A combination of weak demand and key stakeholders working stock levels back to historic norms meant sofa imports dropped by almost a quarter in the first half of 2023.

Dutch carpet manufacturing giant Condor Group, a major supplier to the U.K. market, has completed a takeover of the assets of a compatriot manufacturer after it filed for insolvency.

Revenue fell back for North East manufacturer Palatine Beds in the past year, but remained at elevated levels compared with pre-pandemic levels.

A surge in sales combined with efforts to keep a lid on costs helped diversified London department store group Harrods to a near seven-fold rise in profits in the past year.

Upholstered furniture retailer ScS has donated another £27,000 to Shelter, taking the total monetary value of its partnership with the homelessness charity north of £100,000.

The value of half-year mattress imports into the U.K. have climbed on the back of above-inflation growth from Romania and Turkey, making up for weakness from other historic trading partners.

Expectations that sofa production will resume at the Acclaim Upholstery plant have been raised locally after actions taken by the company that acquired its assets in the past week.

The opening of stores in the centre and periphery of London represented a multi-million pound investment in launching into the U.K. market for King Living, the upmarket Australian furniture retailer.

The closure of a southeast England vertically-integrated upholstered furniture maker has left HMRC with an unpaid debt north of £500,000.

Furniture retailer EZ Living Interiors has opened its northernmost store and its first in Northern Ireland to be located outside the Belfast area.

Second quarter profits recovered for TCM Living as the upholstery group behind Dudley and Colchester sofa makers Ashley Manor and Alstons saw gross margin recover and mitigate lower sales.

U.K. furniture manufacturers' turnover declined for the fourth month in the past five in June and at its steepest rate since the start of 2021.

The pre-pack buyout of Moda Furnishings came at a price for stakeholders, and followed the outdoor furniture retailer going from profits of nearly £5 million to losses of £5.6 million inside 12 months.

Furniture retailer Loaf delivered a near double-digit net margin for the third straight year despite weaker demand impacting the bottom line, and the unwind of outstanding orders hitting cashflow.

Loaf has formally confirmed that Redbrick Mill will be the location of its tenth store, saying it hopes to have the unit open in October.

Administrators handling the insolvency of Acclaim Upholstery have completed the sale of certain assets of the Long Eaton sofa manufacturer.

The cabinet furniture manufacturing and wholesale giant behind businesses ranging from Lacquer Craft and Universal through to Legacy Classic has issued a profits warning.

Privately-owned furniture retailer Hafren Furnishers invested heavily for a second straight year after an initial seven-figure outlay acquiring the site that would go on to become its second store.

An indoor and outdoor plants and home accessories retailer that built a seven-figure turnover business from a standing start at the beginning of the pandemic ceased trading after an investor pulled out of a deal to provide investment.

Furniture trade show organiser Clarion Events has lined up three more meeting dates for Women in Furniture, the new industry network which was launched earlier this summer.

Independent furniture retailer Hatfields has cautioned that the current financial year will be very challenging as it grapples a tough economic backdrop and more intense competition.

An independent furniture retailer that majors in reverse logistics by selling returns from big-name brands will make the Trade Secret store in Oxfordshire its fourth U.K. showroom next month.

Kids furniture retailer The Children's Furniture Company is trading through a new corporate entity after its hitherto operating company was placed into administration on Tuesday.

Higher sales, business model adjustments and restructuring helped Furniture Wholesale Group reverse the effects of the most challenging year in its history.

South West England upholstered furniture manufacturer Kingcome Sofas booked higher profits in the past year thanks to rising sales and the non-repeat of certain costs.

Chinese conglomerate Aosom Ecommerce has pumped millions of pounds into its circa £200 million turnover U.K. furniture and home goods web operation as part of a recapitalisation.

Will Kernan, the former CEO of furnishings-to-fashion retailer The White Company, has been appointed chairman at Neptune, the Wiltshire headquartered furniture design, wholesale and retail group.

Karndean has disclosed the terms of its buyout of mFlor International having announced a takeover of the Dutch luxury vinyl tile supplier earlier this year.

Adjusted profits jumped double digit for Karndean last year as the luxury vinyl tile (LVT) floorcoverings supplier found revenue growth across world markets.

Sanderson Design Group has cut costs after the multi-faceted fabrics and furnishings supplier took steps to streamline its U.K. support function.

Kent bed maker Sleepeezee has expanded into the children's mattress market with the launch of a new dedicated kids bed brand called Little Bedz.

Carpet Recycling U.K. (CRUK) has become the sixth trade association from the furniture and furnishings sector to become a member of the British Furniture Confederation (BFC), the organisation which liaises with, and lobbies, Government on behalf of the industry.

Contemporary Northern Ireland furniture retailer Algram Modern Living has completed a remodel of its County Antrim premises that has, it says, created a unique and high-end showroom unlike anything on the island.

Ecommerce retailer Furniture Box funded the investment in its vast Wiltshire warehouse without the need to raise debt or equity capital, inaugural full disclosure accounts reveal.

A large independent rugs retailer trading from one of the main roads in and out of London has folded leaving large debts, mainly to the tax authorities and financial creditors.

National flooring supplier Designer Contracts has moved into larger office premises in Yorkshire to accommodate growth and future proof its operations in the area.

GNG Group has launched a mattress programme that brings benefits to the consumer market derived from its experience of supplying the National Health Service (NHS).

Stakeholders including furniture retailers, manufacturers and wholesalers are being encouraged to provide their views on a proposed new approach to the fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture and furnishings.

Tempur Sealy International (TSI) says U.K. beds market leader Dreams was not affected at all by the cybersecurity event that has caused disruption elsewhere across the conglomerate's operations.

Ecommerce home platform Wayfair recorded the highest gross margin in its history in the past quarter as it returned to positive operating cash flow, and achieved profitability at the adjusted EBITDA line.

The Furniture Makers' Company, the industry charity and City of London livery company, will next month host an event called Embracing Neurodiversity in the Workplace.

Fashion-to-furnishings retailer Next says profits will come in £10 million ahead of its previous guidance after it achieved better-than-expected sales in recent weeks.

Dreams, the U.K.'s largest beds retailer, booked a rise in net income last year as high single-digit percentage sales growth and the lapping of one-off costs helped mitigate against inflationary cost pressures.

ScS said it expects to report full year profits in line with market expectations after it enjoyed improved trading in the second half of its financial year.

One of the U.K.'s most prominent privately-owned kitchen manufacturers has filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator (NOI) in a move that protects the company from creditor action.

Burton-upon-Trent retailer Discount Furniture Warehouse has begun a stock clearance sale of ahead of its planned permanent closure.

Elite furniture retailer Fishpools maintained its financial performance in the past year despite trading conditions tightening amid falling consumer confidence from the rise in the cost of living.

Consolidated earnings trebled at Andersons of Inverurie last year as revenue recovered and the furniture retailer lapped a period when profits were negatively impacted by a loan write-off.

Lower demand for U.K. made goods from Ireland, particularly mattresses, hit furniture exports ahead of the summer, according to new data. Upholstery exports held up stronger.

JYSK will later this month open its biggest-yet U.K. showroom with the launch of a debut large-format unit that sees some of its Internet-only products sold in-store for the first time.

Donna Bellingham has returned to the furniture industry after being appointed chief executive at heritage Yorkshire furniture manufacturer Shackletons.

The privately-owned premium furniture retailer behind BoConcept's London area stores booked higher profits last year as it fulfilled post-lockdown orders and made progress in its burgeoning contracts business.

Axminster Carpets believes it can make vastly bigger savings than previously thought now that it is two years into a three-year programme to completely reconfigure the business.

Tempur Sealy International (TSI), the world's largest bedding company, says its operations were temporarily interrupted following the discovery of a cybersecurity event.

Sales of bedding products fell sharply for mattress components company Leggett & Platt in the second quarter with the key cog in the manufacturing supply chain citing weak consumer demand.

A company voluntary arrangement (CVA) has lightened the debt burden for a South London based interior design company after it accumulated six-figure tax liabilities.

Danish upholstery conglomerate Hjort Knudsen recorded its first deficit in a quarter of a century last year as its manufacturing operations were disrupted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It says it is already trading profitably again.

A North East retailer that runs multiple consumer goods websites including one specialised in the sale of beds and mattresses has been placed into administration.

Upmarket retailer The Floor Room is partially rebranding its flagship Tottenham Court Road debut store in a move that puts distance between itself and its larger, more massmarket sister brand.

Northern Ireland based upholstery and beds retailer Hometime Group has expanded the Dreams retail brand into the Republic of Ireland for the first time.

A container haulage company with depots across the East of England was placed into administration on Friday after a financial creditor called in its debt.

Secured creditors of Multiyork are being asked to approve higher administrator fees as the insolvency of the defunct upholstered furniture retailer drags into a sixth year.

Imports of wood living, dining and bedroom cabinet furniture declined for a sixth straight month by value in May on weak data from the Far East.

A furniture and bulky goods delivery company describing itself as the most sustainable forward-thinking two-person delivery company in the U.K. has filed for insolvency.

Dreams has taken steps to protect its intellectual property rights by objecting to a trademark application made by a micro-fashion retail enterprise.

Stakeholders at a southern England distributor majoring in the supply of floorcoverings to new housing developments were targeting the completion of a business restructuring after administrators were called in on Thursday.

An influx of mattresses from Ireland, Romania, Denmark, Turkey and China helped foam and sprung mattress imports to close in on an all-time high in May.

Flooring wholesale giant Headlam Group found more growth from white collar retail buyers than white van man fitters in the first half but still warned on profits after citing weaker than forecast residential volumes.

Profit growth returned for the U.K. dropshipping company behind the Artisan Furniture and PD Global brands in the past year.

The volume and value of carpets imported into the U.K. declined for the fifth consecutive month in May after a further decline from Belgian producers.

The National Bed Federation (NBF) has produced a member testimonial video with a difference, using puppets voiced by well-known industry figures to increase awareness and promote the benefits of joining the trade association.

A near year-long slide in the number of sofa units arriving at U.K. ports came to an end in May after an increase in container loads of goods arriving here from China.

Blackbridge Furnishings, one of the largest furniture retailers in Scotland, made further bottom line gains last year, bolstering cash and its net worth.

High-end Italian furniture company Calligaris has recapitalised a U.K. subsidiary in a move that, all other things being equal, repairs its balance sheet.

Stakeholders in the regional retail, wholesale and contracting company behind the Tile & Floor brand in Bath have completed an insolvent restructure that saves jobs but compromises creditors.

Kitchenware supplier Sabichi Homewares claimed market share gains last year but higher costs meant profits declined.

Cousins Olivier and Antoine Roset have succeeded their respective fathers Michel and Pierre Roset as co-CEOs of Ligne Roset as the high-end furniture company enters a new phase in its near 100-year long history.

U.K. mattress production declined last year but revenue for companies operating in the sector still climbed thanks to the manufacture or onward sale of other related goods.

The cost price of the average U.K.-manufactured sofa declined last year according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in a sign end users were trading down to more inexpensive models.

Fabrics and window dressings retailer and distributor Terrys cut costs and made business model adjustments as it mitigated a market downturn in the second half of last year.

Belgian furniture supplier Ethnicraft is to make an $18 million (£14m) investment in its U.S. operation by building a new North Carolina facility that will expand and consolidate capacity.

U.K. furniture insolvencies plumbed new depths in the second quarter with the number of companies calling in restructuring advisors reaching record levels.

Trentside Products, a key supplier of components to the U.K. sofa manufacturing sector, has agreed to buy fellow upholstery supplies business Allsave Textiles in a deal that expands its product offer.

Expanding South East retailer Sussex Beds found profitable growth last year as the build out of its store footprint continued to bolster the top and bottom lines.

Keswick Flooring acquired the business and assets of U.K. Flooring Direct (UKFD) for £6.4 million in cash, restructuring advisors have disclosed in a report to creditors.

Furniture and lighting retail sales volumes rose for the first time so far this year according to figures released Friday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The Danish manufacturing company that owns and supplies mattresses and pillows to Tempur's U.K. business found profit growth last year despite rising costs and flat sales.

The increasingly crowded and competitive logistics landscape contributed to the collapse of delivery company Tuffnells, whose furniture and mattress industry customers made up as much as a third of its business.

French furniture brand Roche Bobois maintained sales momentum in the U.K. in the first six months of the year despite lapping tough comparatives and a challenging market.

The family behind longstanding Deeside retailer Coast Road Furniture will next month open a second store after taking a unit formerly occupied by Home Bargains.

Mattress, bed bases and pillows brand Tempur has extended its sponsorship of the professional Lifeplus Wahoo Cycling team for an additional year.

Furniture wholesaler Lassic chalked up lower profits in 2021/22 as the Bradford company absorbed rising costs from freight and its supply chain.

Coach House wants to build a new high-bay storage facility at the site of its Altham headquarters as part of plans to expand the capacity of its furniture, home and gift wholesale business.

Dunelm says profits will land closer to year-earlier figures than analysts' expected after the furniture and homewares giant found value and volume sales growth through 2022/23.

Net income declined for online furniture retailer Home Discount last year with it remaining profitable thanks to a seven-figure management charge booked from a co-owned wholesale company.

The rescue of the West Midlands furniture wholesaler Serene earlier this year saved 35 jobs but compromised the debts owed to creditors including HMRC and suppliers.

U.K. manufacturing group Dunham Massey has acquired sofa maker Ashwood Designs from its private shareholders in a deal that represents its second takeover in the furniture sector inside eight months.

Consumer price inflation for household furniture eased to its lowest level since April 2021 last month, according to figures released Wednesday morning by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

FIRA International, the product testing and furniture services provider, has disclosed the financial impact of the closure of its Service Technicians business unit two years ago.

Profits doubled for cabinet furniture components manufacturer BHK (UK) last year in a period in which it made seven-figure capital expenditure.

The owner of Wilton Carpets found big revenue growth last year but profits declined on thinner margins and higher costs.

The U.K. arm of designer furniture, home and gift retailer The Conran Shop saw losses increase by a factor of more than three in the first year under new ownership.

Furniture and homewares retailer EZ Living Interiors has expanded its retail footprint in Ireland with the opening of its fourth store in the Dublin area alone.

The Doncaster kitchen group behind brands such as Sheraton and Chippendale cut borrowing last year in a period when sales jumped by more than a fifth again.

Designer furniture and homeware retailer The Conran Shop is considering the disposal of its operations in France as part of a move to explore strategic alternatives for the business unit.

Upholstery and furnishings fabrics exhibition Proposte is returning to its historic late spring dateline for its 2024 edition.

Sofa market leader DFS says it expects underlying 2022/23 profits to meet previous guidance despite the market being "significantly worse than expected."

The layoff of the entire workforce of private-label sofa maker Acclaim Upholstery doesn't mean manufacturing operations will not be resurrected, according to people briefed on the situation.

The company behind a clearance specialist selling cancelled, returned and end-of-line orders from some of the U.K.'s largest retailers including John Lewis has been placed into administration.

Orders taken ahead of the buyout of Moda Furnishings by Giomani Designs late last week will not be delivered with customers to be told to try and claw back funds from card providers.

Giomani Designs has added outdoor furniture to its expanding roster of home retail interests with the rescue buyout of six-store multichannel retailer Moda Furnishings.

A Derbyshire sofa maker set up two years ago by the former works manager of one of DFS' largest manufacturing plants is looking to expand the scope of the business by collaborating in direct partnership with retailers for the first time.

Furniture, lighting and design retailer The Conran Shop will take London store numbers back up to two with the launch of its new Sloane Square flagship showroom later this year.

The unwind of an elevated stock position helped rug distributor Flair Flooring bolster its cash levels last year, despite recording lower profits.

Challenger indoor and outdoor furniture brand Out & Out has agreed for Panther Logistics to become its final mile delivery partner for the fulfilment of larger items.

The Manchester Furniture Show is to return in 2024, organiser Clarion Events has announced, alongside a roster of well-known industry suppliers that have already signposted their intention to exhibit.

A huge positive swing in gross margin helped profits climb for Giomani Designs last year, mitigating sales falling by almost £10 million compared with the previous year.

Vertically-integrated bed company Get Laid Beds has appointed Scott Shields as chief executive officer as the founders look to bolster the fast-growing brand's leadership team.

Year-on-year furniture turnover at the factory gate declined for the second straight month in May according to figures out Thursday morning from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Glasswells, one of the U.K.'s largest privately-owned furniture retailers, has invested in a new-look ecommerce website with improved features and more personalisation.

All 128 employees of private-label sofa maker Acclaim Upholstery Company have been made redundant after the company was placed into administration last week, restructuring advisors have now confirmed.

Gareth Berry has stepped down as chief operating officer at Silentnight after a little under two years with the U.K.'s largest bed manufacturer.

Third-party logistics provider Wincanton has revealed it gained a contract to provide delivery services to RH, the U.S. home retailer formerly known as Restoration Hardware, following its launch here last month.

HMRC and the now-defunct Kettle Interiors U.K. company were the two main creditors of Kettle Interiors Agencies, which was placed into insolvency shortly after its larger associate.

Bradford rugs and homewares supplier Melrose Interiors found trade more challenging last year ahead of its sale to the U.K.'s largest floorcoverings distributor.

Losses widened at kitchen and bathroom cabinet maker Burbidge Holdings last year as rising costs and thinner margins negated an increase in output.

Town planners have approved proposals to remodel the entrance to independent furniture retailer Cousins' flagship Dudley store with a modern new installation.

Employees of private-label Long Eaton sofa manufacturer Acclaim Upholstery were told of the company's insolvency at a meeting last week.

High demand and the partial unwind of its large order book helped East of England furniture and furnishings retailer W.J. Aldiss to higher profits last year.

The multichannel retailer behind the Garden Furniture World ecommerce brand retired almost all its bank debt last year in a period hit by weaker demand for outdoor goods.

Lord Kirkham, DFS founder and president of The Furniture Makers' Company, has been nominated to become the first Honorary Freeman of Doncaster since it was awarded city status.

Discount claims made by Emma Sleep in the U.K. did not stack up according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which also has concerns that certain marketing practices may breach consumer protection law.

Bensons for Beds has extended the debt maturity profile of tens of millions of pounds of outstanding borrowings and confirmed the size of additional finance provided by its owner Alteri Investors last year.

Bedroom furniture manufacturer and retailer Hammonds built sales, cash and profits last year and used some of the proceeds to retire outstanding debt.

National beds and mattress retailer Bensons for Beds has appointed Lindsay Haselhurst, currently chief operating officer at Currys, as a non-executive director.

Danish furniture retailer JYSK has issued a clarion call to property owners in Ireland, saying it wants to establish a state-of-the-art 540,000sqft distribution centre servicing its expansion across the British Isles.

Tempur U.K. made its first major product launch in eight years at an event in London on Thursday night attended by over 100 of the country's elite independent and multiple furniture retailers.

Jason Bannister has taken a board seat on the Oak Furniture Superstore trading company for the first time since he and others acquired an equity stake in the challenger case goods retailer.

New equity issued in The Conran Shop has taken total shareholder investment in the modern furniture, lighting and homeware retailer to £8 million so far this calendar year.

Acquisitive flooring retail and wholesale group Nestware Holdings has disclosed the terms of the early 2021 buyout of TradeChoice Distribution for the first time.

The majority of Ideal World's 275-strong workforce have been laid off after the TV shopping retailer ceased broadcasting earlier this week and was placed into administration on Wednesday.

Profits were flat at high-end engineered and solid wood flooring supplier V4 last year as double-digit cost inflation countered rising sales.

Upholstered furniture and flooring retailer ScS has followed DFS in withdrawing its four years' interest free credit (IFC) option, with qualifying customers now limited to a maximum three years instead.

The Symphony fitted kitchen, bedroom and bathroom furniture manufacturing group took two-year capex to nearly £50 million and expanded its staff headcount through 2022.

Restructuring advisors were called in as administrators at TV shopping network Ideal World on Wednesday with staff to find out later today whether their jobs are to be saved.

Sales in the U.K. tumbled for French furniture and home décor retailer Maisons du Monde last year, ahead of it deciding to close its business here in the spring.

Gary Lasham and David Meltham have made quick returns to the industry after leaving Belfield Group, with the pair taking non-exec posts at contract furniture maker Barons as part of an MBO led by its hitherto sales director.

One of Victoria's largest European floorcoverings subsidiaries is proposing the closure of its carpet tile manufacturing facility in South Wales, saying it is no longer viable.

Staff at TV shopping channel Ideal World were sent home and all broadcasting pulled, including its lucrative ITV early morning slots, as stakeholders work to tie up a transaction that will rescue the Peterborough retailer.

Sofa retailer ScS began a roll out of the Paloma Home upholstery collection across its retail stores on Monday, part of an exclusive tie-up with Paloma Faith, the singer, actor and creative director.



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