offering over 50 fabric and more than 25 finishing choices.

We are fortunate to be catering to large wholesalers and retail stores in various worldwide markets.

For trade, we offer over 150 product designs and to avoid conflict of interest we never sell exclusive wholesale products to trade account holders, thereby offering two separate product choices to both the sections of the industry.

Bruna Martins

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What is the inspiration behind the business?

The inspiration behind the company was to offer a worldwide platform for skilled artisans to be able to sell and distribute

Solid wood drum chest

Scandinavian round Tweed footstool

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Tweed Chesterfield armchair

quality handmade products at a fair value, thereby enhancing their living standards and skill sets.

Over the years the core inspiration is still a part of our DNA, however we have gradually evolved with a judicious mixture of man and machine.

a 100% internet compatible source of handmade products in all aspects of trade – design, packaging, pricing, compliance as well as innovation.

We aim to open logistics centres in India by the end of this year and Germany by Q2 of 2018.

What makes Global Vision different from the competition?

Amit’s, and Global Vision’s, big break came when he decided to concentrate on pinewood furniture, quite simply because pine timber did not exist in India! After first importing pine from New Zealand and creating a now-iconic fusion between Indian metal jali furniture and European designs, the stage was set for a massive leap forward.

Our approach towards competition is a bit different from others. We view the entire industry and our associates as collaborators and there is an opportunity to everyone to create a niche market.

How are the two divisions of the business branded?

We have a carefully-crafted branding strategy for our company. All wholesale orders are shipped out directly from our factory thereby offering the most economical price point and highest flexibility in terms of exclusive product offerings and customisation and delivery choices.

This core service is branded under Global Vision and caters to worldwide wholesale customers who are looking for an economical price point for their large volume exclusive sourcing requirements.

On the trade side, we offer a no frills account – no customisation, minimum order value or quantity and with a free delivery.

What are the business’ aims?

Global Vision as a company strives to be

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This is branded under Artisan Furniture and this service is currently available in UK offering over 150 SKUs and will be expanded over to the US & EU in next few months.

What is the biggest company-wide development currently underway?

We have a lot to look forward to at the moment. We are currently in the midst of transforming ourselves from a conventional wholesale supplier to a 100% internet-based wholesaler for trade.

We are redefining the conventional bricks and mortar wholesale side of the trade as we strongly believe that the golden era of conventional wholesale is all but over!

Currently 40% of our sales are generated by internet-oriented wholesale customers. We expect this figure to cross 65% in next two years and should attain 90%+ in next three to five years.

In other news, we’re super excited about moving into our newly-acquired central London office situated in Westminster this winter.

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18 | Interview

What are your thoughts on the current state of the industry?

We strongly believe that the industry is in a very decisive state of equilibrium. We refer to it as – shape up or ship out!

The companies who are able to take advantage of the current transitional headwinds will reap rich dividends and the late adaptors will be compelled to lose their position.

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And what about the state of retail?

We believe the retail industry is changing rapidly and a clear trend is emerging which is a combination of online and offline activities.

We robustly believe the storage and logistics side will be the only physical component of the entire chain whilst shopping and customer experience will go digital.

What trends are you experiencing at the moment?

We have definitely noticed a tangible trend change within our worldwide customer base. Products are getting more and more internet friendly and the ordering frequency is now in smaller batches as compared to the corresponding number a few years ago.

Colonial Monks bench

What are the company’s future plans?

Our plan is to amalgamate the offline and online experience and offer a consolidating platform to our worldwide customer base to swiftly and efficiently buy our products and services irrespective of the volume or scale of their businesses. This will enable us to cater to wholesalers as well as e-tailers and expand over the next few years.

Global Vision remains a proud contributor to the British economy. We have a carefully-controlled global growth strategy in place and we are ready, willing and able to respond to future opportunities and challenges.

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20 | Interview

This month, the homewares website in the spotlight is www.sorsharosedesigns.com – Furniture News explores the practices and philosophies behind the enterprise ...

Clickthrough > Sorsha Rose Designs Georgina Saunders, founder Sorsha Rose Designs offers fresh, innovative and custom handmade designs, primarily focusing on footstools. All the company’s products are handcrafted in the UK using British suppliers.

Why visit your website?

Sorsha Rose Designs aims to offer fresh, innovative, custom handmade designs focusing on footstools. In comparison to what is offered on the market at the moment, I wanted to create something that stands out but also at an affordable price for a bespoke product. A footstool can be a statement in its own right and not just an afterthought. Hopefully my designs inspire and add style to any room.

How did you enter this industry?

My background is in fashion buying. I went to university to study it and worked in the industry for four years, but always wanted to run my own business one day.

My parents were looking for a footstool for their living room and after searching the high street, there seemed to be little choice.

My philosophy on purchasing anything is that you need to instantly love it in order to buy it! After noticing this gap in the market, I decided to give it a go myself. I produced my first footstool, selftaught, and it was a hit. From there, a few days later, I had a vision to create a range of stylish, on-trend stools. Sorsha Rose Designs was then born.

Who is your e-commerce hero?

I absolutely love Swoon Editions. I think we have aligned philosophies, their website is easy to shop and the product is amazing. They make it really easy for the customer to purchase from them and include the personal touch with information about the maker on every product. This way you feel like you are purchasing a unique design. They have

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really good delivery and returns, just making the whole customer experience enjoyable and hassle free.

Describe a typical working day I usually get up around 8am, make myself some breakfast and then head to my desk – I work from home so my commute is minimal! I will check my emails, traffic to my website, social media and also Pressloft and Not on the High Street. Work on a day-to-day basis varies so much depending on what projects I am working on at the moment.

As I am a one-man-band, I cover everything from marketing and PR, photoshoots, to sourcing all the materials at the best price and actually making the footstools. I make sure I set a key agenda for the day and what I want to achieve to keep myself focused and on track.

What part of your job would you prefer to avoid?

Before I set up Sorsha Rose Designs, I always thought I was a good photographer, however still life photoshoots are a completely different ball game. I now appreciate what photographers do so much more and how hard it is to get that perfect shot with the perfect lighting and staging. This would be the one thing I would definitely outsource as the company grows.

What has been your greatest challenge to date?

Being a first time entrepreneur, every experience is new to me. It was definitely daunting leaving a secure job with regular income for something completely unknown.

Although I have experience with buying and selling, sourcing materials and suppliers, most other areas of the business are new to me and each brings its own challenge. But I absolutely love what I do now and wouldn’t change it for the world.

How much do you invest in making your site more visible?

I currently sell all my ranges on Etsy and Not on the High Street so that often drives traffic to my website. But mainly it is through social media – I spend at least 30 minutes every day going through Instagram being active to gain followers and trying to bring awareness to my website. I also have a couple of friends that have helped me with SEO for the website.

What’s your take on how the relationship between online and physical retail might develop?

Online will continue to grow as well as multi channels via mobile and apps. I think it is hard with furniture as it is generally higher priced items which the customer can’t physically see or touch. In addition there are the difficulties of the ease of distribution and returns incurring major costs for retailers.

What are your growth plans for the business?

I am aiming to grow my business significantly over the next year. I am constantly developing new products and designs to ensure I stay on trend and relevant, as well as continuing to try to get my product seen by the right people.

I have drawn up a business plan so hopefully this will keep me on track.

What advice would you offer an aspiring e-tailer?

Persistence and patience. I spent months creating my first range, building my website and setting everything up for the launch.

When you finally launch you feel on top of the world and then you wait for the sales to come in. This isn’t going to happen straight away, it takes months to build up your brand – something which I am still learning myself!

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M 22 | Events

REVIEW

LONG POINT CONTINUES TO GROW The Long Eaton Guild’s recent Long Point exhibition has shown a noticeable rise in attendance, with visitors interested in sourcing high quality upholstery and cabinet furniture.

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eld in the upholstery heartland of Long Eaton, Long Point exhibition the has grown in recent years and now includes the likes of Parker Knoll, Westbridge and most recently G Plan, as well as Guild Members such as Duresta, which exhibits from its own Long Eaton-based showroom.

Guild Member Gascoigne Designs

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used Long Point as a launch pad for its Cosmopolitan collection – 10 completely new models which retain all of the build quality associated with a Gascoigne piece while designed to appeal to a wider market.

Both Wade Upholstery and Cintique enjoyed an increase in attendance over the four days of the show, and launched both new

models and fabrics.

Guild chairman Simon Wade says: “We are particularly pleased with the attendance given the amount of shows taking place across the course of the week. It proves that Long Point has retained its appeal as a destination to see the finest in UK-manufactured product.”

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24 | Events

REVIEW

AUTUMN FAIR PUTS PRODUCT AND TRENDS UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT Thousands of retailers, large and small, visited this year’s Autumn Fair to source new products and learn about trends for the year ahead.

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resenting high-quality gifting and homeware, this year more than 1300 UK and international suppliers were present at Autumn Fair, as independent retailers and buyers from UK and overseas – including Canada, Germany, France, Netherlands and Spain – looked for inspiration ahead of the next big gifting and home occasions.

With orders for Christmas a priority and retailers planning what ranges to stock in spring 2018, Autumn Fair presented a vast array of products from toys and gadgets through to lighting and soft furnishings. Not only that, it provided invaluable sessions

designed to help retailers grow their businesses.

Highlighting the importance that the retail industry puts on Autumn Fair, over four days, buyers from Tesco, Fenwick, Wayfair, Debenhams and John Lewis paid a visit to the event, along with independents retailers like Steamer Trading, Follie, House of Cards, Inside Out and Everything Rosy Interiors.

The new Inside Retail Hub proved to be a popular destination throughout Autumn Fair. A series of workshops took place, with retailers able to learn about creating professional instore displays, utilising social

media channels and improving engagement with customers.

At the Trends & Inspiration Catwalk, daily fashion shows took place, presenting the latest colours, accessories and clothing lines from Autumn Fair exhibitors. Global trends forecaster WGSN also gave its first ever live presentation at the event, highlighting the trends it believes will come to the fore in spring and summer 2018.

With the inexorable rise of online shopping, bricks and mortar stores need to evolve in order to prosper. The Master The High Street Theatre – run in association with Brands of China – provided advice from some leading experts,

Jibe black velvet three-seater sofa and Houndstooth fabric occasional chair, Libra

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26 | Events

including Jeremy Corner of Blue Eyed Sun who spoke about how to future-proof your business against the digital high street.

Spotted around the various sectors in different guises were llamas, flamingos, unicorns and mermaids – suggesting a playful and youthful direction for the latest consumer trends. One exhibitor leading the way with these trends was contemporary gift brand Sass & Belle.

British homewares brand Libra (www. thelibracompany.co.uk) introduced two brand new collections at this year’s event – Halcyon and Pioneer.

Inspired by the decadence of the 1920s Art Deco period, Halcyon combines sleek occasional pieces in steel and glass with iconic shell chairs and retro kidney sofas upholstered in sumptuous velvets. Accessories include a collection of stunning ceramic vases in delicate geometric and chinoiserie patterns as well as a range of designs in glass and steel.

Conjuring images of an explorer’s private study, Pioneer’s colonial-inspired look features rich woods and handstitched leathers. Well-crafted metal furniture has been hand finished to emulate traditional bamboo designs that are stylish, yet sturdy.

Mandarin Arts (www.mandarinarts. co.uk) has been supplying orientalinspired gifts, furniture and accessories for over a quarter of a century and in recent years, has developed a strong focus on decorative porcelain. Its recent display of table lamps at the Autumn Fair showed the diversity of the range where classic traditional styles sit alongside the vibrant colours of contemporary China.

With the peak season for lamp sales fast approaching, sales were brisk, but the company reports they are well-stocked for the winter with over 60 designs available for immediate delivery.

One of Mandarin Arts’ most popular pieces is a richly-coloured porcelain vase lamp featuring silvered cranes on a deep red base, which is accompanied by a choice of luxury shades. Butterflies, blossoms and birds seem to be customers’ favourite themes.

Mandarin Arts’ pieces draw their inspiration from traditional Chinese painting styles that date back to as early as the 10th century, but the theme still looks just as fresh today.

A lamp featuring sparrows among fruit blossoms is at the smaller end of the current range which includes over 60 designs available straight from stock.

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All lamps come complete with shades, plugs and switches and orders of £400 or more are rewarded with free delivery on the UK mainland.

Louise Young, divisional director for retail at Ascential, which runs Autumn Fair, says: “This year’s Autumn Fair has seen exhibitors step up again in how they present their latest ranges. In particular, Home, Lighting and Contemporary Gift provided retailers with a feast of visual theatre in terms of styling and the many

room sets now incorporated on stands.

“The show also offers retailers an imaginative range of gifts for Christmas across all price points. Taking advantage of the weak pound, retailers from the US, Europe and more travelled to the event to view the many product ranges that are exclusive to Autumn Fair.”

Spring Fair, the sister event to Autumn Fair, will run from 4-8th February 2018, with Volume opening one day earlier.

W autumnfair.com

Mandarin Arts offers unique oriental-inspired gifts, furniture and accessorieS

Table lamp, Mandarin Arts

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MADE IN THE UK

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28 | Events

PREVIEW

BRUSSELS FURNITURE FAIR REACHES A MILESTONE

H a a f

Brussels Furniture Fair will celebrate its 80th anniversary this year, and Lieven Van den Heede, general manager of the fair, explains what visitors can expect from the event.

What is special about this year’s show?

The Brussels Furniture Fair will have its 80th edition this year.

This makes us one of the oldest professional furniture fairs in Europe, if not the oldest. To celebrate the occasion, we have invested in a new logo, house style and website.

The contemporary design looks anything but 80 years old and we are very happy with this update.

We will look a bit to the past, but more towards the future. There will also be a special showcase about the collaboration between Belgian manufacturers and designers and what it means for our industry.

How will the show differ from last year’s?

The new branding will of course influence how the show will look.

However, the real innovations will come from our exhibitors. They will show their new collections, and I have already seen some very interesting developments. It’s not necessarily about new models, but more about storytelling and making it easier for the customer to come to a decision.

Who are some of the top exhibitors, and are there any new names for this year?

We are very happy with the rising attention we get from UK brands.

Tetrad was at the event last year, but is doubling its stand size this year. Apparently their success has been inspiring others – Baker Furniture and The English Chesterfield Company will also be attending. Other names that will be interesting for our British visitors are Mintjens, MTE Theuns, Recor Group and Rom from Belgium.

Natuzzi is coming back and will show the world premiere of its new shop concept in Brussels.

Other Italian names are Calligaris, Egoitaliano, Calia and Max Divani.

The latter will launch a new brand for sofabeds, but the name is still a secret.

Traditionally, the German names

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30 | Events

are also very strong in Brussels, with big stands from Himolla, Rauch, Nolte, Hukla, Polipol, Wiemann and Wimex. From Scandinavia we have Furninova, Lifetime Kidsrooms, Hjort Knudsen and IMG Norway, a part of the Ekornes group.

Can you report on any trends which are arising?

Consumers do not want a complete dining set or bedroom. They buy a dining table from one manufacturer, chairs from another and cupboards from a third. They want control over their own life, and the house they live in.

Personalisation is very important, especially if you want to compete with cheap imports from Asia or Eastern Europe.

Who is expected to attend?

Last year 61% of our visitors came from abroad, mostly from the Netherlands, France, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Brussels is on the

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crossroad of different cultures, of southern flair and northern austerity. This is reflected in the collections on show, and also in the visitors.

There is something for every taste. I hope to welcome some more British visitors this year, even if the vagueness about the Brexit is not good for commerce – on both sides of the English Channel.

I will be satisfied if visitor numbers are stable, with a shift towards more foreign visitors.

They are more often bigger shops with more money to spend. In the end the result for our exhibitor is positive.

What is the show’s strategy moving forward?

We aim for a personal connection between us and our exhibitors.

Most of them, we know very well.

We like to keep our feet on the ground and try to make it as easy as possible for our them.

Secondly, we want visitors to feel welcome in Brussels. So in

addition to the paying restaurants of the fair ground, we offer them free drinks and snacks in our own bars. We also invest a lot in the decoration of the fair, with inspirational trend passages between the halls and a nice atmosphere all over.

What makes visiting this show an all-round enjoyable experience?

Visiting a fair abroad is not only about the fair itself. Most foreign visitors stay overnight, which in the case of Brussels adds to the experience. With lots of affordable hotels, a vast choice of good quality restaurants and plenty of bars to have a drink after dinner, you can combine business and pleasure.

On our website, we give you some suggestions of places we like. While you’re there, go and have a walk in the center of town.

Brussels’ Grand Place is one of the most beautiful squares in the world, and amazes every time.

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32 | Events

PREVIEW

FRESH LOOK FOR JANUARY FURNITURE SHOW A smart new look to the event, an updated website and a fresh marketing campaign means that planning for the 2018 January Furniture Show is in full swing. The four-day furniture and furnishing exhibition returns to the NEC in Birmingham from 21st-24th January.

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ith a new hall identity and boasting more exhibitors than the previous three years, the show will again be a destination event for the whole of the UK furniture industry. In excess of 500 companies will exhibit, ranging from new and developing brands that are first time exhibitors, to long established brands with plenty of show experience.

Halls 1 and 2 will be named Premium Design, and will feature high-end and contemporary UK and international brands, with all the favourites including Duresta, Baker, Italia Living and Skovby returning.

Hall 2 will also be home to the Flooring Showcase as before, but will be joined by the Fabric Pavilion this time around.

All things colourful, bright and decorative will remain in hall 3, the Decorative Accessories hall, as it becomes awash with lighting, art, mirrors, soft furnishings, ornamental items and kitchenware delivered by some of the biggest names in interior furnishings including Libra, Pacific Lifestyle and Gallery Direct.

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Hall 4 will be the Living & Dining Hall, and will be the place to be for mainstream living and dining furniture. New looks and designs for every type of home will be on display from big names including the German giants of inventive bedroom storage and wardrobe systems - Weimann, Rauch and Nolte.

Joining them will be UK experts which produce a great variety of affordable collections, including VIDA Living, Heartlands and Value Mark.

Hall 5 will again be home to some of the giants of upholstery, beds and mattresses. Known as Living & Beds, this hall sees the return of Buoyant, Lebus, Scan Thor, Hestia, MiBed, and Breasley among many others. With their products furnishing thousands of UK homes, hall 5 will be a hotspot for buyers with new designs on every stand.

It isn’t just the halls that will have a smart look. The new show website will feature a new and advanced product search, a facility to make a favourites list and see where exhibitors are in the show, as well as detailed information about the exhibitors and their products. There will also be an enhanced news section with up-to-the-minute information about new products and show highlights.

Contract buyers will be able to get information in advance about companies that are geared up to the unique demands of contract orders and supply, and those that can offer tailor-made packages for large-scale projects or individual schemes.

Laraine Janes, co-director of the January Furniture Show, says: “The 2018 show will be full of excellence. The show has grown in size and stature over the last three years and is a must-attend for serious buyers in the UK. Our exceptionally high rebooking rate proves that we have the right formula for suppliers and buyers, and we are looking forward to a busy and successful show.”

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34 | Events

PREVIEW

LONDON FABRIC SHOW RAISES ITS GAME Chelsea FC will again be a hotspot for connoisseurs of upholstery and soft furnishing fabrics as the BFM-hosted London Fabric Show returns to the prestigious football ground on 26th and 27th of February 2018.

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eturning to the London Fabric Show is a strong contingent of famed Belgian fabric producers, including Beaulieu, Greenstreet, Muvantex, Escolys, Annabel, Ter Molst and Symphony Mills. Joining them will be other leading fabric producers and suppliers, including, among others, Antecuir and Interfabrics from Spain, Arruma Trapos from Portugal, Aydin and Adoksan from Turkey and Art of the Loom and

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Abraham Moon from the UK. Over 35 exhibitors will again display their new designs in Chelsea’s executive boxes and suites, including a few new names to be announced shortly.

A must-visit for UK upholstery manufacturers, the show is an important fixture in the calendar and saw a record number of visitors this year.

Contemporary jacquards, colourful velvets, modern tartans

and bright cottons and linens will all be on display, giving buyers plenty to choose from.

Shown alongside them will be a large selection of up-to-theminute FR treatments and backing fabrics.

Registration for the 2018 show will open in mid October and full information on the exhibitors and visiting can be seen on the show website.

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36 | Resources

What does Brexit mean practically for furniture businesses – particularly those sources products from within the EU? 528 Advisory’s Nigel Ransom explores the issue further.

How will Brexit impact sourcing from EU suppliers?

There are two key areas of legislation which affect the relationship a business will have with its Continental suppliers – the single market enables suppliers to send their goods from any EU country to another without tariffs or import duties, and the customs union sets the standard paperwork and agreements for the transportation of goods across the EU and beyond. It mandates that all countries set standard tariffs for goods coming in from non-EU countries.

The options available to those who buy supplies from within the EU, are either to do nothing – hiding under the duvet does seem attractive, but I don’t recommend it – or take two years to prepare.

Although we don’t know what the new agreements will be in detail, we do know what the possible extreme outcomes are. From a practical point of view there are a few simple steps which, if taken now, will help mitigate the risk, whatever final agreement emerges from the negotiating team.

Looking at the single market and customs union alone and putting aside challenges such as standards and other regulation, there are three basic scenarios that should be considered in mapping the impact to Continental suppliers of Brexit.

One is that we remain in the EU and there is no change – this seems unlikely at the moment.

Two is that we get no deal and revert to World Trade Organisation rules – this again seems unlikely, and although it would mean paying tariffs and charges on some goods, it also gives the UK access to non-EU markets, for those same goods and services – currently priced out of consideration by the EU’s import duties.

Three is the removal of access to low cost labour from Europe.

The potential major reduction in the availability of low cost labour from Europe may cause price increases for some goods, either directly or in the supply chain.

So, what are the practical steps companies should do now?

Given the complexity in modern supply chains, the list of suppliers each company produces is likely to be quite long. Each organisation’s knowledge of its suppliers will be fully tested and more likely involve liaising with suppliers to establish the latest cost assumptions and supply chain challenges.

Sequencing the list The list needs to be sequenced by each company in order of importance. This is likely to identify the supplier with the biggest impact on costs escalation for the goods and services you sell onto your customers, either as finished goods or larger sub-assemblies and components.

Analysis of the list Each supplier on the list needs to be looked at in turn. Dependent upon the challenges faced there are a number of strategies and remedies, which can be applied to reduce the impact of Brexit cost increases and, ideally, identify some of the cost-saving opportunities.

Pricing the changes For each supplier, each of the mitigation options should be priced, as an increase or decrease to the unit cost. The benchmark to measure each contingency against is to stay with the same supplier, transacting in the same way but applying WTO tariffs rather than single market trading.

Completing the first pass of this work will enable companies to identify the biggest cost increase, risk and opportunities available to them and focus scarce resources on managing them appropriately.

Once completed this analysis will give managers: • An understanding of the impact of Brexit on your suppliers and inbound supply chain with expected costs, both increases and Supplier segmentation decreases From your supplier list, starting with direct, but also including the • An understanding of the options available to buyers and critical indirect, identify and segment your suppliers. suppliers to offset some, or all, of the costs and impact of Brexit Suppliers should be identified by: under the worst-case scenario • Being an EU company supplying goods or services from an EU • Ability for buyers and suppliers to start contingency planning country and mitigation actions • Being a company which is reliant on significant raw materials or • A clear view of which suppliers are already mitigating the risks components from the EU, segmented by % of price of the goods and costs of Brexit supplied • Identification of new suppliers from outside of the EU, which • Being a company which is reliant on the availability of low cost were previously not competitive labour from EU, segmented by % of price of the goods supplied • Ability to work with new suppliers to take advantage of • Identification of items sourced from outside of the EU but improved pricing once Brexit is completed which transit via land through the EU, including goods transiting • A document that can focus and support involvement with trade through Rotterdam. bodies to resolve and minimise the negative impact of Brexit on your business and sector • A working document that you can evolve and THE AUTHOR be updated as the negotiations proceed.

Nigel Ransom is from 528 Advisory (www.528advisory.com), By taking action now, it is more likely you which works with CXOs and their direct reports to set the can mitigate the effects of Brexit, and perhaps foundations, direction and governance for a successful even find ways to benefit from the changes ahead acquisition and/or company transformation. of us.

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Boyte

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38 | Resources

Conducting research to gain a proper insight to the buying and browsing habits of customers is a crucial first step in building a successful e-commerce site. Ben Morgan, head of commercial at Pricesearcher, explains why.

Mobile first: what you need to know Statistics gathered recently by price search engine Pricesearcher. com found that a vast majority of internet browsers conducted research via a smartphone or tablet, with a mere 21.25% visiting on PCs and laptops. This simple fact emphasises the need for any respectable e-commerce website to be fully mobile optimised.

The British furniture industry is a lucrative one, with consumer expenditure alone at £16.2b per annum. Figures from international marketing group St Ives show that 24% of consumers purchase furniture online, making the UK’s online furniture sales worth around £3.9b every year. Can you really afford to miss out on your slice of this prolific pie because of poor web design? Here are our top simple but effective tips to maximising the profitability of your website.

they will not stick around for long. Don’t forget to enable easy zooming on your page as well, so that customers can get detailed impressions of the products they are browsing.

Keep it simple Making a website fit for mobile use starts with the removal of unimportant features, so think about the relevance of your home page.

Many furniture retailers dedicate their home pages to imagelinked promotions that the customer can click on and explore further, but this is not so practical on a mobile device, which inevitably has a much smaller screen and limited agility. So prioritise the content of the site while ensuring it is easily navigable.

Give thought to fonts With most of the pretty features of your original site now gone, it can be tempting to play around with fonts just to glam the site up a bit, but avoid this at all costs. Don’t forget that the screen is significantly smaller, and so particular bold or slender font styles may be rendered illegible.

It is also important to ensure that the font and background colours contrast enough to be easily read, but not to the point of giving customers a headache. Here it helps to keep it simple - standard Arial text in black on a white background is fine and most professional-looking.

Function over fashion Furniture retailers like to make their websites pretty and eyecatching, with a selection of their finest prints and patterns on sample for decoration.

However, everything needs to come back to functionality in e-commerce, so keep design minimalist. It is wise to replace pretty features with ones that help customers out, such as search bars and product categories, as these help you to compact the website.

Touch and tap An easily overlooked but pivotal detail is that visitors to your mobile website will not be making selections with the accuracy of a computer mouse - they will be clicking and swiping with their fingertips, which means precision suffers. With this in mind, it is important that you carefully size and place your buttons so that they can be selected with ease and without mistake.

If customers are unable to make the selection they want or select the wrong button because it is too close to another,

No pop-ups If there is one feature that has to go, it is the pop-ups. These are annoying enough on a full-size computer screen, so on a mobile device they are simply maddening, and will cause an astronomical bounce rate. In addition to this, they are detrimental to loading speeds and generally serve to frustrate the customer. If you absolutely must keep a pop-up, make sure it serves a worthwhile purpose, is unintrusive, and is easily navigated away from.

Check it first A dress rehearsal is a must before your mobile site goes live.

There are hundreds of mobile devices out there already and the market is growing tremendously, which can cause difficulties in determining the precise look of a site on various devices.

This is why it is wise to outsource this final stage to a reliable tool that simulates the experience of a site across devices and browsers. By taking such measures, it is easier to identify and iron out any errors, and gives you the peace of mind you need before going live.

Invest on a mobile version of your site Google is working on its mobile-first index, which will basically rank sites based on their mobile version regardless of their desktop ranking. Google announced in 2015 that more searches are taking place on mobile devices than on computers in 10 countries including the US and Japan. It has been said that if a company does not have a mobile version Google will use their desktop version to rank them within the

THE AUTHOR Ben Morgan is head of commercial at Pricesearcher (www.pricesearcher.com), a free and unbiased product search engine, including prices from retailers, marketplaces, price comparision sites and more.

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search results, but can you afford risking sales for not being able to rank high up on the search results?

Proactive companies should allocate resources into creating a mobile version of their site following consumer search trends.

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Wood

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40 | Resources

As sales start and unsold stock piles high in backrooms across the UK, Cloud EPoS innovator Ian Tomlinson of RetailStore argues that there is a simple solution to the mass problem of dead stock.

Sales season, dead stock and decisive technology – how retailers can win the inventory battle In an industry where brands are battling for space in the consumer’s psyche through constantly trying to keep up, grab attention, deliver experience and answer impatient demands, top lines have been taking a hard hit and the British weather has as ever played its part.

It is these battles that have ultimately led to strained bottom lines as many who haven’t stepped up to the technological omni-channel mark are beginning to stand out and their sales begin to drop out.

There are lots of ways to protect that essential bottom line such as pushing for sales with clever CRM, a savvy digital strategy and that all-important paid for presence on socials.

But perhaps the oldest solution that is the easiest to fix with the right system in place, is being able to buy and produce more e�ectively and e�ciently, and therefore limit the amount of stock sitting dead in the warehouse or store room when the end of the season comes along.

Measurable success is usually defined by how full-price stock is sold and how that amounts to the full percentage of sales for the season. Average industry standards are around 60% of stock being sold at full price and the remaining 40% at sale price.

But when those slashed priced items don’t fly o� the shelves and instead sit in a warehouse or on the shop floor, what happens next?

It’s a problem that is costing retailers – in particular independents – huge amounts of vital cash that needs to be freed up for a variety of reasons. Instead, the stockroom holds the cash and the next season starts slower and more abridged.

The knock-on e�ect can be disastrous.

A Cloud-based EPoS system, which o�ers a holistic view of stock, sales and demand, has a role to play in solving the problem.

Neal’s Yard Remedies – one of the UK’s leading organic skincare brands – recently switched to RetailStore’s platform after they found that traditional system silos, re-ordering of products and forecasting and thus manufacturing was problematic. Add to that the fact that they didn’t use synthetic ingredients, with many orders placed as much as 24 months in advance.

Jason Cook, head of IT says: “You can’t have fresh herbs sitting around on the shelves for months waiting for production, neither can you have product going out of date or

being unsold because of a lack of stock data. That’s what was happening and that is what needed to change.

“We migrated to an intelligent Cloud platform from RetailStore, powered by Cybertill, which now helps us be certain we get the ingredients we need, to manufacture them and get them to the shop.

“The whole cycle really relies on having good information, such as what your sales patterns are going to be so you can forecast what your growth is going to be. Our supplier orders are now placed based on intelligent data enabling our entire manufacturing process to become leaner. It just makes more sense.”

Addressing purchasing and becoming more lean in the approach to inventory is key. However, without intelligent data from the likes of RetailStore, human heady predictions can be both costly and damaging – not only in terms of dead stock, but caution can halt the brand’s full sales potential.

Jason adds: “For us, we’ve seen a worth in having all our data stored in one place, not only for stock but also for promotions and a more holistic view point when it comes to franchises, concessions, stores and the business as a whole, including mail order and e-commerce.”

The switch to Cloud was one that had a fundamental impact on the business and while they and other retailers still need an element of excess inventory to provide a level of flexibility for their consumers, the cloud has delivered a solution to the problem of out-of-date and wasted stock on the shelves.

Jason continues: “We’ve stood by watching competitors who fail to embrace this new shift in consumerism to a more multichannel approach.

“Meanwhile we’ve seen the vast improvements this new intelligent approach has brought to the business and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

“Despite still being a relatively small skincare business, we’ve looked at what both consumers and larger competitors are doing - their behaviours and their demands and we have embraced change.”

So as the sales season kicks into full swing this month, isn’t it time that you embraced change so that the stock room is slick and dead-stock free for when March comes about in 2018?

Driving footfall into your store may be valuable over the next six months, but preventing piles of stock that won’t sell is more important we think. Don’t you?

THE AUTHOR Ian Tomlinson is a Cloud EPoS innovator at RetailStore (www.retailstore.co.uk), the one platform, one solution cloud retail management system specifically designed for today’s complex and challenging multi-channel retail world.

FN 343 Pages.indd 40

27/09/2017 14:58

ILLUMINATE YOUR UNWANTED STOCK

END OF LINE SECONDS RETURNS

FN 343 Pages.indd 41

 MFA.BID

EX-DISPLAY OLD STOCK PROTOTYPES

27/09/2017 11:51

42 | Update

Nimbus Dining in Ledum

CORNDELL MAINTAINS ITS REPUTATION Since the 1970’s Corndell has been at the heart of the furniture industry, a trusted and reputable supplier known for its well-crafted ranges of living, dining and bedroom furniture.

One of the most successful Corndell ranges - Nimbus, has been, for years, a must have oak product. It has over 400 SKUs across dining, living, home office and bedroom, plus mist, oiled, satin and dark finish options, and a wooden and metal handle.

This key USP of choice means that Nimbus provides the retailer with a product range with real depth. This attribute has become increasingly attractive as consumers have grown in confidence, either demanding matching products across a variety of rooms, giving a sleek consistent look to their home or aiming for a mix and match of finish and handle choice.

The reliability of Nimbus also allows consumers to collect the

FN 343 Pages.indd 42

range over a longer time period, attracting them back to their original Nimbus stockist again and again.

With Corndell’s expert understanding of global design trends and specialist finishing capability, the next step in the Nimbus journey was to test the application of Corndell natural paint colours. A sensitive, light-handed paint application was crucial, to enable the fine oak grain to still make an impact through the colour.

Inspired by the Cotswolds countryside on the business’ doorstep, the Corndell palette includes a range of striking shades created to complement both country chic interiors with their

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Update | 43

Nimbus Lamp Table in Charcoal

mix of natural textures, and sophisticated urban spaces which require a softness to offset the brightness of rooms flooded with light.

The Nimbus colour selection features four colours which are available on every piece in the range, the first of which is Ledum – inspired by a herb with a pale green leaf. It works well against the red brick and different textures and is a soft contrast to an oak top.

The Ivory paint colour helps emphasise the crisp cabinet detailing. The chalky whiteness looks fresh and new and creates a completely different aesthetic for the range. As a contrast to Ivory, Corndell has introduced Charcoal, a rich, deep grey with its darkness providing an ideal foil to smooth oak details.

The final colour in the set, Pewter, is a subtle, soft grey. This modern shade looks striking mixed and matched with Nimbus in Mist finished oak and sits well with ontrend soft furnishings in various shades of grey and woven textures.

Every item in the Nimbus range is available in the painted colour options, and the price for these new colours is in line with the current oiled, mist and dark finishes.

T 01993 776545 W corndell.com

Nimbus Medium Bookshelf in Chalk

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Inspired by Nature ...

•

FN 343 Pages.indd 1 44 CorndellOct17.indd

01993 776545 • corndell.com •

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Fairford in Oiled Oak

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27/09/2017 13/09/2017 11:52 14:09

Introducing . . .

Cheltenham. A masterpiece.

Inspired by a gently authentic vintage, Cheltenham, with it’s beautiful, hand carved details is a truly stunning bedroom. Finished in Oiled Oak or painted in Pewter, Chalk or a soft grey Cotton.

The pale veneer, curving design features and soft hand painted colour choices create a traditional feel but with a truly contemporary edge.

T: +44 (0)1993 776545 www.corndell.com

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Discovering ...

Black Steel and Solid Oak

Waxed Oak Finish

Individual and unique raw edge

White Oiled Oak

•

FN 343 Pages.indd 48 CorndellOakmillOct17.indd 1

01993 776545 • corndell.com •

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Oakmill

Slab or Steel leg options

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50 | Update

Evoke light walnut and white

CIMC’S LUXURY APPEAL CIMC Home presents three of its most sought-after Premium furniture ranges – Evoke, Apollo and White Manhattan.

Effortless luxury can be incorporated into the home or office with chic, clean-cut White Manhattan furniture, featuring sleek mirror panels and striking white lines. This range is ideally suited to modern spaces, constructed with high levels of workmanship.

This modern design provides ample storage space with large drawers that glide on high quality metal runners.

The Apollo Champagne and Silver furniture collections, inspired by ancient Roman architecture, can be used to effortlessly create a bright, elegant look. A sturdy foundation and generous drawer space combined with the mirrored surfaces adorned with clear cut crystal handles and velvet upholstery, makes this range both practical and stylish.

The impressively-crafted Evoke range matches the everpopular curved furniture trend, available in a cream or dove and charcoal grey finish. Its robust construction and lacquered finish ensures years of durability and efficiency, adding an element of stylish functionality to the room.

CIMC takes special care in the packing of its products, to ensure they arrive to the customer in great condition. CIMC Home stocks thousands of classic and contemporary products for the home,

FN 343 Pages.indd 50

including upholstery, occasional furniture, lighting and home accents, including rugs, mirrors, clocks, wall art and decorative items. Its supply of quality statement pieces, designed specifically to complement high-end furniture, have drawn a range of furniture stores and interior designers to CIMC Home.

CIMC’s buyers travel across the world to bring customers a wide choice of distinctive home accessories, with each collection conveying a unique style, reflecting the latest trends that complement modern and period interiors equally so retailers and interior designers can choose the pieces which best fit their customer’s needs and tastes.

CIMC has created a variety of roomsets in its showroom in addition to its online Be Inspired collections, where customers can explore new trends, discover fresh styles and find the ideal furniture and accessories to dress different ranges. CIMC can also be found at a range of home and furniture exhibitions, including the January Furniture Show.

CIMC’s ranges are suitable for any room of the home, as well as making a striking addition to offices, restaurants and hotels.

W cimchome.com

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WWFS

3 colours

Three and two

£590

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200cm width

Three and two

£189

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£485

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120cm width

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Top quality pieces to suit all tastes! www.worldwidefurnituresourceliverpool.co.uk Worldwide Furniture Source 198-202 Breck Road, Liverpool, L5 6PX T: 0151 263 5392 E: wwfsltd@gmail.com

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52 | Profile

Gatsby, Tetrad

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Profile | 53

Duflex

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT FOR THE BELFIELD GROUP The Belfield Group is a leading manufacturer of upholstery, mattresses and soft furnishings, supplying to the retail and leisure industries. Made up of five dinstinct divisions, the group is moving from strength to strength, and is set for continued growth following substantial investment and a recent acquisition.

With its head office in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, The Belfield Group – recently rebranded from Belfield Furnishings – was established in 2002 by Paul Millership. The group is formed of five separate brands, including upholstery names Westbridge Furniture and the newly-acquired Tetrad, mattress business Duflex, made-tomeasure curtain and ready-made cushion brand Design Studio and leisure industry-focused cushion and curtain business Belfield Furnishings.

Approaching an impressive £200m turnover, the group employs around 2000 people. As the largest of The Belfield Group’s divisions, Westbridge Furniture accounts for £100m of this revenue and around 1400 employees based at its Flintshire site. The upholstery manufacturer was founded in 2005 and is one of the main employers in the Flintshire area.

Westbridge has three large sites in North Wales totalling over 500,000ft² of production, design and office space, and owns two cut and sew operations in Romania. Manufacturing in excess of 10,000 pieces of upholstery a week, Westbridge has a diverse range of over 1500 fabrics and leathers which are sourced throughout Europe and Asia. A member of SATRA, Westbridge also has a fully-accredited upholstery test facility.

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Westbridge’s design director Steve Olds has been with the business since its inception, and works with a strong team of development technicians to find design inspiration at both UK and international events and ensure that the business’ products are being manufactured competitively. The solid management team also includes joint MDs Paul Islip and Nigel Holifield, and sales director Nichola Bell.

The Belfield Group acquired Tetrad earlier this year in order to develop upon the success already achieved by Westbridge, and the two brands will work together to find synergies and aid in each other’s growth. Established 45 years ago, Tetrad specialises in the manufacture of quality sofas, chairs and stools, and has an annual turnover of around £17m.

Having wanted to add another innovative upholstery brand to the portfolio for some time, Tetrad fit the group’s requirements in the fact that it sits at the top end of what The Belfield Group represents. Now, the group’s aim is to leverage its design resources and operational facilities in order to take Tetrad to the next level. In addition, the group is looking to exploit Tetrad’s well-established export channels for its other divisions, Westbridge in particular.

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54 | Profile

Moving to The Belfield Group’s mattress offering, Castle Donningtonbased Duflex is a supplier of vacuumpacked mattresses, with a turnover of around £40m. Formed in 2005 originally as a foam manufacturing business, the mattress-in-a-box company now produces foam mattresses for Ikea, major brands Eve and Emma and the i-Sleep branded mattress for Argos.

Duflex is extremely well-invested with state-of-the-art equipment for converting foam and efficient manufacture of rolled mattresses, and sources its covers from Turkey and Pakistan, where they are cut and sewn before being shipped to the UK. Like all other areas of the group, the business is backed by a strong management team, including MD Paul Glynn and production director Tina Tombs.

The last two divisions of the group, Design Studio and Belfield Furnishings, centre around the same product area but supply to different markets. Whilst Belfield Furnishings deals with the leisure industry – occupying 60% of this market and creating a yearly revenue of around £23m – Design Studio’s UK made-tomeasure curtains and off-shore-sourced ready-made cushions are supplied to major retailer M&S as well as independent retailers.

Design Studio has an annual turnover of around £12m, and maintains quality control of its products through its own Chinese sourcing office. MD Gareth Coxall joined the business 12 months ago and works alongside an impressive design and development team, with excellent systems and investments in place.

The Belfield Group’s recent rebranding

Sofia, Westbridge

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Profile | 55

Design Studio

incorporates the strapline ‘Design, delivered’, signifying the business’ welldesigned commercial products at all areas of the market, teamed with an excellent on-time delivery record.

The group prides itself on its positive employee culture, with workers being rewarded, vitally, for quality as well as output. This strategy has served the group well, allowing it to retain a number of long-serving employees. In addition, management visibility is a crucial aspect to the group’s modus operandi.

FN 343 Pages.indd 55

Looking ahead, the group’s aim is to continue to develop organically, whilst looking for potential new upholstery acquisitions which fit in with the business’ growth strategy.

In addition, the group will consider the potential of exhibiting at European events should the export opportunities develop. With the group on a seeminglyunstoppable upwards trajectory, it is clear to see that The Belfield Group’s future is looking bright.

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Steve Hampton CEO

FN 343 Pages.indd 156 BellfieldOct17.indd

Belfield Furnishings Peter Leary, MD

Design Studio Gareth Coxall, MD

Duflex Foam Paul Glynn. MD

www.belfieldfurnishings.com 01159 071 700

www.belfielddesignstudio.com 01159 071 700

www.belfieldfurnishings.com 01332 815 770

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DESIGN DELIVERED

Westbridge Furniture Paul Islip, MD (Commercial)

Nigel Holifield, MD ( Operations)

Steve Olds Design Director

www.westbridgefurniture.com 01352 714 131

FN 343 Pages.indd 57

Tetrad Janus Cooper, MD

www.tetrad.co.uk 01772 792 936

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Design Delivered

FN 343 Pages.indd 58 1 WestbridgeOct17.indd

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www.westbridgefurniture.com Tel: 01352 714131 Unit 29, Greenfield Business Park Bagillt Road, Holywell, Flintshire CH8 7FF

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Go global Are you looking to develop business overseas?

The International Alliance of Furnishing Publications (IAFP) is a 20-yearold association comprising the leading trade publications – based on editorial quality and circulation – from 19 countries worldwide.

Its aim is to assist its members, and their advertisers, to better communicate with foreign markets. When promoting or seeking information from abroad, the IAFP network is the one to trust.

Furniture News has been the UK member publication since 2012, and has since helped its readers and advertisers reach high-quality foreign information, contacts and readership.

Contact Samantha Horscroft on (+44)1424 776100 to find out more.

www.iafpalliance.com

Member publications

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16 15:28

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62

Sweet Dreams (www.sweetdreamsuk.com) launched a host of new product at the Bed Show, with luxury and choice the keynotes to the new beds on offer for 2017-18.

Sweet Dreams is offering a wider choice of colours to divan bases than ever before in the luxury collections. To bases in Royal Pillowtop there is now a choice of four colourways, and two colourways to the bases in Pocket Air. In the Well Being collection, distinct again and with a range of fascinating new stories, there’s a choice of three divan base colourways.

The Well Being beds include Magnarest

Well Being Magnarest, Sweet Dreams

German bedroom manufacturer Wiemann (www.wiemannuk.co.uk) has developed its Multiplus walk-in wardrobe concept, ideal for consumers wanting to maximise every inch of space in the home.

The updated sliding robe collection now features the option of two fixed central panels to create the impression of a false wall, against which users can place a bed and still have access to the smart walk-in storage behind via doors either side. The ingenious concept is packed with hanging space, shelving and drawers and is delivered in a space of less than 110mm depth.

Simon Hewitt, MD of Wiemann’s UK agency, Litmus Furniture, says: “Multiplus was such a design hit with both retailers and consumers that we decided to extend our offering. The new false wall allows consumers to make the most of their bedroom and offers a clever space-saving solution. The range can also be dismantled and easily transported when consumers move.”

Multiplus is available in a variety of finishes including alpine white, champagne and havana and comes with the usual compilation of bedside cabinets and storage drawers.

FN 343 Pages.indd 62

BEDS & BEDROOM Latex 2000, offering magnetic therapy for better sleep with this 2000 count pocket spring bed with added latex. The magnetic field within the mattress cover is proven to reduce stress, increase deeper sleep and relieve aching muscles and joints, while latex is yielding and supportive like memory foam, yet cooler.

Gwen Cashmere from the entirely refreshed Enchanted collection is one of three new pocket spring encapsulated divans, with a comfortable pillowtop and diverse natural materials included within the fabric of the cover and/or the fillings.

Gwen contains cashmere fillings for warmth and softness and 1000 pocket springs. The mattress features luxurysoft, microquilted fabric to the pillowtop and border, and the colour of the pillowtop under-fabric is reflected in the divan base and matching headboard.

Four other mattresses in the collection comprise foam blocks, three of which sport additional memory foam or latex of varying depths.

All these beds and many more are featured in the brand new 2017/18 Sweet Dreams brochure.

Gwen Cashmere, Sweet Dreams

Multiplus, Wiemann

27/09/2017 11:52

Silentn Studio

Proud to have been awarded Which? Best Buy

It’s one of the best mattresses we’ve tested in years

Awarded for the Medium comfort mattress

This “exceptional” mattress “wont restrict your movement” and prevents overheating though the night, “its breathable enough to allow moisture to pass through”, thanks to our unique Geltex inside comfort layer.

Our Studio mattress is available in three comforts softer, medium or firmer because one comfort doesn’t suit all.

For more information call 01282 851111 or visit silentnight.co.uk/studio

Handmade with care in the UK

FN 343 Pages.indd 63 Which?.indd SilentnightOct17.indd 1 Studio Furniture News 1

Peace of mind 5 year guarantee

We’re convinced you’ll love your mattress

Brought to you by the UK’s most trusted bed brand

27/09/2017 15/09/2017 09:36 17/07/2017 11:52 09:43

64 | Beds & Bedroom

The Shire Bed Company’s (www.shirebeds.co.uk) Active Response Breeze, from its second generation Active Response range, optimises the body’s natural thermoregulation through smart fibre technology. A Thermo Cool cover helps to evaporate moisture faster while hollow fibres allow for enhanced air circulation. Its multichannel surface facilitates moisture management and provides an added evaporative exterior.

Also in the second generation Active Response range are Active Response Fresh, Active Response Care, Active Response Cool plus the Opulence 300 and Elegance 1500.

The Shire Bed Company produces beds, mattresses and divan bases and supplies nationally and internationally to major retailers and the contract sector including education, care and hospitality.

Central Furniture Manufacturing (www.centralfurnituremfg. co.uk) is a family-owned and operated wholesale furniture making company based in Birmingham. It is known throughout the furniture industry for its design-led ranges and handcrafted appeal.

Central Furniture’s affordable, customer-led pieces can be found online at top retailers and in stores and retail outlets across the country. Central Furniture’s aim is to produce furniture that makes its retailers profit and gives the end user years of satisfaction.

Central Furniture designs and manufactures a wide range of quality bedroom and lounge furniture from its factory in the heart of England. From modern contemporary designs to classic styles, Central Furniture offers a style to suit most tastes.

The key to Central Furniture’s ongoing success has been largley due to its ability to rival its competitors in an increasingly challenging market. The company’s readyassembled products are delivered to its customers quickly and efficiently, and Central Furniture prides itself on its customerfocused service.

Active Response Breeze, The Shire Bed Company

Hyder Living (www.hyderliving.com) has launched Emily, a stylish fabric daybed featuring two guest beds.

With button-back upholstery and stud finishing in a modern grey fabric, Emily works well in both contemporary and traditional interiors, bringing versatility and a luxury look with the reassuring quality that comes with all Hyder living styles. Emily can be supplied with Hyder’s UK-made mattresses or frame-only and is an ideal new line for stores as the run-up to Christmas begins.

Biny Hyder, director at Hyder Living, explains: “Emily is a really stylish way to accommodate guests all year round, but as the countdown to Christmas begins and homeowners start thinking about plans and having family to stay, it’s a great time to introduce it as a new line in-store.

“Great value and excellent quality, it’s a far more practical solution than normal daybeds, thanks to the clever slide-out bed that doubles capacity yet remains completely hidden when not in use.”

In-stock and available for immediate

FN 343 Pages.indd 64

Newport Mussel, Central Furniture

Emily day bed, Hyder Living

delivery, Emily continues Hyder Living’s innovative approach to product development. With ISO 9001 compliance ensuring quality throughout all operations, Hyder Living is constantly looking for ways to deliver products that meet high standards. A member of the National Bed Federation and British Furniture Manufacturers Association, the

company has some of the best operational protocols in the industry.

With depth of product including UKmade mattresses and headboards, also available to specification as white label styles, Hyder Living can provide retailers with a product line that meets the needs of customers through quality, value and excellent service.

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65

Newport Mussel, Central Furniture

+44-20-8904-0333 • info@ecofurnishings.co.uk

www.ecofurnishings.co.uk We will be exhibiting at the January Furniture show.

For sales, promotion and stock availability, please register with us online.

ECO Furniture Limited, Unit 2, Main Drive, East Lane Business Park, North Wembley HA9 7NA EcoOct17.indd 1

14/09/2017 12:17

Our Modern Living Portfolio of beds and mattresses are designed as contemporary statement pieces offering fashionable furniture in bedroom indulgence.

Designed to offer a perfect nigh of luxurious sleep, the quality and comfort of the Natural Touch range, is hand crafted using natural cotton fillings surrounding a pocket sprung mattress, available in 1000, 1500 and 2000 pocket.

Deluxe products enthuse with quality and craftsmanship and support all our customers with product marketing and knowledge from an experienced sales team.

For more information on our range of product or to become a stockist, contact us on +44 1484 427 373, or email: enqurires@deluxe-beds.co.uk or visit our website: www.deluxe-beds.co.uk

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1/4 page vertical.indd 1 05/05/2017 14:07

14/09/2017 12:14 27/09/2017 15:14

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FN 343 Pages.indd NM7539 - Steens 2pp66 Furniture News Advert Aug VR2.indd All Pages

27/09/2017 11:52

UK OFFICE / UK SALESFORCE

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THAT COMPLIMENTS OUR OTHER IMPRESSIVE RANGES...

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FN 343 Pages.indd 67

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68 | Beds & Bedroom

SportLine in mustard

HIGHGATE EMBRACES ITS SPORTY SIDE Highgate Beds launched its brand new SportLine collection under its new Medicpaedic range at the NBF Bed Show last month.

Medicpaedic has been developed as a brand under the Healthopaedic logo, and in launching this, Highgate Beds hopes the range will be something for everyone, and bring a new element to the company.

Now Highgate Beds has launched the new Medicpaedic SportLine Zero Gravity range. SportLine infuses the first generation Zero Gravity technology with the recently-developed second medical generation.

In launching this new addition to the already-successful Healthopaedic brand of Zero Gravity range of products, Highgate Beds hopes to bring brand awareness to retailers and consumers alike, and to show that it is proactive with its in-house developments.

This new comfort zone technology works to enhance the body’s natural cooling mechanism. The fabric is specifically drywicking - designed to ensure that cooling properties are working

FN 343 Pages.indd 68

throughout the night in order to keep the body temperature regulated.

In cool situations the thermal elements of the fabric technology will also help the sleepers to stay warm - in any event the body is always temperature regulated. The vibrant SportLine range shows all of the technology of the fabric.

Directory Zahid Ayub’s concept for SportLine came to life after seeing the popularity of the fabrics of trainers, and his love of vibrant colours in the bedroom. It has worked out well for the direction of the Zero Gravity technology range of mattresses, ensuring the loud and on-trend designs are eye-catching on shop floors.

SportLine is now available in a range of brand new thermoregulated fabrics. This ensures all needs are covered within the Healthopaedic brand.

W highgatebeds.com

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Highg

It can only be…

T + 44 (0) 1924 454 678 E info@highgatebeds.com

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MIXED CONTAINERS

hand glazed finish FN 343 Pages.indd 70

DISPLAY DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE

exposed bolts

27/09/2017 11:52

www.globalhomegroup.com Mixed Container Programme Our mixed container programme offers items of twenty collections with no restrictions and no minimum order quantities, which cuts down stock holding requirements and speeds container loading.

fully mixed container programme! competitive pricing price stability

sliding doors

easy online ordering facility fast container loading full UK back up stock for container programmes new and convenient UK showroom Global Home UK

The Old Goods Yard, Rear of Truro Station, Station Road, Truro, TR1 3HH 01872 223523 | info@chfhome.com

Global Home Ireland

Unit 7a Mastertech Business Park, Athlone Road, Longford, Eire 0043 334 9694 | sales@globalhomeireland.com

Global Home London

Unit 136 Clocktower Road Industrial Estate, Isleworth, TW7 6DT 0203 417 7240 | cpdirect@hotmail.com

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NEW

COLLECTION 168

hand glazed finish

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exposed bolts

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www.globalhomegroup.com

Global Home UK

sandcast turnbuckle components

The Old Goods Yard, Rear of Truro Station, Station Road, Truro, TR1 3HH 01872 223523 | info@chfhome.com

Global Home Ireland

Unit 7a Mastertech Business Park, Athlone Road, Longford, Eire 0043 334 9694 | sales@globalhomeireland.com

Global Home London

Unit 136 Clocktower Road Industrial Estate, Isleworth, TW7 6DT 0203 417 7240 | cpdirect@hotmail.com

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NEW

COLLECTION 172

exposed tenon joint

extra chunky top

extra chunky legs FN 343 Pages.indd 74

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www.globalhomegroup.com

hand waxed finish

Global Home UK

The Old Goods Yard, Rear of Truro Station, Station Road, Truro, TR1 3HH 01872 223523 | info@chfhome.com

Global Home Ireland

Unit 7a Mastertech Business Park, Athlone Road, Longford, Eire 0043 334 9694 | sales@globalhomeireland.com

Global Home London

Unit 136 Clocktower Road Industrial Estate, Isleworth, TW7 6DT 0203 417 7240 | cpdirect@hotmail.com

FN 343 Pages.indd 75

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76

LIVING ROOM

NT living, Kettle Interiors

The NT collection from Kettle Interiors (01536 444960) has introduced designer Danish style without the price tag and it continues to be a strong seller in the supplier’s portfolio of oak furniture.

Made for dining and occasional use, the NT collection was developed by Kettle Interiors to meet the demand for Scandinavian-style furniture, bringing a modern yet relaxed feel. It was the first collection to feature a new lacquer finish

that has now been adopted on key A/W 2017 introductions for the brand.

With a full range of items, including sideboards, extending dining tables, bookcases, TV cabinets and more, the NT collection is available from UK stocks for immediate delivery across the UK. Through wholesale, stockist and container supply packages, the range brings impressive value for singlesite and multiple-site retailers alike.

Burnham Chair, Wood Bros

This autumn, Wood Bros (www. woodbros.co.uk) will be touring the UK with its showvan to present best-selling upholstery designs that have been updated with new specifications. They will be featuring new fabric stories such as sophisticated stripes, fresh florals and cosy pure wools from Abraham Moon. Old Charm occasional and new dining designs will also be on show later on in the year.

Autumn promotions on upholstery and occasional have just begun in-store to support these collections.

FN 343 Pages.indd 76

Pickering Sofa, Wood Bros

27/09/2017 11:52

Kettle

DESIGNER DANISH STYLE WITHOUT THE PRICE TAG

The NT Collection The NT Collection brings designer Danish style without the price tag. This oak dining and occasional collection comes in our new light lacquer finish, for a look that’s winning fans across the country. Selling fast, the NT Collection is in-stock and ready for fast delivery.

Order the NT Collection for the first time today and enjoy display discounts!

Container prices illustrated

Mainland UK Orders Kettle Interiors Agencies www.kettleinteriorsagencies.com

Ireland Orders Decor Furniture Ltd info@decorfurnitureltd.com 028 3844 6000 I ROI Dedicated: 01 9014285 www.decorfurnitureltd.com

01536 444960

sales@kettleinteriorsagencies.com Container

FN 343 Pages.indd 177 KettleOct17.indd

Stockist

Wholesale

27/09/2017 15/09/2017 11:52 13:31

78 | Living Room

Moroccan- and Art Deco-inspired products, Pacific Lifestyle

Tea Caddy lighting collection, Pacific Lifestyle

Klarity Glass (www.glassfurniture.co.uk) presents a striking glass furniture range which has been meticulously curated by a specialist team of creatives. It offers a selection of quality products designed and manufactured using fine materials. With many items also available in bespoke sizes to meet precise requirements, Klarity Glass’ furniture collection is one of the most comprehensive glass furniture collections in the UK. Klarity is built on design and manufacturing know-how. Klarity is not only a retailer of glass furniture, but is also a highly trained designer and manufacturer. With over 15 years of experience in the domestic and contract furniture market, Klarity is well positioned to offer customers help and advice during the buying process.

FN 343 Pages.indd 78

Featuring unique, vibrant and colourful interiors, Pacific Lifestyle’s (www.pacificlifestyle.co.uk) new Tea Caddy lighting collection is inspired by the company’s current trend, Kalypso.

Fresh from the pages of Pacific Lifestyle’s 2018 Lighting brochure, these intricate Chinoiserie, gilded bird and honeybee designs are hand painted onto black, turquoise and rich red bases, creating five staple pieces that make a statement.

The lights can be teamed with the company’s own brand shades, be it hand pleated, or the more contemporary

cylinders.

In addition, Pacific Lifestyle’s Moroccan- and Art Deco-inspired products feature hand-finished, metal lighting designs which have been globally sourced for a true artisan feel.

Bold and authentic, the lamps have taken inspiration from the Moroccan Souks, the Art Deco era and with more than a nod towards the Neo Classical themes, there is something for everyone.

As always, Pacific Lifestyle’s extensive range of in-house-styled shades have a solution for every lamp base, which complements and enhances the look.

Klarity Glass offers unique glass furniture

27/09/2017 11:52

79

Mason and Pearl are an exciting new wholesale supplier of contemporary sofas and chairs.

This October we continue to expand our stylish ranges of accent chairs and modern sofas.

All ranges are carried in stock at our centrally located distribution centre and all products are available with a 2 man home delivery service with no minimum order requirements.

More details can be found at www.masonandpearl.co.uk or by calling 0116 4422363.

MasonPearlOct17.indd 1

14/09/2017 12:08

AVAILABLE FOR LEATHER, FABRIC, WOOD & CARPET

Leather Care & Repair Specialists

DOUBLE THE SIZE-500ML BOTTLES HUGE MARK-UP RRP £39.95 Supplied in boxes of 10

£8

Furniture Clinic has re-launched their range of Ultimate Care Kits designed to clean and protect all leather, fabric and wooden items.

TRADE PRICE!

Unit 10, Hobson Industrial Estate, Burnopfield, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE16 6EA

PER KIT

Tel: 0844 879 3691 Francis McDermott Trade Account Manager Direct Dial: 07484 083196 Email: francis.mcdermott@furnitureclinic.co.uk

FN 343 Pages.indd 79

27/09/2017 11:52

Central Furniture Manufacturing Ltd

C

For a Full Colour Brochure please call 0121 766 8110

Vogue Range

V

Mussel & Gloss Noche Marino

M

Mulliner Works, 154 Bordesley Green Road, Birmingham, B8 1BY

M 1 B

Tel : 0121 766 8110 Fax : 0121 766 7450 Email : info@centralfurnituremfg.co.uk Web : www.centralfurnituremfg.co.uk

T F E W

FN 343 Pages.indd 80 Central Furniture Manufacturing/CFM Advert.indd 1

27/09/2017 27/07/2017 11:52 09:43

Central

17 09:43

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

Vogue Range Mussel & Gloss Grey Mulliner Works, 154 Bordesley Green Road, Birmingham, B8 1BY Tel : 0121 766 8110 Fax : 0121 766 7450 Email : info@centralfurnituremfg.co.uk Web : www.centralfurnituremfg.co.uk

Newport Range Mussel

FN 343 Furniture Pages.indd 81 Central Manufacturing/CFM Advert 2.indd 1

Vogue Range

Nova Range

Walnut & Gloss Black

White

27/09/2017 09:44 11:52 27/07/2017

DINING ROOM

82

The newly-launched Portland four-seat dining set by Seconique (0121 506 4888) has a solid rubber wood table top with an oak lacquered finish and trestle style legs and frame which are available in either cream or grey.

The chairs have features such as an attractive crossshaped back rest and either cream frames, with brown faux leather seat pads, or grey frames with contrasting grey linen fabric seat pads. The Portland set offers value for money at competitive prices.

LW dining, Kettle Interiors

Attention will soon be turning to the run-up to the festive season, so now is the ideal time to begin preparing with brand new ranges from Kettle Interiors (01536 444960).

With the launch of eight new oak ranges this autumn, Kettle Interiors has added trend-led modern and rustic finishes to its bestselling designs. From the almost-raw limewash look of LO to the subtle rustic warmth of CO, there is a collection suitable for every home and each with a complete range of pieces to accommodate any requirement.

Held in stock within the UK for fast delivery across the country in wholesale and stockist services and with best prices for container deliveries, these new collections are ideal for drawing customers’ attention in store. Discounts are available for shopfloor displays.

Portland in cream, Seconique

Christmas Gift Ideas From M&P Chairs

Towel Rail

Slat Back Rocking Chair Ref. 126

High Back Fiddle Granddad Chair Ref. 123

Child’s Rush Seated Chair

Hat & Coat Stand

QUALITY EUROPEAN HARDWOOD (BEECH AND OAK) CHAIRS All available from stock Large or small quantities

•

Finishing services available •

Discount for collection

Email or call us to request a brochure and price list Please visit our website to see our full ranges - WWW.MANDPCHAIRS.CO.UK All enquiries to: Mike Hodgson – mikehodgson@gmx.com • Call: 07802 648383 or Paul Hodgson – paul.holroyd.hodgson@gmail.com • Call: 07469 819520

M&POct17.indd 1

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13/09/2017 10:13

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83

Furniture Trolleys & Display Stands

Call us on 0161 702 7002 Ask for leaflets

Designed to work... built to last.

Steely advert.indd 2

SteelyRichardsonQPOct17.indd 1

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24/01/2012 16:39

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84

TRADE SERVICES

ADP Distribution (www.adp-distribution. co.uk) has provided Alternative Flooring with a professional installation service for its new Curve display stands.

The new Curve point-of-sale is ambitious. This unique display uses graphics, 3D display, a wide screen TV with internet connection and samples. It is not a normal carpet display – which is to be expected from Alternative – and attention to detail is paramount. ADP worked with Alternative to make sure that the visual impact of the stand is second to none, providing helpful solutions to initial installation issues.

Alternative Flooring has received positive feedback from all the retailers where ADP has fitted the stand. In addition, the ADP team has been helpful and easy to have around in a retail environment.

As well as installation, ADP also offers an array of services including distribution, merchandising and overall project management.

Retailsystem manages the customer service process from start to finish

FN 343 Pages.indd 84

A

D

F

H

Alternative Flooring display stand, installed by ADP Distribution

Customer service is so much more than dealing with complaints in today’s marketplace – it is about being pro-active, keeping the customer informed every step of the way and handling any issues in a prompt and efficient way.

Retailsystem (www.retailsystem.com) keeps the customer informed from the moment they place an order, if the user chooses it to.

The online order tracking allows the customer to log in to see the status of their order whenever they choose, but the user maintains control of what they see.

Client analysis has shown that this alone will significantly reduce incoming order chase calls, freeing sales staff to spend more time booking new orders.

The text alerts advising customers of the arrival of their goods and confirming delivery slots is another area where Retailsystem helps businesses to maintain exceptional customer service.

For the times when retailers do receive complaints, the customer service module helps to manage that issue end-to-end.

The module is able to do this by recording action taken by personnel, customer photographs of damage, upholsterer reports or supplier correspondence and replacement re-order.

All this is done whilst allowing all staff access to the information so anybody can help the customer.

H A K D W F H H K W

SC

Full page 834_SCF

Arch A DraD S Furn F HinH Full pag 834_SC HanH KitcK WoW

SCF SH

27/09/2017 11:52 SCF286 Full pag 834_SC Full page.indd

Premier supplier of furniture fixings and hardware

RUBIO MONOCOAT OIL PLUS 2C is a product of the newest generation which colours your wood and protects it in one layer. The combination of the oil (A) and the accelerator (B) guarantees a quick drying. Can also be applied as renovation and maintenance oil on surfaces which are treated with RMC Oil. SPECIFIC FEATURES: • Colours and protects in 1 layer • 40 standard colours that can be blended for unlimited possibilities

Premier supplier of furniture fixings and hardware supplier of furniture fixings and hardware Drawer Premier Runners • Enhances the natural look and feel of the wood

Architectural Ironmongery

• Environmentally friendly: 0% VOC!

SOFT CLOSE MAGNETIC CATCH THE “QUIET MAGNETIC CATCH” Furniture Fittings For a copy of This patent pending catch is specifically designed for high quality inset

cabinetry & furniture, but will work well in any situation that you usecatalogue ourwould new Hinges a standard magnetic catch.

please call us on

• Does not contain any water or solvents • Easy to maintain • No overlaps or starting marks

• Durable protection Handles & Knobs Designed uniquely for SCF Hardware for use on traditional Cabinetry Architectural Ironmongery • Minimal use: 30 - 50 m2/L and doors. The magnetic catch allows for soft closing of butt hinged 01202 857140 Kitchen Hardware doors yet at the same time is easy to open. The two powerful neodymium • Can be applied to all wood or go to our Drawer Runners magnets exert sufficient force to pull in even mildly types, furniture as well as floors Wood Turnings warpedCarvings doors and even& prevent warpage. website (solid wood, veneer, MDF, ...)

Furniture Fittings For a copy of • Very wear-resistant our new catalogue Hinges 5 different finishes: • Water-resistant, ideal for kitchens White oak please call us on and bathrooms Handles & Knobs Cherry Walnut • Heat-resistant 01202 857140 Kitchen Hardware Maple • Very fast curing: 80% in 2 days or go to our Mahogany Wood Carvings & Turnings www.scfhardware.co.uk • A short ‘dry’ maintenance website

period: after 5 days, the surface 2 different sizes: can be cleaned with water and Single (sold in pairs) used in a 1 door application soap SCFDouble Hardware Ltd, Unit 1 Brook Road, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 2BH t: +44 (0)1202 857140 f: +44 (0)1202 884419 e: sales@scfhardware.com (sold singly) used in a 2 door application

Full page.indd 834_SCF Advert1297x216mm.indd 1

www.scfhardware.co.uk

27/03/2014 26/09/2013 13:50 16:58

Architectural Ironmongery Architectural Ironmongery Drawer Runners Drawer Runners SCF Hardware Ltd, Unit 1 Brook Road, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 2BH t: +44 (0)1202 857140 f: +44 (0)1202 884419 e: sales@scfhardware.com Furniture Fittings For aa copy copy of Furniture Fittings For of our new new catalogue catalogue Hinges our Hinges Full page.indd 27/03/2014 834_SCF Advert1297x216mm.indd 1 26/09/2013 13:50 16:58 please call us on please call us on Handles & Knobs Handles & Knobs 01202 857140 01202 or go857140 to our Kitchen Hardware Kitchen Hardware or website go to our Wood Carvings & Turnings Wood Carvings & Turnings website

www.scfhardware.co.uk www.scfhardware.co.uk Hardware 1 Brook Road, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 2BHt: +44 t: +44 (0)1202 857140f: f: +44(0)1202 (0)1202884419 884419 e:e:sales@scfhardware.com sales@scfhardware.com SCF SCF Hardware Ltd, Ltd, UnitUnit 1 Brook Road, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 2BH (0)1202 857140 +44

FN 343 Pages.indd 85 SCF286.indd 11297x216mm.indd Full page.indd 834_SCF Advert 1 Full page.indd 1

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86 | Trade Services

Fleet of Trucksmith vans

Simon Partridge, executive sales and brand manager at Trucksmith

Simon Partridge, executive sales and brand manager at Trucksmith (www.trucksmith. com), says: “We’re asked regularly how we can make new adaptations to vans meet individual requirements for furniture businesses. Demand is high for our vehicles, and we’re building hundreds of vans that share common, clever features. Over the past five years our sales have doubled, bucking the downward national trend in van sales.

“Fleet managers in particular are seeking better ways to meet the challenges they have, and as van converters we’ve had a 30-year obsession with resolving their issues. Whether it’s increasing payload, reducing fuel consumption or enhancing security, we’re innovating in the way we convert the most popular van marques.

Webs Training (www.webstraining. com) has a proud history of meeting the training needs of employers, large or small. Since the 60s it has offered quality with flexibility, providing training services tailored to employer requirements, whilst causing minimum disruption in the workplace.

Hundreds of young people have benefited from Webs’ apprenticeship programme, and many are now valued senior managers within their organisations. Webs advertises, interviews and assesses all applicants, before providing a shortlist for interview. This saves time, money and provides the assurance that those put forward can achieve the apprenticeship and become valued members of the team.

All of Webs’ training officers have worked in furniture businesses such as Acclaim, Design Upholstery, Duresta, and Permabond prior to starting with Webs and as such have a wealth of industry experience to pass on to learners.

Additionally, in March 2017 the

FN 343 Pages.indd 86

“Fleet buyers have made the connection that van convertors are the missing link and often not only solve their problems, but provide vehicles that work harder for their multidiversifying businesses. They can easily tap in to manufacturer-approved production-line conversions like ours as a cost-effective way to do this.

“We’re best known for our low-loading Luton conversions based on the Renault Master, Vauxhall Movano, Fiat Ducato and now Nissan platform cab, and we’ve used innovative techniques practised from our in-house R&D department to not only reduce the loading height to a potential of 45cm, but increasing payload to over 1300kg, taking driver, fuel, spare wheel and toolkit into account.”

Webs Training offers training services tailored to employer requirements

company was inspected by Ofsted and awarded a Good grade, so the company can ensure the programmes it delivers will be taught to a high standard.

There are many young people looking

for that first step on the career ladder in a skilled trade. Employers Webs’ work with agree that taking on an apprentice is an investment in the business and provides real long-term benefits.

27/09/2017 11:52

87

Getting in to our is child’s play

If you have staff that need training or you need new recruits, get in touch with us, we will be happy to help!

info@webstraining.com 0115 967 7771

             

Our Programmes

Modern Upholstery, cutter, sewing machinist, upholsterer General Furniture Manufacture, cabinet making, frame making and component manufacturing Wood Machinist Fitted Furniture Installer Furniture Finishing, polishing - French and spray Modern Furniture Service Repair Furniture CNC Specialist Bed maker Customer Service Warehousing Team Leading Business Administration Business Improvement Techniques

WebsTrainingOct17.indd 1

05/09/2017 16:04

Lowest loading height with maximum payload.

Get it loaded – every time!

For more information on our vehicles, contact our sales office on 01884 33001 opt.1 or email mail@trucksmith.co.uk On the web: www.loloader.co.uk www.kneehi.co.uk www.canniloader.co.uk

TrucksmithOct17.indd 1 FN 343 Pages.indd 87

25/09/2017 10:17 27/09/2017 11:52

U K S T O C K S F O R FA S T D E L I V E R Y I C A R R I A G E PA I D O N O R D E R S O F £ 3 0 0 I I T E M S V I A PA R C E L

Turn up the style with our natural fibre basket collection BASKET SETS FROM

£25.00

INDIVIDUAL BASKETS FROM

£7.99

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U K S T O C K S F O R FA S T D E L I V E R Y I C A R R I A G E PA I D O N O R D E R S O F £ 3 0 0 I I T E M S V I A PA R C E L

Take advantage of one of the latest trends for the home with our brand new collection of soft natural fibre baskets.

Featuring natural and two-tone finishes in sizes for every need, this stylish new line is available from just £7.99 and is in UK stock for fast delivery across the country.

Order today for fast delivery on 01536 444960 100% TEAK SCULPTURES & INTERESTING OBJECTS NOW AVAILABLE

100% TEAK OBJECTS FROM

£19.99

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27/09/2017 18/09/2017 11:52 16:00

90

FURNISHER

Febland (www.febland.co.uk) is pleased with the positive response it received towards its new lines which were displayed at Autumn Fair last month. Substantial skill and effort went into building its display platform and some of its new samples arrived at the last minute.

Visitors’ responses were positive and upbeat, with the company’s 3D cards receiving attention and its feathered parrots proving popular. In addition, Febland’s wall plaques were admired by younger visitors to the stand.

Wooden wall clock, Febland Set of five round seagrass baskets with handles, The Wicker Merchant

The Wicker Merchant (01536 444960) has launched a new range of baskets made from natural fibres, capturing the trend for colour blocking on homewares with a range of twotone finishes, including teal and salmon pink contrasted with natural seagrass.

Featuring a total of 22 new sets and individual baskets, the collection is ready for fast despatch from UK stocks and includes rectangular, circular and oval baskets in a range of sizes. Made with seagrass, pandan, mendong and seagrass and banana, the baskets feature a variety of looks, from classic natural and white stripes and a nautical-looking white and blue to modern stone.

New for Autumn/Winter 2017, the range joins The Wicker Merchant’s other basket goods, seasonal lines, storage units and furniture. Discounts are available for bulk orders.

Louis de Poortere (www.louisdepoortere. com) has introduced two new designs to its successful Bo Bohemian rug collection that celebrates the Boho spirit.

In Agadir, the collection now includes a striking tribute to the tribal designs of the Atlas region, reimagined through flowing colour mixes overlaid with a pattern grid.

Bringing a new take on tribal looks, Agadir comes in four colourways.

Inspired by the walls of a Roman villa, Como is the second new design to join Bo Bohemian. Echoing the trend for worn effects seen on luxury wallpapers typified in the rough luxury trend, Como comes in four colourways in azure-like blues and concrete greys.

Woven on jacquard wilton looms in a combination of wool and cotton chenille, the latter adding a subtle lustre to shifting colours, Agadir and Como are available initially in the four most popular standard sizes. All rugs come equipped with a useful anti-slip backing, underlining the quality Bo Bohemian, Louis de Poortere and craft of Louis de Poortere. historic and worn looks given a modern spirit.”

Alan Russell, sales director at Louis de Made in Europe and hand-finished with reinforced edges, the Poortere, says: “The Bo Bohemian collection is popular with its Bo Bohemian collection also includes the vintage feel of Flowers worn, vintage looks incredibly current. Agadir and Como simply and patchwork nomadic of Tribal. add to the depth and appeal of the retro-rhetoric of Bo Bohemian,

FN 343 Pages.indd 90

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FN 343 Pages.indd 91

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27/09/2017 11:53

92 | Furnisher

Boyteks is a globally-recognised industry name

Sustainable and fast-growing, cork is in renaissance and as a material it is versatile, capable of being turned into everything from fabric to wallcovering, flooring and furniture.

It is this versatility that is being embraced by Granorte (www.granorte. co.uk), with an impressive collection of cork products.

Whether it is fabric suitable for contract use in lights, seats, stools and coffee tables, or striking highly-textured wall panels, Granorte is pioneering innovation in cork.

Using the latest engineering, including a complex seven-axis robotic cutting arm to cut intricate 3D shapes, Granorte

Maple from Kobe’s Essente collection

FN 343 Pages.indd 92

Boyteks (www.boyteks.com) has become one of the preferred textile brands for industrial buyers for its mattress ticking, upholstery fabric and carpet manufacturing.

Boyteks is a well-known and recognised brand within its target audience throughout the world, and exported to more than 100 countries last year. The company’s young and dynamic manufacturing and collection teams work with the sales team on the road in more than 50 countries and with customers.

Boyteks places importance on the utilisation of technology and mobile applications, with its marketing team working on ways to provide better services to its customers.

With the mobile applications recently developed by the company, its customers are now able to design their own furniture and have the opportunity to see the furniture before the manufacturing process. This application provides great benefits to customers in terms of accelerating work processes and avoiding problems that can occur in the post-manufacturing process.

is expert at discovering new applications for cork. Harnessing waste material from the cork stopper industry by processing it into blocks of agglomerated cork that can be turned into all sorts of products, the Portuguese manufacturer has won awards for its innovative products.

As a natural material, cork is not only sustainable, but comes with practical advantages too – it absorbs sound, insulates against heat loss, is comfortable and soft to the touch. Yet, one of the most appealing aspects of cork is the striking and unusual natural aesthetic it can provide. It is a look that is being appreciated in commercial and residential premises alike.

Luxury fabric specialist Kobe (www. en.kobe.eu) has introduced a contemporary new-look to its Essente collection of stylish curtain and upholstery fabrics. The collection includes curtains, voiles and sheers, dim outs and upholstery fabrics, suitable for both domestic and commercial installations.

It takes the range in a fresh new direction with more colour and pattern, offering a host of on-trend looks for interior dressing including ikat geometrics.

David Harris, MD of Kobe UK, says: “The new-look Essente range has a much more contemporary feel with the focus on a vibrant colour palette and more pattern.

We still offer the same selection of neutral tones but have added more choice to reflect all interior tastes.”

Granorte is taking advantage of cork’s wide variety of applications

The collection follows on from the success of previous Essente ranges which offer a wide selection of chic and easycare interior fabrics. As a sister brand, Essente also benefits from the logistical excellence of Kobe and its sophisticated automated warehouse and ERP system, while giving access to a wider customer base through realistic price points.

Essente also features a range of durable upholstery fabrics that are easy to wash and score highly on the Martindale rub test. The collections are available direct from stock or FR-treated to order with a domestic back coat which complies with the BS 5852 ignition source 0 and 1, passing the cigarette match test. Kobe’s UK operation is based in Crowthorne, Berkshire.

27/09/2017 11:53

SUCCESS STRATEGY 5 ESSENTIAL WAYS TO MAXIMISE YOUR SALES AND PROFIT

93

• ADVERTISING – Most advertising does not work, so if

Area Sales Representatives and Generate Sales Agents Required OPTIMISE YOUR 25%, 50% even 100% NEXT BIG SALES • PRODUCTS – Be ruthless with your precious floor space. of Your Annual Sales If a product or collection is not pulling its weight after being EVENT… given a fair chance to shine, then clear it and replace it with a in Just 17 Days… better performing line.toTest and measure selling potential “I’m Trying Recover from thethe Euphoria! yours isn’t, stop wasting your money now and re-design your advertising campaigns using a benefits-orientated-style. Call Greenwood for effective copywriting know-how.

of all your products in a Greenwood Sale.

Our 2015 Greenwood Sale was fantastic,

•

but this sale2017 has sales comebeinthe another 30% up!”

Will your2017 January best month’s total SELLING SKILLS Get good at selling.

Most retailers Cy Fogel, M.D., You’re Furnished, January 2017 you’re going to see this year?

don’t bother with a proper sales process or sales training. The “When £900k in five there is some Would youyou like toInvest see sales of and two,weeks four, six even eight successful ones do!take time money inorquality sales delivering towhat do!isBut I am definitely Greenwood timesGreenwood normally your best know-how.

Call to arrange an amonth? effective sales trainingconvert… course. and looking forward to the next one!”

AsRyan our clients know very Right well (and will tell you), Pollock.

Director.

Price, January 2017the above sales results are not exceptional for a Greenwood COMPETITION Check your competition to Taken… find out what They are–standard.

You could enjoy such record“ISale.

Can’t Believe How Much Money We’ve breaking sales results too – with high margin maintained. they are offering.

Avoid all-out wars. sure to out-do over 5000 people cameprice through theBe store…

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your competition on thealmost most Two relevant beneficial USP’s we’ve banked Months Business in including choice, quality, value and service. Call Greenwood just the first week of our Greenwood Sale!” to mystery shop yourCharlie competitors.

Martell, Director,

Two Area Sales Representatives for the North and Midlands and two Agents for Scotland and Ireland At Devonshire we are proud to be recognised as one of the UK’s largest independent furniture manufacturers, producing solid pine furniture and supplying quality oak products at astounding prices.

We are now recruiting new sales staff and are looking for two experienced sales managers. Based in the North of England and the Midlands, these key roles will be instrumental in achieving our ambitious growth targets.

To be successful in the role you will be a positive and dynamic individual able to communicate at all levels, you will have personal credibility and be able to demonstrate success in a similar role.

We are also looking for two experienced and well-connected Agents for Scotland and Ireland.

If you are interested please send your C.V. and a covering letter to Steve Upperton, Sales Director via email: enquiries@devonshirepine.co.uk

Martell’s Of EastTHE Grinstead,FORTUNE January 2017 DISCOVER • PROMOTION – Promote your business effectively. Every DOUBLE OR EVEN TREBLE THAT LIES HIDDEN IN good retailer from Tesco to Harrod’s does. Consider using a BEST MONTH… ‘Greenwood’YOUR sales promotion to increase sales, turn stock into YOUR BRAND…

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cash and win future market share, while protecting your profit The above retailers are just a few of the many that at the same time. Call Greenwood!

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1/4 page vertical.indd 1 15/09/2017 15:18 20/02/2017 09:54

14/09/2017 12:15 27/09/2017 11:53

94 | Furnisher

Natural fibre baskets

THE WICKER MERCHANT’S UNIQUE FURNISHING SOLUTIONS The Wicker Merchant launched its new range of natural fibre baskets at the recent Autumn Fair and Glee exhibitions and received a positive response from visitors.

The natural fibre style of basket is proving popular in home and interior shops, as well as garden centres and DIY outlets. The company’s new line is available from UK stock for fast delivery across the UK. Bar two natural seagrass sets, the collection is available in a range of two-tone finishes introduced to capture the popularity of upcycled vintage items, making the look easily accessible off the shelf. With added touches such as rope handles and in a range of practical combination sets, the range is diverse.

“When developing the range we noticed that home interest magazines, websites and blogs were still focused on giving life to old items, adding colour to give a contemporary feel to classic and traditional lines,” says Simon Ainge, sales director.

“Extremely popular on old furniture, this approach has also become more prevalent on home accessories – mono block colour contrasts giving a modern image to otherwise simply styled objects – and we felt it would work particularly well on these baskets.

Teak “Simple natural fibre weaves in classic and sculptures practical shapes are made to feel really modern

FN 343 Pages.indd 94

with a block of colour in grey and white, but also in really on-trend tones such as teal and salmon pink. The response we received at the shows was quite astounding and proves we have the look, diversity and price just right.”

Autumn Fair and Glee also saw the launch of genuine teak sculptures and curious objects in what were praised as the brand’s most impressive exhibition display. Something of a teaser-style launch for the brand, the response to these new items resulted in strong sales from the moment the shows opened.

Including trees, bears and horses, the sculptures are all hand-carved from teak sourced from off-cuts, meaning wastage is kept to a minimum.

“At The Wicker Merchant, we’re always looking at ways to bring the beauty of nature to the home, so we were delighted to discover these really unusual handcrafted objects. We decided to gauge response at these two shows before making a firm decision on whether we should expand our collection to include these beautiful natural sculptures,” explains Simon.

“In fact, these were exceptionally well received and appeared to be much in demand from visiting retailers and so we will soon be finalising plans to launch a permanent collection featuring additional pieces.”

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96 | Designer

Umami, Steelcase

OFFICE FURNITURE WITH A HUMAN ELEMENT Office furniture manufacturer Steelcase has launched Umami, a versatile lounge furniture system designed to create spaces where people feel an emotional connection.

With the anti-corporate backlash organisations are experiencing all over the world, the Steelcase design teams have created Umami to create meaningful places that bring together design, performance and materiality – because how a space performs is just as critical as how it looks and feels.

“Purposeful work deserves meaningful places,” says Michael Held, design director at Steelcase. “People want to feel a connection to the places where they work, where they can see themselves in the space, versus something that feels imposed upon them.”

Informal spaces promote social interactions, stimulate the brain and enhance creativity. However, according to the Steelcase Global Report, a quarter of the global workforce doesn’t have the work environment to socialise and have informal relaxed conversations with colleagues.

Umami’s flexible, modular design can create settings unique to organisations and individuals. Multiple shapes, forms, patterns

FN 343 Pages.indd 96

and textures promote variation over uniformity. A wide variety of material options are available, encouraging creativity and selfexpression.

Integrated power and sculpted design supports physical comfort and the ability to do meaningful work. Screens create a range of privacy and balance the desire for openness with the human need for solitude. These features make Umami one of the most versatile lounge furniture systems available.

Umami is a lounge system engineered for durability and flexibility since its lounge, table, screen and technology components can link to form a variety of configurations – including straight, L and U shapes, as well as booths and cabins – and then unlock for quick rearrangement. Additionally, its sculpted design, reclined back angle and seat depth provide a high level of performance and comfort for workers. The range will be available by Autumn 2018.

W steelcase.com

27/09/2017 11:53

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27/09/2017 26/09/201711:53 15:58

| Futher reading On 98 the web this month

The Furniture News website is constantly updated with fresh stories. Browse www.furniturenews.net on your desktop of mobile to access the latest content, or sign up for our newsletter

Further Reading Do you have a story to share?

To contribute, call the editorial desk on 01424 776105 or email victoria@gearingmediagroup.com

Are you looking to place product before the UK’s buyers?

To advertise or submit product information, call the sales team on 01424 776100, or email sam@gearingmediagroup.com

Do you wish to receive a copy of the magazine every month?

You can subscribe to receive the magazine monthly by emailing subscriptions@gearingmediagroup.com.

News: Made launches crowdsourcing and crowdfunding platform

Keep up to date You can also sign up to receive free access to the digital edition each month, as well as the twice-weekly Furniture News e-newsletter, via the specific links at www.furniturenews.net/magazine – or email sam@gearingmediagroup to be manually signed up for the digital services.

Don’t forget to follow the Furniture News Twitter feed, @FurnitureNewsED, to keep up with the latest news and opinions from the team

News: FIRA announces 2018 open day schedule

Furniture News is an invaluable resource for those operating in the UK domestic furniture and furnishings sector – but it’s just one of the titles published by Gearing Media Group.

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News: Sebastian Conran to present Young Furniture Makers awards

Those involved in the contract furnishings market should take a look at Hospitality Interiors magazine (www.hospitality-interiors.net), while anyone seeking furniture manufacturing machinery or supplies should check out Furniture Production (www.furnitureproduction.net).

In next month’s issue: Bed Show review | Autumn Furniture Show review | Beds & Bedroom, Living and Dining

FN 343 Pages.indd 98

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