Homeserve Furniture Repairs has rebranded as Emmiera Group in a transformation designed to better reflect both its values and its wide-ranging activities that transcend its core furniture repair services.

The value of wood living, dining and bedroom cabinet imports dropped for the fourth month in a row in March on the back of lower figures from China and Vietnam.

The former owner of the Conran & Partners interior design and architecture practice has disclosed the terms of the sale of the business to its management team for the first time.

An interior design portal acquired by the co-founder of online estate agent Purplebricks last year has raised new equity funding from shareholders.

Furniture and home furnishings industry news headlines in brief.

Seven companies from the across the U.K. furnishings sector claimed King's Awards for Enterprise, including two for the Harrison Spinks beds, components and fillings group in Leeds.

Sleep Expo Europe, a new exhibition and conference for the European mattress, bedding and sleep tech industries, is to take place in the Netherlands in just over a year from now.

Visitor numbers soared to well north of pre-Covid levels at the Guangzhou-based China International Furniture Fair last month, organisers have reported.

Industry news from Tapi Carpets, BFM, Whitemeadow and The Branded Furniture Company; and Silentnight.

The Northpoint Furniture Show will open its doors to retail buyers later this spring with representatives of more than 30 household names from the U.K. and international furniture and bed sector having signed up to exhibit.

Furniture Village and ScS, two of the largest furniture retailers in the country, are among the first companies to become Approved Retailer members of the British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM).

Creditors of Mark Harris Furniture, the furniture wholesale and retail company whose assets were sold via a prepack buyout last month, were owed more than £14 million at the time of the restructure.

The value of case goods imported into the U.K. fell to its lowest level in 18 months at the beginning of 2023 after overstocked distributors and retailers put the brakes on orders last autumn.

British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) is expanding its events portfolio with the launch of Furniture Component Expo, an event it hopes will connect manufacturers with companies from across the upstream supply chain.

The Furniture & Home Improvement Ombudsman, (FHIO) has appointed four new new members to its Standards Board including key officials from major retailer DFS, Tapi Carpets & Floors, and B&Q.

The two-phase China International Furniture Fair (CIFF) returns next month after an enforced in-person hiatus caused by Covid-19 and local restrictions that prevented buyers from travelling.

Exports of core furniture categories including upholstery, beds and cabinets reached all-time high levels in 2022, breaking a record that had stood for the past four years.

Trade association British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) has launched Industry Matters, a new podcast that looks to offer insight and analysis across issues affecting its membership base.

Associated Independent Stores (A.I.S.) said last month's open-to-all INDX Furniture Show — the tenth anniversary edition of the show — was one of its best-ever attended events.

The organiser of a key trade show targeted at the furniture manufacturing and joinery industries has announced the scheduled return of the exhibition in the spring of next year, alongside the appointment of two senior hires to run it.

James Keen, the chief executive of Hypnos Beds, has been elected to the board of the British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM), the trade association representing the interests of furniture makers.

The organiser of the January Furniture Show says nearly three quarters of exhibitors have already rebooked for the 2024 edition, and name-checked two large upholstery brands among those that will return after missing this year's event.

Trade association British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) named High Seat (HSL) and Jay-Be as winners of the inaugural Furniture of Furniture Awards at an evening reception at the January Furniture Show last week.

Westbridge, GNG Group, Citibed, Wiemann and Sci-Net have been named winners of The Furniture Awards 2023 by an independent judging panel at the January Furniture Show.

Clarion Events says its January Furniture Show has attracted record Day 1 visitors as the trade exhibition opened its doors for the first day of its 2023 edition on Sunday.

IMM Cologne will return to its historic January dateline next year but plans for a late spring edition this year will still go ahead, organisers have reaffirmed.

The number of furniture, flooring and furnishings companies filing for insolvency climbed to the highest level since records began in 2022 as demand tailwinds receded and Covid-support measures fell away.

Organisers of the January Furniture Show have released the 2023 event Preview Guide ahead of the exhibition opening its doors in just over two weeks time.

West Midlands based Homeserve Furniture Repairs booked record revenue and profit through 2021/22 and said it expects to grow its top line again in the current financial year.

Organisers of the INDX series of furniture, homewares, beds and bedroom trade events have lined up a six-strong programme of exhibitions for 2023.

Hall 2 of the NEC will host the inaugural Home Interiors Show next month, organisers have announced. It will run alongside the January Furniture Show at the Birmingham venue.

Trade association British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) says The Future of Furniture Awards offer the opportunity for its members to highlight their sustainability and employment credentials.

Vida Living, one of the largest suppliers of furniture to the U.K. market, found big sales growth last year but profits declined as rising input costs meant gross margin narrowed.

Trade association British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) is launching a new campaign to highlight the value and variety of careers available within the industry, as well as showcasing the steps the sector is taking to support sustainable manufacturing.

The value of U.K. furniture exports has jumped by more than £200 million so far this year thanks to increased activity with major trading partners including the U.S., Ireland and France.

International Market Centers (IMC), organiser of the biannual Las Vegas and High Point furniture markets, is to add nine new buying events to its 2023 calendar in a build out of its in-person activity.

The British Contract Furnishing Association (BCFA) has changed its name to Commercial Interiors UK with its full rebrand to be formally rolled out and complete by November 14.

The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, will next month host Routes to Greater Sustainability, a free-to-attend climate change and sustainability event.

The National Bed Federation (NBF) has begun a search for a successor to executive director Jessica Alexander, who is to scale back her duties with the organisation ahead of eventually retiring.

The next edition of upholstery, mattress and furnishing fabrics exhibition The London Fabric Show will feature an expanded international footprint, organisers have announced.

The British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) has partnered with leading sustainability and net zero group Planet Mark to help its members and the country’s furniture industry meet its net zero goals.

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.

The U.K. is the single largest importer of Brazilian furniture across all of Europe despite a decline on last year, according to new figures from a promotional organisation affiliated to the Brazilian Government.

The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, has launched a confidential text service to offer support to people working in the sector.

One of the world's most famous furniture and product designers has lent his creative skills to a new sofa model launching in the U.K. this week.

Furniture exports climbed in the three months to end June on the back of strong growth from the two largest buyers of U.K.-made goods.

IMM, the international furniture fair historically held annually in January, will return after a three-and-a-half year hiatus with a one-off dateline in June next year, organisers have decided.

Associated Independent Stores (AIS), the host of the open-to-all INDX Furniture exhibition taking place later this month, has announced the speakers for its Retail Insights: Furniture Focus programme.

Exhibitors and visitors struck an upbeat tone amid high temperatures at Home & Gift, the four-day fair which opened its doors at the Harrogate Convention Centre on Sunday.

The next edition of the London Fabric Show will take place at the ILEC Conference Centre in the capital from February 28–March 1, 2023 organisers have confirmed.

The management at two thirds of furniture companies are prioritising sustainability, according to a survey by The British Furniture Confederation (BFC). That is not enough, according to its chair.

Trade show INDX Beds & Bedroom will return this autumn with visitor pre-registration now open.

Trade show INDX Furniture takes place at the Cranmore Park Conference & Exhibition Centre over three days later this summer with pre-registration now open, organisers have confirmed.

Mark Eastwood MP has been appointed chair of the All Party Parliamentary Furniture Industry Group (APPFIG). The Dewsbury official takes over from fellow Conservative Mike Wood, who has led the group since it was reformed after the General Election.

Show organisers have rescheduled the China International Furniture Fair (CIFF Guangzhou) and a sister event for next month after they were postponed because of Covid earlier this year.

Furniture testing and services provider FIRA International has gained UKAS Accreditation to the main flammability regulation for the American market.

Inside tips to help furniture manufacturers attract the best talent and get the most from their training programmes will be delivered at an inaugural regional industry networking event, organised by the British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) at Ercol.

FIRA International, the furniture industry testing and services provider, is to host an online session taking in a broader look at flammability regulations incorporating the rules for Ireland, California and the U.K.

The January Furniture Show will return to its usual dateline with show organisers on Monday confirming dates of January 22–25, 2023 for next year's exhibition.

Furniture services and testing provider FIRA International will open its doors to the trade on Wednesday, May 18 as part of its ongoing Open Day programme of events.

FIRA International, the furniture test house and services provider, says it has gained accreditation to the Irish Government's equivalent to the U.K. fire regs in a move it hopes will make exports easier for British manufacturers.

Organisers of The Furniture Awards have revealed the shortlist of 16 potential winners across four categories ahead of The January Furniture Show, this year taking place April 24–27, 2022 at the NEC.

BFM Fabric Show organiser British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) says it is committed to re-investing in the event for next year after last week's return for the exhibition met with a positive response.

Organisers of two leading international furniture fairs in China have been forced to postpone their events just days before doors opened after the local Government banned exhibitions, citing a renewed Covid threat.

The Furniture Makers' Company is holding a black-tie charity ball to celebrate the successful culmination of its 12-month fundraising campaign, Step 2 It.

Flooring suppliers have rejected an early autumn Domotex exhibition in Germany in favour of the event returning next January in its traditional dateline.

The BFM Fabric Show London event has attracted almost a third more exhibitors than previous editions after an increase in supplier interest ahead of its return next week.

The British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) is to organise a series of regional industry events where it hopes the furniture community will be able to network and share best practice.

Uptake of Level 2 Furniture Standard Apprenticeships has snowballed amid worker shortages according to the Furniture and Interiors Education, Skills and Training Alliance (FIESTA).

The Government agency responsible for ensuring the designs framework enables rights holders to protect designs and enforce their rights has launched a call for views ahead of a review.

Proposte, the northern Italian textiles exhibition popular with sofa makers and other buyers of furnishings fabrics, has rescheduled its spring 2022 edition by a few weeks.

Colour Marketing Services (CMS), which supplies a diversified range of sampling services and products to the furniture, flooring and interiors sectors, has appointed Caroline Adams as sales and marketing director. It has also moved into larger manufacturing premises.

Furniture and furnishings test house FIRA International has rescheduled its planned winter Open Day events to the spring, citing visitor and staff wellbeing.

Legislators in Vietnam imposed some of the most severe Covid restrictions worldwide last year with widespread factory shutdowns, but they are yet to materially damage furniture exports to the U.K.

Foam and sprung mattress imports have climbed for the first time since the early summer according to new figures, ending a five-month stretch of year-on-year declines.

The total value of carpets imported into the U.K. fell for a third month in a row in November according to new HM Revenue & Customs data.

Invite-only trade exhibition BFM Fabric Show London 2022 will take place at a new venue, the ILEC Conference Centre near Earls Court, when it returns this spring.

U.K. retailers and wholesalers imported more upholstered furniture into the country in November than in any other single month in history, new official data shows.

The next edition of Salone del Mobile (The Furniture Show) in Milan will take place in the summer after organisers canned the traditional April show dates because of Covid.

Organisers of Heimtextil, the international trade fair for the textiles industry held annually in Frankfurt, have rescheduled the cancelled event for the summer of this year.

The chairman of the Furniture Industry Research Association says the not-for-profit organisation expanded its membership base last year, giving the trade a bigger voice in shaping its own destiny.

Organisers of the Scottish Interiors Showcase, an annual trade furnishings event dating back 14 years, says the 2022 edition will take place as scheduled next month.

Associated Independent Stores (AIS) says all of its planned winter show series, including its INDX Furniture event which starts in 10 days' time, will go ahead under current Government guidance for large indoor events and trade shows.

Preview22, the planned online bridge for retailers and suppliers ahead of the live trade show period, is to become The Online Furniture Show instead and will run later this month, organisers have announced.

More U.K. home and interiors exhibitions have been delayed as a result of either Government restrictions or the threat of them being introduced amid concerns over the spread of the Omicron Covid variant.

The return of the January Furniture Show will be delayed by a further three months after organisers rescheduled the dates amid concerns over the Omicron Covid-19 variant.

SATRA, the research and testing organisation, has appointed Tristine Hargreaves to lead its furniture and flooring section as divisional manager. It also announced a new tie-up to provide services to the National Bed Federation (NBF).

Furniture fair IMM Cologne has become the latest big international German trade show to cancel plans to return in January, with the event now pushed out to 2023.

Heimtextil, the international trade fair for the textiles industry held annually in Frankfurt, has been cancelled, with organisers citing the worsening pandemic situation in Germany.

Nick Garratt, the outgoing managing director of the British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM), says the association is primed to expand and that his successor can build on the achievements of the past three years.

More than 400 U.K. and international brands have signed to exhibit at the January Furniture Show, which returns to the NEC in Birmingham next month after the pandemic prevented the 2021 edition from taking place.

Montgomery Group, organiser of joinery and furniture manufacturing trade show W Exhibition, has cancelled the planned February 2022 edition, citing Covid, Government restrictions, and an ever-shifting calendar of European exhibitions.

The 48th edition of the China International Furniture Fair (CIFF) is to take place online next month rather than as a live event in Shanghai, because of the pandemic.

FIRA International will open the doors to its new furniture testing facilities in Stevenage early next year after announcing the dates of its first four Open Day events.

The return of Domotex, the Hannover based trade show for carpets and other floorcoverings, will be further delayed after organisers cancelled the January 2022 edition.

The U.K. and Ireland were responsible for the largest decline in attendees at the Brussels Furniture Fair, held earlier this month at Brussels Expo in the Belgian capital.

How furniture companies are adapting their sales approach to meet the needs of customers following the pandemic is the theme of the latest webinar in the building back better series organised by The Furniture Makers’ Company.

FIRA International, which delivers testing, inspection, certification and training to the furniture industry along with being the service provider to the Furniture Industry Research Association, has moved to new premises in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

Organisers of INDX Furniture, formerly the AIS Furniture Show, say they they are looking forward to resuming a more usual format as the exhibition returns in Solihull early next year.

Exhibition organiser Clarion Events has launched the pre-registration process ahead of the return of the January Furniture Show at the NEC, Birmingham next year.

Carolyn Mitchell, sales and marketing director for the contract division of Buckinghamshire headquartered bed maker Hypnos, is to chair the British Contract Furnishing Association (BCFA) for a second time.

Clerkenwell Open, a showroom trail event that featured 62 companies across the furniture and furnishings sector, is to take place again in 2022 after the success of the inaugural edition this year.

The director of sustainability and innovation at Leeds bed and mattress manufacturer Harrison Spinks has joined the roster of experts speaking at The Furniture Makers’ Company’s webinar on sustainability next week.

The Young Furniture Makers exhibition, a product showcase from the next generation of innovators organised by The Furniture Makers’ Company, is this year taking place as a month-long virtual event.

Furniture manufacturing activity in Vietnam is expected to increase after the Government signalled its intent to ease restrictions amid an intention to move away from its zero-Covid strategy.

The Furniture Makers’ Company’s (TFMC) industry webinar series returns this autumn with three more episodes, the first of which will explore what the trade is doing to combat climate change.

BFM, the trade association for British furniture manufacturers, says the BFM Fabric Show London will return next year, taking place in the week commencing March 7.

Vaccinated U.K. furniture buyers will now be able to visit next week's Milan furniture show after the Italian Government this weekend ended a longstanding requirement for arrivals from here to quarantine.

The China International Furniture Fair (CIFF) in Shanghai has postponed its early autumn exhibition by several weeks to new dates in late September.

The Furniture Industry Research Association has published new guidance for companies in the upholstery and mattress sectors with regard to understanding and complying with chemical regulations.

BFM, the association of British Furniture Manufacturers, has lined up online seminars for its members to be delivered by experts in patent law and dispute resolution.

FIRA International, the Stevenage based furniture test house and industry service provider, will next month host a webinar focusing on safety and compliance for domestic furniture.

Andrew Porter UK has rebranded its furniture and homeware storage and fulfilment entity as AP+, specialising in end-to-end third-party logistics (3PL) solutions from its 300,000sqft purpose-built facility.

Visitors are now able to register to attend the 2021 Bed Show, the National Bed Federation has announced.

Exhibitors have already pledged their support to the Autumn Furniture Show after its sister Summer Furniture Show successfully heralded the return of trade events earlier this month.

The Manchester Furniture Show, this year to be held in Harrogate alongside the Home & Gift Buyers' Festival, has been selected to be part of a limited number of pilot events in the third phase of the Government's Events Research Programme (ERP).

Organisers of the Manchester Furniture have reaffirmed that the event, this year co-located with the Home & Gift Buyers' Festival in Harrogate, will be going ahead as planned.

SATRA Technology Centre will host a Technical Forum for domestic furniture this summer where it will highlight proposed changes to industry standards and legislation and provide an opportunity for delegates to give feedback ahead of their implementation.

The long-awaited return of trade events ends Monday with the spring edition of the Long Point exhibition seeing showrooms open their doors across the East Midlands.

The organiser of the Manchester and January Furniture Shows is launching Reveal, a new trade ecommerce platform that aims to deliver a permanent digital shopfront for industry retailers and suppliers.

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.

Organisers of the Manchester Furniture Show have fixed the details for this year's edition. It will take place alongside the Home & Gift Buyers' Festival, in Harrogate, from July 18–21, 2021.

Four key European furniture and bedding trade associations have united to express their concern over the conflicted response across the EU to the coronavirus pandemic, saying it has created added uncertainty and difficulty.

Batley based furniture maker and retailer HSL is among several industry companies claiming a Queen's Award for Enterprise for 2021.

The second Online Furniture Show begins today (April 26) with the backing of eBay, the Internet marketplace website, as its headline sponsor.

The Furniture Industry Research Association has published a guide to furniture packaging present and future, exploring existing materials and alternative regulations the industry may be compelled to adopt.

The number of U.K. furniture, flooring and furnishings companies falling insolvent fell to record lows in the first three months of 2021, despite limited trade because of coronavirus restrictions.

The BFM Fabric Show, which had been due to take place at Twickenham in June, has been postponed and will now take place in February/March of next year.

Imports and exports of furniture and flooring fared worse than other goods and commodities in the first month since the end of the Brexit transition, initial Government data shows.

Peter Harrison and Tim Stacey, the CEOs of Furniture Village and DFS respectively, are the two panellists in the final webinar in the Innovation in Times of Crisis series from The Furniture Makers' Company.

The South West Furniture and Bed Show has announced late May dates for its spring exhibition following the planned easing of restrictions surrounding indoor events.

The 15th Scottish Interiors Showcase will rebrand for its first-ever digital event, which has been designed to be the first of many that will run alongside future in-person editions of the exhibition.

Two MPs in furniture manufacturing strongholds will join the heads of Britain's leading industry trade associations for the second episode in the Innovation In Times Of Crisis webinar series.

The lobby group representing Britain's furniture industry has written to the Chancellor calling for support measures such as the furlough scheme to be extended when the Budget is announced next month.

SATRA Technology, the research and technology organisation, has become a corporate member of The Furniture Makers' Company, the industry charity and City of London livery company.

BFM Fabric Show London is to take place at Twickenham Stadium from June 8–9, 2021, subject to small indoor trade events being permitted at the time.

SATRA Technology, whose diversified research and technology services include the testing of furniture and floorcoverings, is expanding its regular programme of technical webinars to include more topics of specific interest to those two sectors.

The Proposte fabrics show will take place at the same time as Salone del Mobile (Milan furniture show) with organisers hoping visitors will be able to visit both fairs in a single trip to northern Italy.

More than 1,200 people from across the industry had visited the inaugural Online Furniture Show by the halfway stage, organisers said today (Wednesday).

The already-revised international home and contract textiles show Heimtextil has been cancelled until 2022, with organisers saying there is nothing to be gained by a further delay to later this year.

W Exhibition & Elements, the trade show for the furniture manufacturing and joinery industries, has been postponed until February 6–9, 2022, organisers have announced.

Leading minds from the across the industry will tackle topics ranging from innovation in manufacturing to sector survival and retail in a new series of webinars to be hosted by The Furniture Makers' Company.

Furniture Show Birmingham at the NEC will return in a year's time after organisers rescheduled the April event to January 23–26, 2022 as a result of the current restrictions designed to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Organisers of the Online Furniture Show have issued another call to potential exhibitors ahead of the launch of the inaugural event.

There will be no physical Domotex exhibition in Germany this year after organisers postponed the rescheduled floorcoverings event.

44 fewer U.K. furniture, floorcoverings and furnishings companies filed for insolvency in 2020 despite the pandemic hitting businesses across the country since the early spring of last year.

Clarion Events has expanded and reorganised the management of its Retail portfolio, which includes its furniture shows at both the NEC, Birmingham and Manchester Central.

Organisers of the Online Furniture Show are to allow exhibitors to the inaugural event to display their products for free when it goes live for the first time next month.

SATRA, the testing and technical services provider, has appointed standards and testing expert Phil Reynolds to lead and expand its furniture and floorcoverings division.

Brian Ahern is the new chair of the Furniture Industry Research Association. He is succeeding Charles Vernon, whose four-year tenure came to an end in September.



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