Cabinet Maker 24th August 2018

DESIGN

MANUFACTURE

The NBF explains the importance of its Code of Practice and the stamp of its Approved Mark.

TCS celebrates its 20th anniversary with an exclusive competition following a successful Manchester Furniture Show.

RETAIL Cabinet Maker brings you the round up of the Manchester Furniture Show that took place last month.

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ATLANTIS CORNER SUITE

By TCS

DAN SQUIRES

CABINET-MAKER.CO.UK 01223 846 825 PUBLISHER

Chris Manning

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The mattress-in-a-box market continues to grab the headlines with more news being unboxed from last week’s mattress feature. Simba Sleep, who recently announced the appointment of Allan Leighton as its new chairman, has secured a new partnership with beds retailer Bensons for Beds. The move allows Bensons to expand its offering of its boxed mattress concept and follows the recent announcement from sofa retailer DFS who have signed an agreement to offer the Emma Mattress through its store network. The retail link into physical space continues with the news that Leesa Sleep has forged an agreement to expand on its US collaboration to the UK through West Elm’s three stores in London.

Dreams has now bunked up with eve Sleep, whilst general merchandise retailer Argos has stepped up its mattress offer by offering a 100-night guarantee. Heard this before? That’s because it’s the model that all of the online boxed mattress brands offer. And with Argos selling some of these brands, it seemed a logical step in extending the guarantee to all of its customer base. In terms of online vs physical space, this recent flurry of tie-ups between the two platforms indicates the growing importance for both online pureplays to be able to offer a ‘touch and feel’ element, whilst for physical stores, it shows a measure of adaptation to modern consumer behaviour. Whether or not these partnerships will be maintained in the longer-term strategies for both platforms, or whether these are just trial-based projects, what is clear is that they both see this as opportunity to grow sales. However, with the rate of boxed mattress brands being churned out across the industry, both in the UK and internationally, perhaps the thinking behind the retail partnerships is to make their brand further established and stand out from the crowd. For the likes of eve and Simba, these two brands have been in stores for a while now, with the latter even taking up industry trade shows in the current year. It will be interesting to see how this market evolves further and with businesses already planning ahead for the January Furniture Show in 2019, it will be even more interesting to see how many of these brands choose to exhibit – especially as JFS 2019 looks to accelerate its beds showing.

In the meantime, this week’s issue brings the review of JFS’ sister event, the Manchester Furniture Show. With early footfall impacted by the warmer weather, the World Cup and Wimbledon, the buzz certainly returned in what was another successful year. Also in this week’s editorial includes the latest developments from Italian upholstery manufacturer Rossini, as well as TCS, with the latter sharing their thoughts on MFS and how the business has celebrated turning 20 with the launch of a special competition. From a long-serving business to budding furniture go-getters, Cabinet Maker recaps on this year’s Young Furniture Professionals with an insight into what the five students experienced through the programme. As show season continues, Cabinet Maker takes a look at the Autumn Fair, whilst the NBF details the importance of its Code of Practice ahead of its Bed Show next month.

To conclude this week’s issue, Liam O’Donnell, director of Valdivian Furniture, takes the Last Word and focuses on the importance of safety and the growing consideration of eco-friendly products and practices. It serves as a reminder that offering a sustainable approach will only benefit a brand's reputation, and in an industry full of competition, reputation is paramount.

Dan Squires Editor

ON THE COVER TCS

w www.tcsimports.com

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INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE NEWS

MANUFACTURE

RETAIL MANCHESTER BUZZ

18

Cabinet Maker brings you the round up of the Manchester Furniture Show that took place last month.

TIME FOR TECHNOLOGY

06

26

CM takes another look at the approaching Autumn Fair taking place in September.

18

THE ITALIAN JOB

22

22

Luigi Segreto, export manager at Italian upholstery manufacturer Rossini, discusses the latest developments at the company.

MILESTONE REWARD

24

Manufacturer TCS celebrates its 20th anniversary with an exclusive competition following a successful Manchester Furniture Show.

RAISING STANDARDS

28

The National Bed Federation (NBF) explains the importance of its Code of Practice and the stamp of its Approved Mark.

GO-GETTERS

30

Five young furniture professionals recently completed an intensive industry experience and laid bare all their findings in a presentation at the Furniture Makers’ Hall.

LAST WORD

34

Liam O’Donnell, director of Valdivian Furniture, has the Last Word.

28

|NEWS

NEWS IN BRIEF Argos mattress offer Homewares retailer Argos has announced the launch of its new mattress initiative for consumers. Argos, which is owned by Sainsbury’s, has introduced a ‘100-night Comfort Promise’ on its range of mattresses in an effort to combat the rise in online mattress brands that offer the same scheme.

Buy back scheme

Change of use A former vintage furniture store None Too Shabby is set to be turned into a tea room and gift store. A planning application has been submitted to Wigan Council to convert the use of the property on Ladies Lane in Hindley. A decision is expected to be reached on 1 October 2018.

Design fit out firm returns to growth Kitchens and bedrooms interior design firm Westerns has reported a return to sales growth and profit.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 30 June 2018, total sales rose 78% to £66,223 from £37,474 in 2017.

Gross profit jumped 612% to £57,265 from £8,426, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £35,705 compared to its loss of £9,564 recorded in its previous year.

The return to profit was the second highest the company has achieved following its previous record of £44,992 back in 2016.

Despite the growth in sales, the figure was still some way off its highest turnover of over £126,000 generated in 2013.

Westerns Bedroom and Kitchens has been established since 2011 and specialises in residential interior design, sourcing materials and recommending fixtures and fittings and helping clients choose lighting and furnishings.

w www.westernsbedroomandkitchens.co.uk

RETAIL

KITCHEN FIRM FOLDS

Swedish furniture giant IKEA has begun testing a furniture buy back scheme.

IKEA Deutschland intends to buy back used IKEA furniture from 1 September 2018 on product groups including ‘Kallax’, ‘Hemnes’ and the ‘Malm’ collections.

IKEA said it aims to increase the ‘service life of furniture’ through its new scheme and to promote ‘sustainable consumption’.

Manchester-based kitchen furniture manufacturer Total Kitchens and Bedrooms Limited owes creditors over £255,000 following its liquidation. The HMRC is owed £104,000 in VAT, £60,000 in PAYE and £6,000 in corporation tax.

Other unsecured creditors included trade claims of £78,800 and a directors’ loan of £6,600. Creditors are expected to suffer a total shortfall of £253,341.

FURNITURE RECALLED

Redundancies expected

Homewares retailer Argos has announced the recall of two nursery furniture products. The recall includes the Cuggl Camborne Cot Bed in both white and two tone after identifying the potential exposure of sharp points. The recall does not affect the chest of drawers or wardrobe, where the cot was purchased as part of a three piece set.

DESIGN

Department store Debenhams has confirmed it plans to make redundancies. Discussions with 200 buyers, merchandisers and other team members from both its homewares and fashion divisions are already underway. It is understood that the move is part of its ongoing restructure that it previously announced earlier this year.

Independent opens relocated store; pens date for closure

Welsh family furniture business Happy Home Furnishers has announced the opening of its new store.

Happy Homes Furnishers has relocated from its Swansea city centre store on Castle Street to a new 12,000sq ft space on Phoenix Retail Park in Llansamlet.

The company confirmed it has now opened following a soft launch, whilst also revealing that its official launch will take place over the Bank Holiday weekend from 25-26 August.

Happy Home Furnishers said that the need for a ‘modern location’ offering ‘free parking’ were the main reasons for the relocation, as well as having the ability to showcase more furniture ranges.

The company added that its Castle Street store, which it has been at for the past 27 years, would close for the final time on 16 August.

Commenting on the new store, Michael Semmens, of Happy Homes, said: “Our long-term aim has been to relocate from our town stores in Neath and Swansea to a bigger premises that offers our customers access to our full ranges, whilst catering for the modern day family with ease of access and free parking right outside.

“Phoenix Retail Park ticks all the boxes and we hope our fantastic new superstore will attract both new and old customers.”

The expansion follows its previous store closure in Neath at the beginning of the year, leaving the company trading from four stores with its other three in Crosshands, Cardiff and Port Talbot.

w www.happyhomefurnishers.com 6 | 24th August 2018

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|N E W S RETAIL

MANUFACTURE

Boxed mattress brand appoints new chairman

F R E E R E G I S T R AT I O N N O W LI V E F O R SOUTH WEST FURNITURE SHOW

Mattress-in-a-box brand Simba has announced the appointment of Allan Leighton as its new chairman.

Allan Leighton, who is currently chairman of The Co-op and a former chief executive of Asda, has also invested £1m into the business.

Commenting on his appointment, Allan said: “Simba has created an innovative business that is sharply focused on delivering a narrow range of best in class sleep solutions, disrupting and with ambition to take brand ownership of the growing sleep market.”

Steve Reid, chief executive of Simba, added: ”Securing Allan to the board is a significant coup for Simba. A world class retail veteran, there is no one better placed to fuel our next exciting phase of growth.”

Simba, which launched in 2016, has sold around 200,000 mattresses with sales generating £130m to date.

w www.simbasleep.com

MANUFACTURE

PAY M E N T D I S P U T E L A U N C H E D Specialist furniture supplier G Morgan & Sons Limited has launched a legal dispute with a school building business over non-payment allegations.

In a hearing at the High Court in Dublin, Inspiredspaces Bundle 5 (Ireland) Ltd has been accused of failing to pay €196,000 to G Morgan & Sons following the receipt of furniture for two schools.

G Morgan & Sons supplied furniture to both schools Loreto College in Wexford and Coláiste Ráithín, Bray, Co Wicklow, back in December 2017.

The company claims to not have received any payment and has launched an injunction through the court to either receive full payment or repossess the items of furniture it had supplied.

The court heard that G Morgan & Sons entered in an arrangement with the main contractor building the 8 | 24th August 2018

schools, Sammon Contracting, to supply furniture to the schools it was building.

Sammon was appointed

by Inspiredspaces Bundle 5 (Ireland) Ltd, which was a joint venture consisting of the UK firm Carillion and the Dutch Infrastructure Fund (DIFCO).

Carillion entered administration earlier this year, which also led to Sammon going into liquidation in April.

Due to the non-payment, G Morgan & Sons stated that it had suffered from ‘serious cash flow difficulties’ and when asked to return the products, Inspiredspaces had declined.

Judge Ms Justice Miriam O’Regan granted G Morgan & Sons permission to serve short notice of the proceedings on Inspiredspaces with the case to be reviewed at a later date.

w www.gmorganandsons.com

The South West Furniture Manufacturers Agent & Representatives Federation (SWFMARF), organiser of regional trade event The South West Furniture Show, has announced that online visitor registration for the show is now live.

Taking place from Tuesday 11 – Thursday 13 September at the Sedgemoor Auction Centre in North Petherton, the South West Furniture Show allows visitors the opportunity to see the latest models available from some 50 exhibitors, and network with their local agents in a relaxed and friendly environment.

This year will also include two late evening openings on Tuesday and Wednesday, which will stay open until 7pm and 8pm respectively.

Commenting ahead of

the show, Maud Laine, on behalf the Federation, said: “We’re hopeful that despite the quiet trade, retailers will make the straight forward journey to our location and support the many launches that members have been working on.

“Many of us are expanding product ranges to counteract the downturn, trusting the retailers will also see the various benefits to footfall, trade and bottom line.”

The Federation was established just over 25years ago to promote the sales of Quality Home Furnishing, including Furniture, Beds, Cabinet and Accessories, to Trade customers in South West and South Wales.

w www.swfmarf.com

RETAIL

Furniture prices fall in July

Furniture prices continued to fall in the year as overall inflation rose for first time since November during July.

According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for July 2018, the total furniture price rate decreased by -1.2% from -0.1% in June.

Compared to the same month last year, furniture prices were much lower than the 5.8% rate recorded in July 2017. The following month of August saw inflation in furniture prices rise to 7%.

With the recent warmer weather delivering a boost in outdoor furniture sales, this category saw a deflation of -9.7%, deeper from the rate of -7.4% the previous month. On last year, the outdoor furniture price rate stood at -1.5%.

Carpets and floorcovering price rate fell on both an annual and monthly comparison, down to -0.4% from 0.5%, whereas compared to July 2017, the price rate represented 4.1%. Prices of carpets have not exceeded this rate since it was recorded.

Overall, the 12-month CPI inflation rate increased to 2.5% in July from 2.4% June. On an annual comparison, prices were down from 2.6% in July 2017.

w www.ons.gov.uk

QO

MANUFACTURE

SITE TRANSFER CONFIRMED Furniture manufacturer Celebrity Motion Furniture has confirmed Cintique has transferred to its Huthwaite site.

Officially transferring over from 16 August 2018, the process is fairly straight forward as both companies belong to the JDP group and already share the same IT support and order systems.

Celebrity said that there will be ‘a few staff changes’ due to the restructure, however this will be kept to a ‘minimum’.

The Celebrity factory is sufficiently equipped to accommodate the new production processes and further components will be transferred to the Huthwaite factory over the next few weeks to avoid any delay

in the manufacturing of customer orders.

Wayne Hollis, managing director for both Cintique and Celebrity, said: “We’re keen to keep the Cintique branding and develop the range so Cintique has its own identity.

“Both the Cintique and Celebrity teams are excited about revitalising the Cintique offering and I’d like to emphasise that there are no plans to merge the two brands.

“Cintique will also benefit from the investments that it has already made in computerised cutting machinery at Celebrity and the expansion of the Development Team.”

w www.celebrity-furniture.co.uk

RETAIL

HoF website offline

Department store retailer House of Fraser has taken its website offline to ‘make some improvements’.

The retailer, which was recently acquired out of administration

by Sports Direct for a sum of £90m, posted a message on its website stating: “We’re currently working hard to make some improvements to the website.

“Don’t worry, we will be back up and running as soon as possible.”

However, according to The Guardian, House of Fraser has suffered problems with its logistics after XPO Logistics paused order processing from HoF’s Milton Keynes and Wellingborough warehouses.

It is understood that the pause in processing is due to a dispute over payment between the two businesses.

Taking to social media, customers have complained over unresolved orders. In a statement, House of Fraser said: “Thank you all for your continued patience and support while we work hard behind the scenes during this time.”

In other news, rumours have surfaced that could see the potential merger of Debenhams with House of Fraser.

According to reports, Mike Ashley, chief executive of Sports Direct, currently holds just under 30% of Debenhams’ issued share capital, which is close to the threshold at which he must launch an official takeover bid.

w www.houseoffraser.co.uk

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www.greenwoodretail.com 24th August 2018 | 9

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|N E W S MANUFACTURE

RETAIL

FURNITURE MANUFACTURER APPOINTS NEW COO

Department store to close after failing to find a buyer

Furniture manufacturer ercol has announced the appointment of Antony Maskrey as its new director and chief operating officer.

Antony, who moves from Airwair International (Dr Marten’s), where he acted as global logistics director, before being promoted to business transformation director, will join the company’s board on 3 September 2018.

Maskrey has also held senior positions at Nike and Ricoh in Europe, and has an MBA from the IESE Business School in Barcelona. He is currently completing a Master’s in Research at the University of Bath’s School

of Management.

Edward Tadros, ercol’s chairman, comments: “We are delighted to welcome Antony to ercol – he will bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and energy to our company. I am confident that his skills and approach will be very beneficial to the continued success of our business in the future.

“Antony will spend four to five weeks becoming acquainted with how ercol works; getting to know our people, customers and suppliers, and building a thorough understanding of our business.”

w www.ercol.com

Furniture and homewares department store Nasons of Canterbury has confirmed it will close for good next month.

Nasons in Canterbury, which has been operating since 1929, previously announced that it was ‘consulting its staff on the future of the business’ after suffering from ‘brutal’ trading conditions, which was followed by the appointment of advisory firm Kreston Reeves to undergo a review of the business.

In an updated statement, the company said it would close its Canterbury city centre store, its furniture outlet in Wincheap and its warehouse on 11 September 2018 after failing to secure a rescue deal.

The closures are set to impact around 50 jobs with bosses saying that it has been a ‘very difficult and sad decision’ but one that had to be made after exhausting all possible avenues, including trying to find a buyer.

Nasons revealed that it has suffered from increasing costs, rising business rates and higher competition as well as trying to operate and change its business to meet a ‘rapidly evolving retail landscape’.

Kreston Reeves added that there was still time for any potential buyers to step forward as it continues to explore ‘all options’ ahead of the proposed closure.

w www.nasons.co.uk

RETAIL

MANUFACTURE

Bensons for Beds unveils new mattress partnership

FURNITURE BUSINESS SECURES FRESH I N V E S T M E N T; P L A N S T O E X PA N D I N T O NEW MARKETS

Beds and mattresses retailer Bensons for Beds has announced a new partnership with boxed mattress brand Simba.

The nationwide deal, which is Simba’s largest to date, is set to showcase the brand’s Simba Hybrid® mattress across all of Bensons for Beds 270 stores and online from October.

Mark Cort, Bensons for Beds commercial director, said: “We approached Simba to form a partnership as we believe everyone deserves a great night’s sleep.

“We strive to provide our customers with the most trusted, quality and innovative brands within the sector and the partnership with Simba allows us to connect with shoppers who are short on time, but value quality.

“Simba will be an important partner for us as a retailer and we are excited to work with the biggest bed-in-a-box brand that provides one of the most comfortable mattresses on the market.”

Steve Reid, CEO and co-founder at Simba, said: “Our mission at Simba has always been to simplify sleep for 95% of the population through innovation. What better way to achieve this by joining forces with one of Britain’s biggest household names in sleep.

“We are proud to extend our reach with another retailer to lead the mattress-in-a-box category on- and offline in the UK.”

w www.bensonsforbeds.co.uk 12 | 24th August 2018

Design-led furniture and accessories supplier LOFT Interiors has secured new investment from The Greater Manchester Loan Fund worth £500,000.

As part of the investment from GMLF, which is managed by private equity firm Maven, the funding will be used to support the continued development of LOFT’s operations, product, and team, to facilitate growth opportunities in existing and new markets.

With over 80 staff already operating from LOFT’s offices in Manchester and London, the investment is expected to create eight new

jobs in the region.

Benjamin Hall, managing director of LOFT, said: “There is a growing demand in our target markets for a design-led approach and we will continue to evaluate the needs of both developers and end users to evolve the products and ensure the growing range meets their requirements.

“The investment from Maven will allow LOFT to invest in our brands and support the company on its growth trajectory.”

w www.loft-interiors.co.uk

FOR FULL STORIE S AND DAILY NE W S UPDATE S: WWW.C ABINE T-MAKER .C O.UK

aQO

RETAIL

RETAIL

Furniture retailer wins advert challenge over clearance store

Unfair trading charges denied

Hardwood furniture retailer Oak Furniture Land has won an advertising case following allegations of misleading product purchase claims.

Oak Furniture Land displayed a regional press advert, seen on 1 February 2018, that promoted its clearance sale, stating a number products and prices with its Kidderminster store details.

The ad also stated that stock may vary and for customers to check in store to see its latest clearance offers.

A single complainant, who visited the store and was unable to obtain the advertised products, challenged whether the ad misleadingly implied that the products in the ad were available for purchase.

Oak Furniture Land responded by explaining that the ad was for their Kidderminster clearance store which was a dedicated outlet offering clearance products such as end

of line and ex display items.

The company added that due to the nature of clearance stores, turnaround of stock was almost immediate and therefore it was difficult to provide detailed stock levels and that the ad clearly stated it was a clearance centre.

Following an investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the complaint was not upheld due to the advert featuring the correct information in regards to its clearance store.

The ASA said: “We considered that consumers would understand that the ad was for an Oak Furniture Land clearance store which meant that quantities of items may be limited but would nevertheless expect that the items shown in the ad were available for purchase during the sale period.

“Because we had seen evidence which showed that all of the products shown in the ad were available for purchase at the time the ad appeared, we concluded that the ad was not misleading.”

w www.asa.org.uk

MANUFACTURE

w www.tradingstandards.uk

MANUFACTURE

T E X T ILE FIRM S AVED Independent importer and distributor of textiles Global Textiles Limited has been sold out of administration.

BDO LLP business restructuring partners Kerry Bailey and Matthew Tait were appointed Joint Administrators over Boltonbased Global Textiles Limited, on 23 July 2018.

Following appointment, the Joint Administrators secured the sale of the Company as a going concern to Textile Imports Limited, which has

common directorship and is also based in Bolton, on 1 August 2018.

The deal has secured the jobs of all 38 employees who have been transferred to the purchaser.

Kerry Bailey, BDO business restructuring partner, said: “Global Textiles Limited was exposed to difficulties as a result of the challenging economic climate and difficult trading conditions.”

w www.bdo.co.uk

RETAIL

SHIRE CONTINUES LOCAL SUPPORT Bed manufacturer Shire Beds continues community support following successful cricket festival.

The week-long festival, held just down the road from Shire Bed’s Dewsbury HQ, at Bradford’s Park Avenue, was held to encourage youngsters into the sport and promote the importance of being active.

It also aims to tackle gender inequality through the #Bowling

Mobility furniture specialist Anchor Mobility and its director have denied charges of unfair trading offenses.

Appearing before Suffolk Magistrates Court, David Waters, director at Anchor Mobility Limited, pleaded not guilty to a number of allegations brought against him and the business by Trading Standards.

The allegations included taking payments without delivering goods, pressuring customers to make purchases and failing to issue refunds between October 2016 and September 2017.

Suffolk Trading Standards told the court that the total alleged loss involving 15 customers stands at a sum of £53,203.

Due to the severity of the offenses, the court adjourned proceedings to Ipswich Crown Court where a plea hearing will take place on 11 September 2018.

Mr Waters was released on unconditional bail until the hearing.

Out Gender In Equality initiative.

Shire Beds was one of the main shirt sponsors for two of the fixtures; Yorkshire Asian Select XI vs MCC XI and the Asian Women of Inspiration XI vs UK Armed Forces Ladies XI. The manufacturer was also part of the medal and trophy presentation ceremony.

w www.shirebeds.co.uk

Beds retailer revamps showroom

Beds and mattresses retailer Button & Sprung has announced the launch of its revamped ‘Bed Room’.

The dedicated space at its Fulham store in London allows customers to test out the retailer’s top mattresses in a room set that has dividers inbetween the next bed room so consumers can test in confidence.

Button & Sprung said that the initiative is aimed at helping consumers understand the bed buying process and allows the user to properly test out the bed through its booked ‘Bed Room’ appointments.

w www.buttonandsprung.com 24th August 2018 | 13

|N E W S RETAIL

DESIGN

Sofa retailer links up with boxed mattress brand

Apprenticeship group partners with Furniture Makers’

Sofa retailer DFS has announced a new partnership with online boxed mattress brand Emma Mattress.

Under the partnership, DFS will now offer customers the option to purchase an Emma Hybrid mattress from one of its 95 DFS stores across the country and online.

This is the first time DFS has formed a strategic partnership with an online mattress brand and confirms plans for its in-store installation are already underway.

In a statement ahead of officially announcing the news, DFS told Cabinet Maker: “Customers can currently purchase the Emma Hybrid mattress online with DFS, via the DFS website. Over the coming months, new in store point of sale displays will be rolled out in selected DFS stores.”

w www.dfs.co.uk

MANUFACTURE

BED MAKER INVE ST S IN STAFF ARE A Bed and mattress manufacturer The Shire Bed Company has opened its new staff canteen.

The Dewsbury-based manufacturer recently invested almost £70,000 updating an area in its old head office for its employees, providing larger, more modern facilities for use at break and social times.

To mark the occasion, Shire, which also recently invested in a new uniform for all its employees, hosted

an open event for its staff, which included an array of food and drink.

Fara Butt, sales and marketing director, The Shire Bed Company said: “We look forward to strengthening the team spirit and investing further in the well-being of our employees. This involves providing excellent facilities where our staff can relax and recharge.”

w www.shirebeds.co.uk

RETAIL

Retailer to close 42 stores

The owner of home improvement retailer Homebase has announced plans to close 42 stores under a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).

Hilco Capital, which acquired Homebase in June for £1, said that the decision to close the stores, which could impact around 1,500 employees, wasn’t taken ‘lightly’.

Homebase currently operates from 241 stores across the UK with the affected stores to close over the next 16 months.

In a statement, Damian McGloughlin, CEO of Homebase, added that the CVA will address the ‘underperformance of the business’.

w www.homebase.co.uk 14 | 24th August 2018

The Apprenticeship Management Group has entered into an agreement with the Furniture and Interiors Education, Skills and Training Alliance (FIESTA) to launch a new initiative, Furniture and Interiors Skills Plus, which will help furnishing businesses of all sizes to recruit and manage apprentices.

Serving employer groups nationally, The Apprenticeship Management Group have introduced a programme - Furniture and Interiors Skills Plus, which was established in July 2018, and will offer businesses a specialist apprentice recruitment service, Apprentice Training Agency (ATA) and a Levy Management Company for FIESTA. Gary Baker, chairman of FIESTA, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Apprentice Management Group. Furniture and Interiors Skills Plus will be a pathway for employers to recruit and develop the skills of the next generation. Companies that sign up to Furniture and Interiors Skills Plus will receive advice and guidance on the best training that is available to the sector.

“Through Furniture and Interiors Skills Plus, micro and SME non-levy paying employers will be able to access a much wider selection of funded skills training, while large employers can outsource the apprenticeship management to obtain best valuefor-money and real-time monitoring from their apprentice levy digital accounts.”

John Henry, director at the Apprenticeship Management Group, adds: “Furniture and Interiors Skills Plus will enable employers in the sector to fill their skills gaps and look to establish training and progression plans both now and well into the future.”

w www.fiestalearning.com

MANUFACTURE

U K S ALE S R I S E D O U B LE -D I G I T AT FURNITURE SUPPLIER Bedroom furniture supplier Birlea Furniture has reported a third straight year of turnover growth as sales surpass £15m.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 October 2017, total sales rose 9.4% to £15.1m from £13.8m in 2016, with its core UK market delivering strong growth.

Total UK sales rose 10.2% to £15.1m from £13.7m, with sales from outside the EU also increasing by 29% to £40,188 from £31,295. Sales into the EU fell 66% to £10,716 from

£30,462 in 2016.

Gross profit experienced an uptick of 7.8% to £4.1m from £3.8m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £1.1m, down by 21.4% compared to its profit of £1.4m recorded last year.

Detailed within its report, the company said that improved trading conditions led to the increase in turnover, although gross profit margin declined marginally to 27.2% compared to 27.6% in 2017.

w www.birlea.com

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RETAIL

MANUFACTURE

Furniture retail sales impacted by the three W’s in July

SOFA MANUFACTURER OPENS NEW SHOWROOM

Furniture retail sales took an expected dip during July as most throughout the month said trading was impacted by the warmer weather, the World Cup and Wimbledon.

According to the latest July 2018 figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the total value of furniture and lighting sales declined by 9.9% to £1.08bn from £1.2bn in June.

The decline ended a brief increase from May’s figure of £1.07bn and was the third lowest sales level recorded so far this year. Compared to July 2017, furniture and lighting sales remained static at £1.08bn.

Floorcoverings retail sales experienced a decline on both an annual and monthly comparison. Total sales fell by 5.2% to £138.6m from £146.3m in July last year, whilst compared to the previous month, sales dropped by 23.5% from £181.3m, ending two straight months of consecutive growth.

In overall terms, the quantity bought in the retail industry during July increased by 0.7%. The total amount spent within retail during the month represented £32.5bn, up by 0.9% compared to July 2017.

Sofa manufacturer Arlo & Jacob has announced the opening of its second UK showroom.

Officially launching ahead of its original date of 14 August 2018, the new showroom opened on 11 August and is located on Whiteladies Road in Bristol.

The 4,500sq ft, showroom becomes the second space for the upholstery business, adding to its London site, and has created six new jobs.

The new facility showcases its extensive collection of sofas, chairs and accessories made from its Long Eaton facility.

The company said that Bristol marked an ideal

location as it continues to pencil in plans for further showroom launches, with some earmarked for launch in the ‘coming year’.

Commenting on the launch, Nick Wasey, managing director, said: “We are going through a very exciting transition right now. We’ve listened to our customers and understand just how important experiencing the product first-hand is and Bristol marks a significant milestone in expanding our bricks and mortar presence.”

w www.arloandjacob.com

w www.ons.gov.uk

STONELEIGH PARK EXHIBITION CENTRE, KENILWORTH, WARWICKSHIRE

2nd & 3rd OCTOBER 2018

A spectacular two day trade event ●

● Complimentary lunch Great location ● 2 halls of exhibitors ● Free parking

Open to all furniture retailers and buyers Register online for your free entry pass www.theautumnfurnitureshow.co.uk 24th August 2018 | 15

|N E W S RETAIL

MANUFACTURE

Furniture store to close following founder’s death

F U R N I T U R E MA K E R S ’ C O M PA N Y P R E PA R E S F O R C H A R I T Y C H A LLE N G E

Independent furniture retailer Geoffrey Drayton Modern Furniture has confirmed it plans to close next month.

Situated on Epping High Road, Geoffrey Drayton Modern Furniture revealed it plans to hold a closing down sale with the store to shut its doors for the final time on 29 September 2018.

The news of the closure follows the recent death of its founder, Geoffrey Drayton, who passed away in April at the age of 85.

The late Mr Drayton established the store back in 1962 after securing the location through an auction. The business supplies modern furniture and lighting from Europe’s leading designers and manufacturers.

Guy Drayton, the son of Geoffrey, now runs the family business and decided it was the right time to close the store following his father’s death.

w www.geoffrey-drayton.co.uk

MANUFACTURE

FURNITURE GROUP GROWS SALES Upholstery manufacturer Ashley Manor has reported a return to sales growth as turnover jumped back over the £20m mark.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 December 2017, total sales rose 42.1% to £22.6m from £15.9m over the nine month period ended December 2016.

UK sales, its core market, represented £22.2m, up by 41.4% from £15.7m, whilst EU sales also increased 68.3% to £340,802 from £202,802.

Gross profit also increased by 25.4% to £6.9m from £5.5m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £556,697 compared to its profit of £1.2m the previous year.

Stated within its report, the company, which was sold to Thailand Carpet Manufacturing PLC during the period, said that the business delivered a ‘strong year’.

Moving forward, the business said it will continue to develop 16 | 24th August 2018

products that are attractive to its market as well as closely manage costs to maintain profitability.

Ashley Manor is part of the DM Midlands Limited group – sold to TCM – and also includes AMX Design and Alexander & James.

Sales at AMX Design, covering the same period, rose 32.5% to £41.1m from £31m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £2.1m, slightly down from its record profit of £2.2m the previous year.

During the same period for Alexander & James, turnover rose 56.1% to £11.4m from £7.3m, with pre-tax profit up by 23.8% to £551,911 from £445,014 in 2016.

Combined group sales totalled £75.1m, up by 38.5% from £54.2m, during the nine month trading period.

w www.ashleymanor.co.uk

Members of The Furniture Makers’ Company are planning to cycle up ‘the Giant of Provence’, Mont Ventoux, in order to raise money for the charity.

Nine people have signed up to the challenge, which is being organised by Hayden Davies, Master of The Furniture Makers’ Company, and taking place on 13 September 2018.

The relay challenge will see the team collectively cycle all three routes of the 6,273ft mountain, with each rider committing to tackle at least one of the ascents.

The cyclists signed up

so far are: Ben Burbidge, Burbidge Kitchens; Kirsty Carnell, Martek; Peter Hooper; John Irwin, Tangent Furniture; Stewart Linford, Furniture Maker; Graham Jones, Knoll; Daniel Mesecke, Martek; and Paul von der Heyde.

All of the cyclists have set themselves a target to raise a minimum of £500 each for The Furniture Makers’ Company. The bike ride has already raised £4,000 in sponsorship of the team’s cycling jersey.

w www.justgiving.com/teams FMCMontVentoux

RETAIL

Furniture retailer working to resolve ‘delivery problems’

Bedroom furniture retailer Feather & Black has apologised to customers following numerous complaints over delivery of products.

The company said it was fully aware of ‘ongoing delivery problems’ and it’s focused on getting the matter ‘resolved as swiftly as possible’.

Feather & Black added that due to its recent takeover by beds business Hilding Anders following its administration, the group has been ‘making some changes’ including the relocation to a new warehouse.

In a full statement, the company said: “We are aware of the ongoing delivery problems some customers are experiencing and would like to offer our sincere and genuine apologies to those affected. Rest assured, we take the matter very seriously and our primary focus right now is to ensure the product you ordered is delivered to you as soon as possible.

“Since being acquired by The Hilding Anders Bedding and Mattress group we have been making some changes on the back of their investment into Feather & Black – one of which involves working with our new delivery partner, Arrow XL. As we finalise the movement of product from our previous warehouse to our new warehouse, we are working closely with Arrow XL to ensure customers are contacted with accurate delivery dates.”

w www.featherandblack.com

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RETAIL

RETAIL

Steinhoff troubles mount

Independent completes flooring space

Global group Steinhoff International is facing further issues after investors filed a lawsuit against the business.

According to reports in South Africa, a consortium of lawyers submitted an application to the South Gauteng High Court, with the lawsuit from investors seeking to recoup losses totalling R185bn (£10.2bn).

The recent application was brought by Johannesburgbased LHL Attorneys, Dutch firm Bynkershoek Dispute Resolution and German firm TILP Litigation.

The lawsuit has been filed against Steinhoff International Holdings NV and Steinhoff International Holdings, three banks including Absa, Commerzbank and UK-based Standard Chartered Bank, as well as the auditors that assisted Steinhoff with its Frankfurt listing, Deloitte and Rödl & Partner.

Investors are understood to be looking to recover losses suffered when Steinhoff wiped R200bn off its value back in December.

According to several analysts, if the lawsuit is successful – and depending on the amount awarded and no Steinhoff appeal – it could have the ‘potential to result in bankruptcy for the group’, whilst others state that Steinhoff may have to dispose of further assets.

Steinhoff, which owns UK brands Bensons for Beds and Harveys, previously confirmed that its former chairman Christo Wiese launched a R59bn (£3.6bn) lawsuit against the business in respect of cash investments made by the Titan Group into the company in 2015 and 2016.

The group has already started some asset disposal practices this year, which has seen Steinhoff sell 50% of its share in German furniture chain POCO to Seifert following a separate court order, as well as selling its loss-making Austrian furniture retailer Rudolf Leiner GmbH and real estate assets to Signa Holding.

More recently, Steinhoff sold two subsidiaries, Brilonbased kitchen business Impuls Küchen and bathroom firm Puris Bad, to an investor group made up of previous managing director Georg Billert and Brimax, supported by shareholders of Schüller-Küchen.

w www.steinhoffinternational.com MANUFACTURE

HUGE FIRE DESTROYS FURNITURE MILL A huge fire has ripped through a mill housing furniture in Manchester.

Greater Manchester Fire

and Rescue Service (GMFRS) confirmed that 10 fire engines had attended the scene on 15 August and stated that part of the building collapsed.

The fire service said that the four-storey mill, which is situated on Southall Street with signage for

furniture business Moorside Furnishings, contained ‘household furnishings’.

w www.manchesterfire.gov.uk

Independent furniture retailer Glasswells has announced the completion of its new dedicated flooring studio.

As part of its ongoing £1m refurbishment project at its store in Bury St Edmunds, Glasswells has opening its new flooring studio that features a variety of products from vinyl tiles to laminate and engineered wood flooring designs.

The new displays include interactive screens and extralarge samples of the products, which are aimed to help the consumer to visualise what their new floor is going to look like.

The work coincides with the appointment of Andrew Boreham, as Glasswells’ new flooring department manager and buyer.

Paul Glasswell, managing director of Glasswells, explained: “This ambitious refurbishment, the most comprehensive in Glasswells’ history, has all been planned with the customer in mind. We have always strived to

offer our customers the latest and most stylish furnishing options and it is essential that our environment provides visitors with the very best shopping experience.”

The works so far have involved an extension and complete refit of the in-store Place to Eat restaurant and full refurbishment of the massive furniture and bedroom display areas.

The next phase of this huge project is due to start soon, with the carpet and rug departments getting a complete overhaul.

w www.glasswells.co.uk

MANUFACTURE

S ALE S & MARKE T ING D IRE C TO R LE AVE S KITCHEN GROUP Tyseley based kitchen, bathroom and bedroom manufacturer Mereway Group has confirmed the departure of its sales and marketing director.

Graham Jones has left the company after seven years in the role working alongside Bob and Richard Norris.

Richard Norris, joint MD at Mereway wished Graham well as he continues in his career and thanked him for his contribution in helping to grow the business during his time there.

The sales and marketing duties will be carried out by Bob and Richard

Norris respectively for the immediate future.

Commenting on his departure, Richard said: “As Mereway continues to develop we are anticipating some exciting opportunities, and with the help of our talented team of individuals we will continue to offer the market our own unique brand of aspirational product and design.

“As part of that initiative we will shortly be announcing new launches in both of our Cucina Colore and Town & Country collections.”

w www.mereway.co.uk 24th August 2018 | 17

MANCHESTER FURNITURE SHOW

MANCHESTER Cabinet Maker brings you the round

up of the Manchester Furniture Show that took place last month.

Last month played host to a number of events that gripped the nation. Whether it was Wimbledon, the World Cup or the warmer weather, July also offered the latest home furnishing exhibition in the form of the Manchester Furniture Show. Ahead of the show there was a renewed sense of optimism surrounding the furniture industry, especially after a turbulent year so far. The three ‘W’s’ mentioned above only had a slight impact on footfall on the opening day of the show, but business was resumed for the remainder as Cabinet Maker explored the stands to find out the latest developments and innovations making their debut appearance – and hoping to leave a lasting impression – in the furniture market.

It was refreshing to see the positivity oozing between the stands, with one in particular generating a ‘buzz’ over its new design a bed concept. Arista Living launched its new technology at the show, which allows the consumer to design their own bed in three clicks using a fun, innovative platform, with founder Darren Cohen being almost lost for words at the positive feedback from the idea.

“The Manchester Furniture Show for us was overwhelming and that’s not a word I use lightly – or I’ve ever used in business before!

I’ve done a lot of shows before on a global scale and when I’ve done a launch, products may be well received but there is always a balance of positive and negative feedback,” Darren said, continuing: “However, with this particular show and concept, there wasn’t any negative feedback. It didn’t feel right! But it was great to see. It just felt like that there was a buzz around what we were doing.”

The ‘buzz’ continued over at Gallery Direct’s stand, which featured its award-winning Milano collection. Made using European oak and rustic oak structured veneers, the Milano features a beautiful inlay chevron design. The company boasted a large stand with each product set complimenting the next and included the introduction of its new bed products following its merger with Dreamworks Beds. Gallery said that initial

ASHLEY MANOR Scott Coggan’s debut collection for Ashley Manor at Manchester Furniture Show was a sensational blend of clever shapes and lively colour, pattern and texture. Curvy sofa designs embodied a modern elegance and Italian inspired living was sleek and chic. Plenty of interest in the form of innovative cut velvets with fresh digital prints and geometric shapes.

w www.ashleymanor.co.uk

FOR FULL STORIE S AND DAILY NE W S UPDATE S: WWW.C ABINE T-MAKER .C O.UK

THE GRE AT CHAIR COMPANY Our first showing at the Manchester Furniture show was as expected from previous experience a great success! Following on from our launch in January at the NEC we looked forward to consolidating our position, broadening our customer base and introducing our latest products. The Manchester Show delivered on all objectives.

w www.thegreatchaircompany.com

feedback was ‘very positive’ as it successfully integrated the products amongst an existing style that Gallery is known for.

In keeping with beds, upholstery manufacturer La-Z-Boy also took the opportunity to unveil its first bed collection, which was ‘very well received’. Keith Wilson, managing director of La-Z-Boy UK, said: “The show was a fantastic success for us with a number of new accounts confirmed.

We introduced our concept of ‘Live Life Comfortably – Night and Day’ with the unveiling of our brand new collection of bed frames and mattresses, alongside our latest upholstery ranges. The mattresses proved particularly popular, especially our boxed product.”

From one upholstery brand to another, Ashley Manor slipped away from the main Footfall picked up after a slow start Gallery Direct stand

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hall this year and took up a large dedicated room to showcase its variety of collections including a host of visually stunning fabrics and models to cater for any consumer taste.

Included within this was Scott Coggan’s debut collection for Ashley Manor, which was a sensational blend of clever shapes and lively colour, pattern and texture. Ashley Manor were quick to say how positive the show was for the company, with all models and fabrics performing well.

Westbridge Furniture was another who were constantly busy on their stand and with good reason. “Manchester is a great opportunity to introduce some fresh new fabrics and shapes to our customers and this year was no exception. With at least three new shapes and 30 new fabrics and leathers crossing our Elements and

Westbridge ranges, our stand proved to be

BREASLEY Following on from the recent launch of the first boxed mattress under the Uno brand, Breasley showcased the latest addition to the range at MFS – the Natural Affinity Collection. Featuring wool, silk and cashmere for a natural sleep surface, the range offers a choice of spring counts: The Spirit 1000, the Tranquil 2000 and the Halcyon 3000.

The 3000 model also has a luxurious next-generation breathable memory layer for a cooler, sounder sleep.

Retailers can also take advantage of free in-store marketing material, including Affinity branded foot mats and totem style point of sale.

w www.breasley.co.uk

24th August 2018 | 19

RE TAIL|MANCHESTER FURNITURE SHOW REVIEW L A-Z-B O Y Vienna, from the newly introduced Urban Attitudes Collection, offers style and personality with a host of innovative design touches.

Urban Attitudes is designed for city living and its compact dimensions and speciallydesigned concealed recline mechanism, with sensor touch operation, make it a perfect contemporary suite. A customisable corner group and accent pieces make Vienna a versatile option to suit any room.

Also available as a static product, Vienna comes in the full La-Z-Boy fabric and leather swatch collection, as well as additional patterns and plush options.

w www.la-z-boy.co.uk a big success,” said Nichola Bell, sales and

we had a strong reaction and our account base

The Great Chair Company aimed to take momentum from its successful January Furniture Show launch into MFS, which didn’t disappoint. Mark Symes, commercial director at The Great Chair Company, said: “The exhibition enabled us to showcase our new products and capitalise on the quality attendance. Our account base grew further and existing customers grew their offer with us. We were particularly pleased with a strong turnout from Eire with major accounts signing up, however it’s fair to say that across the market

Moving onto dining furniture, Rowico returned to Manchester with its new Oxford collection, which took pride of place at its stand. The dining collection featured reclaimed tops in co-ordinating mono-chrome tones with panel detailing. The collection consisted of a 1.8m dining table, sideboard, coffee table, console unit, lamp table and bench all highlighting the architectural inspired framework. The company said: “The sideboard was the star of the show with its muted monochrome tones

marketing director.

has now grown to over 200 retail accounts since our launch just seven months ago.”

MFS saw plenty of quality buyers

and panel detail. It’s the perfect addition to any social living space.” Rowico also launched some additions to its dining chair collection with 37 different variants to extend their offer.

Back to beds, Vogue showcased its latest collection of UK-made bedsteads and mattresses by Hampton, Therapy and Helix ranges. Vogue also offered a choice of nine new bedsteads with a variety of storage options including ottomans and a choice of 18 fabrics. Manufacturer and distributor of protective bedding products Protect-aBed also displaying their latest innovations, whilst Breasley’s stand focused on its Uno mattress-in-a-box brand, which was next door to fellow boxed mattress business Simba – who probably took up the smallest space at the show.

The British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) enjoyed a positive three days, where it

launched a key showroom opportunity for

ROWICO Exuding charm and cosseting you with comfort, Rowico UK’s eclectic collection of dining and casual chairs is the very last word in style.

Form, function, alternative colours, characterful materials, and in some cases, the facility to allow consumers to create a personalised product, are all concious design considerations when producing seating with distinction.

Rowico’s contemporary modern chairs, manufactured to exacting standards, and sold in pairs, allow for a multitude of combinations across all of their unique furniture ranges to ensure an individual statement for ultra-living.

w www.rowico.co.uk

20 | 24th August 2018

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GALLERY DIRECT Gallery’s award-winning Milano collection, which was exhibited at the Manchester Furniture Show, offers high quality, commercially priced furniture that is leading by design, but also affordable.

Milano features a beautiful inlay chevron design, and is made using European oak and rustic oak structured veneers which show the natural beauty of the oak grain and knots. Finished in a specialist mat lacquer, which keeps the timber looking natural and dry, with brushed out grain, the range is tactile to touch and looks amazing.

New products were on display members at its new head office in Long Eaton. Visitors to the stand also had the chance to meet the BFM’s new marketing and administration co-ordinator, Annie Porter, who was able to provide help on key issues facing the industry. Jackie Bazeley, BFM managing director, said: “The show presented us with a great opportunity to show our member benefits and network with people from across the sector. We were also delighted with the positive response we received towards our new member showroom opportunity.”

Alongside the Manchester Furniture Show

The collection, which includes living, dining, and occasional furniture, along with headboards, has proved to be incredibly successful. Building on this, Gallery are adding two exciting new additions to the range as part of their AW18 Collection – a large 6 drawer sideboard and a supper table.

w www.gallerydirect.co.uk was the MidPoint exhibition, with organisers revealing that exhibitors reported ‘great results’ from their first MidPoint outing at MFS. In the Main Hall many exhibitors also reported their satisfaction with the event and were also impressed by the quality of the

Over 5,000 visitors attended the Manchester Furniture Show

attending buyers.

‘Quality’ is the keyword here. The show did post a decline in overall visitor numbers with the attendance figure ‘resilient in the current climate’ at over 5,000 visitors, which was marginally down on 2017.

However, the general mood of quality orders taken throughout the show made for better reading. Evidence of this relates to the number of exhibitors declaring their interest for next year’s event with several requesting more space at the 2019 show, with re-bookings already on a high at over 80%. Cleere Scamell, show director, said: “The addition of MidPoint, the enhanced visitor marketing activity and investment in our hosted VIP scheme, attracted a larger number of influential buyers. Many of the buyers taking part were impressed by the quality of the exhibitors and the products on show, and many placed large orders for that important autumn trading period.”

And onto next year, the date has already been fixed, with the show returning to Manchester Central from 14-16 July 2019.

w www.manchesterfurnitureshow.com 24th August 2018 | 21

MANUFACTURE|UPHOLSTERY

The Italian Cabinet Maker gets the latest company updates from Italian

upholster y manufacturer Rossini’s expor t manager Luigi Segreto

Living 22 | 24th August 2018

JOB

FOR FULL STORIE S AND DAILY NE W S UPDATE S: WWW.C ABINE T-MAKER .C O.UK

The Rossini team has nearly a century of combined years of experience in the Italian upholstery market behind it. The company was founded by Giuseppe Casalino, who came to the business with 30 years of experience as sales director for the Italian market with Nicoletti. Francesco Lamacchia, owner of an upholstery company with over 20 years’ experience in manufacturing and Ross Merlino from Australia, with over 40 years of experience in sales throughout the world make up the rest of the team. Their long lasting relationship led them to the decision to start this new venture in 2010 with an in depth mixture of manufacturing knowledge, upholstery markets worldwide, and sales experience.

contacts both for European markets and as well for the Far East. We are also happy to fly customers over here in Italy to see our factory and production, providing there is a real interest in doing business with us,” he explained. “Historically, Cologne and Milan have always been the shows for upholstery manufacturers, so we attend them. We also attend because these shows see retailers coming from all over the globe, in all shapes and form! The idea of going to Shanghai (China International Furniture Fair) came while looking at the results we got in the last couple of years, with business growing a lot in the Far East, and above all a huge demand of ‘Made in Italy’ sofas coming from the Chinese market.”

Luigi Segreto, export manager, said: “We have a large variety of products, ranging from standard sofas to powered recliner models

Italy has a relatively strong hold of the upholstery market with cumulated production growth of 13% putting it in the top five countries in terms forecast for the period of 2017 to 2020. So how can this team set themselves apart from the rest of the pack? “The Rossini brand reflects strong personality through a rigid culture of how to manufacture sofas. We pride ourselves on two main things: service and quality, however, at the same time we offer five years’ guarantee on frames and three on foam, plus the ability to do C.O.M,” explained Luigi. “Rossini is 100% pure Italian product and all made in our factory. We do not subcontract our production, so we have total control of all manufacturing process, quality and packaging,” he added.

and chairs to match sofas.” Of all Rossini’s products, the Living, Tivoli, Cloud, Narciso, Chic, Smart, Zeus and Club sofa ranges are the most successful, with 2017’s heroes the Living & Tivoli, which provide a mix of modern design and comfort. “Simple lines, attention to finishing, with lots of items and combinations available make these the best sellers,” elaborated Luigi. “The products provide comfort by using 35kg density and memory foam, added to the stitching details available, like thin or thick, contrast or tone on tone, with feet options like stainless steel, chrome or titanium also add to their appeal.”

The brand headed to the Milan Furniture Fair this April to show off their Italian finesse to visitors keen to see the latest available styles. “We had a good show in Milan,” said Luigi. “We gained a lot of new

The business also has no restrictions in terms of geographical sales areas, so all countries are able to order and import Rossini products.

Currently, the bulk of customers are based

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in the Far East and the USA. “But Europe is growing a lot,” Luigi added. He added that the company saw very few British customers attending the Milan show, but that didn’t necessarily reflect the brand’s relationship with the UK market. “My experience with the UK market goes back to over 20 years ago, and in my previous companies it has always been a good market. So when I joined Rossini four months ago, I immediately made contact with Simon Orr, whom I have known for over 10 years, to become our UK agent. Simon is a great person, extremely diligent and a professional agent.”

The two key pillars of the Rossini philosophy are product and customer relationship, and the company incorporates these pillars into the ‘Rossini house’ in a number of ways, including a standard lead time of eight weeks for delivery after the date of the receipt of the order. Luigi said: “We always look at different ways of how to improve our products, by looking at new innovative materials, new leathers, updated machineries, and always giving priority to customers’ needs. We are highly specialised in leathers – our collection ranges from corrected top grain leathers to full anilines with a wide selection of colours. We are also seriously considering fabric for the near future.”

A growing trend throughout furniture, it’s becoming more common for consumers to want to know that what they’re purchasing has been manufactured sustainably and Rossini is no exception to this. “All our raw materials meet the latest EU regulations relating to green issues for sustainability and care of the environment, such as using water glue, for example,” assured Luigi. “We are obliged to meet the requirements in Regulation 1907/2006/CE, article 31, 453/2010 Dura spray 349 HF, which meets all the requirements regarding health and safety issues, by using water glue. Additionally, by law, we are obliged to recycle the wastage (wood, plastic, carton, etc) and we strictly follow this procedure, otherwise you get a nice fine!”

Rossini is certainly a business willing to go down every avenue in the search for Italian upholstery supremacy. With an established market in the Far East and a growing European market, it will be a journey closely followed by the Cabinet Maker team.

Cloud

w www.rossinisofas.it 24th August 2018 | 23

MANUFACTURE|UPHOLSTERY

MILESTONE Manufacturers TC S celebrates 20th anniversar y with an exclusive c o m p e t i t i o n fo l l ow i n g a s u c c e s s f u l M a n c h e s te r Fu r n i t u re S h ow.

This July saw another landmark in the history of TCS, with the company celebrating their 20th anniversary. The company always enjoy attending the Manchester Furniture Show, labelling it the friendliest exhibition of the year, and said this year was no exception.

Specialists, with furniture stores drawn to the small footprint of the displays alongside the cut length ordering facility, which eliminates the need to stock large rolls. Said Thomas: “I was delighted with this year’s show and the positive feedback from companies existing and new.”

“The quality of visitors to the stand this year was exceptional, all coming with a vested interest to view new ideas and maximise their available spend with reliable service and quality products,” said managing director Thomas Small. As a company that only supplies independent retailers, TCS were ideally situated in meeting the demands of their stand’s visitors with a selection of their products covering leather and fabric motion sofas, their fabric Designer Collection and the range of Royal Coil and Contemporary Sleep mattress collections.

From their initial offerings of leather upholstery in 1998, to supplying quality products for the entire home including the living room and kitchen to bedroom and flooring, the gradual progression of the TCS catalogue has always been considered appropriate to the marketplace and of a quality and value to benefit retailers and help sales throughout the years.

Of particular interest was the vast range of carpets and flooring from TCS The Carpet

Throughout the past 20 years, TCS have remained loyal to their original company ethos of providing Service, Quality and Value to independent retailers throughout the UK and Ireland and by sticking to these three principles they have given a consistency of products and services to gain the confidence of their retailers.

The year certainly dawned with a promising start, as TCS was awarded “Most Visited Stand” at the industry’s prestigious January Furniture Show according to data from the show’s Poken technology. The company was overwhelmed with the busy stand and Thomas remarked how pleased he was that their latest products, including their innovative modular motion sofas, had gone down so well with many visitors committing to show orders.

As TCS reflected on the past 20 years and the achievements and innovations they have brought to the furniture sector, the services introduced into the marketplace by TCS have been replicated by many companies but it has been TCS that has lead the way in all their campaigns to bring value to customers through the many innovations introduced over the past 20 years, including: Fixed prices to the door, the options available from a single model, nationwide official stockists, pocket sprung seating as standard, custom sizing, direct home delivery and their simplified supply chain, all introduced to the benefit of their customers.

Thomas said: “I’m humbled that so many customers and my team have helped TCS to reach our 20 year anniversary. Over the last 20 years we have learnt a lot, sometimes got it right, sometimes got it wrong. Looking ahead, we will continue supporting independent retailers as we have all along.”

Paige 24 | 24th August 2018

Casting a glimpse back to the months of 1998, this was the year that search engine

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“I’M HUMBLED THAT SO MANY CUSTOMERS AND MY TEAM HAVE HELPED TCS TO REACH OUR 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY. ” Contemporary Sleep Imperial Atlantis

anniversary, all based around rewarding the company’s customers for their loyalty throughout the years.

Worcester

From August throughout Autumn, any customer who purchases £1000 or €1000 worth of product will receive an entry into a draw that will take place at the end of the year, in which TCS are offering 20 free displays to mark their 20 years. The displays that will be given away to loyal customers will include 3+2 and 3+1+1 fabric sofas, mattresses with headboards and base and dining tables with chairs. The draw will take place on 21 December 2018.

Royal Coil Google was founded and Apple unveiled the iMac, certainly making it a memorable year for innovation and technological advancement to follow. On looking to the future, TCS has pledged to continue innovating for the benefit of their customers and adhere to their ethos of Quality, Service and Value, working harder

to bring customers the quality products their consumers want and the value and service that they need.

With 20 years behind them, TCS is celebrating decades of success in the industry by running a competition to coincide with their

Looking forward, Thomas Small is especially excited about where the new opportunities the new UK upholstery manufacturing base and carpet and flooring division will lead the company. Both fully under the control and management of TCS, both divisions mean the company can react quicker and be more responsive to the needs of independent retailers. Whilst other suppliers and manufacturers increasingly target web based and larger multiples, TCS’s commitment will remain with the independent retail sector for the future.

w www.tcsfurniturerange.com 24th August 2018 | 25

AUTUMN FAIR PREVIEW

T I M E F O R Technology Cabinet Maker takes another

look at the approaching Autumn F a i r t a k i n g p l a c e i n S e p t e m b e r.

What better way to kick September off and welcome the cooler Autumnal days than with a trade show at the NEC? One of the retail industry stalwarts, the Autumn Fair takes to the NEC from 2-5 September and promises several exciting new businesses, ready to get the pre-festive season going with a bang.

add to our abundance of designer affordable products. We have our new Calm Oasis and Luxe Living trends both brimming with style and elegance. We know that you are going to love this range just as much as we do, so be sure to come and see us in Hall 2, stand C05-B04.”

Last year’s instalment boasted 1,300 exhibitors unveiling new products at the NEC to over 24,000 visitors. Almost 400 new exhibitors are heading to the NEC this year throughout 13 categories, and, as per usual, Cabinet Maker will take you through the furniture businesses on the agenda, split between Halls 2 & 3. Hall 1 will consist of Volume & Housewares and Retail Solutions.

Hall 2 comprises The Light Show and Home.

In Hall 3 visitors can also locate Home; Body, Bath & Home Fragrance; and The Summerhouse. Hall 4 will offer Contemporary Gift & Living; Greetings; and Fashion, Jewellery & Accessories. Finally, Hall 5 will be filled with Gift; Global Handicraft; and Brands of China.

Serene Furnishings are poised to make their Autumn Fair debut and managing director, Tasleem Tasab, said: “We will exclusively unveil our new and exciting collections that are well designed, contemporary and practical for every day living. From eclectic stainless steel and glass pieces to beautifully upholstered furniture, our vast ranges will be sure to leave you feeling inspired. We will also be displaying wall art and mirrors, occasional tables and chairs, accent chairs, stools and sofas – so, you will be spoilt for choice.” Find Serene in Hall 2 at stand SG09-F10.

Over 45 furniture businesses are attending this year’s show, with the new companies listed as Beifa Group, Furniture Express Ltd, MK Kids Interiors, Serene Furnishings and The Libra Company. Several notable names in the industry are also returning to the show, one of which is furniture partisan Gallery Direct. Product director Matt Penney said: “The Autumn Fair is always a great show for us as it offers the perfect platform for launching our Autumn/Winter Collection.

We are really excited about our new range and are looking forward to introducing it to the trade. The team has worked incredbily hard, developing over 430 new designs to

The Libra Company managing director Paul Mclaughlin said: “At this year’s Autumn Fair, we’ll be launching over 200 new lines across lighting, furniture, accessories and giftware.

Building on our existing Manoir theme, we’re introducing stunning new additions to the Roxborough range, as well as a selection of contemporary candles and faux flowers.

“Also previewing at the show will be an extended range of dining chairs that complement many of our existing themes.

Upholstered in velvet and quilted fabrics, the new models tap into key trends for the season ahead. This year, we’re also taking a second stand that will be dedicated to our new lighting designs. This will include a collection of 12 Art Deco inspired pendants

FOR FULL STORIE S AND DAILY NE W S UPDATE S: WWW.C ABINE T-MAKER .C O.UK among an array of other trend-led pieces.”

This year sees their first appearance as exhibitors at the Autumn Fair so don’t miss them in Hall 3 at stands 3L04-N05, 2E17.

Wooden furniture suppliers Ancient Mariner Furniture are ready to showcase at the NEC again, and managing director James Ellis said: “We’ll have all our newest ranges on display along with our old favourites.” With 20 years of experience in the wholesale industry, the company’s newest range, Brace, uses mango wood to offer a unique take on the industrial style.

A brand new concept is to be launched at this year’s show. DesignFirst, a series of showcases for pioneering brands, is reserved exclusively for exhibitors in four areas: Contemporary Gift and Living; Body, Bath and Home Fragrance; Fashion, Jewellery and Accessories; and Home. Acting as a platform for the most unique and quirky manufacturers, DesignFirst will provide up to 30 innovative brands a chance to showcase their products at a prime sector-specific location in the event space for optimum visibility and footfall.

Serene, SG09-F10

Autumn Fair is a great place to suss out new trrends

SHOW INFORMATION

aQO The Autumn Fair takes place at the NEC, Birmingham.

Saturday 1 September: 10:00-17:00 (volume only) 2-4 September: 9:00-18:00 Wednesday 5 September: 9:00-16:00 As we dive further into the field of automation and artificial intelligence, AF Product Match will launch at this year’s edition of the Autumn Fair. The recently developed smart phone app powered by AI learns users’ preferences, enabling it to offer company recommendations to buyers in attendance.

It also works in reverse – delivering advice regarding relevant visitors for exhibitors to connect with. The app, which can also enable visitors to set up appointments in advance of the show, goes one step further than last year’s Appointment Planner (which successfully set up 1,180 meetings throughout the four days, an impressive 295 per day) by producing personalised recommendations, making the show as accessible and time-efficient as possible for visitors. Louise Young, managing director of Spring and Autumn Fair at ITE Events, said: “We recognise that time spent at Autumn Fair is increasingly valuable, which is why the app is specifically designed to make the tough decisions for attendees about which products and suppliers will be of most relevance to them, ensuring that attendees’ experience is as streamlined and personalised as possible.”

While the Autumn Fair boasts a substantial number of giftware and fashion stalls, it’s a great time of year to catch a glimpse of the trends leading into the festive period, right through to Easter. New to Autumn Fair 2018

is Global Handicraft, bringing a selection of handmade products with a story to the industry, highlighting the trend tracked by global trend forecaster WGSN since Autumn/ Winter 2016/17.

For Autumn Fair visitors interested in listening to the latest in trends and marketing, several seminars will be taking place over the Fair’s four days, located at the Main Stage, Master the High Street Theatre, Master Online Retail Theatre and Fashion Talks stands, with Spring-Board’s marketing and insights director Diane Wehrle speaking about how retailers can respond to changes in customer behaviour in a way that drives results on Tuesday 4 September from 11:15-11:55.

That’s not all. On Sunday 2 September, in the Master Online Retail Theatre from 12:0012:30, eCommerce and Digital Marketing Consultant for Online Seller UK, Prabhat Shah, is on hand to guide visitors through finding the right products to sell online and maximising opportunities.

On Monday 3 September, from 14:25-14:45 in the Master the High Street Theatre, Jackie Klimes, partner manager for Pinterest and Retail Brands will take you through Pinterest 101 and how using Pinterest will help attract customers to your store.

Visitors also have the opportunity on Monday from 11:25-12:10 to learn from Stuart Alldis, founder of Creative Digital Agency, about how to avoid the pitfalls of website and mobile app development to bring in your customers.

Brand new AF Product Match app is to be launched this year

w www.autumnfair.com 24th August 2018 | 27

MANUFACTURE|BEDS & MAT TRESSES

STANDARDS The National Bed Federation (NBF) explains the

importance of its Code of Practice

and the stamp of its Approved Mark.

As far as modern milestones in the UK bed

industry go, there are arguably two particular years that stand out. 1988 and 2013.

1988 saw the introduction of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations, whilst in 2013 the NBF launched its Approved Mark, backed by a compulsory Code of Practice and independent audit for all its bed manufacturer members.

The focus of the NBF Code of Practice was on compliance to legal requirements for product safety, cleanliness of fillings and trade descriptions rather than quality. The goal was a level playing field for fair competition.

Fast forward to 2018 and the aims of the Code of Practice are still the same.

However, the changing retail landscape and the seismic shift to digital and online shopping means that consumers are often faced with a bewildering amount of choice and information – much of it over exaggerated at best – and at worst, downright dishonest. Transparency is becoming more important but the fact remains that mattresses are mostly sold on the features and benefits of what’s inside them – so how can you be sure you are getting what you are told you’re getting?

Simple. Buy products made by an Approved

Jessica Alexander, NBF executive director 28 | 24th August 2018

NBF Member. “Since its launch we’ve seen more and more retailers expect their UK suppliers to join the NBF so they can demonstrate that compliance,” explains NBF executive director, Jessica Alexander. The

robustness of the scheme has been given

further validation by its adoption as Assured Advice by the NBF’s Primary Authority Partner, West Yorkshire Trading Standards.

The NBF’s President, Tony Lisanti said: “The Code of Practice, with its comprehensive, regular audits – compulsory for all NBF manufacturer members – has resulted in massive strides in raising standards, improving awareness and tightening procedures in bed manufacturing in the UK. All this helps to level the playing field for reputable manufacturers doing the right thing. But we realised we needed to do more to further strengthen trust in the NBF Approved Mark.”

Due Diligence Programme launched So, early this year the NBF introduced its Due Diligence Random Testing Programme which has already been recognised with an ‘Innovation Award’ in the Furniture Industry.

50 products (25 from members, 25 from nonmembers) are being purchased in the open market and undergoing a series of tests which reflects the requirements of the Code. The results and learnings from this programme will be shared to ensure continuous improvement.

“Already it is clear that more needs to be done in terms of marketing product descriptions and features, including naming products, to ensure these are not misleading – or just plain wrong,” says Jessica Alexander. “Retailers as well as manufacturers need to take note and ensure they, too, are getting it right in their product descriptions, especially online.”

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“ THE CODE OF PRACTICE, WITH ITS COMPREHENSIVE, REGULAR AUDITS – COMPULSORY FOR ALL NBF MANUFACTURER MEMBERS – HAS RESULTED IN MASSIVE STRIDES IN RAISING STANDARDS, IMPROVING AWARENESS AND TIGHTENING PROCEDURES IN BED MANUFACTURING IN THE UK. ”

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NBF support pack

“This Due Diligence Testing Programme is taking our fight against rogue traders to the next level. We believe it’s a robust enhancement to our Code of Practice audit procedures,” commented Tony Lisanti.

Although there is a proportion of purely randomly selected products, some have been purchased for Due Diligence testing as a result of credible ‘tip offs’ or concerns expressed by third parties; or, in the case of NBF members, where Previous Code of Practice performance has been less than A rated.

Test results will be shared with all companies, both member and non-member. More serious findings could be reported to Trading Standards. Reports will be issued periodically but companies and products will not be specifically identified – unless the results are sufficiently serious, which may lead to informing Trading Standards; and, in the case of NBF members, to suspension or expulsion.

Promoting the NBF Approved Mark Consumer awareness of the ‘Made by an Approved NBF Member’ logo is slowly but

Due Diligence Testing surely increasing. The March 2018 issue of the NBF’s twice yearly consumer research of 500 people who have recently purchased a mattress showed that 27% had seen the logo before or during their purchase which was a 12% increase on the previous survey in September 2017.

“We have an ongoing trade and consumer social media programme to promote the benefits of buying products made by our members and are using more video content to get our message across,” said NBF marketing manager Simon Williams.

“Our two consumer videos (White Van Scam and Internet Rogue Traders) highlight the

dangers of buying from these types of sellers whilst our trade video for retailers explains what the NBF Code of Practice means for them and their customers.”

Retailers who want to show their support for the NBF’s efforts to raise industry standards - and are sourcing at least 50% of their UK stock from NBF members - can do so by becoming an NBF Retail Supporter and making use of the association’s free point of sale packs. These include window and instore stickers and labels for individual products, artwork for adverts and posters, plus videos for social media.

w www.bedfed.org.uk 24th August 2018 | 29

MANUFACTURE|INDUSTRY

Getters Five young furniture

professionals recently

completed an intensive industr y experience and laid bare all

their findings in a

presentation at the

Furniture Makers’ Hall.

As sap springs into eternal trees, so must young trainees spring into young professionals. And that’s exactly what five bright sparks did this summer through completing the Furniture Makers’ Company’s Young Professionals Industry Experience (YPIE}.

An intensive three-week programme now in its 5th year, the YPIE is designed to give a selection of the best and brightest young talent already in the furniture industry the chance to visit several companies in the sector to grow their existing knowledge.

Through access to all areas of the supply chain, the five candidates learned about raw materials and components, the complexity of manufacturing, retailing, buying criteria, pricing, marketing and merchandising, consumer law, after sales and customer service.

The informative 30 minute presentation was followed by a Q&A. 30 | 24th August 2018

During the highly reputable course, the candidates were given insight into the industry by a number of generous companies including: ACID, Purves & Purves, ercol, Hypnos, Fishpools, UBM, Blum, Howdens in Week One covering retail.

Followed by Muirhead, Panaz, Silentnight, DFS and Parker Knoll in the second week detailing manufacturing. Finally, Axminster Tools & Machinery, Halstock, Herman Miller, Cabinet Maker, The Furniture Ombudsman and FIRA rounded up the three-week experience with components.

After learning how the wheels (and castors!} turn in the furniture world, they were then asked to present their findings in front of a room full of supportive guests at the Furniture Makers’ Hall in London on 26 July. This year’s participants were Billie Watts, business trainee at Blum; Felicity Squires, business development executive at Axminster Tools & Machinery; Greg Young, manufacturing graduate at Herman Miller; Jonny Garth, junior management apprentice at Silentnight; and Josh Chadwick, graduate sales trainee at Herman Miller.

Hayden Davies, Master of the Furniture Makers’ Company, kicked off the afternoon with a few words of encouragement: “Our strategic plan has three pillars: welfare, excellence, and education. Today is a mixture of education and excellence. Our programme is for those who have dreams and whom we feel will become the future of our industry.

One of our initiatives is to ensure that today’s furniture industry is going to remain attractive and successful to our aspiring professionals into the 21st Century.”

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Josh Chadwick, graduate sales trainee, Herman Miller

Hayden continued: “Our partners have very generously given their time, people and resources to help. As so often in this role, I’m utterly amazed and incredibly grateful for the generosity that we, the Furniture Makers, receive. It really is outstanding and quite humbling when so many people give so much to our objective. This is no exception. I’d like to thank once again, those present and those behind the scenes, who have again shown just how much our industry actually has quite a human side and a very generous side.”

After a sumptuous lunch, throughout which plenty of industry discussion could be heard, it was time for the 30-minute presentation.

While they’d had a course handbook to help them navigate up and down the country’s transport and accommodation; for this part, they were on their own! Figuratively speaking.

The nerves, had there been any, didn’t show.

The presentations were each delivered with the finesse of industry experts already in their prime. To open the presentation, they chose

EACH YOUNG PROFESSIONAL ALSO ITERATED HOW MUCH THE COURSE HAD SOLIDIFIED THEIR DESIRE TO STAY IN THE INDUSTRY AND PROGRESS THEIR CAREER IN FURNITURE.

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Greg Young, manufacturing graduate, Herman Miller

to hit their audience with some rather fun statistics. Over the three weeks the young professionals caught 16 trains, visited 16 businesses, shook 225 hands, walked 60,500 steps, stayed at 17 hotels, caught 5 flights and went to 17 locations!

The presentations each summed up what the participants had experienced during their time on the course, with a particular focus on the range of challenges predicted for the future, with topics cropping up such as recruitment; tapping into the younger demographic; the digital transformation and affect of online shopping on the high street; Brexit forcing up the cost of raw materials and importing and exporting; finding new ways to increase sustainability; rising customer expectations with shorter lead times; and finally the rise in numbers of vegans and vegetarians impacting the leather industry. There was even mention of your favourite weekly furniture magazine first published in 1880 and how publishing changes over the years! The presentation 24th August 2018 | 31

MANUFACTURE|INDUSTRY Jonny Garth, junior management apprentice, Silentnight

Felicity Squires, business development executive, Axminster Tools & Machinery

modern ways - being on this course, we’ve noticed that there’s a big difference in processes throughout companies.”

Josh Chadwick, Jonny Garth, Hayden Davies FMC Master, Felicity Squires and Greg Young. closed with a talk on key concepts they’d taken away from the exceptional programme and expressing the greatest gratitude to the companies hosting them all on the course.

In the Q&A following the presentation, the recurring question regarding advice to others in their position was answered with a resounding: “If the opportunity comes

up grab it with both hands, because there isn’t a role anywhere else that could give you the opportunity we’ve had to visit this number of different companies,” from Greg.

With Felicity agreeing, adding: “Plan ahead.

32 | 24th August 2018

The journeys get intense so it helped to be organised!” On points they’d taken away from the course, Jonny said: “Being exposed to different organisational cultures, different methods, different processes, it adds a new dynamic to your way of thinking and expands that to the point where you may be able to take different things you’ve learnt from the course into your own job role. And in life in general, to be honest!” While Josh said: “We’ve had the opportunity to go to so many places and we felt we could ask the directors anything. Witnessing the way things are done, from traditional to more

Moving forward, each of the participants will be paired with one of the Company’s members to act as a mentor. They also each iterated throughout the Q&A how much the course had solidified their desire to stay in the industry and progress their career in furniture. It was music to the room’s collective ears. “That’s what we like to hear!” said Jonny Westbrooke, chief executive of the Furniture Makers’ Company.

Greg summed up: “As ambitious young people, we’ve now got a great foundation to build from, to take our experiences from the course and use them in our own roles with the hope of making an impact within our own organisations, and also the wider industry.”

We’re quite certain this group of enthusiastic young go-getters will be making a positive impact for years to come.

w www.furnituremakers.org.uk

TO ADVERTISE A JOB PLEASE CONTACT KACEM

Q 01223 846 825 m

CLASSIFIED

KACEM@CABINET-MAKER.CO.UK

lambertandfoster.co.uk

SALES AGENTS REQUIRED Areas to cover across the whole country including: NORTH WEST – MIDLANDS – SOUTH WEST SOUTH WALES – LONDON – NORTH EAST THE COMPANY Hyder Bed Ltd was born through the infusion of three small bedding companies. It manufactures and distributes its range of products direct to the trade as well as to clients such as specialist retail/internet stores nationwide using its bespoke service.

Hyder Beds specialise in manufacturing beds and mattresses with cutting edge technology. The “NEW RANGE” Hydro-Gel, Advance Foam and Natural & Organic have been created with market leading design innovation THE ROLE REQUIREMENTS • The agent will need to manage existing accounts.

• Seeking out new customers in the UK. Hyder beds will provide a show van and comprehensive marketing material to help sales.

• As members of the NBF you will participating in exhibitions where we showcase new products.

• The applicant needs to have a strong relationship with customer.

• Knowledge of products and understand the market area.

All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

To apply please email CV to info@hyderbedsltd.com or contact 01924 462 616 for further information.

Join our sales team Cleanbrands is a leading USA manufacturer in mattress protection products and we are proud to announce that after a successful UK rollout in the commercial sector we are initiating a retail rollout across the United Kingdom.

Our mission is to provide our customers with unparalleled healthy, clean sleep by manufacturing the most effective and highest-quality utility bedding and top-of-bed product with our patented and award winning MicronOne allergen barrier fabric and our Zip-N-Click bed bug blocking zipper enclosure.

We are looking to employ sales agents to service the retail environment with strong connections in bedding and mattress stores. You need to be sufficiently experienced and interested to be able to contribute significantly to drive our sales strategy.

A go-getter who is prepared to take decisions and who is motivated, above all, by success.

To apply, please forward your CV and cover letter to: Johan Bosman at jbosman@cleanbrands.com

cleanrest.com

The Sleep Hygiene Experts

24th August 2018 | 33

LAST WORD LIAM O ’ DO NNELL - D IR E C TO R - VALD IVIAN FUR NI TUR E

“WITH UPHOLSTERY STYLES CHANGING FREQUENTLY, IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN WHICH NEW FABRICS TO USE THAT WILL KEEP CLIENTS SATISFIED WHILST MAXIMISING FOOTFALL FOR HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES. ”

Hospitality furniture styles are frequently changing and the market is fast paced and unforgiving, with popular hotels and restaurants undergoing refurbishment to remain competitive. Furniture styles, materials and woods take centre stage, with these forming entirely new looks to be admired.

However, upholstery can often be overlooked whilst it is actually a key element to achieving stunning design outcomes.

means that all materials, in particular fabrics, must meet specified ignition requirements as outlined in the Furniture and Furnishings Fire Safety Regulations. Additionally, upholstery composites must be cigarette and match resistant, with clear permanent labels being added to every new item of furniture. This is particularly important when sourcing fabrics from other locations outside of the UK as they may have different sets of regulations.

Tailoring upholstery fabrics to themes With upholstery styles changing frequently, it can be difficult to ascertain which new fabrics to use that will keep clients satisfied whilst maximising footfall for hospitality businesses.

It is therefore important to think beyond the qualities of the fabric itself and extend the consideration to the look, style and texture that will compliment the overarching theme of the establishment. For example, if the theme is uber modern with an industrial look, fabrics should be muted, sophisticated and minimalistic. Conversely, culturally themed restaurants may warrant warmer tones with patterns that mimic the food and atmosphere.

The same goes for luxury establishments, with these often using more decadent materials, such as velvet and embroidered materials. It is important to be able to tailor the upholstery requirements to the rest of the space and manufacturers must have sound knowledge of industry trends and popular looks in order to provide a spectacular final product.

The importance of eco When considering upholstery fabrics, durability, resilience and aesthetics are placed as a first consideration with the use of harsh chemicals, synthetic materials and unsustainable production methods being placed as an afterthought. This can undermine efforts to use sustainably sourced woods for interiors and limit eco objectives. To ensure that furnishings are environmentally friendly, seek out manufacturers that offer sustainable upholstery options alongside certified woods - this will often be stated on a manufacturer’s website and during initial consultations. In order to remain competitive as a hospitality furniture manufacturer, environmental considerations can no longer be an afterthought.

Safety is paramount When working with clients in the hospitality or public sectors, upholstery must adhere to tight health and safety requirements in order to be safe for use and fit for purpose. This

BFM DONT MISS FURNITURE TO GO NEXT WEEK'S BED SHOW PREVIEW ISSUE

TO HAVE YOUR LAST WORD OR OPINION PLEASE CONTACT DAN@CABINET-MAKER.CO.UK

IN THE MEANTIME CHECK OUT THE DAILY NEWS ON LINE >>>

RAINBOW UPHOLSTERY SHOW VAN 2018 AGENTS REQUIRED ACROSS ALL AREAS OF ENGLAND & WALES

Our brand new 2018 show van is furnished with some of rainbow’s best selling models which include the Abigail, Davina and Indigo. We are now open to bookings in England and Wales.

ABIGAIL £570 for a 3 & 2

INDIGO £410 for a 3 & 2

Sofa Bed, Corner Group & Chaise also available in this range.

Having the show van out on the road is a fantastic opportunity for customers to view our new range of models and fabrics as and when they happen.

DAVINA £430 for a 3 & 2 Corner Group & Chaise also available in this range.

TO BOOK THE SHOW VAN, CALL: EMMA on 0121 561 5386 Rainbow Upholstery, Unit 1 - 4 Marlow Street, Rowley Regis, West Midlands, B65 0AY OR ALTERNATIVELY CONTACT YOUR AREA SALES REP: ROY KEMP – 07968 643 611 North East and North West. Yorkshire, Lancashire and North Wales. East Midlands and East Anglia JON PRINCE – 07771 907 204 South Wales, Gloucester & South West JOHN RUCK – 07774 112 084 Central England SHAUN MILLS – 07887 911 209 London & South East

WWW.RAINBOWUPHOLSTERY.CO.UK