The final quarter of 2014 got off to a strong start for Britain’s furniture exporters thanks to big orders from far off lands.

Upholstery producer Collins and Hayes has named Emma Hughes as sales team manager with responsibility for the South West, Midlands, Wales and Ireland.

Fashion was the top seller as Home category sales flatlined at department store chain John Lewis last week.

discounting-1Discounts were deeper in November as furniture and furnishings prices slipped further against year-earlier levels despite rising prices at the factory gate.

Profits grew 62 per cent at floorcoverings giant Abingdon before the business was sold to the Victoria carpets and flooring group this autumn.

Heritage Newark furniture retailer Holdens is to move to a purpose built out-of-town store next autumn and lease its existing town centre showrooms to one or more other retailers.

designers-guild-krProfits doubled at luxury home fashion brand Designers Guild ahead of its move into a new 80,000sqft West London DC this summer.

Heritage furniture and department store independent Randalls of Uxbridge is to close permanently after a clearance sale next month.

Flooring chain Carpetright is to roll out an interest free credit offer across its store portfolio following a successful trial.

arighi-bianchi-coIconic North West furniture independent Arighi Bianchi posted its highest earnings in seven years as sales climbed again in 2013–14.

Shoppers eschewed the high street in favour of online shopping and out-of-town retail parks in November, according to the British Retail Consortium.

Demand for goods made in the factories of Belgium and Holland — the two main overseas sources for carpet sold in the British market — slowed at the start of Q4.

Its new click and collect service is a focus for JYSK in the UK as sales worldwide jumped 10 per cent to €2.8bn in the year to end August.

Chinese-furniture-importsUK spend on Chinese made furniture jumped nearly £23m at the start of the final quarter of 2014, new figures show.

Carpet manufacturer Brockway enjoyed double-digit sales growth in 2013–14 though weaker margins hit profits.

Mattress and divan beds supplier Breasley Consumer Products is reorganising its structure to create an office-based operations team to support the appointment of two divisional directors.

Half year sales across Leekes’ retail stores were up 8 per cent thanks to strong demand for goods linked to the housing market, including furniture.

The cold snap helped John Lewis shift more of its winter fashion stock as total sales climbed 10.8 per cent last week.

futon-company-storeNational furniture chain the Futon Company said revenues have continued to build out following a slow start to 2013–14.

Harveys and Bensons for Beds owner Steinhoff has named Alexandre Nodale as Chief Executive at Conforama, its French based pan-European furniture and electricals chain.

Black Friday demand for electricals helped retailers to their strongest year-on-year sales performance in three months in November.

john-cotton-beddingBedding and fillings group John Cotton increased sales for an eighth year in a row in 2013–14 but one-off costs and customer price pressures stymied earnings growth.

dreams-co-fasciaBed specialist Dreams has launched its £6m seasonal marketing campaign including its first ever investment in the video-on-demand space.

Designer Contracts will near treble the size of its central distribution depot with a move to a larger site in the Midlands next spring.

Global upholstery producer Natuzzi has lofty ambitions for the UK market in 2015 as it looks to build on solid growth here this year.

BoConcept-fasciaInternational contemporary furniture specialist BoConcept is to overhaul its worst performing stores worldwide by targeting closures or installing new franchisees.

Upholstery retailer Sofa.com generated more cash, more sales and almost twice as much profit in the year to end February.

sofa-com-polandCommentary: Sofa.com’s pre-tax margin climbed 390 basis points to 13 per cent in 2013–14 and the retailer can do even better having invested in its Eastern European factory.

ponden-home-co-fasciaRetailer Ponden Home ended a three-year negative earnings trend to grow profits by well over a third in the year to 1st March.

Premium kitchens retailer Harvey Jones has expanded its board with three appointments and will open its 31st showroom this weekend.

Chancellor George Osborne has bowed to lobbying and agreed to review business rates, though wholesale change to the tax is at least a year and a half away.

The owner of carpet firms Ryalux and Burmatex has announced plans to buy up the shares of its smallest private investors.

sterling-tillicoultrySales jumped sharply for Sterling Furniture as the stores group expanded into new product segments and pitched itself as a complete home furnishings solution for shoppers.

Shoppers went gadget crazy at John Lewis last week as customers made the most of the department store retailer’s Black Friday deals.

alan-white-agentWest Midlands distributor Serene Furnishings has appointed Alan White to represent its Serene Beds and Serene Living brands in Scotland.

harry-corry-co-fasciaStronger gross margin and higher sales helped 48-store furniture and furnishings chain Harry Corry return to profit at EBITDA level in 2013–14.

Longtime Collins and Hayes sales manager Bruce Cowen is retiring at the end of 2014 after 32 years with the company and more than 50 years in the furniture industry.

vida-living-dundalk-extIreland’s largest furniture wholesale and distribution business is relaunching as VIDA Living and making a seven-figure investment in its UK operation.

The heritage Allders of Croydon department store has reopened under new ownership and is now trading as Zervo.

Oak-Furniture-LandAt least three more Oak Furniture Land stores are earmarked to open before the end of 2014 as brand owner JB Global continues to expand its store footprint.

john-cottonBedding entrepreneur John Cotton received his MBE at Buckingham Palace yesterday after being named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List earlier this year.

flammability-vertProposed changes to the furniture fire and flammability regulations are not viable and leading trade associations and manufacturers are against them, according to a Conservative MP.

National beds specialist Dreams will open a new format store in Romford tomorrow morning (28th Nov).

Harveys and Bensons for Beds owner Steinhoff is to enter the fashion market after agreeing to acquire one of the largest non-food retailers in the Southern Hemisphere.

Lower costs and stronger margins helped national flooring chain Carpets4Less to grow profits by a quarter in 2013–14.

The Home directorate was top of the tree as Christmas gifts and decorations drove sales at John Lewis in the seven days to 22nd November.

Home improvement retailer B&Q said sales of showroom merchandise — its kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms offer — declined in its third quarter.

Cookes Furniture Two-store independent Cookes Furniture said it built sales momentum in 2013–14 and has seen top and bottom line improvement in the first six months of its new financial year.

Yorkshire beds group Harrison Spinks has launched a dedicated Contract division headed up by one of the sector’s most experienced executives.

topps-tiles-fascia-coEarnings grew strongly at wall and floor tile retailer Topps in the year to end September as year-on-year sales climbed almost 10 per cent.

Paris, FRA. — Simmons Bedding Group owner Cauval Industries has hired the former head of IKEA France Jean-Louis Baillot as chief operating officer.

sofas-stuff-edinburghUpmarket retail chain Sofas & Stuff — the brainchild of Sofa Workshop founder Andrew Cussins — is on the march with new smart showrooms opening across Britain.

The owner and managing director of Hick Lane Bedding is one of three men charged with human trafficking related offences in Yorkshire.

Belgian carpet producer Lano has agreed to buy the broadloom carpet business of compatriot and rival manufacturer Bajong.



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