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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
James Sturrock is to step down as chief executive at Eve Sleep, the direct-to-consumer mattress and ancillary products brand, to take up a new post outside the company.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Consumer confidence for big-ticket items has plummeted to its lowest level since records began, sparking alarm for the eventual planned delivery of orders already taken in the pre Covid-19 period.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
An estimated 100,000 jobs across the furniture and furnishings sector have either been furloughed or eliminated since the coronavirus crisis began, with the future of many now dependent on Government funds.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
A private investment group already with skin-in-the-game in the mattress sector has acquired a 50.1 percent stake in direct-to-consumer beds business Emma - The Sleep Company.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Debenhams has confirmed it filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators, a move that buys the retailer protection from creditor action for nearly two weeks.
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- UPHOLSTERY
East Midlands upholstery manufacturer JDP Furniture Group has been placed into administration after it was adversely impacted by the insolvency of Laura Ashley, a major customer of one of its production units.
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- UPHOLSTERY
Hopes are high for the future of rise and recline upholstery producer Celebrity Motion Furniture despite the company and its parent being placed into administration late last week.
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- UPHOLSTERY
ScS chief executive David Knight, who announced his intention to retire back in January, has agreed to remain in place for an extended period of time as the group navigates the coronavirus crisis.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Direct-to-consumer mattress brand Emma says it near doubled sales in the U.K. in the first three months of the year, adding that it continued unaffected by the coronavirus pandemic.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Department store retailer Debenhams is considering ways to protect the business from creditor action including a possible second insolvent restructure within the space of a year.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Family-owned department store retailer Fenwick has reshaped its senior management team, with its chief executive and chairman both to depart.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Cabinet furniture maker and distributor Devonshire incurred a bigger loss on lower sales ahead of its sale last autumn and subsequent relaunch earlier this year.
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- ECOMMERCE
The release of selected financial figures indicate a breakout year for privately-owned ecommerce retailer Furniture Box in 2018–19.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Chief marketing officer Tony Holdway and director of retail Paul Owen will depart national beds specialist Dreams, its CEO has told Retail Week, a trade newspaper.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Bed manufacturers and their customers can access up-to-date advice on support packages available to them via a newly-created Coronavirus Hub put together by the National Bed Federation (NBF).
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
More than 90 years of history and heritage has been salvaged after a U.S. bed-industry investor acquired North West mattress maker Burgess out of administration.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Returns for the secured creditors of fallen department store retailer Beales will depend on the value administrators can extract out of the company's three principal property assets.
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- IMPORTS & EXPORTS
The release of January furniture and flooring trade data offers insight into inventory levels ahead of feared supply chain disruption out of China and subsequent demand concerns with enforced store closures.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Diversified manufacturer GNG Group says it is working around the clock to meet demand within its healthcare unit with the company having been awarded Key Supplier Status by the National Health Service (NHS).
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Fashion-to-furnishings retailer Laura Ashley has withdrawn the option to buy big-ticket furniture lines from its ecommerce offer, though the company continues to sell other merchandise as it trades through administration.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Living, dining and bedroom furniture supplier Bentley Designs recorded lower sales in 2018–19. It continued to generate profits and boosted its balance sheet with a capital contribution.
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- CASE GOODS
Blackburn bedroom cabinet manufacturer Klever Furniture left creditors facing a shortfall of almost £650,000 according to new statutory filings.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
British bed and mattress vertical The Original Bed Co. is to launch into mainland Europe with the introduction of a dedicated German sales channel.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Consumers were already minded to tighten the purse strings for high-value items like furniture ahead of the nationwide lockdown imposed by the Government a week ago, new data reveals.
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- UPHOLSTERY
Upholstery manufacturing giant La-Z-Boy has taken steps to conserve cash including salary cuts and the furloughing of thousands of employees worldwide.
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- UPHOLSTERY
National upholstery retailer Sofas & Stuff celebrated a decade in business last year, expanding its showroom network and booking six-figure profits.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
A serial investor in consumer brands has completed a buyout of high-end furniture and lifestyle retailer The Conran Shop, bringing an end to 47 years in charge for its founder.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Embattled weekly payments furniture and electricals retailer BrightHouse has been placed into administration, putting 240 stores and 2,400 jobs at risk.
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- EVENTS
Organisers of the U.K.'s leading summer trade furniture exhibition says they "fully support the need to prioritise the greater good" as the event venue was named a temporary NHS field hospital. Preparations for the July furniture event continue.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Lombok, the mid-high end East-inspired furniture retailer, has been placed into administration for the third time. Insolvency professionals hope to find a buyer for the brand and other intellectual property.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
One of the U.K.'s largest retail park landlords says it has taken steps to support customers who are being hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has been urged not to forget furniture manufacturers when evaluating state support for U.K. industry amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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- EVENTS
The organiser of the China International Furniture Fair (CIFF) has rescheduled the dates of its postponed spring exhibitions.
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- REGIONAL
A Glasgow based upholstery, window-dressings and interior fabrics retailer has been placed into administration after closing its three stores and ceasing trading a week ago.
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- EVENTS
Organisers of the Milan furniture fair (Salone del Mobile) have cancelled the rescheduled exhibition. It will now not take place at all in 2020.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
The number of retailers still delivering bulky furniture goods amid the coronavirus pandemic continues to fall, though some are sending delivery crews out to customers homes with heightened safety measures in place.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
The Swedish beds manufacturing conglomerate that lists British bedroom chain Feather & Black among its interests has re-platformed some of its manufacturing operations to help battle the coronavirus pandemic.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS
Victoria, the diversified flooring producer and distributor with operations in multiple countries worldwide, says it can survive even the most severe scenarios presented by the coronavirus pandemic.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Direct-to-consumer mattress brand Eve Sleep has doubled the length of time consumers have to return products free-of-charge to over six months.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
The National Bed Federation (NBF) and the British Furniture Confederation (BFC) are working together to provide clarity to industry over the support package available to businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
The Sleep Council, the organisation that raises awareness of the importance of sleep and choosing the right mattress, has issued advice to families as they adjust to spending more time at home.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
James Keen will this spring become the new chief executive officer at privately-owned bed manufacturer Hypnos, succeeding Stephen Ward who is retiring after 13 years in the role. His appointment was announced as 2018–19 figures became available.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Less than a third of all rent due from retailers at yesterday's Quarter Day dateline was paid, according to one of the U.K.'s largest retail landlords.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
The manufacturer of Dunlopillo branded mattresses in France has a new owner after the Paris Commercial Court approved its sale following an insolvency process.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
BFM, the association for British Furniture Manufacturers, wants members to make contact to highlight the biggest issues they face because of the coronavirus pandemic after a Government call to arms.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS
Headlam Group, Europe's largest floorcoverings distributor, says the opening of its new regional distribution centre has been delayed after European contractors were recalled due to travel restrictions.
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- COMMUNITY
Hard hit employees whose welfare is affected by the spread of coronavirus should contact The Furniture Makers’ Company for support, the City of London livery company and industry charity says.
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- UPHOLSTERY
DFS says it has put the brakes on almost all spending and has spelled out the cash impact of the enforced closure of its operations, saying it will cost the business millions of pounds each month.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
No known major U.K. furniture or floorcoverings retailers have decided to keep their stores open amid the unfolding coronavirus pandemic, falling into line with Government advice.
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- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Some of Britain's largest upholstery and mattress manufacturers have decided to close their factories and stop delivering following the lockdown announced Monday night as the country tries to stem the spread of coronavirus.
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- OPINION & ANALYSIS
With furniture stores shut for at least three weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic, taking payments online and the delivery of outstanding orders represent retailers' only opportunity to generate income.
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- CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
Daily updates on the latest situation regarding the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the furniture, flooring and furnishings trade.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Direct-to-consumer mattress brand ensures "adequate coverage for the coming months."
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Bricks-and-mortar furniture and floorcoverings retail will go into hibernation after the Prime Minister announced a U.K. lockdown as it grapples the coronavirus pandemic. But the Government has left the door open for those wishing to remain open.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Retailers and other commercial tenants who cannot pay their rent because of coronavirus will be protected from eviction, the Government announced last night.
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- FURNISHINGS & ACCENTS
Soft furnishings supplier Colefax Group has decided to cancel its interim dividend payment as a result of the uncertainty surround the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Fashion-to-furnishings retailer Laura Ashley is to be placed into administration later today with the closure of almost half of its U.K. store portfolio with near immediate effect.
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- REGIONAL
Two of the largest privately-owned furniture and beds retailers in the South East have opted to close stores amid the unfolding coronavirus crisis, among the first major independents in England to do so.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
John Lewis & Partners says online orders are ramping significantly but it will still need to buy less from suppliers as it adjusts to the impact of temporary store closures.
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- REGIONAL
Andersons of Inverurie, one of the largest single-store furniture retailers in the U.K., last night closed its store to the public because of the coronavirus pandemic.
