Industry News & Analysis
The latest industry news and analysis—across all categories—listed in chronological order, with the most recent articles first.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION |
DFS remains the biggest spender on traditional advertising in the furniture sector
Furniture and beds retailers remain some of the UK's biggest spenders on traditional advertising despite cuts from leading sofa chains, according to figures from data company Nielsen.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS |
Carpetright's biggest shareholder has near doubled its position in the flooring chain ahead of its CVA vote later this week.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION |
Closes one of two stores after triggering break clause
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE |
Follows investigation regarding the use of misleading and aggressive sales
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- EVENTS |
Attendance was up double-digit on recent editions
Salone del Mobile, the furniture design event widely considered the most important in the world, closed Sunday with attendance up sharply on last year.
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- OPINION & ANALYSIS |
The latest figures for Chinese sofa and wood furniture imports into Britain showed a first combined decline since records began. There are at least three plausible reasons why.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE |
Shipments of wood furniture for living, dining and bedrooms declined in February from all three of the UK's biggest trading partners.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES |
(Left–right): Three generations of Harrison Spinks; Peter Spinks, chairman; Simon Spinks, md; and Daniel Spinks, buyer
Bed maker Harrison Spinks has doubled its tally of Queen's Awards for Enterprise, receiving another two on top of those already awarded four years ago.
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- OPINION & ANALYSIS |
Big gains in selected stores for southern Italian sofa giant
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY |
European Furniture Promotion, the company behind Home & Retail, has been placed into administration
The specialist furniture logistics company trading as Home & Retail has ceased trading, leaving customers with a longer wait for orders and retailers with a distribution headache.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES |
Potential suitors put off by current status of IP rights registration.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES |
Chief operating officer Jonathan Hirst (far left), CEO Mike Logue (second left) are pictured with Dreams colleagues as the Camden store opened; Image: Dreams
Bed specialist Dreams has picked up a fourth former Warren Evans store, acquiring the now-defunct retailer's London showroom headquarters.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE |
Return to profit short-lived for multi-store bedroom business.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY |
Maggie Throup MP is the new chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Furniture Industry Group, succeeding Stephen McPartland MP, who has stood down after eight years in the role.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION |
Debenhams is to phase out own-bought furniture lines from its stores nationwide
Debenhams' partnership with third-party operators in the furniture sector marks the beginning of a phased exit from it selling 'own-bought' furniture lines.
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- CASE GOODS |
Sales fell for the first time in five years for fitted furniture maker Strachan in 2016–17 with the direct-to-the-consumer vertical planning showroom expansion this year.
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- DATA & RESEARCH |
As furniture retail price inflation eases, BFM warns that producers remain under pressure
Furniture retail price inflation narrowed to a 12-month low in March but producers remain under intense input cost pressure according to BFM, the lead trade association for UK furniture makers.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES |
Shire Beds has widened the sales brief of one of its sales executives after a spike in demand from customers in Ireland.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES |
Registration is live for the ninth Bed Show, which takes place September 18–19, 2018 at the Telford International Centre.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION |
Dwell was responsible for more than 40 percent of new jobs created within the DFS Furniture group last year as it expanded its store network.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE |
The Children's Bedroom Company has restructured following an administration process
One of the directors of The Children's Bedroom Company says the manufacturer is now on sound financial footing after undergoing a restructuring and downsizing exercise.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES |
Furmanac, the company behind the Mi-Bed, Mi-Chair and Hestia brands, implemented lean manufacturing techniques and outsourced transportation as it cut costs last year.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION |
John Lewis sales declined last week with the retailer blaming poor weather
Sales declined at John Lewis last week with the retailer pinning the fall at the door of poor weather and the annualising of Easter promotions.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES |
Hampshire bed maker recruits new agent.
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- ECOMMERCE |
Studio, Ace brand owner pulled in more customers over festive season.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES |
Greg Suthern has returned to Studio Moderna Brands International
Greg Suthern has returned to Studio Moderna Brands International as CEO with a brief to drive its foam spring technology into new geographical markets and into different product sectors.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY |
The Design Guild Mark judging panel (left–right): Peter Thwaites, Fiona Knight, Natasha Marshall, Professor Clare Johnston, Rodney McMahon, Linzi Coppick and Corinne Pringle.
Industry charity The Furniture Makers' Company (TFMC) has announced the inaugural holders of the Design Guild Mark's new 2D category.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS |
The Netherlands and Turkey sent more carpets to Britain as February imports gained on the same month last year according to new HMRC data.
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- REGIONAL |
NCF Living expands with first South East store.
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- COMMUNITY |
New corporate members for industry charity.
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- OPINION & ANALYSIS |
Dunelm stores; Delivering more of the retailer's growth than appears immediately obvious
Dunelm released a third quarter trading update last week that revealed 5.1 percent growth in total sales including a 4.6 percent like-for-like uplift.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION |
Leicester retailer CFS has suffered serious damage to stock and property after a fire ravaged its Brougham Street warehouse late last week.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION |
Snowfall in March hit the high street harder than any other retail destination type according to the British Retail Consortium. Out-of-town footfall was down on last year, but by a lesser amount.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE |
Oak Furniture Solutions' website, where the company is thought to have generated the bulk of its sales
Margin pressures and rising online marketing costs were behind the failure of cabinet furniture retailer Oak Furniture Solutions, according to a new report into the collapse of the business.
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- UPHOLSTERY |
British retailers and importers bought less upholstery from overseas in February with China — the biggest source nation — behind much of the fall.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES |
Mattress import growth into Britain continued in February despite declines from established supply countries.
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- LEGAL & RESTRUCTURING |
The director and shareholder of the company behind the Oak Furniture Solutions business bought back the retailer's stock a month after it was placed into administration.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY |
Bed retailer Dreams was placed first in the list of Britain's 100 private companies with the fastest-growing profits
Dreams ranked first in The Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100 league table with four others from the furniture sector also celebrated, including two in the main list and another pair who were named Ones to Watch.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION |
Department store retailer John Lewis says its new Cheltenham store will open October 18, 2018, offering its full line of fashion, home and tech products.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION |
Furniture Village is reorganising its retail buying team
Experienced industry executive Julian Cox is to return to Furniture Village in a new all-encompassing role as head of buying.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION |
Malcolm Walker is stepping away from executive duties at national retailer Furniture Village as part of a wider buying reorganisation.
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- ECOMMERCE |
Westwing trades online in 14 countries
European home and lifestyle retailer Westwing transitioned towards profit in 2017 with the company earnings-positive in the fourth quarter.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE |
Devonshire Pine & Oak is among Britain's largest remaining cabinet makers of note
Pretax earnings declined on lower sales and narrower margins at privately-owned cabinet maker and distributor Devonshire Pine & Oak in 2016–17.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES |
Beds, sofas and foam group Airsprung says it last month achieved its long-stated aim of reducing waste sent to landfill to zero.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS |
Landlords will be asked to back CVA plan later this month
Carpetright will ask creditors to back a CVA that would see it this autumn close 81 stores, on top of 11 that have already ceased trading, and cut rents on a further 113.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES |
Revenue advanced for a fifth consecutive year at privately-owned bed maker Harrison Spinks as it looked to build market share in 2016–17.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION |
Out-of-town homewares retailer Dunelm posted third quarter revenue gains driven by new stores and underlying improvement at its Dunelm.com business.
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- ECOMMERCE |
Shop Direct, the retail titan behind the Littlewoods and Very brands, is planning a large fulfilment centre in the Midlands that will, in 2020, result in the closure of three existing warehouses.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES |
Paul Ridgway joins Leicestershire based bed maker.
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- UPHOLSTERY |
An IPO could boost the value and earnings of its British sofa businesses. Image: TCM Corp.
The Thai owner of sofa makers Ashley Manor, Alexander & James and Alstons is considering a UK stock market listing for its British upholstery division.
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- OPINION & ANALYSIS |
Who is the number one sofa manufacturer and distributor?
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION |
The filings that uncover the names the fashion retail giant is considering for home furnishings categories.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION |
John Lewis sales advanced last week driven by double-digit growth in electricals and home technology goods.
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- UPHOLSTERY |
Sofa.com has expanded its store network in places such as Edinburgh, above
The lender that helped finance the 2015 private equity takeover of Sofa.com has taken ownership of the clicks-to-bricks upholstery vertical, The Furnishing Report can reveal.
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- ECOMMERCE |
B2B interiors business Eporta has raised $8 million (£5.7m) in venture capital funding from investors including Sofa.com co-founder Rohan Blacker.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION |
The company's debut TV campaign went live over Easter
Furniture and accents retailer Swoon has updated its corporate identity and introduced its first television advertising campaign.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE |
Senator International has moved its Central London showroom to Clerkenwell and added owned warehousing near its Lancashire HQ.
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- DATA & RESEARCH |
A 15 percent increase in sales over the Easter week offset sub-zero trading in the early part of March, according to the British Retail Consortium.
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- OPINION & ANALYSIS |
But it does result in big changes in design.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION |
A three-store adjustable beds and chairs business in South Wales is plotting a national chain of shops after netting a £3.8 million growth fund.
