Saturday, May 15, 2021
AIS to host September furniture show under expanded INDX brand
Associated Independent Stores (AIS) is to extend its INDX trade show branding to include furniture, housewares, linens and gift food under the banner of INDX Home. The first dedicated furniture event is scheduled for early autumn.
Sofa imports double as flood of containers land at U.K. ports
U.K. upholstery imports surged at the end of the first quarter on a mix of higher demand and annualising production problems in China because of the pandemic last year.
Pre-pandemic sales and profits climbed sharply for Internet mattress retailer
The company behind the Beds.co.uk ecommerce website trebled profits on a big jump in sales in the period leading up to the pandemic hitting U.K. shores.
Belgian carpet imports rise for first time in 18 months
Manufacturers in Belgium, the largest source of foreign-made carpet sold in the U.K., ended a barren run stretching back to September 2019 at the end of the first quarter.
Headlam appoints ex-Wickes CEO to its board
Flooring wholesale conglomerate Headlam Group has appointed former Wickes CEO Simon King as a non-executive director.
Carpet giant passes on price increases to customers
Belgian carpet manufacturing conglomerate Balta has raised prices in response to input cost inflation and has warned flooring customers that more may follow.
Ex-Feather & Black buyer joins kids bedroom retailer
Holly Blay has joined Room To Grow, the Yorkshire based children's bedroom specialist, as head of buying with a brief to help it expand its product offer.
IKEA timelines opening for delayed Hammersmith store
Home furnishings giant IKEA says it will open its new Hammersmith store this winter after being forced to delay its launch as a result of retail restrictions.
Wren Kitchens bolsters presence in North East England
Wren Kitchens has opened what it described as the largest kitchen showroom in the North East of England, bolstering its footprint in the region.
Upholstery retailer plans to double portfolio by the end of 2022
Sofa Club, the upholstery retailer that operates open-plan lounges across major shopping centres, is readying a second Manchester presence amid plans to ramp up its U.K.-wide network.
Made.com partners donation website to give end-of-life furniture new home
Furniture retailer Made.com Design (Made.com) has agreed a partnership with Geev, the online marketplace where second-hand items can be donated and kept out of landfill.
Sanderson eyes Asia growth for Morris & Co brand after signing licensing deal
High-end furnishings group Sanderson Design Group hopes to expand distribution of its Morris & Co. brand across east and southeast Asia after penning a new exclusive licensing agreement.
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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U.K. furniture sales jump as they annualise first lockdown, but sink double-digit against 2019
Furniture and lighting sales rose in March as the ability to carry on delivering goods compared with the abrupt cessation of all trade in the same month last year. On a two-year basis, sales...
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West Yorkshire bed maker builds cash, profits amid pandemic
Batley bed maker Apollo Beds bolstered its balance sheet after landing an increase in profits in the period taking in the first few months of the pandemic.
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DFS puts new agency in charge of furniture trade's largest advertising budget
Upholstery market leader DFS has appointed a new creative agency to manage its advertising account, ending a 10-year association with current incumbent Krow Communications.
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Bed maker Hypnos confident it has resolved many supply chain challenges
Widening its network of suppliers and rationalising some raw material products has helped Hypnos steer a course through supply chain challenges, the company has said in just-filed accounts.
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Habitat brand integration no longer includes mini-stores in Sainsbury's
All eleven Habitat mini-stores in Sainsbury's supermarkets nationwide are closed following the rethink that saw the brand become the leading furniture and home brand across the J Sainsbury group...
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
Little need for ScS to talk up its share price in period of change
This is a pivotal period in time for ScS, Britain's second largest upholstery retailer, as it adjusts to the departures of a long-time financial backer and its highest ranking executive.
Consumer confidence: Actions speak louder than words
It is counter intuitive that on the day that the highest-ever single-month reading for furniture retail sales is released, we also report a drop in big-ticket consumer confidence sentiment.
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.
DATA & LISTS
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The Debt Report: Entities owed cash by insolvent furniture trade companies: May 14, 2021
Four companies left combined debts of £350,000 with 13 companies owed £10,000 or more.
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The Insolvency Report: Filings in the seven days to May 14, 2021
Five insolvencies from within the furniture and furnishings industry were announced in the period from May 8–14, 2021.
TOP STORIES
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AIS to host September furniture show under expanded INDX brand
Associated Independent Stores (AIS) is to extend its INDX trade show branding to include furniture, housewares, linens and gift food under the banner of INDX Home. The first dedicated furniture event is scheduled for early autumn.
-
Sofa imports double as flood of containers land at U.K. ports
U.K. upholstery imports surged at the end of the first quarter on a mix of higher demand and annualising production problems in China because of the pandemic last year.
-
John Lewis unveils largest-ever World of Design format at remodelled store
John Lewis & Partners today (May 14) reveals its new-look Edinburgh department store, including its largest-ever World of Design space.
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U.K. proves outlier as Stressless enjoys global upturn
The unwind of pre-lockdown orders wasn't enough to keep revenue positive in the U.K. for Stressless brand owner Ekornes in the first quarter of 2021 as the lockdown prevented an immediate building on full year growth here for last year.
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First rise in U.K. furniture manufacturing output in over a year
Furniture manufacturers across the U.K. delivered their first annual rise in output in more than 12 months in March, according to new official figures published yesterday.
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Sofa giant Natuzzi hires transformation expert as new CEO
Italian upholstery vertical Natuzzi has hired a former McKinsey consultant as its new CEO with current incumbent and founder Pasquale Natuzzi to become executive chairman.
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Snap bed maker poll finds no end in sight to supply chain disruption
Britain's bed industry is warning of further prices rises and extended lead times as it grapples continued cost pressures and reduced availability of raw materials, says the National Bed Federation (NBF).
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Luxury furniture retailer RH agreed £20.7m deal for U.K. stately home
RH, the prestige retailer formerly known as Restoration Hardware, last year acquired a vast Grade I listed country property on the border of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. It is expected to open ahead of its planned Mayfair store in London.
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PPE pivot and Internet mitigate pandemic impact for bed maker Millbrook
A switch to manufacturing personal protective equipment for the NHS was among the factors helping mitigate the impact of customer store closures during the pandemic for bed manufacturer Millbrook.
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JYSK makes new U.K. capital injection ahead of store rollout
Plans to roll out more JYSK stores across the North of England have been prefaced by another seven-figure capital injection by the Danish-owned furniture retailer.
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OTHER NEWS
Pre-pandemic sales and profits climbed sharply for Internet mattress retailer
The company behind the Beds.co.uk ecommerce website trebled profits on a big jump in sales in the period leading up to the pandemic hitting U.K. shores.
Belgian carpet imports rise for first time in 18 months
Manufacturers in Belgium, the largest source of foreign-made carpet sold in the U.K., ended a barren run stretching back to September 2019 at the end of the first quarter.
Headlam appoints ex-Wickes CEO to its board
Flooring wholesale conglomerate Headlam Group has appointed former Wickes CEO Simon King as a non-executive director.
Carpet giant passes on price increases to customers
Belgian carpet manufacturing conglomerate Balta has raised prices in response to input cost inflation and has warned flooring customers that more may follow.
Ex-Feather & Black buyer joins kids bedroom retailer
Holly Blay has joined Room To Grow, the Yorkshire based children's bedroom specialist, as head of buying with a brief to help it expand its product offer.
IKEA timelines opening for delayed Hammersmith store
Home furnishings giant IKEA says it will open its new Hammersmith store this winter after being forced to delay its launch as a result of retail restrictions.
Wren Kitchens bolsters presence in North East England
Wren Kitchens has opened what it described as the largest kitchen showroom in the North East of England, bolstering its footprint in the region.
Upholstery retailer plans to double portfolio by the end of 2022
Sofa Club, the upholstery retailer that operates open-plan lounges across major shopping centres, is readying a second Manchester presence amid plans to ramp up its U.K.-wide network.
Made.com partners donation website to give end-of-life furniture new home
Furniture retailer Made.com Design (Made.com) has agreed a partnership with Geev, the online marketplace where second-hand items can be donated and kept out of landfill.
Sanderson eyes Asia growth for Morris & Co brand after signing licensing deal
High-end furnishings group Sanderson Design Group hopes to expand distribution of its Morris & Co. brand across east and southeast Asia after penning a new exclusive licensing agreement.