A major operator of monobrand Natuzzi and other high-profile furniture brand stores across several key locations in the U.K. generated cash and delivered strong profits through 2020/21 trading.

West Midlands beds and upholstered furniture manufacturer Furmanac Group has appointed an experienced manufacturing executive as its new production director.

The furniture market worldwide has already rebounded well above pre-pandemic levels according to specialist research consultancy CSIL Centre for Industrial Studies.

Headlam, Britain's largest flooring wholesale group, has built up stock levels ahead of what it hopes will be busier trading months to come. It follows a revenue decline in the first half.

U.S. headquartered upholstered furniture giant La-Z-Boy has disclosed the terms of the buyout of the Colne sofa maker Furnico—its longtime U.K. manufacturing partner—for the first time.

The CEO of Tempur Sealy International (TSI) says the number of acquisition candidates worldwide are growing as the world's largest bedding company announced a multi-million dollar investment in an emerging sleep technology platform.

The first new products since Birlea agreed a deal that sees it become the U.K. and Ireland distributor of Disney branded furniture are expected to arrive in the first week of October, its md says.

A longtime ready-to-assemble furniture manufacturing supplier to Amazon's U.S. platform has begun listing on the Internet giant's European's equivalent as part of a pilot programme.

Loaf has extended its home delivery contract with Wincanton for another three years, building on an existing partnership between the two companies already lasting the past six years.

A change in the shareholder structure at Sleepeezee has given senior management a stake in the company for the first time this century, as well as a major incentive to build the value of the Rochester bed manufacturer.

Profits climbed sharply last year for one of the principal actors in the delivery of bulky flat-pack furniture boxes to U.K. consumers. That was despite a fall in revenue.

Plans to demolish the building housing the one-time Tapi Carpets & Floors store in central London will lead to the creation of a smart new retail store with consents for both furniture and floorcoverings trade.

Steve Depport, head of the Metro Group, has been appointed a non-executive director at The Carpet Foundation, the industry group that promotes the use of carpet and those that sell it.

Sales jumped £4.1 million for Long Eaton upholstered furniture manufacturer as it narrowed losses.

Upholstery destined for customers of Maker&Son is being held back because of slow payment by the £25 million direct-to-consumer brand, which last night made a new court filing that gives it breathing space from creditors.

Thinner gross margin and higher costs impacted furniture trading profits at Surrey retailer Vale Furnishers last year, though an asset disposal meant its net result was still stronger.

Underlying sales climbed sharply at Northern Ireland based furnishing fabrics and household textiles supplier Ulster Weavers last year as it benefitted from its relationship with retail giant Dunelm.

Nobilia, Europe's largest kitchen manufacturer, plans to take store numbers beyond 60 for its U.K. franchise brand with the addition of another nine new showrooms.

The acquisition and expansion of a new warehouse and distribution facility among other investments saw Liverpool home office and workplace furniture maker Dams spend almost £6 million on capex last year.

Restructuring advisors at Kroll say they are still looking to generate bigger returns for the creditors of two historic British upholstery and beds retailers through a legal claim against a payments tech provider.

A Warwickshire supplier of outdoor furniture and living products to the likes of NEXT, Made.com and The Conran Shop saw profits jump by almost half last year.

Spinks, the diversified spring maker for beds, upholstery and other applications, has hired its first-ever global sales director.

Consumer sentiment towards high-value items such as furniture, white goods and cars has improved for the first time in eight months according to a closely-followed poll.

Higher sales and an 810 basis point gross margin swing helped the U.K. wholesale and retail arm of cabinet furniture supplier Kettle Interiors to boost profits last year.

Derek Hayes, whose business acumen, energy and passion saw him grow TR Hayes into one of the largest independent furniture retailers in the country, has died. He was 85.

U.K. sales growth returned in the furniture and lighting category in June according to official retail sales figures out Friday morning from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Retail group Beter Bed Holding says the acquisition of a stake in a Polish bedding company is part of a plan to vertically integrate its value chain and give it more control over profit margins.

High-end French furniture brand Roche Bobois saw its U.K. business recover compared with last year in the second quarter as shoppers returned to the capital in numbers.

Current incumbent to remain on the board but step down as chief executive at supplier with operations spanning the globe including the U.K. after he found his successor.

Twice as many furniture, flooring and furnishings companies called in restructuring advisors in the second quarter compared with the same period last year as the market took a downward turn.

Eve Sleep says a number of potential suitors have progressed to due diligence stage as the direct-to-consumer and wholesale brand explores a possible sale of the company.

Furniture and homewares retailer Dunelm has appointed Whitbread Plc CEO Alison Brittain as non-executive director and chair designate, expected to succeed Andy Harrison ahead of the expiry of his nine-year term in just over a year.

Rising sales and wider gross margin helped Coventry kitchen furniture manufacturer Burbidge return to profit at the EBITDA line last year and narrow its net loss at group level.

The managing director of regional bed chain Sussex Beds has confirmed its next two store locations as it follows through its plan to build an 80-store business within a decade.

Kitchen retailer Magnet has opened the first of three new concept stores ahead of a planned rollout of the format across its nationwide showroom portfolio.

Ergomotion has launched its new programme of smart and adjustable beds for the European and Middle Eastern markets including what it says is the first in the sector to be connectable with Garmin wearables.

North West whole-home retailer Ashton Discount Warehouse is closing down permanently to facilitate its owners' retirement, bringing an end to almost 60 years in business.

The owner of outdoor furniture and living retailer Garden Trading says its bottom line will come in ahead of market expectations as a consequence of additional cost reductions.

Furniture and carpet consumer price inflation ratcheted back up again last month according to figures out Wednesday morning from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It follows a brief respite in the upwards momentum in May.

Britain's antitrust regulator has elevated its investigation into the takeover of Recticel's engineered foam unit by Carpenter to an in-depth Phase 2 inquiry, heightening the possibility that parts of the deal affecting the U.K. will either not happen or be reversed.

Furniture and homeware retailer Made.com Group (Made) is to review its operational structure and headcount as it looks to find cost savings after worsening consumer sentiment hit sales.

Acquisitions helped Victoria, the diversified international flooring manufacturer and distributor, to book more than £1 billion of sales for the first time in its history in the past year.

Rachel Conroy, founder and CEO of Gateshead contract furniture supplier HLF, has been included in a prominent business magazine's 35 Women Under 35 2022 list — a rundown of high achieving business leaders.

Longtime consultant Martin Adams has formally joined the leadership team at ecommerce retailer Mattress Online, becoming its first-ever chief innovation officer.

Industry charity The Furniture Makers' Company is inviting the trade's human resource professionals to a free conference to learn about the charity’s welfare support and how it can benefit the lives of employees who might be struggling due to the cost of living crisis.

The National Bed Federation has announced the names of the nine manufacturer and supplier members that are sponsoring this year's Bed Show and Awards programme.

La-Z-Boy is to expand a 14-year partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities by fundraising for the organisation in this year’s TCS London Marathon.

Upholstered furniture shipments into the U.K. jumped sharply at the height of spring as retailers here began to receive goods ordered weeks and months earlier.

A turnaround expert appointed by the owners of upmarket furniture and interiors retailer OKA has additionally taken on chief financial officer duties on an interim basis.

The volume of Chinese cabinet shipments arriving in the U.K. fell by more than a quarter according to new trade data as buyers here looked to replenish stock from European sources instead.

Retailers DFS and Dunelm saw year-long low trades in their shares on Friday before both retailers recovered to make small gains on the day. Shares in Made.com closed at an all-time low.

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.

ScS has promoted flooring director Dean Weston to a new and more all-encompassing retail role as part of a number of changes to the management team that also sees a new brief for trading director James Heese.

Foam and sprung mattress imports into the U.K. declined on a volume basis in May on weak data from the two largest sources of overseas made product.

Carpet import volumes declined for a third straight month in May on the back of weaker trade with Belgium, historically the U.K.'s largest trading partner.

A major upholstery group that fell into administration two years ago should have been alerted far earlier to the imperilled financial situation of its largest customer.

Two of the largest fundraisers in the furniture industry calendar have yielded close to £40,000 for The Furniture Makers' Company, the charity and City of London Livery.

Home and garden retail giant IKEA will add a new click-and-collect building adjacent to its 139,000sqft Wednesbury store in anticipation of more of its customers pivoting online.

Maker&Son, the heavily-backed direct-to-consumer furniture brand previously cited as an emerging threat by major U.K. retail chains after a growth spurt during the pandemic, could soon change hands.

Upholstery and flooring retailer ScS has opened a new concept store featuring a series of technological enhancements, a first public airing for a new product tie-up with the U.K.'s largest home interest magazine, and a wider home offer.

GNG Group says its new mattress manufacturing facility in West Yorkshire is now fully operational and expected to add at least 50 new jobs by the end of next year.

Modern furniture and design retailer Heal's has strengthened its online team with the appointment of Mark Hammond as head of ecommerce.

Furniture and homeware retailer Loaf says its long-planned Edinburgh showroom will become the largest in its portfolio when it opens later this year.

Furniture factory output in the U.K. continued to run at record levels according to new May data with manufacturers racing to unwind big order books as a result of earlier demand.

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.

National beds and bedroom retailer Bensons for Beds will next week move into a new Yeovil store, located adjacent to its former unit in the South West town.

Privately-owned furniture and flooring retailer Toons Home Furnishers traded strongly through 2020/21 with six-figure profits and strong cash generation.

Private equity backed household and contract textiles wholesaler Whyte & Ivory says sales have hit eight figures for the first time after stellar international growth, particular in the U.S.

The owners of motion beds and upholstery group Furmanac say the West Midlands manufacturer will be a stronger business as a result of a planned corporate restructure.

Experienced furniture industry executive Simon Davies says he is excited and energised to be joining TCM Living, the sofa group behind brands including Ashley Manor and Alexander & James.

Underlying revenue across the eFulfilment division of logistics group Wincanton edged ahead in the first quarter of its financial year despite the wider market slowdown in online activity.

Online interior design platform My Bespoke Room saw a big downturn in demand ahead of a cut-price deal to sell the business to an emerging property portal late May.

Demand for furniture and homeware continued to flag in June according to new industry data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the membership group that lobbies on behalf of the retail sector.

The South East of England has seen furniture store numbers dwindle at twice the pace of the U.K. overall in the past five years as both independents and multiples re-assessed the region. London proved the exception.

The franchise group behind the United Carpets & Beds retail format returned to profit in 2020/21 in its first results since it left the stock market. It was helped by robust post lockdown demand, wider margins and reduced bad debt.

The managing director of Mobus Fabrics says its sustainable, environmentally friendly flame retardant coating GreenFR has created a buzz in the retail sector and is now the main FR finish applied by the West Yorkshire supplier.

The owners of a London based interior design group providing retail and design services to private clients across the world have reorganised through a newly-incorporated company.

Still-expanding floorcoverings retailer Tapi Carpets & Floors is opening its eighth store this year with a former bed shop unit that takes its total across Great Britain to 170.

Nest, one of the most prominent modern furniture retailers in the North of England, followed strong trading through lockdown with another positive period in the year to April 30, 2022 — ahead of its planned showroom relocation.

Multichannel upholstery retailer Designer Sofas For You (DesignerSofas4u.co.uk) sits within a new corporate structure after its shareholders reorganised their business interests.

The cash for a new capital raise at an expanding beds and bedding ecommerce business was provided by the company's existing sole shareholder, who has ties to historic furniture industry brands.

Shares in Made.com yesterday declined to their lowest level since the furniture and homeware retailer floated on the London Stock Exchange and are now worth a little over a fifth of their IPO value.

The rising cost of shipping goods from the east chipped almost seven percentage points off gross margin for the retailer behind the Garden Furniture World ecommerce brand last year.

The owners of Sealy U.K. have recapitalised the Aspatria bed manufacturer with a further debt investment as it laid down a marker in the first period since Silentnight sold the business.

Wider gross margin helped the company behind the Beds.co.uk retail website remain profitable last year against a backdrop of weakening ecommerce sales after an earlier boom.

Consultants acting on behalf of upmarket furniture brand have planning request refused by London Borough despite precedent set by another retailer on the same road.

Ecommerce-led retailer Mattress Online has expanded its distribution capacity and announced new and important hires across its digital and commercial operations.

The creation of a new 50/50 joint venture that sees one of the world's largest furniture retailers further expand its store footprint across Europe has been waved through by antitrust regulators.

A popular piece of outdoor furniture has been recalled by a major U.K. store group on safety grounds.

Heritage bed manufacturer Millbrook Beds has new owners after the founding Croll family agreed to sell the Southampton manufacturer to concentrate on their other expanding business interests.

The Very Group, one of the top ten retailers of furniture in the U.K. by volume, has appointed a former Walmart leader as its new chief executive, replacing Henry Birch who will stand down in the autumn.

Furniture and homeware retailer Made.com has appointed former supermarket and tech executive Dan Elton as its first ever chief customer officer.

Stakeholders have until Monday of next week to come up with a solution that will appease the U.K.'s antitrust regulator.

La-Z-Boy U.K. is sponsoring a family-friendly music festival taking place in the Lake District later this month where headline acts include Stereophonics, Supergrass and The Kooks.

The founder and CEO of Sofas & Stuff says the expanding upholstery retailer will build on growth last year with more good results in 2022 despite a weakening market.

DFS chief financial officer Mike Schmidt is to leave the U.K. upholstery market leader for the same post at B&M European Value Retail, the company behind the value retail chain B&M.

Hypnos, one of the U.K.'s largest bed manufacturers, has appointed Dave Baldry as its new group managing director with a brief to lead both its contract and retail divisions.

London based designer furniture and homeware retailer The Conran Shop has received a new seven-figure equity injection.

The sales trend at Argos is improving but the general merchandise retailer still booked a double-digit drop in business in the first quarter of its 2022/23 financial year and remains down on pre-pandemic levels.

Profits more than doubled at the Ashley Wilde group last year as the Hertfordshire headquartered furnishing fabrics group delivered an eighth straight increase in revenue.

Antitrust regulators in the U.K. have told Carpenter and Recticel to address competition concerns to prevent the proposed takeover of the latter's engineered foam unit by the former from being referred for a more in-depth investigation.

Pocket spring maker Wolf Components is expanding its manufacturing footprint in South Yorkshire amid rapid growth that has seen it become a key supplier to the U.K. mattress industry.

Furniture retailer Heal's has fleshed out proposals to take the neighbouring Habitat unit in central London but has confirmed the reconfigured space will not increase its overall footprint at the site.

Sales at ecommerce brand Furniture Box jumped by two thirds through 2020/21 as it delivered high profits ahead of its expansion into new premises.

Container shipping schedule reliability remains at a historically low level while spot prices are falling from record highs and delays easing after a two-year stretch upended by the pandemic.

Home and leisure retail chain The Range concurrently opened two new stores this weekend to take its overall footprint to 210 nationwide.

Arighi Bianchi will supply furniture to the show homes of a new local development by David Wilson Homes, with the housebuilder to promote the properties from inside the heritage independent's iconic store.

EBITDA was almost two thirds higher for Bentley Designs last year as the furniture importer deleveraged after it kept a tight rein on costs and revenue recovered, countering weaker gross margin.

Furniture retailer Hatfields says it remains focused on delivering an online trading platform before the end of March next year as the reopening of stores after the latest Covid lockdown helped it recover sales lost to enforced closure.

Endless, a serial backer and bidder for home interest companies over the past decade, has raised £100 million from investors as it targets a new raft of buyouts.

Construction is underway at distribution centres in Scotland and the Midlands as national flooring wholesaler Likewise Group looks to double its logistics capacity this year.

Profits climbed three-fold for Wales based fitted kitchens, bedroom and home office manufacturer and retailer Sigma 3 last year as it more than reversed a sales decline through the first year of Covid.

Kitchen, bedroom and bathroom furniture giant Symphony is making a ten-figure outlay as it invests in the build out of its vast manufacturing plant in South Yorkshire.

Creditors have backed a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) that puts an end to a two-year administration process for a one-time £55 million upholstery group.

Designer furniture and homeware retailer Heal's has opened a new clearance unit on the King's Road, London in a space that was until late 2020 occupied by upholstery retailer Sofa Workshop.

Stock levels at Cleland McIver more than doubled by the end of its 2020/21 financial year as the soft furnishings supplier invested further in distribution capacity with a new 75,000sqft facility.

Lincolnshire cabinet importer and wholesaler Classic Furniture battled rising shipping costs and limited container slot availability as it booked its highest profits since 2014 last year.

Wood flooring specialist Havwoods will open its second store this year and its fifth overall as it continues expanding its retail footprint in wealthy parts of the country.

Linley, the prestige London furniture and interiors group, says it is on a solid footing and demonstrably able to trade successfully after a year in which the structural economics of the business improved.

National floorcoverings distributor Carpet & Flooring has appointed a new md with a raft of home improvement industry experience following the planned departure of longtime leader Lisa Tomlin.

Jarrold & Son, the historic department store and furniture retailer, has hired a new chief operating officer amid wider board change at the diversified East of England retail and services group.

The md of furniture components supplier Wade Spring says the combination of new export business and an expanded engineering offer were a major driver in increased profitability last year.

Profits were two-thirds lower at regional beds retail chain Sussex Beds through 2020/21 as narrower gross margin and higher administrative expenses countered record revenues.

National retailer Bensons for Beds will this weekend open a new concept store in Didcot with a return to the Orchard Shopping Centre, a site it vacated two years ago.

Furniture Village, the U.K.'s largest majority family-owned furniture retailer, has been named winner in three categories of the 2022 Family Business of the Year Awards.

Russell Harte is now chief operating officer at upholstery market leader DFS after the retailer redistributed management duties across its senior leadership team.

The group behind regional carpets chain Wilsons and national ecommerce flooring brands such as Online Carpets landed bumper profits in the first figures since it reorganised under a single entity.

A seven-figure reorganisation saw Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland wholesaler Flanagan Flooring bring a property investment joint venture under its control last year.

Furniture and homeware retailer Loaf has appointed River Island director Theodore Sheppard as its new chief commercial officer (CCO) with a brief to drive sales and grow market share.

Britain's biggest carpet maker held almost four times the value of raw materials at the year end as it invested heavily to enable it to meet surging demand for its products and deliver its highest ever profits.

Wayfair launched its first ecommerce store in Ireland on Monday morning, following through on plans we first reported in the autumn of last year (see related).

Cyclists from retailer Mattress Online have completed a 140-mile bike ride across the width of the country fundraising for Zarach, a charity that fights against child bed poverty in the U.K.

Industry charity The Furniture Makers’ Company is issuing a final call for teams to participate in Big Shots 2022, its annual charity clay pigeon shoot.

The cost of living crisis and weaker-than-expected demand have upended the orderly close down of Furniture Loft's store-based business in Leicestershire but its owner says customers who've made advance payments should be able to get their money back.

Upholstery vertical Sofa.com has followed the opening of its new store in York with more new space as it presses ahead in partnership with sister retail brands. Sofas & Stuff is also expanding with a new East Midlands store.

Britain's biggest flooring wholesaler will enable independent retailers and one-man-and-a-van installers to hit sub-£15sqm price points after launching a new brand with a supporting micro-site.

Mattress and upholstered beds brand Button & Sprung is to relocate into a new and larger showroom in London next week.

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.

Product availability across the U.K. furniture retail sector jumped in the first quarter driven largely by rising capacity among upholstery and bed makers, categories where domestic suppliers remain a major force.

Sterling Furniture Group will open its fifth store under its Sterling Home brand with the launch of its refurbished and reimagined Aberdeen branch after an investment north of £2 million.

U.K. furniture and lighting retail sales declined in May as new bookings began to dry up and companies worked their way through a backlog of outstanding orders taken earlier in the year.

A huge leap in sales after the spring lockdown and the introduction of ecommerce helped furniture retailer JYSK report a first ever profit at its U.K. subsidiary last year.

Consumer confidence fell to its lowest level on record in June on worries over personal finances amid the cost of living crisis. But the figures did at least arrest a long-running slide in big-ticket purchase sentiment.

Quick-ship sofa brand Swyft has diversified with the launch of its first programme of upholstered beds and roll-pack mattresses.

Directors at carpet yarn spinner Lawton Yarns have completed a management buyout (MBO) of the company, ending the two year stint under the ownership of London private equity group Breal Capital.

Heal's will re-occupy the longtime Habitat store adjacent to its London flagship on Tottenham Court Road (TCR) as part of wide-ranging plans to improve one of the furniture trade's most iconic pieces of real estate. However, its overall footprint at the site may not increase.

Modern furniture retailer Cult registered higher profits last year as revenue climbed to record levels for at least for the fourth year straight after it elevated its focus on growing in the U.K.

Regulation of interest-free Buy-Now Pay-Later (BNPL) credit agreements will be further tightened under new Government proposals that will likely impact smaller stores and web based furniture retailers the most.

North West upholstered furniture manufacturer Buoyant will book a sharp decline in profits in the year to September 2022 after higher raw material costs combined with recruitment challenges.



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