News in brief from across the U.K. furnishings sector.

Third-party investors have taken a multi-million pound minority equity position in Neptune, the Wiltshire headquartered furniture design, wholesale and retail group.

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.

A highly-regarded retailer with furniture stores in Ayr and Glasgow made its biggest gain in the past decade as it continued build in the year to January 31, 2023.

Williams-Sonoma, the U.S. conglomerate behind the West Elm and Pottery Barn retail formats, has launched GreenRow, a new consumer brand specialised in the use of sustainable materials and manufacturing practices to create colourful, vintage-inspired heirloom quality products.

Mattress and ancillary sleep products retailer Woolroom maintained a positive bottom line last year after a break-out period in the run up to and through the pandemic.

Import volumes of foam and sprung mattresses into the U.K. climbed for the third straight month in March, but the value of those products was lower compared with last year.

The co-owner of the furniture company behind The Interior Outlet retail store in Yorkshire says a variety of factors resulted in its insolvency including unresolved issues in its supply chain.

Danish furniture and homeware retailer JYSK will take U.K. store numbers to 30 with the launch of a new branch in Warrington later this month.

The owner of The Conran Shop has invested more equity into the modern furniture, homeware and lifestyle retailer via a fresh share issue.

Nailsea retailer Orchards The Furniture People is to call time on over 50 years of trading and close permanently ahead of its owners' planned retirement.

The current valuation of international urban furniture retail brand BoConcept has declined in the past year, according to its longtime private equity backer.

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.

John Lewis of Hungerford has agreed the £3 million sale and leaseback of its Oxfordshire factory amid wider plans to save cash by delisting from the Alternative Investors Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange.

U.K. sales jumped for mattress brand Emma Sleep according to just-filed figures that take in some of the most lucrative months of the pandemic for large players in the ecommerce home sector.

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.

Heritage independent furniture retailer Ewen & Company has begun a retirement sale ahead of the planned permanent closure of its Aberdeen premises.

Graham & Green acquired a new 100,000sqft distribution centre last year as the furniture and homeware retailer looked to make itself more cost efficient amid rising output.

The leader of Tempur Sealy International (TSI) says the takeover of U.K. market leader Dreams augurs well for the much-larger planned acquisition of its compatriot retailer Mattress Firm in a deal worth $4 billion.

Tempur Sealy International (TSI), the world's largest bedding company and owner of U.K. bed market leader Dreams, has agreed to acquire Mattress Firm, the largest bed retailer in the U.S., in a cash and shares deal worth $4 billion.

The owner of contemporary sofa maker Roger Lewis is overseeing the distribution of The Conran Shop’s exclusive in-house designs to the U.K. commercial market after it formed a strategic alliance with the high-end design retailer.

The London based company that claims to offer the world’s most advanced, breathable bamboo mattress returned seven-figure profits for the second straight year through 2021/22.

The issue of newly-allotted shares helped fund the Cotswolds-based ecommerce bedding brand Bedfolk last year as it sustained a trading deficit.

Consumer creditors and the tax authorities are the biggest losers from the fallout of the closure of an award-winning Yorkshire kitchen vertical that had built its ethos around sustainable design and manufacturing.

Jones & Tomlin, one of the country's largest privately-owned bed specialists, is to expand its store footprint beyond its home county after it acquired the freehold to a former Bathstore unit.

International revenue fell double-digit for ecommerce home goods platform Wayfair in the first quarter, returning to the levels seen at the outset of the pandemic.

National soft furnishings, lighting and home accents brand Julian Charles Home has laid down a marker in a profitable first full year since a private equity backed buyout.

General merchandise retailer Next outperformed expectations in the past three months but warned off any over exuberance by cutting sales forecasts for the next quarter.

U.K. kitchen giant Wren has expanded its showroom network in North America as it looks to build on major investment in manufacturing in the U.S. market.

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.

Upholstery and flooring retailer ScS is partnering Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity, by supporting the organisation’s work with donations of cash, unwanted products, and time.

A Scotland based ecommerce trader has become the latest supplier of upholstery to fall foul of the U.K. flammability regulations with four of its models said to present a serious fire risk.

Google and HM Revenue & Customs stand to lose most from the insolvency of the company that until a few days ago ran the Divan Bed Warehouse ecommerce mattress and bedding retail business.

Pooky, the lighting brand created by one of the co-founders of Sofa.com, is opening its first retail showroom in the North of England and its third overall.

Revenue recovered close to pre-pandemic levels for heritage independent home goods retailer Gardiner Haskins last year after a second straight period of growth. Profits also climbed.

Ecommerce retailer Divan Bed Warehouse is now trading through a different corporate structure after a tax demand from HM Revenue & Customs prompted a predecessor operating company to enter liquidation.

Magnet owner Nobia said first quarter revenue declined in the U.K. as it began a wide-ranging restructuring programme that sees the closure of two kitchen factories here and other business model adjustments.

Wincanton has made what it described as a multi-million pound investment in electric vehicle technology to provide home delivery services for IKEA, the U.K.'s largest home furnishings retailer.

Privately-owned ecommerce retailer MattressNextDay has begun listing the Simba Sleep mattress programme among its product offering for the first time.

Independent furniture retailer Vale Furnishers invested more than half of its large cash reserves into property during a year in which it posted record revenue and higher adjusted profits.



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