- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Mattress brand Dunlopillo faces an uncertain future in France after the manufacturer behind the company in the local market was placed into an insolvency process.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Storied fashion-to-furnishings retail chain Laura Ashley will downsize its store portfolio again in 2019–20 but there remains an appetite for newness and selective store openings.
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- DATA & RESEARCH
Retailers entered the winter sale period with more to look forward to after consumer confidence rebounded in December, figures from GfK show.
- Details
- REGIONAL
Alan Ward, one of the U.K.'s most prominent independent furniture and floorcoverings retailers, has sold its shareholding in its standalone storage business for £6 million.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Sales of home goods were fractionally down at John Lewis in the final full week leading up to Christmas though early clearance offers meant big-ticket furniture lines still made gains.
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- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
The newly-formed Blue Group, owner of U.K. chains Bensons for Beds and Harveys, has combined its retail team into one management structure, expanding the remit of the head of its beds retail business.
- Details
- FLOORCOVERINGS
Meditor Fund, whose takeover of Carpetright is due to complete early 2020, has provided a £9 million unsecured loan to the floorcoverings retailer.
- Details
- FLOORCOVERINGS
The privately-owned Brockway Carpets group was back in profit in the year to March 31, 2019 after doubling the return from its carpet tufting business, outweighing losses at its weaving unit.
- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
The National Bed Federation (NBF) has agreed a three-year research partnership with circular economy experts Zero Waste Scotland. It aims to increase mattress recycling and encourage more sustainable design.
- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Tempur Sealy International, the world's largest bedding manufacturer, has promoted three senior executive to key roles impacting its business across the U.S.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Prestige designer furniture retailer Heal's says it made another step forward in profitability in the year to September 2019 despite the loss of sales and stock from the fire at its Chorley warehouse, the cost of which has been detailed for the first time.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Privately-owned retail and leisure group Leekes says profitability improved in 2018–19 despite the challenging retail environment and its hotel business facing competitive and inflationary pressures.
- Details
- UPHOLSTERY
DFS, the U.K.'s largest upholstery retailer, has appointed experienced retail and marketing leader Jane Bednall to its board as an independent non-executive director.
- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
National bed specialist Bensons for Beds has named sleep scientist Dr Sophie Bostock as its new official sleep expert, saying she will become an integral part of the brand's plans next year.
- Details
- EVENTS
The dates of BFM Fabric Show London 2020 have been moved for a second time because of a rescheduled Premier League fixture for Chelsea FC, whose Stamford Bridge stadium hosts the exhibition.
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- DATA & RESEARCH
The price of carpets leaving the factory gate last month was lower than year-earlier levels for the first time since March 2016 according to new official figures.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Falling bed sales won't put United Carpets — the U.K.'s third largest retailer of floorcoverings — off from operating in the category, the retailer has said.
- Details
- ECOMMERCE
Business Growth Fund, which has held minority positions in a number of U.K. furniture and flooring businesses, this summer added a stake in the company behind Internet retailer Furniture123 to its portfolio of investments.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
The later fall of Black Friday this year hindered retail sales last month, according to figures out yesterday from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Tempur Sealy International, the world's biggest bedding producer, is to donate 100,000 shares in the business in what it described as the "largest single charitable contribution in the company's history."
- Details
- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Cabinet furniture maker Welcome, one of the largest remaining companies of its type in the U.K., posted bumper sales growth in 2018-19, but cautioned that there is no room for complacency.
- Details
- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Revenue dropped by £4.65 million in the year to end March for Cascade, one of the U.K.'s largest suppliers of domestic lighting sold through department stores, supermarkets and home goods retailers. Profits still inched ahead.
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- FLOORCOVERINGS
The return of Carpetright to private ownership took a step closer yesterday after the requisite number of voting shareholders waved through its takeover by a vehicle controlled by Meditor Fund.
- Details
- TRADE & INDUSTRY
Political uncertainty has stymied demand for furniture but its impact has also been felt further back in the supply chain, according to new research by the British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM).
- Details
- TRADE & INDUSTRY
Eight level 2 manufacturing apprenticeship pathways are to be renewed in 2020, after campaigning by The Furniture and Interiors Education, Skills and Training Alliance (FIESTA) paid dividends.
- Details
- UPHOLSTERY
Upholstery maker and retailer Sofa.com has moved into the third-party branded space, introducing upholstery from fashion label Jack Wills to its product roster.
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- TRADE & INDUSTRY
The Advertising Standards Authority has told the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) to stop claiming to be the "U.K.'s leading professional organisation for interior designers" after the suggestion irked one of its rival trade associations.
- Details
- FLOORCOVERINGS
Ulster Carpets maintained high profits and continued to invest in new manufacturing equipment as wider gross margin helped counter a slight fall in sales in the year to end March.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Furniture bucked the wider home goods trend at John Lewis & Partners last week, delivering a 53 percent climb on the same period a year ago.
- Details
- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Mike Gant has resigned as chief financial officer at luxury interior furnishings group Walker Greenbank, the company has announced.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Department store chain Beales could have a third owner within the space of little over a year after the 22-store business said it would consider offers for the company. It has opened a formal sales process amid a search for fresh investment.
- Details
- FLOORCOVERINGS
Mears Flooring, one of the U.K.'s largest independent carpet and floorcoverings retailers, grew sales and profits in 2018–19 despite difficult trading conditions in the domestic market.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
JYSK, the inexpensive Scandinavian furniture and homewares retailer, will kick-start its expansion programme across the U.K. with the opening of its 20th store next spring.
- Details
- UPHOLSTERY
The timing of the BFM Fabric Show London has been brought forward a week because the earlier-announced dates clashed with Chelsea F.C.'s continuing participation in the Champion's League.
- Details
- UPHOLSTERY
Sofa maker Whitemeadow reached 25 years in business last week and marked the occasion by unveiling its Wall of Fame — created to celebrate staff members reaching a quarter of a century of service.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Higher costs and narrower margins meant furniture retailer Habitat posted a bigger loss in 2018–19. Total sales fell because of changes in its store estate, but the underlying revenue picture was positive.
- Details
- FLOORCOVERINGS
Floorcoverings distributor Likewise has fleshed out further details of its half-year performance as the emerging group continues to enact its buy-and-build strategy.
- Details
- FLOORCOVERINGS
Floorcoverings retail market leader Carpetright has begun its previously-announced rollout of concessions in Furniture Village stores, opening at Leeds and Gateshead in the past week.
- Details
- REGIONAL
Glasswells, one of the U.K.'s largest independent furniture retailers, completed another four-figure fund raise at its annual quiz night, generating money this year for the My WiSH charity.
- Details
- OPINION & ANALYSIS
The company behind furniture retailer Swoon filed for insolvency last week with its business and assets instantly sold to a newco controlled by the brand's co-founders, giving it a new lease of life. Few competitors will have been celebrating.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Furniture retailer Swoon — sold to its co-founders in an insolvent buyout earlier this week — will continue to work with third-party retailers but says that its concession partnership with Debenhams is nearing its end.
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- BEDS & MATTRESSES
U.K. mattress makers collectively grew exports for the first time in eight months in October despite continued weak trade with E.U. countries.
- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Black Friday mattress sales jumped 80 percent year-on-year for direct-to-consumer bed brand Emma, with the Frankfurt-headquartered company saying it made a sale every eight seconds during peak hours.
- Details
- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Living, dining and bedroom cabinet imports into the U.K. have returned to growth in 2019 and a large part of that is down to the rise in the value of goods shipped from Malaysia.
- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Pan-European mattress retailer and distributor Beter Bed Holding has a new chief financial officer after the current incumbent, Hugo van den Ochtend, was released from his duties and responsibilities.
- Details
- UPHOLSTERY
Upholstery imports climbed at the beginning of the final quarter of 2019 on the back of double-digit climbs from Poland, China and Vietnam.
- Details
- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
A third consecutive year of double-digit sales growth helped North East cabinet wholesaler Baker Furniture book higher profits in 2018–19 in spite of rising overheads.
- Details
- FLOORCOVERINGS
Britain imported more carpets and rugs in October despite weaker numbers from Belgium and the Netherlands, the two source nations that together represent half of all imports.
- Details
- FLOORCOVERINGS
Danspin, the Danish carpet yarn spinner that bought Lawton Yarns out of administration this summer, has offered to sell the business to avoid the U.K. competition regulator escalating its antitrust inquiry.
- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Mattress specialist Kaymed was a winner at the annual awards ceremony of major retailer Harvey Norman earlier this month, gaining success in two categories.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Privately-owned furniture retailer Barker and Stonehouse achieved a seventh straight year of revenue growth in the 12 months to end March, a period that saw it continue to upgrade its technology infrastructure.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Furniture and homewares retailer Swoon has been sold to its co-founders via a prepack administration deal that leaves prior backers of the business facing the loss of their investment, The Telegraph reported.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Furniture and flooring were bright spots in a week that saw overall home sales fall back for John Lewis & Partners, the department store chain.
- Details
- REGIONAL
Upmarket Scottish retailer Shapes Furniture, based just outside of Edinburgh, is clearing all stock ahead of its planned permanent closure.
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- EVENTS
The January Furniture Show will include a feature showcasing a selection of the winning designs from the Young Furniture Makers' Awards. It follows the show sponsoring the awards ceremony this October.
- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Former employees at the former Monomarket regional retail chain in the North East — which ran four prominent bed stores and the MrMattress online shop — have launched a new beds retail business.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Department store retailer Debenhams has appointed former Home Retail Group CEO John Walden as a non-executive director.
- Details
- FURNISHINGS & ACCENTS
The textile designer and distributor behind the Portfolio Home brand has won what it described as a "bitterly-fought" copyright claim after an unspecified defendant agreed to settle on the morning of the trial.
- Details
- REGIONAL
Taskers, the major Liverpool based furniture and home improvement retailer, says the early signs of its restructured operations are encouraging. It follows the business narrowing its net loss in 2018–19.
- Details
- DEALS & FINANCE
French tableware and furniture hire conglomerate Options has acquired GreatHire, a London based company that has provided furniture for State visits in addition to weddings, corporate and PR events.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Off-price department store retailer The Original Factory Shop says its company voluntary arrangement (CVA) last year has transformed its balance sheet, cutting debt and ongoing store costs.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Footfall declined in November as heavy rain kept shoppers away from key retail destinations last month, according to a closely-followed survey.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
London based designer furniture and homewares retailer Skandium has opened a pop-up store in the capital, marking a return to physical store retailing for the first time since its assets were sold in the summer.
- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Beter Bed Holding, the Dutch holding company that runs mattress retailers across Europe, has raised more cash to repay bank debt after completing another property sale-and-leaseback deal.
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- OPINION & ANALYSIS
Many overseas furniture retailers have launched in the U.K. with big plans. Some have crashed and burned, others have stayed the course and for some, the jury is still out. Whatever the outcome for RH, the retailer formerly known as Restoration Hardware whose launch here inches closer, it seems certain to leave its mark.
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- UPHOLSTERY
Upholstery retailer Sofa.com has expanded its relationship with sister company House of Fraser, adding a further London instore concession.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
RH, the U.S. furniture and home retail giant whose vast galleries generate tens of millions of dollars in sales, has disclosed upscaled U.K. property plans as part of its international launch.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Scottish fitted furniture vertical Ashley Ann said the tough consumer market impacted its retail business in 2018–19 but it enjoyed growth in its trade division and said the new period offered grounds for cautious optimism.
- Details
- EVENTS
Visitors to the January Furniture Show (JFS) will be able to take advantage of smart technology to improve the buying experience and avoid getting weighed down by heavy literature.
- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Dewsbury manufacturer Shire Beds created and donated a Leeds Rhinos branded bed for The Big Sleep 2019, helping raise thousands for good causes.
- Details
- UPHOLSTERY
Sofa and curtain fabrics supplier Fryett's said it worked hard to reduce admin and overhead expenses as it countered weaker gross margin that resulted from pre-Brexit stock building.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Dunelm says profits will be higher than previously forecast because of margin gains and after its transition to a new web platform completed without hiccups.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Australian furniture and electricals retailer Harvey Norman said it enjoyed a near double-digit climb in revenue on the island of Ireland at the start of its new financial year.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
National soft furnishings chain Ponden Home returned to profit in the six months to March 2 on wider gross margin, lower costs and a pro-rata uplift in sales.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Kitchen giant Nobia, owner of U.K. retail chain Magnet, says it will build a new state-of-the-art factory in Sweden that will represent the largest single investment in its history.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
John Lewis & Partners posted the highest single-week sales in its history last week as Black Friday offers helped the department store chain clear the quarter of a billion pounds barrier for the first time ever.
- Details
- REGIONAL
The company behind the Fields of Sidmouth and Goulds of Dorchester stores in southern England initiated a cost-saving exercise in 2018–19 amid tough trading conditions.
- Details
- REGIONAL
The closure this autumn of furniture retailer Richard Lefton Furnishings leaves creditors facing a combined six-figure shortfall according to statutory filings.
- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Mattress retailer and wholesaler Casper Sleep has made a number of senior hires including the appointment of a former Wayfair executive to the role of chief technology officer.
- Details
- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Flokk, the €300 million turnover Scandinavian furniture manufacturing group, has added U.S. supplier 9to5 Seating to its growing roster of office chair companies.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Sharps, the 77-store bedroom furniture retailer backed by the same private equity owner as Dreams, recorded high single-digit sales growth in the three months to end September amid challenging trading conditions.
- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Record sales and a higher international profile have spurred greater interest from potential suitors in Savoir, the high-end British bed maker whose products retail for an average of £25,000 each.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Retail sales climbed in November adjusted for the later timing of Black Friday this year, according to members group the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
- Details
- ECOMMERCE
Underlying profits up but tax charge impacts net result for London based mail-order and ecommerce brand.
- Details
- COMMUNITY
David Ashton, the head of Scandinavian furniture chain JYSK's U.K. retail operation, is to climb Kilimanjaro early next year to raise money for charity.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
U.K. and Ireland furniture and soft furnishings retail chain Harry Corry Interiors maintained top line momentum in 2018–19 with a sixth straight rise in sales after it opened new stores.
- Details
- UPHOLSTERY
Italian upholstery giant Natuzzi booked lower sales in the third quarter as rising retail revenues were countered by weakness in its wholesale division and tariffs on goods going to the U.S. from China.
- Details
- REGIONAL
Revenue dipped at heritage department store retailer Austins of Newton Abbot in 2018–19, ending a half decade run of consecutive growth.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Clare Askem has "decided the time is right" to leave furniture and home retailer Habitat and has stepped down as managing director, parent company Sainsbury's has confirmed.
- Details
- REGIONAL
Privately-owned high-end home retailer and design company Day True has opened a third London showroom with a space in the heart of Wimbledon Village.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Furniture retailer West Elm has posted a large increase in U.K sales after it added a third store here and generated higher sales via its ecommerce channel.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Designer furniture and homeware retailer Heal's will next week open a new clearance store in West London, replacing the Cobham unit it briefly traded from until this time last year.
- Details
- DATA & RESEARCH
Consumer confidence for purchasing high-value items fell this month to its lowest reading since June, and broke a year-long trend in the process.
- Details
- FURNISHINGS & ACCENTS
Homeware company Bedeck has unveiled a new trade showroom at its Co. Down headquarters along with a refurbished flagship Northern Ireland store.
- Details
- INTERNATIONAL
The company behind the fast-growing U.K. operations of West Elm and Pottery Barn Kids recapitalised its British operation earlier this year, boosting its value.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
The opening of three new furniture stores helped retailer NCF Furnishings increase sales in 2018–19 with a first unit in Scotland having opened since, putting it on track to grow again.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Shop prices were lower for the sixth straight month in November with non-food retailers slashing prices to counter weak demand according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
The sale to Asian investors of Matratzen Concord, the circa 850-store beds retailer with shops across Central Europe, has moved a step closer after incumbent shareholders backed the deal.
- Details
- ECOMMERCE
European ecommerce home and living retailer Home24 had no problems generating higher sales in the third quarter, but money left the business with equal haste.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Boswells, the longest-established department store retailer in Oxford and said to be the second oldest of its type in the world, is "likely to close" next year according to its directors.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Extreme weather during key trading periods coupled with the closure of a store on the expiry of its lease impacted performance at Sterling Furniture Group in the year to February 28. It says the period since has been stronger.
- Details
- UPHOLSTERY
Upholstery and flooring chain ScS Group says like-for-like trading is declining but at a narrower rate than it reported earlier this autumn.
- Details
- CASE GOODS
Cambridgeshire headquartered fitted furniture retailer Premier Kitchens and Bedrooms is to be placed into liquidation with the expected closure of all four of its stores.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
John Lewis & Partners posted its highest grossing week of 2019 so far but the earlier timing of Black Friday last year meant sales were still some way off 2018 totals.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Ingka Group, which owns the bulk of IKEA's worldwide store network, booked lower profits for the year to August 31 as it invested more money preparing the business for the digital age.
- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
West Yorkshire mattress maker Shire Beds has achieved ISO 9001: 2015, the worldwide recognised certification that recognises consistency of manufacturing operations and processes.
- Details
- FLOORCOVERINGS
Underlying half-year earnings jumped nearly a third for acquisitive floorcoverings distributor and manufacturer Victoria as it grew sales at its existing businesses and integrated acquisitions.
- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Ernst & Young (EY) has completed its work on one of the biggest insolvencies in the furniture trade of the past decade, divvying up the last proceeds from asset realisations to outstanding creditors.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Retail sentiment is at its strongest in over six months despite a greater balance of retailers reporting a seventh straight volume decline in November.
- Details
- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Walker Greenbank, the luxury interior furnishings group, is expanding its distribution arrangements with Kravet, owner of British fabrics and wallpaper brand GP & J Baker.
- Details
- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
A South Coast company that owns a potentially lucrative website domain and ran temporary shops selling outdoor rattan furniture has filed for insolvency, leaving creditors facing a seven-figure shortfall.
- Details
- OPINION & ANALYSIS
The U.K. sales figures for the major producers of foam — suppliers to the big upholstery and mattress manufacturers in Britain — were once perhaps the best catch-all measure for the performance of both markets. Not so any more.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Marks & Spencer names ex-BHS md and current Tesco apparel boss as new head of Clothing and Home unit
Experienced retail executive Richard Price is to swap Tesco for Marks & Spencer after being named managing director, Clothing & Home.
- Details
- UPHOLSTERY
Upholstery market leader DFS has migrated its web platform from a private cloud environment to Google Cloud Platform as part of a ramping up of its relationship with the search giant.
- Details
- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Profits for the U.K. arm of diversified foam supplier Recticel bounced back last year as it annualised against supply issues related to an out-of-spec chemical component that presented production challenges.
- Details
- INTERNATIONAL
New product introductions including a higher proportion of furniture sales helped retail brand West Elm maintain top line momentum in the third quarter.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Fashion-to-furnishings retailer Next's transition from a monobrand business to one offering a plethora of third-party brands through its website continued at full tilt over the past six months.
- Details
- FURNISHINGS & ACCENTS
The completed takeover of the company behind Yorkshire ecommerce retailer 247Blinds by window dressings conglomerate Hunter Douglas is to be investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
- Details
- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Sales and profits climbed for the two separate Chinese conglomerates behind the Mlily and Kuka brands in the third quarter of 2019.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
National furniture retail chain Harveys will this month launch exclusive living and dining collections spanning upholstery to cabinet from heritage British manufacturer Ercol.
- Details
- INTERNATIONAL
Worldwide sales jumped 6.3 percent for entry-to-mid market Danish furniture chain JYSK in 2018–19 as it added 175 new stores across the globe, including its first in Ireland.
- Details
- OPINION & ANALYSIS
The new name for Steinhoff's divested U.K. furniture and beds operations explained, and why the deal differs from some the South African conglomerate has completed in recent times.
- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
Tempur Sealy International, the world's largest bedding company, has appointed IMG as its global licensing representative as it looks to secure lucrative deals to take its brands into new product categories.
- Details
- FLOORCOVERINGS
An unspecified number of workers at West Yorkshire carpet manufacturer Westex were due to go on strike yesterday (Nov. 20) in a dispute over pay according to Unite, the trade union.
- Details
- SUPPLY & WHOLESALE
Clipper, the specialist in retail and high-value logistics which lists John Lewis among its customers, says it has received a preliminary takeover approach from private equity group Sun European Partners.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Home improvement retailer B&Q said sales in the U.K. and Ireland dropped in the third quarter because of new-product launch implementation and its decision to stop installing merchandise such as kitchens.
- Details
- UPHOLSTERY
Upholstery specialist Sofology says it will turn Black Friday green by launching its own initiative — called Green Friday — in partnership with the Woodland Trust, the U.K.'s largest tree conservation charity.
- Details
- BEDS & MATTRESSES
The insolvency of Monomarket, the North East company that ran a number of regional bedding centres and a prominent online store selling beds, leaves creditors facing a high six-figure shortfall, according to a new report.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
John Lewis & Partners put four straight home revenue declines to bed last week in an otherwise challenging seven-day stretch for the department store chain.
- Details
- CASE GOODS
Yorkshire cabinet furniture manufacturer Ellis returned to profit in 2018–19 after it grew sales and transformed margins following a series of investments and business improvements.
- Details
- FLOORCOVERINGS
An India and U.S. based rug maker that supplies companies including Restoration Hardware (RH), Anthropologie and Soho House is launching into the U.K. market for the first time.
- Details
- UPHOLSTERY
Upholstery brand Arlo & Jacob will open its second showroom in the capital and its fifth overall with a new store in a landmark building that once housed the North London Royal Mail Sorting and Delivery Centre.
- Details
- UPHOLSTERY
Brexit and tariffs vexed Far East recliner maker Man Wah in the six months to end September but only the latter impacted its half-year numbers as sales in Europe advanced.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Rhenus Home Delivery will deliver all two-man orders for customers of furniture retailer Swoon after helping it make strides in the success rate for its deliveries.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Sofas were the best-selling category for furniture retailers in October as the wider big-ticket market made gains on the same month last year.
- Details
- UPHOLSTERY
Lancashire sofa maker Buoyant Upholstery has named Paul Longmuir as Sales Agent of the Year for 2019.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Private equity backed furniture retailer The Cotswold Company enjoyed double-digit growth in 2018–19 but profitability was hit by inventory management issues that forced it into spend more than planned on warehousing.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
The venture debt provider that completed a takeover of heritage East-inspired furniture retailer Lombok back in 2017 is no longer the sole shareholder.
- Details
- DATA & RESEARCH
Furniture retail price inflation eased in October as output prices at the factory gate fell again for upholstery manufacturers and, for the first time in nearly three years, for case goods producers.
- Details
- OPINION & ANALYSIS
Steinhoff has agreed to sell its U.K. furniture and beds assets to the turnaround investor Alteri Investors. A deal has been a long time coming, and few will be surprised at the detail.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Specialist European retail sector investor Alteri Investors has agreed to buy Blue Group Hold Co, a newly formed holding company for Bensons for Beds, Harveys and Steinhoff's U.K. upholstery and bed factories.
- Details
- UPHOLSTERY
The Thai majority owner of Alstons, Ashley Manor and Alexander & James said its U.K. upholstery division recorded high double-digit sales growth in the third quarter but production headwinds impacted margin.
- Details
- UPHOLSTERY
U.K. revenue declined for the company behind Norwegian recliner brand Stressless in the third quarter, but still outperformed other world markets. The trend for motorised products has prompted a change of strategy, it said.
- Details
- FLOORCOVERINGS
The prospective new owner of Carpetright has been given the backing of the flooring retailer's board and says the chain can thrive "without the constraints of a public market listing."
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
New stores helped fire growth at expanding floorcoverings retailer Connection Retail in 2018–19, during which underlying sales advanced nearly a fifth.
- Details
- EVENTS
Organisers of the BFM Fabric Show London have opened the registration process for upholstery and bed fabric buyers to attend the 2020 edition.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
French furniture and home accents retailer Maisons du Monde says it has decided to close all of its concessions inside Debenhams, dealing a blow to the department store retail chain.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Two of the U.K.'s largest furniture landlords have cited retail as the weak link in the property market as the value of their portfolios declined amid structural change impacting the sector.
- Details
- RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
Shop Direct says it has sourced £150 million of committed funding it requires following "an unexpected late surge" in payment protection insurance (PPI) claims ahead of the late August deadline.
- Details
- INTERNATIONAL
Austrian furniture giant XXXLutz — one of the three largest retailers in the category worldwide — now operates across 12 European countries, though not yet the U.K.
