Shares in the U.K's largest floorcoverings distributor fell to their lowest level in over seven months on Thursday after it had earlier said it was taking steps to address a reduction in gross margin.

The CEO of Nestware Holdings says the flooring group is part way through a process to hire a new managing director for Carpetright, its largest retail brand, having recently appointed a new finance director.

National floorcoverings distributor TradeChoice Carpet & Flooring will expand its depot network by half this year, starting with a new facility opening next month.

The Floor Room, the flooring retail brand launched by Carpetright owner Nestware two years ago, is to take over responsibility for all of John Lewis’ fitted flooring, from customer consultation to installation.

International floorcoverings supplier Victoria has moved its registered headquarters to the company's purpose-built 185,000sqft distribution and administration centre at Worcester.

Losses widened at fast-expanding floorcoverings distributor Likewise Group last year despite top line gains driven by acquisition and organic growth from a larger market presence.

U.K. importers continued to buy in less carpet in March as both the value and volume of goods arriving at British ports fell again, new figures show.

The write-off of a related party loan was behind furniture and flooring rental retailer Pay Weekly Carpets & Vinyl reporting a loss last year despite rising output from its in-house sofa manufacturing unit.

National retailer Tapi Carpets & Floors has launched a programme of eco-friendly carpets manufactured from recycled polyester and plans to add further sustainable smooth flooring options in the near future.

Connection Retail, the group behind brands including Flooring Superstore and Direct Wood Flooring, has restructured its cost base after a year in which it incurred a seven-figure deficit.

Kellars expects to grow by a fifth in its current financial period after the the first full year impact of its depots in Glasgow and Rugby helped boost its national profile last year.

Stronger gross margin helped protect profitability for Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland wholesaler Flanagan Flooring last year amid rising costs and lower revenue.

The longtime private equity backer of Brintons says it has successfully negotiated revised debt covenants with the banking syndicate that lends to the group, shoring up the historic carpet maker's finances.

Flooring group Victoria says the laying off of hundreds of workers at Balta plants in Belgium and the shift of production to factories here and in Turkey will deliver synergy gains of no less than €15 million per year.

Consumer price inflation for household furniture eased to a 19-month low in March while input cost inflation at the furniture factory gate fell to its lowest level in over two years.

A multi-showroom London floorcoverings company has put creditors on alert after it filed a notice of intent to appoint an administrator (NOI).

Nestware, the owner of both Britain's largest floorcoverings retailer and standalone wholesale business, says it has already realised synergies from the separate 2020 buyout of a major flooring etailer.

The value of carpet imports into the U.K. was flat in February as higher prices compensated for a double-digit decline in volumes.

Higher sales to the residential and hospitality markets along with an uplift in demand from U.K. interior designers serving customers in the Middle East boosted a top-end rug distributor last year.

Heritage carpet industry supplier Bonar Yarns has been placed into administration but restructuring advisors say they remain hopeful of finding a buyer for the business as a going concern.

The company behind the Burmatex carpets brand deleveraged through 2022, a year that saw it make top and bottom line gains.

Flooring wholesaler Likewise Group has taken possession of its 47,000sqft high bay distribution centre in Glasgow ahead of it becoming fully operational later this spring.

Upholstery and flooring retailer ScS is to evaluate how consumers respond to DFS cutting its interest free credit offer by 12 months earlier this month, but says its own focus will remain offering optimum value.

A South East floorcoverings supplier filed a second notice of intent to appoint an administrator on Tuesday as stakeholders closed in on an apparent restructure.

Bensons for Beds will this weekend expand its West Midlands retail footprint with the launch of a new store at Erdington to the northeast of Birmingham city centre.

The year-on-year value of carpets imported into the U.K. declined 4.3 percent in January, a first drop in monetary terms since the summer of last year.

A second straight period of growth helped North West flooring manufacturer Penthouse Carpets to last year achieve its highest sales since the financial crash of 2008.

Britain's largest flooring wholesaler says it wants to grow its business with larger retail and trade customers by more than £100 million over the next five years.

A North West flooring and wall tile company has folded with seven-figure debts after a late 2020 company voluntary arrangement (CVA) agreement with creditors failed to complete.

A Walthamstow flooring company has folded leaving more than a dozen carpet, wood and vinyl suppliers owed five-and-six-figure sums.

The Carpet Foundation, the manufacturer-funded body that promotes carpet generically in the U.K., is to undertake a new burst of consumer advertising after the success of a similar campaign last year.

Privately-owned furniture retailer Glasswells has remodelled its Ipswich home furnishings store to create what it called a brighter and more contemporary atmosphere.

Martin Peace, an until-now near constant presence at major carpet supplier Abingdon Flooring in the decades before and after it became part of the Victoria group, has retired.

A three-year programme to consolidate factory space will save Axminster Carpets a seven-figure sum annually and rightsize the business for the future, its owners have said.

Victoria-owned Balta is proposing the transfer of wall-to-wall carpet production from Belgium to the U.K., citing challenges being able to make products profitably in its homeland.

Mohawk Industries, the world's largest floorcoverings supplier, said all of its European flooring categories experienced significant volume declines in the fourth quarter as customers cut back spending.

U.K. importers bought 12 million sqm of carpets and rugs into the country in December as volume growth returned after four straight year-on-year declines.

Flooring conglomerate Karndean has acquired Dutch Luxury vinyl tile (LVT) contemporary mFLOR International in a deal that bolsters its presence in mainland Europe.

Staffordshire floorcoverings group Brookvale grew profits last year as revenue climbed by nearly a third across its regional distribution network.

The three largest regional distributors of a Staffordshire based floorcoverings and flooring supplies wholesale group operating across England, Scotland and Wales all delivered big growth last year.

Britain's biggest floorcoverings retailer has been told to amend its marketing claims by the advertising watchdog after a complaint by its largest rival in the sector.

Calverts Carpets booked record profits for the second straight year after the regional floorcoverings retailer achieved its highest sales in over a decade.

Privately-owned regional floorcoverings retailer Floorstore expanded its West Yorkshire store footprint late last year after agreeing a new debt funding package.

Former DFS chief marketing and commercial officer Toni Wood has taken another C-suite role in the U.K. furnishings sector after joining Headlam Group as chief customer officer.

U.K. importers bought 13.1 million square metres (sqm) of carpet into the country in November as volumes declined for the fourth month in a row.

Likewise Group will add further infrastructure in the first half of this year with new distribution facilities in the South East of England and Scotland.

Employee-and-investor-owned retail chain Tapi Carpets & Floors has welcomed in the new year with a flurry of new store openings.

Flooring group Headlam has acquired one of the largest independent players in the U.K. rugs market in a deal that bolsters its offer to the ecommerce sector.

Mears Flooring, one of the best-run privately-owned companies in the floorcoverings sector, maintained its double-digit net margin amid profitable growth last year.

A digital challenger bank and the taxman have been left nursing significant debts following the insolvency of a rugs wholesaler based in the South East of England.

A leading rug and mat manufacturer and distributor that has historically sold through retailers such as John Lewis and Dunelm invested and maintained high profits last year on underlying growth.

The combined book value of rug wholesaler Asiatic Carpets and its co-owned property companies climbed by almost £10 million last year as profits increased and real estate was revalued upwards.

Upholstered furniture and floorcoverings retailer ScS has expanded its store footprint in the north of England with the opening of a ninth store in Yorkshire.

A multi-site flooring retail and wholesale operation with warehouses across Scotland says rising costs have left it grappling with more challenging trading conditions.

Esselle Retail, a distributor of flooring textiles based in the North West, has acquired Arthouse, the private equity backed supplier of wallcoverings and home décor.

A four-fold rise in profits and higher sales helped bolster the finances of the group behind the Brockway Carpets and Grosvenor Wilton brands, accounts public Friday morning revealed.

The value of carpet imported into the U.K. climbed for the second straight month in October but volumes continued to slide.

Mohawk Industries, the world's largest flooring company, found top and bottom line growth at its largest U.K. business unit last year as it integrated the buyout of a Cambridgeshire wholesaler.

Chris Muir, chief financial officer at ScS for the past six years, is to leave the sofa and carpets retailer, sparking a search for a successor.

Victoria's takeover of parts of Belgium's Balta group was well publicised but the flooring conglomerate has since completed the buyout of another nearby business, it disclosed Tuesday morning.

Flooring conglomerate Victoria posted a stronger top and bottom line in the six months to October 1, 2022 but saw cash levels decline as a result of debt pay-down, acquisitions, capex and an operating cash outflow.

Major flooring producer Ulster Carpets says it will sacrifice short-term profits as it builds capacity with heavy investment at its factories across the U.K.

Upholstery and flooring chain ScS says it is trading resiliently through a challenging period with order intake growth having returned through the autumn.

The cost of living crisis is suppressing demand for floorcoverings among U.K. consumers according to wholesale giant Headlam, but it said gains elsewhere would aid profits.

North West flooring manufacturer Bronte Carpets has decided to wind down operations, calling time on 40 years in business amid challenging trading conditions.

Flooring wholesale group Headlam has recruited from outside the home sector for its new chief financial officer, bringing an eight-month recruitment process to a close.

The value of carpet imports into the U.K. rose for the first time in four months in September as higher prices countered a continuing slide in volumes.

A strong dollar and tough trading in Europe impacted flooring conglomerate Mohawk Industries in the third quarter, with customers putting off non-essential spend and price rises struggling to keep pace with inflation.

Likewise Group said the war in Ukraine, political instability in the U.K. and a particular hot summer will result in profit being below expectations when it reports full year numbers for 2022.

Flooring supplier Victoria has acquired International Wholesale Tile (IWT), a Florida based tile, natural stone and LVT distributor, in a deal worth $28.5 million (£24.9m).

The founder of DFS and an investment vehicle controlled by the deputy chairman of Dunelm remain among the largest shareholders in fast-growing and now-profitable flooring retailer Tapi Carpets & Floors.

The value of carpet imports into the U.K. declined to its lowest level since December 2021 after volumes fell by almost a fifth in the latest chronicled month, according to new figures.

A longtime investor in diversified flooring manufacturer and distributor Victoria now owns more than a fifth of the company after it upped its stake in the business on Wednesday.

Headlam Group, the U.K.'s largest floorcoverings wholesaler, has bolstered its leadership team with two new independent non-executive board hires.

A floorcoverings company that used to work with one-time major home furnishings independent Alan Ward is expanding with the launch of a second retail and trade showroom.

Fast-growing flooring chain Tapi Carpets & Floors will keep its foot on the accelerator pedal with new stores opening through 2022.

National retailer Tapi Carpets & Floors has booked inaugural profits on the back of wider margins and top line growth, with it targeting further gains this year despite the weakening market.

National floorcoverings distributor Carpet & Flooring, which operates a dozen depots across the country, has rebranded the business to give itself a more distinct and targeted name.

The owner of one of the U.K.'s most prominent rugs businesses has agreed a deal with restructuring advisors to acquire rival rug brand Woven after the company behind the etailer was placed into administration earlier this week.

The group behind the contract floorcoverings brands Heckmondwike Carpets and Paragon Carpet Tiles bolstered its balance sheet after a year in which profits climbed on wider margins and higher sales.

U.K. arm of Scandinavian hardwood floorcoverings manufacturer expects low growth amid uncertainty from the global recovery from the pandemic.

Five-store specialist retailer operates carpet and bed shops across Dorset and Hampshire.

High U.K. demand post lockdown super-charged a return to profit for luxury vinyl tile (LVT) supplier Amtico as the Coventry company closed in on a decade under the ownership of U.S. flooring giant Mannington Mills.

Likewise Group, the challenger flooring distributor that has been buying up companies and building infrastructure to take on larger rivals, says demand has continued to be strong through late summer and into the autumn.

Upholstery and flooring retailer ScS has named John Walden as the successor to non-executive chair Alan Smith, who will retire in just over a year from now.

Privately-owned South East England floorcoverings wholesaler STS booked higher profits last year on wider gross margin and rising sales.

Balta Group will soon be no more. The Belgian flooring conglomerate is changing its corporate name to Belysse Group with the switch to be approved at an Extraordinary General Meeting next month.

The value of carpet and smooth floorcoverings manufacturer and distributor Victoria has moved erratically in the past few days, rising by more than £100 million before a steep decline.

The quantity of carpets imported into the U.K. fell for a sixth straight month in July as strong data from the Netherlands was outweighed by weaker figures from Belgium and Turkey.

Headlam Group's search for a new chief financial officer has entered its seventh month after a prime candidate for the position decided at the last-minute to withdraw.

An insurance claim and wider gross margin helped profits climb at flooring wholesale group Headlam in the first half of the year despite an already-signposted decline in revenue.

Higher prices helped Belgian carpet maker Associated Weavers (AW) achieve double-digit sales growth in the U.K. last year, though it sold fewer square metres of product in the process.

Narrower gross margin contributed to profits falling at the Karndean flooring group last year despite revenue jumping by the equivalent of about £74 million.

Airea, the parent company to contract floorcoverings brand Burmatex, has hired experienced home goods retail official Mederic Payne as its chief executive officer.

Volumes climbed sharply among tufted carpet manufacturers last year while production of woven carpets was flat despite lapping restrictions from the previous year.

Upholstered furniture and floorcoverings retailer ScS has relaunched its Gateshead store in the North East as part of a plan to roll out new concept showrooms with a series of technological and visual enhancements.

Upholstery and carpets retailer ScS has bolstered its operating board with the appointment of an experienced retail executive as its first ever chief marketing and digital officer.

The quantity of carpets imported into the U.K. fell for the fifth month in a row in June with high product price inflation not enough to send the total value above the same period last year.

Listed flooring group Victoria has spent more in share buybacks in the past week than in the entirety of last year as it seeks to take advantage of a perceived undervaluation in its share price.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has had a profound impact on the supply of engineered wood flooring according to a major U.K. supplier with worldwide sales north of £53 million.

Floorcoverings supplier Designer Contracts has opened a new facility in Berkshire that becomes its regional headquarters for the Western Counties area.

Major upholstery chain ScS says it still has an elevated order book compared with historic norms with the unwind of existing bookings to help it record profits ahead of market expectations.

The company behind smooth floorcoverings ecommerce brand Luxury Flooring & Furnishings has agreed a multi-year delivery contract with XPO Logistics.

Carpet yarn spinner Lawton Yarns agreed a six-figure settlement to end a legal claim with its former owner Danspin in a deal cut ahead of its subsequent management buyout earlier this year.

Headlam, Britain's largest flooring wholesale group, has built up stock levels ahead of what it hopes will be busier trading months to come. It follows a revenue decline in the first half.

Plans to demolish the building housing the one-time Tapi Carpets & Floors store in central London will lead to the creation of a smart new retail store with consents for both furniture and floorcoverings trade.

Steve Depport, head of the Metro Group, has been appointed a non-executive director at The Carpet Foundation, the industry group that promotes the use of carpet and those that sell it.

ScS has promoted flooring director Dean Weston to a new and more all-encompassing retail role as part of a number of changes to the management team that also sees a new brief for trading director James Heese.

Carpet import volumes declined for a third straight month in May on the back of weaker trade with Belgium, historically the U.K.'s largest trading partner.

Upholstery and flooring retailer ScS has opened a new concept store featuring a series of technological enhancements, a first public airing for a new product tie-up with the U.K.'s largest home interest magazine, and a wider home offer.

The franchise group behind the United Carpets & Beds retail format returned to profit in 2020/21 in its first results since it left the stock market. It was helped by robust post lockdown demand, wider margins and reduced bad debt.

Still-expanding floorcoverings retailer Tapi Carpets & Floors is opening its eighth store this year with a former bed shop unit that takes its total across Great Britain to 170.

Construction is underway at distribution centres in Scotland and the Midlands as national flooring wholesaler Likewise Group looks to double its logistics capacity this year.

Wood flooring specialist Havwoods will open its second store this year and its fifth overall as it continues expanding its retail footprint in wealthy parts of the country.

National floorcoverings distributor Carpet & Flooring has appointed a new md with a raft of home improvement industry experience following the planned departure of longtime leader Lisa Tomlin.

The group behind regional carpets chain Wilsons and national ecommerce flooring brands such as Online Carpets landed bumper profits in the first figures since it reorganised under a single entity.

A seven-figure reorganisation saw Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland wholesaler Flanagan Flooring bring a property investment joint venture under its control last year.

Britain's biggest carpet maker held almost four times the value of raw materials at the year end as it invested heavily to enable it to meet surging demand for its products and deliver its highest ever profits.

Britain's biggest flooring wholesaler will enable independent retailers and one-man-and-a-van installers to hit sub-£15sqm price points after launching a new brand with a supporting micro-site.

Directors at carpet yarn spinner Lawton Yarns have completed a management buyout (MBO) of the company, ending the two year stint under the ownership of London private equity group Breal Capital.

Revenue jumped to nearly £90 million and losses were reversed for the U.K.'s self-described largest independent floorcoverings distributor last year.

Upholstery and flooring retailer ScS says Andy Kemp will join its board as non-executive director next year ahead of the planned departure of one of its existing officers.

The value of carpets imports dropped by almost a fifth at the start of the second quarter while volumes were down at nearly twice that rate on a year-on-year basis.

Floorcoverings suppliers and their customers must work in unison amid rising prices and an expected fall in demand, according to a worldwide collective representing companies in the sector.

Floorcoverings conglomerate Mohawk Industries has agreed to buy the Vitromex ceramic tile business from Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS) in an all-cash deal worth about $293 million (£235m).

Mike Scott will retire as chief financial officer at diversified flooring conglomerate Victoria later this year after six years in the role. His replacement joins from outside the industry.

Historic manufacturer Ulster Carpets has become one of just four carpet makers and six flooring companies to have been granted a Royal Warrant by The Queen.

Buy-and-build flooring group Likewise says it has established a trade brand in most geographical areas of the U.K. as new results confirm its annual revenue run-rate has breached nine-figures for the first time.

Cost cutting and a five percentage point improvement in gross margin lifts Wiltshire carpet group back into profit after a circa £300,000 bottom line turnaround.

The U.K.'s largest flooring wholesale group believes ecommerce and a growing cohort of multiple retail customers can help it counter a weaker market this year.

Circa £16 million turnover Midlands 3PL and group logistics provider targets early next year to be fully operational.

The value of carpet imports advanced in high single digit percentages in March, masking a fall in the quantity of goods arriving at U.K. borders. Turkey proved the exception, delivering an increase on both counts.

The carpet and rugs business bought by Victoria in a carve-out of Balta Group's operations booked thinner margins in the first quarter as higher costs countered the impact of rising sales.

Decision, widely anticipated, follows divestment of certain I.P. and other soft flooring divisions.

National retailer ScS has hired a former Allied Carpets, MFI and Habitat executive to the newly created role of flooring director as it looks to bolster its proposition in the category, The Furnishing Report can reveal.

The investment conglomerate that bought British furniture wholesaler Julian Bowen last year has strengthened its home interest portfolio with the acquisition of a compatriot floorcoverings company.

One of the U.K.'s largest privately-owned retailers of furniture and flooring sold on a weekly instalment basis has expanded its sofa manufacturing facility.

Mohawk Industries, the world's largest floorcoverings company and a major supplier to the U.K. market, says it anticipated supply chain challenges resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine ahead of time to eliminate production downtime.

Nestware Holdings, parent to retailers Carpetright, Flooring Supplies and Flooring Megastore along with wholesaler Carpet & Flooring, has appointed the former strategy chief at Sainsbury's as its new chief executive.

Major U.K. carpet maker Cormar has welcomed its new managing director into the business, bringing with him a deep knowledge of British and international textile manufacturing.

High-end tiles, wood flooring, bathroom and decorating retailer Fired Earth ended 2021 in stronger shape after its CVA enabled it to almost cut its showroom network in half.

Flooring group Victoria says its ability to deliver while others couldn't because they were short of stock enhanced its reputation and has led to market share gains over the past year.

U.K. carpet imports climbed double-digit in February despite flat trade with Belgium, historically the largest trading partner for British buyers.

Sales jumped by almost half for major rug distributor Flair Flooring last year to help counter the impact of rising costs and inflationary pressures.

Likewise Group has agreed to buy West Yorkshire flooring distributor Delta Carpets from its private shareholders in a cash and shares deal worth £3 million.

Fast-growing U.K. floorcoverings distributor Likewise Group has moved to incentivise key officials across the business with the granting of new share options.

Northwest flooring manufacturer Penthouse Carpets said it achieved a "remarkable performance" in 2020/21 despite a challenging second half to its financial year beset by issues outside its control.

Supply chain challenges in the six months to end January hit ScS' profits but the sofas and carpets retailer hopes to claw that back in the second half as it unwinds its big order book.

Brintons is facing a potentially expensive demand from a former landlord but the international carpet maker is not unduly concerned about its financial impact.

Premium wood flooring and wall cladding company Havwoods has opened the first of what it hopes will be a slew of new retail showrooms planned for 2022.



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