Tuesday, May 26, 2020
TOP STORIES
Directors sorry and heartbroken at closure of three-store furniture retailer
Three-store retailer Indigo Furniture ceased trading earlier this spring after the lockdown prevented it delivering hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of stock, prompting it to run out of money.
Store closures cost furniture retailers £851m in lost sales in April alone
Furniture and lighting sales tanked in April as all bar a handful of stores selling across the combined categories were closed, leaving online as the only viable sales channel.
ScS reopens 80 stores across England, says cash position still robust
Upholstery and carpets retailer ScS reopened its English store estate over the weekend and says it is now unwinding its order book after recommencing deliveries.
Natuzzi to make more cuts, accesses state-backed funding and jobs scheme
The coronavirus crisis has prompted Italian sofa maker Natuzzi to revise its ongoing transformation plan with the introduction of significant new cost-reduction and cash-saving measures.
Terms of sale of heritage bed maker Burgess disclosed
Administrators have disclosed the detail behind the prepack sale of Burgess Beds to a U.S. investor, which we first reported early April.
Refiled accounts lift sofa maker value
Higher asset values and lower payables in newly-amended accounts from northern upholstery manufacturer.
Steinhoff appoints former transport industry executive to lead board
Steinhoff International Holdings, part owner of Conforama and Mattress Firm, has appointed Moira Moses as the new chair of its supervisory board.
Welbeck House closure raises obvious question for Arlo & Jacob rescue
Diversified East Midlands upholstery group JDP Furniture Group was among the first business casualties of the current crisis after Laura Ashley filed for administration.
Jay-Be says it can double in size after buying new factory last year
Jay-Be, a market leader in the guest bed sector, says sales are already rebounding despite the Covid-19 enforced lockdown, and that longer term it now has the capacity to double in size after investment last year.
Sofa maker Buoyant pivoted to PPE production for NHS in non-profit initiative
Nelson sofa maker Buoyant Upholstery has been at the forefront of the U.K. furniture trade's response to the coronavirus outbreak, producing personal protective equipment (PPE) for front line workers.
Nest to offer prestige Canadian furniture, lighting brand online
High-end furniture and lighting brand Gabriel Scott is expanding its U.K. and European distribution after it agreed a partnership with designer furniture retailer Nest to sell its products online.
Marks & Spencer turns to third-party brands to boost web sales
Marks and Spencer Group (M&S), the general merchandise and food retailer, is to open up its business to third-party brands in a bid to boost its customer appeal and sales.
INTELLIGENCE
Market Data
Detailed market information about each of the Upholstery, Beds, Cabinet Furniture and Floorcoverings sectors at suppliers' prices.
Discover the up-to-date value of:
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UK production
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Imports
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Exports
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Key Trading Partners
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Total UK market size
BEST READ IN THE PAST MONTH
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Offer for Breasley, now in administration, was withdrawn after further due diligence
The future of the Breasley mattress and foam conversion group will be finalised imminently after Duff & Phelps were formally installed as administrators late last week.
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Mattress brand Leesa Sleep no longer fulfilling U.K orders
Consolidation of the U.K. compressed mattress segment will accelerate after bed-in-a-box business Leesa Sleep became the latest to cease operations in Europe.
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Breasley hopes to reopen factory imminently as it nears prepack restructure
Management at mattress and foam group Breasley say the business is targeting a factory reopening Monday as a hoped-for prepack administration process nears its conclusion.
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Co-founder said to be interested in acquiring imperilled Far East leather sofa giant
HTL, sold to a major Chinese furniture group five years ago and one of the largest makers of sofas sold in Britain, could change hands again according to reports in the Far East.
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Investment firm completes Feather & Black buyout and drafts in new leader
Swedish beds conglomerate Hilding Anders has wrapped up the sale of its upmarket British bedroom furniture chain Feather & Black.
INTELLIGENCE
Retail Sales
Up-to-date monthly UK retail sales data spanning total furniture and lighting sales PLUS detailed breakdowns for each of the Upholstery, Beds, Cabinet Furniture and Floorcoverings sectors.
Proprietary granular data covering:
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UK retail sales value and y/y delta. Monthly and annual
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Breakdown by product category
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Historical data
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Monthly and annual figures
OPINION & ANALYSIS
Digest: An unencumbered Celebrity Motion Furniture can star like it did in the past
When the JDP Furniture Group filed for insolvency at the beginning of April the outlook always looked brightest at one of the group's businesses.
CEO Peter Harrison on the steps taken by Furniture Village to get all its stores reopened this week
Having opened six stores over the weekend as part of a 'safety trial', Furniture Village CEO Peter Harrison says he hopes all 52 of its nationwide network will be open by the coming Bank Holiday weekend.
Opinion: The future of furniture home delivery has changed, maybe forever
The role logistics businesses play in ensuring goods are transported around the country and get to where they are needed has never been more important, writes Chris Knight, director at specialist two-person furniture delivery company Keen & Able.
The shake-out in Britain's roll-packed mattress market gathers pace
Having reshaped Britain's beds market in short order, the direct-to-consumer rolled-and-folded mattress segment is morphing again, at pace.
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Donate Your PPE
Furniture manufacturers, do you have supplies of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)? Help the NHS.
More Information
DATA & LISTS
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Debt Report: Creditors owed £10k and more by insolveny industry companies: May 22, 2020
Today's list contains ten insolvent companies leaving combined debts of c. £2.2 million. Names all c. 45 creditors owed £10,000 or more.
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Legals: Furniture trade insolvencies in the week to May 22, 2020
Eleven insolvencies from within the furniture and furnishings industry was announced in the period from May 16–22, 2020.
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The 30 wealthiest in the U.K. home furnishings sector: 2020
The richest 30 people and families with past and present equity ties to the U.K. home furnishings sector, either directly or through investments.
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Insolvency Report: Filings in the week to May 15, 2020
Seven insolvencies from within the furniture and furnishings industry was announced in the period from May 8–15, 2020.
TOP STORIES
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Directors sorry and heartbroken at closure of three-store furniture retailer
Three-store retailer Indigo Furniture ceased trading earlier this spring after the lockdown prevented it delivering hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of stock, prompting it to run out of money.
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Store closures cost furniture retailers £851m in lost sales in April alone
Furniture and lighting sales tanked in April as all bar a handful of stores selling across the combined categories were closed, leaving online as the only viable sales channel.
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Barker and Stonehouse praises 'world-leading' British furniture suppliers
Privately-owned furniture retailer Barker and Stonehouse will reopen its stores June 1 with a campaign message — Let's Get Going Britain — aimed at supporting home-grown furniture manufacturers.
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DFS plans to open majority of stores in England next week
The pace of furniture store reopenings across England will gather momentum with upholstery market leader DFS to pull up the shutters on most of its store portfolio next week. Three stores will open today.
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Digest: An unencumbered Celebrity Motion Furniture can star like it did in the past
When the JDP Furniture Group filed for insolvency at the beginning of April the outlook always looked brightest at one of the group's businesses.
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More retailers of furniture reopen while others innovate through one-to-one meets, click & collect
Project restart continues with more retailers of furniture products now reopening some or all of their stores across England, where restrictions have been eased compared with other parts of the U.K.
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Bedroom wholesaler launches product designed to address instore mattress tryout fears
One of the U.K.'s biggest wholesalers of bedroom products has pivoted towards sourcing personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic and has now found a solution for retailers who are worried consumers may be reticent to try out mattresses instore once shops reopen.
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Celebrity, Arlo & Jacob deals progress, but other JDP units closed down
Administrators say they have closed upholstery manufacturing unit Welbeck House and its sister business JDP Frames after they were unable to find buyers. The prospect for other group businesses is better.
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U.K. upholstery sales dip for Alstons, Alexander & James owner in Q1
Sofa sales trended down for the Thai owner of British upholstery brands Alexander & James, Ashley Manor and Alstons in the first quarter of 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic impacting its business here and in the Far East.
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CEO Peter Harrison on the steps taken by Furniture Village to get all its stores reopened this week
Having opened six stores over the weekend as part of a 'safety trial', Furniture Village CEO Peter Harrison says he hopes all 52 of its nationwide network will be open by the coming Bank Holiday weekend.
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OTHER NEWS
ScS reopens 80 stores across England, says cash position still robust
Upholstery and carpets retailer ScS reopened its English store estate over the weekend and says it is now unwinding its order book after recommencing deliveries.
Natuzzi to make more cuts, accesses state-backed funding and jobs scheme
The coronavirus crisis has prompted Italian sofa maker Natuzzi to revise its ongoing transformation plan with the introduction of significant new cost-reduction and cash-saving measures.
Terms of sale of heritage bed maker Burgess disclosed
Administrators have disclosed the detail behind the prepack sale of Burgess Beds to a U.S. investor, which we first reported early April.
Refiled accounts lift sofa maker value
Higher asset values and lower payables in newly-amended accounts from northern upholstery manufacturer.
Steinhoff appoints former transport industry executive to lead board
Steinhoff International Holdings, part owner of Conforama and Mattress Firm, has appointed Moira Moses as the new chair of its supervisory board.
Welbeck House closure raises obvious question for Arlo & Jacob rescue
Diversified East Midlands upholstery group JDP Furniture Group was among the first business casualties of the current crisis after Laura Ashley filed for administration.
Jay-Be says it can double in size after buying new factory last year
Jay-Be, a market leader in the guest bed sector, says sales are already rebounding despite the Covid-19 enforced lockdown, and that longer term it now has the capacity to double in size after investment last year.
Sofa maker Buoyant pivoted to PPE production for NHS in non-profit initiative
Nelson sofa maker Buoyant Upholstery has been at the forefront of the U.K. furniture trade's response to the coronavirus outbreak, producing personal protective equipment (PPE) for front line workers.
Nest to offer prestige Canadian furniture, lighting brand online
High-end furniture and lighting brand Gabriel Scott is expanding its U.K. and European distribution after it agreed a partnership with designer furniture retailer Nest to sell its products online.
Marks & Spencer turns to third-party brands to boost web sales
Marks and Spencer Group (M&S), the general merchandise and food retailer, is to open up its business to third-party brands in a bid to boost its customer appeal and sales.