NEWS

New eco Barker and Stonehouse store takes shape as Newcastle closes

offering the best possible customer experience.

“We were proud to be the first UK furniture retailer of scale to achieve Carbon Neutral Plus status and are constantly thinking about ways we can improve our impact on the planet. This approach has certainly been foremost in our minds during the design and build of this store and we can’t wait to welcome customers this spring.” doors to its Newcastle store on Leazes Park Road, having outgrown the base where it has traded since 1998. Before its closure, the retailer held a clearance sale on Friday 3 February.

James added: “It’s been a pleasure to serve so many of our wonderful North East customers from our Newcastle store for the past 25 years however we hope they’ll love our new flagship store just as much as we’ve loved bringing it to life.”

Independent furniture retailer Barker and Stonehouse has revealed that its new Gateshead store with serious eco credentials is taking shape.

Works are well underway to transform the former Snow + Rock site in Gateshead into a state-of-the-art flagship Barker and Stonehouse store, bringing together the very best in sustainable design, striking architecture and inspiring home interiors.

The nationwide furniture retailer is investing more than £5m to double the size of its existing base, with the new store combining 50,000 sq. ft of impressive retail space across three floors.

Ahead of its opening on Good Friday (7th April), the retailer’s existing unit at the Metro Retail Park will be transformed into an outlet store, giving customers the option to shop on a budget, without compromising on quality.

Managing Director James Barker said: “The new store is really starting to take shape and this is a huge milestone in what is a significant project for our business. Alongside other key investments in the area such as launching our concept store within Fenwick Newcastle, this represents our commitment to the region and to

In line with the retailer’s eco-friendly approach, the new store has been designed with sustainability ingrained in its blueprint. This includes the typical practices you’d expect from Barker and Stonehouse such as the use of responsibly sourced timber frames rather than steel where feasible and a full roof of solar panels, as well as innovative extras such as an expansive green roof that will protect and promote local biodiversity.

Inside, the store roof is held up by beautifully designed circular timber feature columns, crafted with branches that take the form of a traditional tree while striking studios will be home to the latest season’s looks.

Upstairs, there’ll be a roof terrace café run by restaurateur Daryl Chadwick. Bringing a taste of the Mediterranean to Gateshead, Daryl is set to recreate the popular menus already on offer at Chadwick & Co, his in-store café before at the retailer’s Teesside Park store.

Set in a prime location in Gateshead, at the heart of an already bustling shopping destination, the new store will be easily accessible by car and public transport and will have a dedicated car park with electric vehicle charging points.

Ahead of the new flagship store opening, the retailer will be closing the

Sofa retailer grows sales by £10m

Furniture retailer Sofa.com, part of the Frasers Group, has reported a surge in sales as turnover jumped by £10m. According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 30 April 2022, total sales rose 27.8% to £45.4m from £35.5m in 2021. Pre-tax profit resulted at £6.2m, up 8.7% from £5.7m recorded in the previous year.

Stated within its report, the company said that despite a year of challenging market conditions affecting retail as a whole, it was “pleased with the performance” and saw continued growth in turnover, gross profit and operating profit.

“The company continues to make substantial investments in marketing to maintain its leading brand status. Detailed sales information by product and store is reviewed daily, enabling changes to product selection, incentive structures and advertising strategy to be made on a dynamic basis to optimise sales.”

During the year, the business reduced its employee numbers from 160 to 134, which was mainly across its warehouse and sales division. This lowered its wage bill by 17.1% from £3.5m to £2.9m over the period.

Fishpools Chairman John Fishpool sadly passes away

“Fishpools was part of the independent buying consortium, the Green Group, which was set up to develop modern designs in the 1960’s. It was disbanded in 1992, to which the largest members of the group went on to form Furniture Traders. John Fishpool was one of the founding members of Furniture Traders and chaired the group for a number of years.

“John was also actively involved in the Chamber of Commerce and played a significant role in the local community. John was a true gentleman and a huge part of everyone’s lives at Fishpools, he will be missed by all.”

The company has set up a Just Giving page in memory of John for donations towards Isabel Hospice.

“By all accounts we were successful for the first three years, self-funding to £30m revenue with a team of 50 and a community of over 300,000. However, in 2022, we experienced unprecedented trading conditions due to a 700% increase in shipping costs, supply chain shortages and the cost of living crisis, resulting in a sharp contraction in consumer confidence and spending on bigticket items.

“As a result, on the 10th January 2023, Snug Shack Limited went into administration, and the business and assets were purchased by ScS Group Plc (‘ScS’) under a new company ‘Snug Furniture Limited’.

Independent furniture retailer Fishpools has announced the sad passing of its Chairman, John Fishpool, at the age of 84.

A statement from the company said: “John became the third generation to join the family business in April 1958. Throughout his life, John played an instrumental role in growing the business. His passion for the industry, customers and community, is an inspiration to colleagues past and present, and remains at the heart of Fishpools today.

“In 1974, John became managing director, a role which he held for 28 years until 2002. He then appointed his son Simon as managing director and took the role of company chairman.

“John and Simon worked together to build and expand Fishpools to over 62,000sq. ft., one of the largest and successful furniture store in the UK.

Snug officially relaunches following ScS acquisition

Sofa in a box brand Snug has officially relaunched following sofa retailer ScS’ acquisition of the company after it entered administration.

ScS acquired the brand, domain names, website, intellectual property and stock of Snugsofa.com (Snug) from the administrators of Snug Shack Limited for consideration of £875,000.

Now, under new ownership, Snug Furniture Limited, the business has relaunched. A statement from Snug said: “Four years ago, we founded Snug as a vehicle for change; to answer customers’ needs for a comfy sofa to be delivered in days. We pioneered the sofa in a box category and disrupted a slow and outdated industry.

“Joining the ScS family has meant that the Snug brand and team can continue to serve our customers by spreading the ‘joy of sofa’ to homes across the UK. Unfortunately, there were a small number of customers and suppliers that have been affected by these changes and for that, we are truly sorry. We continue to do everything we can to support customers, old and new, through this time.”

Kyle Rowe, Chief Marketing and Digital Officer (ScS) added: “After a transitional time for customers and the team, delighted to have Snug in the ScS family and back, servicing their customers. As part of the ScS group, we look forward to ensuring Snug remains #1 in the UK modular sofa market and see the brand and product as entirely complimentary to our proposition. A new Snug is back with the same ambitions, to deliver an excellent product and service.

Wishing the team the very best and thanking customers new and old for their support.”

Furniture brand plans to open first store in Belfast

Michael Martin, Director of Like Architects said: “The proposed EZ Living Furniture flagship store will complement the current offering available to customers on the Boucher Road and will support local jobs in the area at all phases of construction. A popular retail hub with a variety of stores, Boucher Road is a great location for the brand to establish itself in Belfast and we’re delighted that the team has decided to set up here. The modern store is designed to provide a premium and slick shopping experience with on-site parking for convenient access.”

New spring development to offer 20-year lifespan

Irish furniture brand, EZ Living Furniture has revealed plans for a flagship store on the Boucher Road, in Belfast.

The retailer currently has seventeen stores across the island of Ireland, with only one store in Northern Ireland at Crescent Link Retail Park in Derry, Londonderry. This will be the furniture retailer’s first store in Belfast.

Designed by local architecture firm Like Architects, the proposed store will span 30,500 sq ft across two floors of showroom space and will create up to 30 jobs in the local area. The proposal is subject to pre-application discussions which are currently underway.

Established in 1998, EZ Living Furniture is a furniture retailer specialising in high-quality products at affordable prices. Once a small family-run business, the company has expanded across the island employing more than 300 people with ambitious plans for future growth.

Kevin O’Neill, Chief Executive, EZ Living Furniture commented on the proposed plans: “We’re excited to reveal our plans for our Belfast flagship store on the Boucher Road and expand our brand in Northern Ireland. Across our seventeen stores on the island and our ever-growing e-commerce website, EZ Living Furniture is committed to providing quality furniture alongside the highest level of customer service. The new store will provide the local area with the best in terms of quality, style and choice at great value.”

West Elm owner expects lower UK sales following store exit

The UK division of home furnishings retailer Williams-Sonoma, owner of the West Elm brand, has reported an uptick in sales but warned of lower future revenues.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 30 January 2022, total sales rose 4% to £30.6m from £29.4m in 2021. Pre-tax profit resulted at £894,000, slightly down from £918,000 recorded in the previous year.

Stated within its report, the company said that sales increased due to rising in-store revenue as a result of postlockdown openings. Cost of sales decreased to 69% from 70% due to higher growth in revenue compared to costs.

During the period, the business ceased operations on one of its three stores during November 2022, as well as ending its wholesale shop-in-shop partnership with its largest department store retail partner. This is expected to have a negative impact on turnover moving forward.

“The turnover in our retail business in fiscal 2022 has been recovered as the stores re-opened after the closure due to the pandemic. The directors expect the retail activity of the company to decrease in the forthcoming year as a result of the early lease termination of one UK store,” the company said.

Bed manufacturer Millbrook Beds has unveiled its new spring development, a first to market product that doubles the lifespan of a mattress.

Infinity is a new base mattress and topper duo concept which presents retailers with nine different bed varieties for the floor space of one double bed. Consumers can choose tailored toppers for the standard mattress base by mix and matching materials and firmness ratings to suit their specific sleep needs.

Ross Thurston, from Millbrook Beds, commented: “We are delighted to launch Infinity to help drive sustainability and the eco credentials of the bed industry. This entirely new concept in mattress spring manufacture will ensure a 20-year lifespan, rather than the standard 7-10 years.

“The core of the mattress also uses our Nemoflex technology, which is made up of over 300 plastic bottles and entirely recyclable. So not only does it offer greater longevity, but it reduces the amount of mattresses in UK landfill.

“We are committed to innovation and product development which offers sustainability for consumers and the planet, while offering our retail partners a highly personalised and engaging shopping experience to get customers back through the door and buying in person.”

Mattress Online continues support for The Sleep Charity

Hypnos, Silentnight, and DeepSleep help improve our local delivery services as well as being able to offer a delivery service from our own fleet further out field more often.”

Beds are amongst the other businesses making donations.

Online beds and mattresses retailer Mattress Online has reaffirmed its partnership with award-winning charity, The Sleep Charity, to empower the nation to sleep better.

For many years the company has been a corporate partner of The Sleep Charity providing vital funds for their services and now their relationship has evolved into a full initiative offering warehousing, inventory assistance, delivery logistics and physical deliveries.

The Sleep Charity are one of the leading independent expert voices on sleep issues in the UK and are there to help everyone get a better night’s sleep. As part of their work together, Mattress Online and The Sleep Charity came across and helped a family of eight who were all sleeping on the floor without a single bed between them.

Lisa Artis, deputy CEO at The Sleep Charity, said: “Our Sleep Poverty campaign was born from seeing more and more people in South Yorkshire living in poverty and lacking the basic resources they needed to sleep well at night. It is heart-breaking to see people sleeping on the floor, children sharing a bed and those without a duvet for warmth or curtains at the window. Sleep is a right not a privilege, and it was important for us to address this need and we are already having an impact in South Yorkshire which we hope to expand nationally as other charities and organisations get involved. We couldn’t have done this without the support of Mattress Online, who have generously supplied warehouse space and delivery time in order to help those living in crisis.”

Steve Adams, CEO at Mattress Online, said: “As an industry, we have to work collaboratively to make change happen, being able to provide this vital support is an opportunity for us to help make that change locally to reduce bed poverty in South Yorkshire – I’d encourage our industry peers to get involved where they can. Everyone at Mattress Online is fully behind our charitable endeavours, it’s not easy to see someone less fortunate than yourself, especially children, but the whole team take great pride in playing their part to support The Sleep Charity and its recipients.”

Beds retailer expands delivery fleet

Mattressman has also formed a new partnership with Ecologi in an effort to reduce its carbon emissions. As part of the link up, for every product sold by Mattressman, either in-store or online, Ecologi will plant a tree across Africa and Latin America to reduce carbon emissions.

“Our partnership with Ecologi reinforces our environmental stance and works in conjunction with our mattress disposal service, whereby for a small fee, Mattressman can dispose of our customers’ previous mattresses or bed frames to combat littered and discarded bedroom furniture,” the company said.

“Many similarities can be drawn between Ecologi and Mattressman, with the most evident shared principle being a proactive stance towards preserving planet Earth. We were inspired by Ecologi and their mission to drive forward climate solutions.”

Kettle Interiors launches new redesigned website

Norfolk-based independent beds and mattress retailer Mattressman has announced the expansion of its delivery fleet.

The retailer has invested in three new Mattressman vans within its logistics operations to further boost its customers services locally and nationally.

Louis Kerry, Marketing Manager at Mattressman, said: “Last year we set ourselves some new three-year goals with one of them being to expand our fleet. We had been dealing with some of our older existing vans finding themselves in the garage more than on the road so there was never a better time for us to invest into some new Renault Maxi Movers.

“We’ve got two on the road now and another coming next week. This will

Furniture wholesaler Kettle Interiors has announced the launch of its new website. The new website, kettleinteriorsagencies.com, has been redesigned from the ground up to give improved functionality and a smoother experience, making it even easier to browse, order and pay.

Simon Ainge, International Sales Director, said: “Now with full visibility of live stock levels, you can take complete control of your order. Browse from an extraordinary catalogue of products across Kettle Interiors’ five brands and filter by what’s new to make your choice, then place your order and pay invoices through the secure account management area. Download brandnew, high-quality images for marketing and product pages and get important product assets whenever and wherever you need them.”

Sofa Factory success at JFS

Sofa Factory, part of the Bentincks group, recently exhibited at the January Furniture Show (JFS) and launched 11 new ranges. Reflecting on the “fantastic exhibition”, Sham Alaq, Commercial Director at Sofa Factory, said: “We attended the show not knowing what to expect as the market is still very unpredictable.

“We launched 11 new ranges and had a fantastic response from both our existing and many new customers alike.”

“We expect that the market over the coming year will be split between value products and designer ranges.”

“With this in mind our latest offering filled these areas and the models sold well accordingly. This has given us the confidence to continue our drive with new designs and we are looking forward to year ahead.”

“We like to take a moment to thank everyone that visited our stand over the course of the show and we look forward to working with you all in the months to come.”

Operating as a family-owned company, based in Gateshead on the banks of the river Tyne and occupying a 129,000sqft factory sat in the middle of a seven acre site, Sham said the new models launched at JFS, their second time at the NEC in Birmingham, are aimed at volume sales, with “great quality and commercial pricing”.

“The market is evolving, as are we, and we look forward to producing a net carbon zero range in the coming year in addition to our other ranges.”

“So, from price, style and sustainability, with the added security of a market leading delivery time, I believe we have something for all retailers and the year ahead is going to be a milestone year for the business.” www.sofafactory.uk