Friday, January 22, 2021
TOP STORIES
Furniture retailers bounced out of November lockdown with highest-ever sales
December furniture and lighting sales were higher than in any other month since records began, and by some margin, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Emma sales reach €405m as it prepares to launch premium-pitched smart mattress
Direct-to-consumer brand Emma - The Sleep Company is to stretch its price architecture with a new smart mattress programme set to retail for upwards of £2,000. It follows exponential growth last year that saw the business reach revenue of €405 million worldwide.
Ercol says it returned to profit in 2020 after sales beat forecasts
Furniture maker Ercol returned to profit at EBITDA level in 2020 after orders and delivered turnover outperformed levels management were budgeting for during the first lockdown, its chairman said.
Upholstery brand Arlo & Jacob launches live video chat
Arlo & Jacob, the upholstery retailer, is turning its stores into virtual showrooms using live video chat powered by Go Instore software.
Flooring wholesale giant says full year sales down 15% after second half bounce
Headlam Group, Europe's largest collective of floorcoverings wholesalers, says strong demand for residential flooring products in the second half of last year helped negate weaker earlier trading.
Heimtextil cancelled until 2022
The already-revised international home and contract textiles show Heimtextil has been cancelled until 2022, with organisers saying there is nothing to be gained by a further delay to later this year.
Better-than-expected trade puts luxury soft furnishings group in line to beat profits
Profits at Sanderson Design Group, the luxury interiors manufacturer and wholesaler formerly known as Walker Greenbank, will rise after the company outperformed expectations.
Victoria's carpet unit in South Wales back profitable after restructuring hit earlier period
The South Wales carpet manufacturing arm of flooring giant Victoria returned to profit in 2019–20 as it annualised millions of pounds of restructuring costs.
JYSK bolsters northern heartlands with 2021 U.K. store openings
Danish furniture retailer JYSK will build critical mass in the North of England with all five new stores it plans here in the next eight months to be located across Lancashire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Abrupt halt to run of mattress import growth
The value of foam and sprung mattress imports into the U.K. slumped in November, arresting a two-month return to growth across the combined categories.
Third straight rise in living, dining and bedroom cabinet shipments
Port delays and container shortages didn't stop a third consecutive rise in cabinet furniture imports as wholesalers and retailers replenished stock ahead of Christmas.
Mattress maker's hoped-for sales growth failed to materialise ahead of pandemic
Factory investment didn't immediately yield the expected jump in sales for Dura Beds, according to just-filed accounts for the Batley mattress maker in the period leading up to the pandemic.
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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Mid-sized furniture retailers at biggest risk from surging freight rates
Freight rates in the latter half of 2020 climbed at a frightening pace and leave two stakeholder groups at particular risk: the mid-sized furniture retailer, and the end consumer.
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Manufacturing and deliveries to continue in new U.K. lockdown
Every furniture and flooring store in the U.K. will again be closed from today (Jan. 5) after the Government last night announced a new lockdown to last until at least the middle of February.
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Sharp fall in furniture, flooring and furnishings insolvencies in 2020
44 fewer U.K. furniture, floorcoverings and furnishings companies filed for insolvency in 2020 despite the pandemic hitting businesses across the country since the early spring of last year.
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Christmas sales climb for Argos despite closures
Argos found sales growth in the period leading up to and through Christmas despite its standalone stores being unable to trade for long periods.
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Simba returned to growth last year after cutting cash burn, losses in 2019
The CEO of Simba Sleep says sales growth accelerated profitably in the second half of last year as the direct-to-consumer mattress company looked to build on a year of consolidation in 2019 that saw it...
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
Mid-sized furniture retailers at biggest risk from surging freight rates
Freight rates in the latter half of 2020 climbed at a frightening pace and leave two stakeholder groups at particular risk: the mid-sized furniture retailer, and the end consumer.
Number-crunching the impact of post-Christmas lockdown on retailers like DFS, ScS and John Lewis
Data compiled by The Furnishing Report reveals the expected near-term order impact of the new restrictions on furniture and flooring retailers in the immediate aftermath of Christmas.
Ban on tenant eviction is double-edged sword for independent furniture retailers
The moratorium preventing commercial landlords from evicting non-paying tenants has been extended until the end of March next year. It is not good news for all furniture retailers.
Warning siren for furniture industry following Debenhams' wind down
One of the secrets to selling is having both an offer and a deadline, someone who knows a lot about selling once told me.
DATA & LISTS
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Debt: Companies owed cash by insolvent furniture, furnishings industry entities: Jan. 15, 2021
Four companies left combined debts of £4.4 million with 30 companies owed £10,000 or more.
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The Insolvency Report: Filings in the week to January 15, 2021
Three insolvencies from within the furniture and furnishings industry were announced in the period from January 8–15, 2021.
TOP STORIES
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Furniture retailers bounced out of November lockdown with highest-ever sales
December furniture and lighting sales were higher than in any other month since records began, and by some margin, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics.
-
Emma sales reach €405m as it prepares to launch premium-pitched smart mattress
Direct-to-consumer brand Emma - The Sleep Company is to stretch its price architecture with a new smart mattress programme set to retail for upwards of £2,000. It follows exponential growth last year that saw the business reach revenue of €405 million worldwide.
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Industry needs to hang in there. The good times are coming, says Furniture Village CEO
"When we opened our new Leicester store we did two weeks' business in just four days," said Furniture Village CEO Peter Harrison, who says the industry should look forward with optimism for when the lockdowns are eased.
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Amazon exit helped narrow loss, says mattress brand Eve Sleep
Full year sales climbed for Eve Sleep with the direct-to-consumer mattress and ancillary products company saying it had cut losses too on the revenue tailwind and business model adjustments.
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DTC mattress brand expects first U.K. profit as parent lands $130m investment
Consumers pivoting to ecommerce last year boosted U.K. revenue and profitability for the company behind the DreamCloud and Nectar Sleep mattress brands.
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Furniture retailers should expect price increases as makers grapple cost inflation
Furniture makers are facing unprecedented increases in the cost of key raw materials according to trade association BFM, and retailers should brace for some of that to be passed on.
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Record month sees highest ever U.K. sofa imports
British retailers and wholesalers imported more upholstery ahead of Christmas than in any other month since records began, new data compiled by The Furnishing Report shows.
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South East furniture retailer finds costs savings, goes transactional online
Upminster retailer Roomes Furniture & Interiors says it has undergone a year of improvement with the pandemic having reinforced the need for the changes it has subsequently made.
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U.K. furniture manufacturing output hit 12-month high as factories toiled to meet Christmas deadlines
Efforts to meet pre-Christmas delivery deadlines after strong demand through the summer and autumn meant U.K. furniture manufacturing output reached a year-long high according to new Government figures.
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Equity issue gives U.K. online furniture retailer first eight-figure valuation
Follows December issue of new shares in British upmarket ecommerce furniture and homewares etailer.
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OTHER NEWS
Ercol says it returned to profit in 2020 after sales beat forecasts
Furniture maker Ercol returned to profit at EBITDA level in 2020 after orders and delivered turnover outperformed levels management were budgeting for during the first lockdown, its chairman said.
Upholstery brand Arlo & Jacob launches live video chat
Arlo & Jacob, the upholstery retailer, is turning its stores into virtual showrooms using live video chat powered by Go Instore software.
Flooring wholesale giant says full year sales down 15% after second half bounce
Headlam Group, Europe's largest collective of floorcoverings wholesalers, says strong demand for residential flooring products in the second half of last year helped negate weaker earlier trading.
Heimtextil cancelled until 2022
The already-revised international home and contract textiles show Heimtextil has been cancelled until 2022, with organisers saying there is nothing to be gained by a further delay to later this year.
Better-than-expected trade puts luxury soft furnishings group in line to beat profits
Profits at Sanderson Design Group, the luxury interiors manufacturer and wholesaler formerly known as Walker Greenbank, will rise after the company outperformed expectations.
Victoria's carpet unit in South Wales back profitable after restructuring hit earlier period
The South Wales carpet manufacturing arm of flooring giant Victoria returned to profit in 2019–20 as it annualised millions of pounds of restructuring costs.
JYSK bolsters northern heartlands with 2021 U.K. store openings
Danish furniture retailer JYSK will build critical mass in the North of England with all five new stores it plans here in the next eight months to be located across Lancashire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Abrupt halt to run of mattress import growth
The value of foam and sprung mattress imports into the U.K. slumped in November, arresting a two-month return to growth across the combined categories.
Third straight rise in living, dining and bedroom cabinet shipments
Port delays and container shortages didn't stop a third consecutive rise in cabinet furniture imports as wholesalers and retailers replenished stock ahead of Christmas.
Mattress maker's hoped-for sales growth failed to materialise ahead of pandemic
Factory investment didn't immediately yield the expected jump in sales for Dura Beds, according to just-filed accounts for the Batley mattress maker in the period leading up to the pandemic.