Welcome to June’s Big Furniture Group Magazine ”

This month we have a special feature all about trust. We spoke with Trustpilot about why the review platform plays a key role in building trust between a business and customer, as well as why the furnishings sector is such a popular category.

One such business that has built plenty of trust and a solid reputation over the years is London’s oldest furniture retailer, Heal’s. We caught up with the company following the reopening of its flagship store, as well as gaining an insight into an exclusive piece of research dating back 60 years, delving into the transformation of the modern home. From one store reopening to another launching, we spoke with Sussex Beds – a year on from the start of their hunt for the right retail locations, to learn about their progress and the most recent Caterham store opening.

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Print: Buxton Press

ISSN No: 2753-3387

Copyright © Big Furniture Group 2022

Issue No: 10

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In the BFG hotseat this month is Kevin Barfoot, furniture agent and National Sales Manager at Bentinck / Sofa Factory, who talks about the job, what he enjoys most and who has been a particular inspiration, as well as why his wine rack is his most treasured furniture item. As for the other regular, independent furniture retailer Harrison & Brown goes under the Retail Focus spotlight, where they share an update into recent investments from external consulting to online expansion, as well as plans to hit the small screen and why quoting production times needs more clarity.

Our Bed Expert, Vic Smith, is back for another insight into the beds industry, while our Letter from China returns with some more helpful tips when sourcing from the country, with this month talking about the importance of quality control. As for our Green Retail sustainability-focused feature, we concentrate on Next’s green credentials. On this topic, we also covered Mattress Online’s recycling insight, where they pose the question: Is the mattress industry recycling all it can?

You’ll also find a preview of the upcoming Irish Furniture & Homewares Show, as well as a recap on the recent Spring Furniture & Beds and the INDX Beds & Bedroom events, with a look at the next INDX Furniture show taking place this month. Meanwhile, GNG shares some news on their recent appointment, Protect-A-Bed talks about how they can help link sales to maximise opportunity and Gallery Direct explores why choosing a table and chairs for the dining room is key to a family home.

We also spoke with Vogue Beds on their latest product developments and the move into importing bedframes. To wrap things up, our Big Question this month is all about the customer approach, while the latest insight from Furniture Sales Solutions, reveals why seven is the magic number.

That’s enough from me, so enjoy our latest magazine. Oh, and if you have any news you want to shout about or keen to get involved in our Retail Focus and Big Interview features, drop me an email on dan@bigfurnituregroup.com We’d love to share your story.