Beds issue 07 September 2015

BEDS | DESIGN | MANUFACTURE | RETAIL

beds

September 2015 ISSUE 07

z DESIGN z MANUFACTURE z RETAIL z

ISSUE 07 SEPTEMBER 2015

z ECO-FRIENDLY ANALYSIS

z 2015 BED SHOW GUIDE

z CONSUMER RIGHTS CLOSE-UP

z ADVICE ON MARKETING

1 - Cover - Bed Issue 7 Sept 15 OPTION 2.indd 1

METHODS SEALY TERAMO 1400 WHICH? TOP SCORING MATTRESS

28/08/2015 17:45

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A plan to grow sales that’s not a fairy tale

Sell happily ever after From Therma-Phase™ to Mighty Bed™, V85™ Visco Elastic to our new Response-Gel™, Kaymed’s patented technologies have every base covered. We lead the way in the development of pressure relieving and temperature regulating materials, all created and manufactured in house. This allows Kaymed stockists to enjoy the benefits of being first to market with groundbreaking technologies, giving them the edge over their competition.

If you want to increase sales and realise the return on investment of innovation over imitation, contact us now via the ‘Become a Stockist’ link on www.kaymed.co.uk, and sell happily ever after.

Kaymed_CabinetMaker_225x297 1 Bed 07 Spet 2015.indbAW.indd 4

13/08/2015 28/08/2015 14:2812:17

beds

Feeling The Heat

z DESIGN z MANUFACTURE z RETAIL z

Chris Edward-Thorne, Editor

Editor - Chris Edward-Thorne email: chriset@cabinet-maker.co.uk

As Beds Magazine celebrates its second anniversary, I find myself wondering where the last two years have actually gone?

So much seems to have happened in the bed trade during a relatively short period of time, it seems hard to believe that there has even been sufficient time in the past 24-months to fit it all in.

Having the pleasure of being a member of the judging panel for the prestigious NBF Awards I get the opportunity to see first hand the astonishing level of work and ambition that defines all that is good about our industry. And once again, I have been left amazed by the 2015 awards contenders.

This year’s entries have once again raised the bar on previous years and have presented exceptional performances that all deserve recognition in their own right.

Of course, only one business can win any of the respective categories, but when the winners are announced at the Bed Show Gala Dinner on September 22, all entrants should feel incredibly proud of their achievements irrespective of the results.

It is after all this highly competitive nature that inspires the sector to advance at such a rapid pace. With new breakthroughs and innovations seemingly being made all the time, no business can afford to become complacent and maintaining an eye on the future is absolutely essential.

Many of the latest advancements being made in the trade are of course discussed in this very issue to whet your appetite ahead of the marquee event that is the NBF Bed Show. And the issue of temperature appears to have been the top priority for many companies developing new products in preparation for the show.

The increased awareness to the physical sleep environment and how fluctuations of as little as a degree can be the difference between a good night’s sleep and irritating restlessness has clearly galvanised the industry to address the problem of overheating.

However, while consumers are set to benefit from greater comfort through cooler sleep, the reputation of the wider trade continues to feel the heat of suspicion as a scurrilous minority continue to slip non-compliant product into the market.

Despite the very public wake up call delivered by the BBC’s Fake Britain programme back in 2014, it seems that potentially lethal products remain a thorn in the industry’s side.

Even in the last month there has been a well-publicised case of a retailer being prosecuted for supplying non-compliant mattresses and sofas. And naturally, each time a story like this breaks it impacts consumer confidence at a time when business finally appears to be returning to pre-recession conditions.

Sadly, it appears that no matter how much the trade’s great and good try to push the industry forward, a handful of opportunists appear set on holding it back.

But it seems to me that an industry so full of positive stories shouldn’t have it’s reputation jeopardised by such actions and the best way to address the issue is through total transparency of required certifications and far greater punishments for those found in violation of the laws.

I have no doubt that an industry that is capable of so much in such a short period of time - if united in a common goal of cleaning up the industry - can work together to eliminate this dangerous element once and for all.

Given how well the sector responds to a challenge, perhaps I can throw down the gauntlet and see if by Beds’ third anniversary the collective trade can make non-compliant products a distant memory. I for one can’t think of anything cooler.

Associate Editor - Jan Turner email: jan@akapr.co.uk News Editor - Robert Armstrong email: robert@cabinet-maker.co.uk Contributing Editor - Leanne Kirtley email: leanne@cabinet-maker.co.uk Graphic Design - Zoe Andrews email: zoe@cabinet-maker.co.uk Sales executive - Kacem Ellabbar 01223 846825 kacem@cabinet-maker.co.uk Publisher - Chris Manning email: chris@cabinet-maker.co.uk Issue no 0007 published by Information Publications Ltd, 1 Grain House, Mill Court, Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire CB22 5LD VAT No: GB 945225521 Managing Director: Debbie Johnson © Information Publications Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher.

We regret we cannot be liable for the safe custody or return of any solicited or unsolicited material. Contributors are advised to keep copies of all materials submitted.

The opinions and views expressed in Beds Magazine are not necessarily those of Information Publications Ltd. Being subject to the Advertising Standards Authority guidelines in place at the time of going to press, all data submitted by advertisers and contained in their advertising copy is accepted

by Information Publications Ltd in good faith.

ISSN pending Registered as a Newspaper at the Post Office.

Editorial Advisory Panel Tony Stuart Brown Airsprung

Nick Booth Silentnight

Shakeel Baig Bodyease

Peter Spinks Harrison Spinks

Terry Bridger Vispring

Terry Bridger Kaymed Chris France Leggett & Platt

Richard Naylor Steinhoff UK Beds Stuart Hibbert Breasley Consumer Products

ISSUE 07 SEPTEMBER 2015

8/2015 12:17 Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 5

Peter Ruddle Simmons

BEDS | DESIGN | MANUFACTURE | RETAIL

Justine Haywood CPS (Wales) Group

Fara Butt Shire Beds

beds

September 2015 ISSUE 07

z DESIGN z MANUFACTURE z RETAIL z

z ECO-FRIENDLY ANALYSIS

z 2015 BED SHOW GUIDE

z CONSUMER RIGHTS CLOSE-UP

z ADVICE ON MARKETING

1 - Cover - Bed Issue 7 Sept 15 OPTION 2.indd 1

METHODS TERAMO 1400 BY SEALY

Chris Edward-Thorne Editor

www.sealy.co.uk

28/08/2015 13:52

28/08/2015 14:28

Beds Magazine - Free Studio - Final.qxp_Layout 1 10/08/2015 11:29 Page 1

FREE Bedroom Studios Now Available

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The Carpet Specialists

T & C’s Apply

upholstery dining bedroom carpets

28/08/2015 14:28

CONTENTSS DESIGN Slumberland Reveals Its Secrets

A sneak preview of Slumberland’s latest design

Great British Bed Brand 22 The What makes Dunlopillo so special Getting In The Zone

Carpenter introduces its new ‘Comfort Zone’

FEATURE

BED SHOW

Be Bowled Over

38 How Shire Beds has made itself the pride of Yorkshire Classic Contemporary

TCS aims to help retailer’s improve their bottom line

Repeat Performance

78 What’s upcoming for Highgate Beds

News

The latest news from the bed industry

Enter The Dragon

110 Products

Duvalay tells of its success in the Dragon’s Den

102

Refreshing Ideas

Night Patrol

Bekaert introduces its IMAGINE app

With Jef Maes, from Maes Mattress Ticking

Innovation Not Imitation

Experiencing the workings behind Kaymed

92

MANUFACTURING My Comfort, My Style, My Myer’s The reinvention of Myer’s

Improving With Age

16

20 Finding out about Relyon’s latest collaboration 61

Breaking the Mould

Up close and personal with NBF president, Ebrahim Patel

Rise Of Revo 30 The The latest innovation from Vitafoam Prepare For AIR

110

Adjustamatic unveils its revolutionary new product

Seal Of Approval

40 Talking testimonials with Vogue Beds

RETAIL

Make Yourself Comfortable

Mechanical marvels from MPT Group

74

Sunny Outlook

What to expect for the future of the economy

Triple Treat

What visitors to the Bed Show can expect from Breasley

Time to be Enchanted

61

Leading retailers lend their views

Leap Of Faith

A visit to Highgrove Bed’s new 250,000sq ft site

80

Sleeping Giant

Learning about legislation to dispose of EOL mattresses

98

As You Like It

How Shakespeare Beds ensures a great performance

3 - Contents - Bed Issue 7 Sept 15.indd 7

What the new Act means for beds retailers

Retail view

Finding out where Sweet Dream’s finds its inspiration

88

Consumer Rights Clarity

Marketing Magic

Finding out which accreditations really pack a punch

The Search Is On

Advice on SEO and digital marketing

[7[ 28/08/2015 16:51

NEWS Bedding group swoops for Kozee Sleep Beds assets Mirfield-based bedding group John Cotton has made the move to purchase the facilities belonging to shuttered mattress manufacturer Kozee Sleep Beds.

Located in nearby Dewsbury, It was confirmed earlier this summer that Kozee Sleep Beds had ceased trading with immediate effect and been placed into administration, with 160 staff at the company made redundant when no buyers were found for the business as a going concern.

Now, John Cotton Group has expanded its property portfolio with the purchase of the former Kozee Sleep Group building and other properties previously owned by the business.

Mark Cotton, group managing director of John Cotton Group, said: “Both our Nonwoven and Home Textiles divisions have experienced substantial growth over the last few years and these new properties will help us to expand our warehousing facilities in the Mirfield area to support further growth.

“We are a business that is passionate about investing in the local area, so when these properties became available, it was the perfect opportunity for us to fulfill both our social and commercial aspirations.”

A family-owned business, John Cotton supplies many of the UK’s leading bed retailers, and currently employs 1,100 members of staff across West Yorkshire and East Lancashire. www.johncotton.co.uk

NBF MEMBERS CONTINUE REFRESHING GENEROSITY The National Bed Federation (NBF) has welcomed generous sponsorship towards refreshments for visitors and exhibitors at this year’s version of the Bed Show in Telford.

NBF members John Cotton and Bekaert Textiles have once again offered to make contributions towards the costs of food and drink at the event, which is to be held this month.

NBF executive director, Jessica Alexander, commented: “Thanks to John Cotton and Bekaert Textiles it means both exhibitors and visitors will receive a refreshment voucher to put towards drinks and something to eat.

“We have over 70 brands exhibiting – among them some of the biggest names in the bed industry – so we are looking forward to another great year for the Beds Show.”

Now in its sixth year, the Bed Show will take place at Teford’s International Centre from 22-23 September. www.bedshow.co.uk

‘POSITIVE SIGNS OF GROWTH IN THE MARKET’, SAYS GROUP’S CHIEF The managing director of Lancashirebased bed business the Silentnight Group, Steve Freeman, has declared the UK bed market is now exhibiting something of a return to form since experiencing the economic downturn of the last decade.

Speaking to Beds Magazine after Silentnight recorded a substantial 15% year-on-year uptick in turnover to £125.1m for the group’s latest full-year of trading ended 31 January 2015, Mr Freeman admitted that the sector was now on the right path following recent previous struggles.

“It is pleasing to see some very positive signs of growth coming back into the bed and mattress market, although there is still some way to go until it overtakes the highs experienced some 10 years ago,” he said.

“We need to educate the consumer on the importance of sleep to their health and well-being, with many consumers today sleeping on beds which are well past their best before date and frankly they are not getting the quality of sleep they need or deserve. That’s why we are

passionate about ensuring a great night’s sleep for all.”

Discussing the Silentnight Group’s latest annual performance, in which the firm transformed a £3.4m loss registered for the previous similar period into post-tax profit of £2.4m, Mr Freeman commented: “These three strategic pillars – market leading quality, first class customer service and continuous innovation – together have re-established our business within the industry and have helped us to not only fuel growth for the total bed and mattress market, but repositioned and strengthened our brands and our total business.

“Our aim is to continue to build upon these strategies to fuel even greater growth for our business and that of our trading partners.”

Looking to future developments, Mr Freeman added: “We plan to bring further unique product innovations to market in 2016 and plan to unveil some of these ideas at the forthcoming industry bed shows in September.” www.silentnight.co.uk

Yorkshire bedding firm agrees CVA West Yorkshire headquartered bed source Times Beds Limited has agreed a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) on debt claims amounting to £704,274.

Detailed in a report published at Companies House, the CVA was arranged following a meeting of creditors that took place in Ossett on earlier this summer.

Two industry creditors were noted as being represented at the meeting, with H M Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Eon Energy Solutions proposing various modifications to the arrangement that were duly accepted by all parties.

The agreement to a CVA means the Wakefield-based manufacturer retains its active company status following a winding-up order placed against the business by HMRC on 10 June 2015.

Times Beds Limited was warned in March 2013 against a five-figure fine and to carry out full checks on its staff in the future after a raid carried out by the UK Border Agency discovered six illegal workers at the firm’s operations site. www.timesbeds.org.uk

KAYMED REPORTS SALES RISE AHEAD OF SHOW APPEARANCE Killcullen and Dublin headquartered bed manufacturer and sleep technology specialist Kaymed has announced that independent sales have risen by an impressive 33% since its introduction of two new technologies, showcased at last year’s version of the NBF Bed Show in 2014.

Speaking exclusively to Beds magazine, the company’s UK sales manager, Terry Bridger, said: “We are delighted to see that retailers are reaping the benefits of our latest innovations.

“Therma~Phase™, with its unique patented phase change technology, leads the way in temperature regulating materials and has delivered a fantastic return on investment for our stockists.

“Similarly, our Mighty Bed® range has

sold through amazingly well and now dominates the premium market for firmer feeling products.”

Mr Bridger further confirmed to Beds magazine that the Republic of Irelandbased business is planning to launch yet more developments at this year’s NBF Bed Show, in which the company is exhibiting once again.

Kaymed will be showcasing its products for the UK market by exhibiting at stand J20 of the industry event, with the doors due to open at Telford’s International Centre from 22-23 September.

www.kaymed.co.uk

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NEWS CEO at manufacturing giant to retire David S. Haffner, the chief executive officer and board chair of international bed components manufacturer Leggett & Platt, is to stand down from his role and retire from the company at the end of this calendar year.

In a company statement, the US-based conglomerate announced Mr Haffner is to relinquish all ties with Leggett & Platt following a nine-year tenure as CEO, with the firm’s current president and chief operating officer, Karl G. Glassman, replacing the outgoing boss as of 1 January 2016.

“On behalf of Leggett & Platt’s board of directors, I would like to recognise David’s tremendous contributions and longstanding commitment to the company,” said Richard Fisher, lead director.

“David’s tenure as CEO has positioned the company to reach new heights in the future.

Today, Leggett & Platt is as strong as it has ever been, we expect a record year for earnings in 2015, and nearly all of our businesses are performing extremely well.”

Discussing the promotion of Mr Glassman as the outgoing chief’s successor, Mr Fisher added: “In keeping with Leggett’s history and tradition, we expect this to be a smooth transition.”

Leggett & Platt operates on domestic soil via its UK subsidiary headquartered in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

HIGHEST SALES FIGURES IN ALMOST A DECADE FOR BURNLEY SUPPLIER Lancashire-based bed and upholstery manufacturer Sweet Dreams produced something of a golden year for its latest 12 months of trading ended 31 March 2015, as the supply source recorded its best level of sales since 2007.

The Burnley headquartered company admitted an improved economic climate played its part as the inspiration for a 19% year-on-year rise in revenue to £18.2m for the latest full-year, a result that superseded its last several annual performances.

Despite encountering nominal increases in distribution costs and administrative expenses, the substantial rise in turnover only assisted in raising the pre-tax profit

Manchester-based business Trendsetter Home Furnishings Ltd, the international supplier of bedding products and owner of The Fine Bedding Company brand, has publically revealed annual sales growth of 48% to £22.5m for its latest full-year of trading.

With the fresh figures yet to be posted via Companies House, the latest result marks a strong return to form by the business following its year-on-year drop in sales from £16.3m to £15.3m for the previous year ended 31 January 2014, something the business was keen to attribute towards its ability to both innovate and evolve.

Discussing the latest financials, which included a 160% profits increase to £1.4m, MD Claire Watkin said: “With continued investment the factory has evolved and helped us achieve our vision as leaders in innovation.

“But we’re not stopping here. We live in a world where the only constant is change – innovating and evolving lies at the heart of what we do.”

The uptick in performance further arrives as the company celebrates the 15th anniversary of its wholly-owned manufacturing facility in Talinn, Estonia.

“We now employ more than 110 people, many from the local area, and produce around 30,000 quilts, 52,000 pillows and 1,000 mattress enhancers a week,” added Ms Watkin.

“Success has been engendered by Trendsetter’s relentless pursuit of product development and the capabilities of the Estonia facilities.

“We’re continuing to grow at a fast pace and have exciting plans for the future, we look forward to celebrating more successes in another 15 years’ time and once again looking back at how far we have come.” www.finebedding.co.uk

Stockton-on-Tees opening for bed specialist week at Stockton-on-Tees, offering customers a huge choice of products including beds, mattresses, furniture and linens.

“This store will be one of the first to feature our fresh new interior design and layout, as well as our Comfort by Colour concept, making it easy for customers to choose the right mattress for their needs – and ultimately helping them to get a better night’s sleep.”

Customers who chose to visit the new store during the first four days of its opening enjoyed not only a warm welcome, but also an extra 10% off any purchases made. www.dreams.co.uk

[ 10 [ Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 10

www.sweetdreamsuk.com

Manufacturer claims staggering margins of financial growth

www.lpeurope.com

Specialist bed retailer Dreams unveiled yet another of its latest store offerings earlier this summer, this time in Stockton-on-Tees.

Launched on Portrack Lane in July, the store is only the first of six new openings Dreams has planned for the North East, and has created six new jobs in the area.

With the opening weekend assessed by the firm as ‘memorable’, the business drafted in Coronation Street star Samia Ghadie to meet shoppers and cut the ribbons.

Commenting on the opening, Dreams’ retail operations manager, Jeremy Gerken, said: “We have been planning for some time to bring Dreams to the North East, and we’re thrilled to announce our arrival this

margin from the £130,062 registered for the previous similar period to £489,943.

A strategic report attached to the balance sheet read: “The improved economic climate has had a positive effect on consumer discretionary spend this year, creating a more optimistic trading environment.”

Established in 1988, Sweet Dreams recently acquired an additional 165,000sq ft facility to be used solely for the purpose of assisting growth within the company’s upholstery operations, entitled Comfort Zone Sofas.

LOCAL STORES UNITE TO CREATE ONE-STOP DESTINATION Two local independent furniture businesses in Scunthorpe have united as one in an effort to offer customers in the area an increased offer of product and one-stop destination for all household goods.

The Bed Shop Superstore and fellow retail outfit The Bed Shop Plus, formerly known as the Divan Centre, have teamed up under one roof after the latter opted to relocate from its Mary Street located home to The Bed Shop Superstore’s 6,000sq ft premises on the North Lincolnshire town’s Skippingdale Retail Park site.

The new-look offer opened its doors to the public earlier this summer, with former Scunthorpe United Football Club goalkeeper Sam Slocombe on hand to cut the ribbons to the ambitious venture.

Discussing the location merger, store manager Karl Laking told The Scunthorpe Telegraph: “It was one of the best decisions we have ever made and I am looking forward to combining our product ranges and experience all under one roof, giving our customers a better shopping experience.”

Alongside the pair’s extensive offer of bed products, shoppers will also be able to enjoy a vast range of upholstery and furniture designs at the www.192.com/scunthorpe revamped outlet.

28/08/2015 14:29

SUPPLY BRAND SCORES YET ANOTHER PRESTIGIOUS RECOMMENDATION Bosses and employees alike at bed business Sealy have been celebrating this summer after the firm’s Teramo 1400 mattress was awarded with an outstanding recommendation by revered consumer champion Which? – the second Sealy product to receive such an accreditation from the body in as many months.

Fresh from the recent decision by Which? to award the firm’s Napoli 1200 Pocket Spring Mattress with its Best Buy status this calendar year for the third year running, the group has now thrown its name behind the Teramo 1400, even employing the quintessential praise that the product was ‘the best mattress we’ve tested in years’.

Neil Robinson, marketing director at Sealy, commented: “To achieve one Which? award is great and a tribute to the company’s commitment to being at the cutting edge of sleep technology to bring consumers the very best solution to getting a good night’s sleep.

“However, to now be the recipient of two awards in the same year, is simply amazing and everyone at Sealy is absolutely delighted.

“A Which? accreditation is trusted by the consumer as objective, trustworthy and hugely important when it comes to making major buying decisions and is recognised everywhere by the public.”

Mr Robinson both assured and confirmed that both celebrated mattress models will be on display at Sealy’s stand at the upcoming popular industry trade event The Bed Show, which takes place in Telford on 22-23 September.

Retailer enjoys uptick in sales of beds as pre-tax profits margin rises Flooring and beds retail chain United Carpets continued its process of recovery since slipping into administration in 2012, with the company recording improving levels of sales and profits for its latest full-year of trading ended 31 March 2015.

Having undertaken a succession of changes aimed at streamlining the business since its darkest hour, chief executive Paul Eyre described the latest performance as ‘very pleasing’, as like-for-likes increased year-on-year by 2.7%.

Net revenue for the 12 months arrived short of the £21.1m recorded for the previous similar period at £19.1m, although the pre-tax profits margin exhibited a rise from £940,000 to £1.2m.

“It is very pleasing to report improving results demonstrating the success of the changes we have made and showing that we have created a new base for delivering sustainable growth and returns over the longer-term,” he said.

United Carpets, which runs a franchise model alongside its company owned store network, now operates across 63 stores, up from 59 in 2014. It was, however, noted that some underperforming outlets may be closed in the near future.

Discussing the company’s beds offer, although admitting that beds only account towards a ‘small proportion of overall sales’, it was underlined volumes had increased significantly for the latest annual period.

www.unitedcarpetsandbeds.com

www.sealy.co.uk

Overwhelming majority of creditors vote in support of group’s CVA West Yorkshire headquartered bedding business GNG Group is to continue trading after the vast majority of the company’s creditors voted to approve its proposal for a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), Beds magazine can reveal.

A meeting of creditors was staged last month in Leeds on combined debts owed by the group surpassing the seven-figure mark, spread across its four registered businesses, GNG Foam Converters Limited, GNG Group Yorkshire PLC, GNG Sport Limited and Komfi (UK) Limited.

Chaired by joint nominee, corporate recovery and insolvency firm BWC, the CVA proposing £0.43p to the £1 was accepted by 99.4% of creditors, including secured creditor HMRC, of whom accepted the proposal with modifications.

The duration of the arrangement has been set to not exceed 66 months and GNG has now been approved to continue to trade as normal.

The future of the business’ retail operations, Memory Foam Warehouse Ltd, however, remains in question with reported closures of the high street brand in the Yorkshire region.

The GNG Group posted a loss of £372,700 for its latest annual accounts ended 30 June 2014 on turnover of just over £13m.

Dorchester Already firmly established, the Sherborne Adjustable Bed range now includes upgraded mattress options including softer, quilted covers and ventilation strips.

Both the Dorchester and Hampton ranges offer Head-and-Foot and Head-only Adjustable Beds, all supplied in two parts only for easy assembly with a 25-stone weight limit and a five-year guarantee.

Sherborne Upholstery Ltd Tel: 01274 882633 Fax: 01274 815129

www.gnggroup.co.uk

E-mail: sales@sherborne-uph.co.uk Website: www.sherborneupholstery.co.uk

[ 11 [ 4 - News - Bed Issue 7 Sept 15.indd 11

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NEWS AT A GLANCE SUPPLIER’S MATTRESS RANGE MAKES ONLINE DEBUT Bed brand Sports Therapy mattresses, part of the Vogue Beds Group, has made its online debut, with the label announcing its range of products are now available at retail site www.mattressonline.co.uk.

Cementing a number of partnerships with physical stockists since the brand’s launch in 2012, Sports Therapy will now be available for consumers to purchase online after joining fellow Vogue Beds Group brands Vogue and Limelight on the online site.

A spokesperson for the group commented: “The innovative and hugely popular range of Sports Therapy mattresses is now available from www.mattressonline.co.uk.

“Retailers around the UK have already displayed and stocked this range since its launch in 2012 and now customers will be able to buy Sports Therapy mattresses online for the first time.

“Sports Therapy mattresses are specifically designed for people with an active lifestyle, providing the utmost support and ventilation for effective post-exercise recovery. This special combination promotes therapeutic sleep by alleviating pressure points and easing aches and pains.” www.mattressonline.co.uk

Sales and profits rocket once again at Highgrove Beds West Yorkshire headquartered mattress manufacturer Highgrove Beds proved its eye-catching sales performance for 2013 was no fluke by once again registering double-digit growth for its latest year ended 31 October 2014.

The Cleckheaton-based business registered a substantial 29.1% yearon-year increase in sales to £16.5m for the period, a performance that is made all the more impressive by the fact the previous similar period had exhibited such growth itself of 22.7%.

Operating profit almost doubled from £1.6m to £2.9m, with the posttax profit margin also rising from £1.3m to £2.2m.

In a strategic report attached to the balance sheet it was communicated that the directors were ‘very pleased’ with the performance, whilst it was noted that confidence is high in terms of improving sales even further moving forward. www.highgrovebeds.co.uk

DREAMS UNVEILS ITS BIGGEST CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED OUTSIDE OF CHRISTMAS Retail chain Dreams has announced the launch of its new campaign entitled ‘Replace Every 8’, in which the firm is aiming to promote to consumers the benefits of replacing a mattress every eight years.

Triggered following extensive in-house research conducted by the bed specialist, the initiative kicked off in August and is further being supported by a substantial marketing campaign primed with a media value of £4m – the largest to be launched by the business outside of the Christmas trading season.

“An initiative of this significance around the health and sleep benefits of changing your mattress has never been attempted before by a national retailer on such a large scale,” explained marketing director Lisa Bond.

“As the UK’s leading bed specialist, with 60% of our products manufactured in our own British factory, we

feel we are well placed to front such a campaign.

“A mattress goes through a great deal over the years, and its age can make all the difference between a great night’s sleep and a bad one. With this campaign, we aim to highlight these points with an educational and factual approach, providing all the advice and expertise consumers might need when making the important decision to replace their mattress.”

The ‘Replace Every 8’ campaign has been forecasted

by Dreams to reach 94% of UK adults, incorporating TV, cinema, radio, press, digital display, VOD, content marketing, PR and social media, alongside in-store marketing. www.dreams.co.uk

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Bed business celebrates Which? Best Buy award

Management and employees alike at bed brand Silentnight raised a toast to success this summer following the company’s achievement of being awarded Which? Best Buy status for its Classic 1200 Pocket Deluxe mattress.

The product, which features Silentnight’s EcoComfort Fibre® technology, was selected as one of five winners as part of the 2015 group mattress test, and was even endorsed by the consumer champion as ‘an excellent mattress at a reasonable price’.

“We are thrilled to be awarded the Best Buy status for this product,” commented Steve Freeman, managing director of The Silentnight Group.

“Which? is such a well respected endorsement and the Classic 1200 Pocket Deluxe went through a rigorous testing procedure to gain this seal of approval.

“At Silentnight, we strive to provide excellent quality, innovation through investment in product development and a flawless customer and trade service experience, which have driven our success in recent years and strengthened trust in our brand.” www.silentnight.co.uk

BED FIRM NAMED SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR BY HOTEL INDUSTRY Luxury bed business Hypnos, part of Keen and Toms Holdings, has been crowned with the title as Supplier of the Year at the Considerate Hotelier Awards 2015.

The accolade, selected by a panel of specialist experts from within the hospitality industry, was awarded to the Buckinghamshire-based company for its quality of product, dedication to ‘corporate and social responsibility’, and for its ethical development within its mattress designs.

Discussing the award, group managing director Stephen Ward said: “As a business which prides itself on creating ethical beds used from natural and sustainable sources, we are absolutely delighted to have won this award and been recognised by the industry

in this way.

“An award such as this is a great way of cementing our commitment to the environment and for also boosting team morale and showcasing all the hard work that everyone at Hypnos puts in to driving innovation and sustainability within the sector.”

The latest honour for Hypnos arrives hot-on-the-heels of the company being announced as the recipient of the respected Sustainability Award for 2015, awarded by charity and patron The Furniture Makers’ Company. www.hypnosbeds.com

Luxury bed brand crosses the Channel for new showroom UK manufacturer Savoir has once again exhibited the international appeal of its luxury bed products after announcing the launch of its first companyowned showroom in Paris.

Located within the French capital’s plush surroundings of rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, the unveiling of Savoir’s latest investment follows five months of refurbishment at the mid-19th century premises, which spreads across two floors of showroom space.

“France has been a good market for us over the last five or six years, and we felt that the time was right to open our own showroom as opposed to operating through branded dealers,” commented Savoir’s managing director, Alistair Hughes.

“So, when the opportunity arose, we had no hesitation in investing heavily in this stunning showroom.”

Despite the Parisian investment representing the brand’s first companyowned outlet, Savoir boasts 11 showrooms worldwide and further plans are afoot to open two more dealerships in Asia this autumn. www.savoirbeds.co.uk

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T

PICTURE

B

THE SCENE Beds ‘looks’ back at a selection of industry developments from the last quarter.

Trade body launches online video campaign Industry group The Sleep Council has launched a series of online videos as part of the body’s latest campaign to help best promote better sleep habits and the importance of a comfortable, supportive bed in achieving a good night’s sleep.

Employing the talents of comedian and actor Dominic Woodward, the six videos are available on popular online video platform YouTube and feature a slightly eccentric ‘Sleep Scientist’, demonstrating the key elements to consider when purchasing a new bed.

Cricket club bowled over by bed firm’s support Lancashire County Cricket Club has expressed its delight at securing a further strengthening of its partnership with local bed firm Silentnight.

The Barnoldswick-based supply business has unveiled a number of highprofile sporting tie-ups in recent months, and has now moved to announce the firm’s involvement as key corporate sponsors for Lancashire County Cricket Club’s current 2015 season – an extension from its previous support of the team.

Sweet Dreams continues impressive growth with major acquisition Riaz Ahmed, the MD of Sweet Dreams, has announced the business has shelled out £1m on the purchase of a three-storey premises in neighbouring Nelson, Lancashire, as the company continues to back its substantial growth witnessed in recent years.

Built in 1907 and originally a textile mill, the latest investment was recently owned by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and encompasses 165,000sq ft worth of space.

Esteemed award presented to bed manufacturer Dunlopillo, part of bed and furniture conglomerate Steinhoff, has become the latest supply name to receive a Which? Best Buy award from the consumer champion for its Royal Sovereign mattress.

Comprising the firm’s natural latex and microscopic air bubbles, the product specialises in promoting constant air circulation to aid in keeping a comfortable temperature for users and further contains anti-allergenic, anti-bacterial and antimicrobial properties within its design.

Foam expert takes to the road Oxon-based The Foam Company has announced it will be taking to the road for an 11-week tour of the UK. The tour gives the business an opportunity to present its new SleepShaper ranges, Classics and Gold, to many of the country’s independent bed retailers.

To complement its already extensive fleet of vehicles, The Foam Company has also invested in a brand new mobile exhibition unit for the roadtrip, which will also feature its Mammoth range.

Michael Nash, managing director of The Foam Company, commented: “We’re excited about taking our ranges to our existing customers and new prospects, and with this new vehicle, the customers get the chance to test drive the products.”

Vo Kin Ma ww

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Full P

THE VOGUE

BEDS GROUP

CELEBRATING TWENTY FIVE YEARS IN THE BUSINESS, VOGUE BEDS GROUP (VB GROUP) KNOWS WHAT IT TAKES TO CREATE THE PERFECT NIGHT’S SLEEP. VB Group manufacturer an extensive range of products in the UK including contract beds and Mattresses, orthopaedic beds, wholesale beds for hotels and student beds which combine the best in comfort, durability and quality to suit your needs and requirements. The VB Group comprise of sub-brands, Vogue, Hampton Bed Company, Repose, Swift Mattress Company and Sports Therapy Mattress which manufacture mattresses, divans, ottomans and adjustable beds.

Established in 1998, Limelight Beds part of the Vogue Beds Group has three main ranges; The Signature range, The Essentials and The Kids & Teens range. Signature is for their premium beds which look impressive dressed in room-sets and on shopfloors. The Essentials range contains their entry level beds which are great for everyday display and buying in bulk. Then there are the Kids & Teens range which showcases their single beds and bunks.

Vogue Beds Limited Kingsfield House, Arthur Street Barwell, Leicestershire, LE9 8GZ Main Line - 01455 841257 Main Fax - 01455 841259 www.voguebeds.co.uk sales@voguebeds.co.uk

Full07 Page - Beds15 Vogue.indd 1 Bed SpetAdvert 2015.indb

Limelight Beds Limited Kingsfield House, Arthur Street Barwell, Leicestershire, LE9 8GZ Main Line - 01455 850150 Main Fax - 01455 848169 www.limelightbeds.co.uk sales@limelightbeds.co.uk

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MANUFACTURING

MYER’S

MY COMFORT,

My Myer’s

contemporary and youthful.

The branding concept sounds fantastic, but what about the new beds?

Myer’s has a new family of 14 beds that have been designed to meet every comfort level. Not only do the new beds offer great levels of comfort and represent great value for money, but they are also accompanied by a new suite of marketing materials that incorporate our amazing new brand messaging. The ‘mycomfort’ branding umbrella is a family of four new bed collections that include ‘mynatural’, ‘myortho’, ‘mycomfy’ and ‘mymemory’ mattresses.

All of the new mattresses feature extra tall ‘mypro-coil’ ‘mypro-doublecoil’ and ‘mypropocket’ spring systems with ‘myedgesupport’ technology that introduces a brand new border support system that provides superior edge to edge comfort for the user. All of our mattresses feature as standard our new innovative comfort technologies ‘mycool’ and

The ‘mycomfort’ brand

offers comfort and value

Myer’s has a new

range of 14 beds

How the Myer’s brand has re-invented itself.

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

nyone operating in the modern day business environment understands the importance of brand. But while a strong brand can take years to establish, they can always benefit from the occasional update. So when Myer’s Beds – a brand established since 1876 – decided to re-invent itself, Beds Magazine was naturally keen to learn more.

Why should brands be so important to retailers?

Brands are aspirational and trustworthy and whatever the consumer’s budget, brands have a definite place on the shop floor. Our end customers want to know that their investment is well placed and brands provide that level of trust. The Myer’s brand has been in the market place for 129 years, which represents piece of mind to our consumer customers’.

What does the Myer’s brand stand for?

As we develop our product ranges further it is really important for any business to understand what their brand stands for. We have just been through this process and I think it’s fair to say that the Myers brand

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 16

had drifted away from its core values and competencies and as such we have given this area a great deal of attention to ensure the business returns to its value added roots.

‘mypro-clean’ healthy sleep solutions which have been incorporated into the surface of every mattress ensuring the user has a cool, clean and really comfortable night’s sleep.

It sounds like you have done a lot, but what treatment have you given the Myer’s brand to bring it in to the 21st century?

We are very excited about our new brand treatment as we have really focused on the

What makes Myer’s so different?

We are fortunate enough to be owned by an industrial investor, who truly believes in the brand, our people and in British manufacturing. They 100% support local management and investment in state of the art manufacturing facilities and equipment.

This enables our business to develop product in different ways without the constraints that some of our other competitors’ face.

But our main difference is our people. We have a fantastic workforce who all share a passion for quality and take enormous pride in making really comfortable beds. Whenever we develop new products we create an enormous buzz around the factory, which is often accompanied by some very useful feedback.

The mybackcare bed family element of the Myer’s brand, namely that it is one of the few bed brands with an actual family name and rightly so we have under-pinned the brand towards ‘comfort for all the family’. The Myer’s brand has always been synonymous with ‘comfortable beds’ and cleverly we have married the ‘my’ from Myer’s to ‘comfort’ to form the ‘mycomfort’ range of new beds. The ‘my’ element features heavily in our product names and messaging helping to create a real family of products that are not only great value for money and stylish, but also witty,

Where will your customers’ be able to see the new beds?

We will be exhibiting at the AIS and NBF shows in September as well as the Minerva show in October. We have also decided to show at the Northpoint show in Scotland in January 2016.

All of our beds are on display in our Huntingdon showrooms too, where we welcome any new or exisiting customers to come and try our really comfortable beds.

www.myersbeds.co.uk

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Vis st at Be

Sh

Visit us on stand C30 at the NBF Bed Show

.” new family.. r u o t e e m “Come &

NATURAL “Naturally good for your sleep”

COMFY “For a really comfy night’s sleep”

MEMORY

BACKCARE “T his is our firm favourite”

“Will make quite an impression on you”

Our all-encompassing comfort collections have been designed to offer the best looking and best value products on the market.

This new myCOMFORT inspired range offers an array of fantastic new mattresses, divans and headboards that will bring a new shade of personality to your shop floor.

Our mattresses and divans are not just comfy, they are really really comfy and we look forward to seeing you on the Myer’s family stand at the NBF Bed Show, 22-23 September 2015.

z

z

z

If you’d like to know even more about our wonderfully comfortable beds then please email: sales@myersbeds.co.uk www.myersbeds.co.uk

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DESIGN

SLUMBERLAND

Slumberland REVEALS ITS SECRET Richard Naylor, Slumberland marketing, design and development director provides a sneak preview into the most closely guarded industry secret of recent times. here is nothing Beds Magazine likes more than being the first to big industry stories, so when the opportunity arose to be the first to hear Slumberland’s latest plans, how could we resist?

You’ve obviously been very busy at Slumberland. But what exactly have you been up to?

We’re keeping the specific details under wraps until the launch at the NBF Bed Show, but I can tell you that my incredible team has been working tirelessly to reinvent the sleeping experience.

We decided to throw away the book on traditional bed and mattress

“Slumberland has redefined the

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

sleeping experience.” manufacturing, and create a groundbreaking collection using a blend of innovative materials and clever support which when combined creates the ultimate sleeping experience.

Those are some big claims.

They are! You can pick up a bed pretty

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 18

Richard Naylor expects

Slumberland to impress

at the NBF Bed show

much anywhere, and it will do the job. The mattress will either be soft or firm. It fits the bed you’ve chosen and away you go. But we wanted to make a difference to people’s health and life through the healthiest sleeping environment possible. And we’ve done it!

Every single component we’ve chosen for the range has a technical reason for being there.

Our new Affinity Comfort System™ we use in our new collection adds benefits to people’s lives. We have used innovation to create an amazing night of sleep – and bring about real changes to the health and well-being of the consumer.

How exactly does it work?

I can’t go into the science just yet. Come along to the stand and experience the new range for yourself! But the research and development undertaken means we’ve managed to create much more than a traditional bed and mattress structure.

The blend of revolutionary new materials and clever support, combine with a unique temperature control system that means this collection is quite different to anything we’ve seen before.

What’s the one thing that makes the range stand out?

This Slumberland collection is literally a breath of fresh air. We’re using new innovative technologies that work in harmony to create a unique air flow within the product - which keeps the mattress clean, fresh and provides the perfect natural sleeping

environment. That’s the beauty of our Affinity Comfort System™.

How has the new product been received by those who have seen it?

We’ve had an amazing reaction.

People who have been in the industry for years are genuinely excited about how the range looks, feels and the benefits it brings. It’s already creating a buzz. The Slumberland rebrand, along with its new technology, is going to shake up and wake up the industry.

Our retail partners will now be able to offer their customers something new and aspirational, with the heritage and trust of the Slumberland name.

Is there anything else you can tell us before we see the new range for ourselves?

Yes. Expect a lot of twitchy competitors getting their heads together quite soon! That can only be a good thing for the industry - and for consumers. Slumberland has redefined the sleeping experience, and this is just the start of things to come.

www.slumberland.co.uk

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We know the secret‌

to living longer

To discover the secret to Health & Wellbeing visit www.slumberland.co.uk

[ 19 [

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MANUFACTURING

RELYON

Improving WITH AGE

Providing style and comfort you can rely on

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

riginally named Price Brothers and Co. by its founder, the west country wool merchant business rapidly evolved into manufacturing beds, before changing its name to Relyon in 1935.

Driven by a desire to design beds that people could truly ‘rely on’ for a good night’s sleep, the company’s philosophy is the same today as it was when it was founded: ‘making customers comfort its paramount priority’.

And indeed, Relyon’s ‘best beds in the world’ strapline has arguably never been truer. It’s new Relyon Classic and Heritage collections have been given a contemporary overhaul with a stunning range of new upholstery fabrics for the divans and headboards and crisp, clean and white super soft viscose ticks for the mattresses.

As the first bed company to receive a prestigious manufacturing guild mark, Relyon is proud to continue its tradition of quality and as a testament to this remains the only

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 20

Relyon has received a

contemporary overhaul

beds in the world reputation”.

But to learn more about the new Relyon collections, Beds caught up with Relyon’s Independent Sales Director David Wescomb.

What is different for this year’s NBF show launch?

Well we’ve reacted to popular demand and re-instated into the Heritage Collection the Woolsack bed. This old favourite features 1400 hand nested centre tied pocket springs coupled with luxurious fillings, lovingly upholstered in a new elegant mattress fabric.

It is a wonderful mattress and we expect it to do very well. In addition, we have also developed a softer feeling Chatsworth bed with 1200 hand nested and centre tied pocket springs that includes natural upholstery fillings such as wool, silk and traditional hair.

What is your favourite bed?

My favourite is the best seller from the Classic collection - the Indulgence. It is a lovely sumptuous pillowtop with a dual layer of 2200 pocket springs and carefully selected luxurious upholstery fillings including lambs wool, cashmere, silk and cotton. It’s a smashing bed that delivers proper levels of comfort only achieved through the use of full height pocket springs.

“We are very excited about this exclusive collaboration, which marries beautifully with our best beds in the world reputation.” bed manufacturer in the UK to retain classic upholstery skills such as hand-lashing divan springs, side-stitching divans and even tufting divans!

The products in its new ranges are classic examples of this traditional hand made upholstery skill set, which again have been recognised with ‘Which? Best Buy’ awards four years in succession.

Relyon will be showcasing six of its best beds from the new classic and heritage collections at the NBF Bed Show this September (stand B25) incorporating a very special new Price Brother’s wool bed that features a collaboration with Fox Brother’s and Co., the world famous 100% wool flannel cloth makers.

Fox Brothers also design and produce their world famous cloths in Wellington, Somerset and are within walking distance of the Relyon factory. Now owned by the West Country ‘dragon’, Deborah Meaden, Fox Brother’s has dressed the rich and famous since 1772.

Richard Naylor, the Relyon Design and Development director stated: “We are very excited about this exclusive collaboration. Fox Brothers produce simply the best cloth in the world, which marries beautifully with our best

What models won the Which?

Best Buy award?

I am pleased to say that for the fourth year running the Pocket Memory Classic and the Memory Ortho Pocket have again won the award. To celebrate this achievement we are offering the 150cm mattresses at the 135cm mattress price in the winter sale. This type of promotion really helps to boost sales because consumers really trusts the ‘Which?’ independent best buy awards.

Do you have any more surprises up your sleeve?

Well I don’t want to give away too much, but I can say that we will be launching a new DHD delivery service as an added value retail customer option, making the purchase even easier for both the retailer and consumer alike. We are also launching some brand new headboard designs as well as a new low height pocketed divan option, boosting the comprehensive list of divan options already available in the Heritage Range.

www.relyon.co.uk

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Relyon not only make the most comfortable beds in the world they create years of wonderful, restful nights’ sleep for every customer.

At the 2015 NBF Show, David Wescomb and the Relyon team are delighted to present the new Heritage and Classic Collections.

Inside every Relyon mattress are sumptuous layers of specially chosen and expertly blended fillings, which are combined with hand tied pocket springs to create a suite of beds offering a wide variety of comfort options suitable for all shapes and sizes and all aimed at providing your customers with the perfect sleeping experience.

Please visit us on Stand B35, or for further details please contact David Wescomb, Sales Director for Independents Email: sales@relyon.co.uk Telephone: 01823 667501

Made in the UK

www.relyon.co.uk

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DESIGN

DUNLOPILLO

Dunlopillo THE GREAT BRITISH BED BRAND Extremely comfortable, stylish and by the way it’s natural.

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

he Dunlopillo brand is riding high on a crest of success following on from the launch of the Dunlopillo Signature Collection at the 2014 NBF Bed Show. Support for the new collection has been phenomenal and continues to go from strength to strength proving that the consumer desires a breathable alternative to the plethora of memory foam products in the market place.

Dunlopillo’s unique open cell structure is the key as it not only creates unrivalled levels of comfort and support, but it also delivers much needed airflow which is not present in the premium memory foam brands. Memory foam is an excellent insulator and holds body heat very efficiently, which in turn leads to ‘my bed is too hot’ complaints.

The unique open cell structure of Dunlopillo latex enables all of its mattresses to be self-ventilating for the whole of their lives. The microscopic air bubbles promote constant air circulation and natural movement during the night helps ventilate the mattress, keeping the bed at a constant and comfortable temperature.

Dunlopillo’s durability is unsurpassed and in fact no other mattress filling material performs as well as Dunlopillo latex under the same scientific test conditions. But it is not just the genuine open cell airflow and durability of Dunlopillo latex that makes it such a wonderful mattress material; it is also the naturally occurring anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties that are valued by the modern day consumer.

Paul Little, Anthony Joyce, and David Wescomb

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 22

Dunlopillo’s latex

is unsurpassed in

pressure map tests All Dunlopillo mattresses are made using pure natural latex, a wonderful material derived from the sap of rubber trees that are grown in managed sustainable plantations.

The formula for genuine Dunlopillo latex is a closely guarded secret which separates Dunlopillo latex from other latex products, especially when coupled with the fact that Dunlopillo is the only 100% latex mattress in the marketplace.

Anthony Joyce, the CEO of Steinhoff UK manufacturing, knows a thing or two about bed constructions having developed countless comfort solutions for the world bed industry over the last 20 years and is sincere when he says: “Our Dunlopillo latex is incredible; it out performs every other material, including springs of all sizes, when pressure map tested in our laboratories.” He goes on to say: “Of course it is easy for me to say that, but our sales analysis proves that we have gained a new generation of Dunlopillo sleepers.”

Anthony Joyce goes on to state: “Our vision is to position Dunlopillo as the number one premium lifestyle comfort brand.”

With nationwide distribution through independent retailers and national chains, the Great British Dunlopillo brand has a firm hold on the premium comfort end of the market.

The range of six mattresses is complemented with a host of base options ranging from bed frames, pocket sprung divans and sophisticated electrically adjustable bases.

With over thirty premium fabrics, five leg designs and seven headboard styles to select from, the Signature Collection offers seemingly endless options to create a perfect

haven of comfort away from the stresses of our daily lives.

“Time costs nothing, but spending time choosing the right mattress is a real investment for our customer’s health, happiness and wellbeing. Selecting the right mattress is the foundation to a restful and relaxing sleep,” states Helen Weaver, Dunlopillo’s marketing manager. She adds: “And providing the right store environment helps make this process credible and convenient for our brand loving customers.”

Dunlopillo know that online information plays a significant role in any important purchase decision process and as such they advise and encourage their customers to visit their local stockist to ensure they receive the correct advice when buying their Dunlopillo mattress. It is for this reason that they have invested significantly in a Dunlopillo training academy, where they hold regular training events to impart the Dunlopillo comfort message to brand ambassadors in every retailer.

The Dunlopillo brand journey also extends beyond the on-line and in-store purchasing environment as they now also offer a new DHD delivery service as an added value retail customer option. This service is intended to support the retailer and customer alike by providing a simple, hassle free delivery solution that leaves the consumer with a warm, feel good experience of the brand and retailer.

www.dunlopillo.co.uk

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A Dunlopillo bed is a perfect sanctuary, a place to relax rest and unwind and a welcome destination in the complex journey that is our daily lives.

Visit our stand B35 to experience this revolutionary comfort and become an exclusive stockist of this six bed range.

For further details please contact David Wescomb, Sales Director for Independents Email: sales@dunlopillo.co.uk Telephone: 01823 667 501

www.dunl opi l l o.c o.uk

[23 [

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DESIGN

CARPENTER

GETTING IN

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

the zone

Carpenter introduces its newly created ‘Comfort Zone’ as it prepares to launch its new climate collection.

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 24

[ 24 [

s the world’s largest maker of polyurethane foam, as you’d expect Carpenter’s own label ‘sleep better‘ range of consumer comfort products are considered among the best on the market – and its two new products, being launched at this year’s NBF Bed Show, are tipped to take the industry and consumer market by storm, once again leading the way in bedding innovation.

Carpenter’s new Climate Collection within its ‘sleep better ’ range is the next generation of temperature regulating products, unlike anything currently available to the UK market.

28/08/2015 14:29

DESIGN

CARPENTER

N

For a healthy, undisturbed night’s sleep,you need to be in your ‘comfort zone’.”

e

Using patented technology, the ‘Thermic’ layer responds to changes in body temperature by absorbing, storing and releasing heat to keep a person’s body temperature within a ‘comfort zone’ of 2830o celcius.

Different to other cooling products currently on sale, the Climate Collection regulates temperature at the closest point to the skin thanks to a special layer on top of Carpenter’s luxurious memory foam mattress, pillow and topper products.

Gillian Finch, national sales manager for Carpenter consumer products, explains:

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 25

“For a healthy, undisturbed night’s sleep you need to be in your ‘comfort zone’. This zone is where body temperature is somewhere between 28oC and 30oC when you sleep, so you’re neither too hot or too cold.

“Because our new Climate Collection uses patented thermo-regulation technology, with phase changing microcapsules that respond to body temperature at the point closest to the skin, the new range is much more effective in keeping body temperature within this comfort zone. It’s not just about being cool to the touch and preventing people from overheating and sweating, it’s also about

maintaining warmth for comfort and an undisturbed night’s sleep.”

Carpenter is welcoming visitors to experience its ‘comfort zone’ on stand K30 at the NBF Bed Show and to be among the first in the UK to try its new Climate Collection for themselves. Plus there will be the chance to win a ‘hot’ (and cold) prize, exclusively for show visitors during the two day event.

But Carpenter’s innovation doesn’t stop there. The stand will also feature another new development in foam and bedding fabrics, a new Check Point pillow with a hygiene sensor that visibly indicates when the pillow’s removable outer layer needs washing.

This gives consumers confidence that their bedding not only looks clean but is hygienically clean.

Gillian adds: “Indicator particles integrated in the textile react to different contaminants, all common fluids that bedding absorbs every day. When the colour of the indicator on the cover of the pillow is blue it means it’s ‘clean’, green show’s it’s in the middle and then when the indicator is yellow, consumers know it’s time to be washed.

“This takes the guess work out of when to wash and will help consumers understand more about how frequently to wash products.”

To find out more about Carpenter’s cutting edge foam products, fibre sleep accessories and profile designs visit them at The Bed Show on stand K30 or go to the company’s website.

www.sleepbetter.uk.com

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MANUFACTURING

BREAKING THE MOULD

Ebrahim Patel, owner of Vogue and Limelight Beds, took over as president of the NBF at the AGM in May. The first Asian to hold the post, his groundbreaking appointment is a far cry from the day, 25 years ago, when – as he tells Jan Turner - he started up in business at the age of 21 making beds with borrowed machinery in a small workshop in Leicester.

brahim Patel grew up in Batley, West Yorkshire, the youngest of five children and son of Indian parents. His father came over to England in 1955 to work in the textile mills in Yorkshire and was joined by his wife in 1959. Ebs arrived 10 years later.

It was, he says, a great childhood.

“We didn’t have a lot and clothes were mainly hand-me-downs - but those were the days when children still played out together. There wasn’t a lot of money to go round as my Dad was the main breadwinner, although Mum did some part time machine work.

“In 1986 I was just in the first year of a building studies course in Huddersfield with ambitions of becoming an architect when

THE MOU Dad decided to move the family to Leicester. It meant I either had to stay on in Huddersfield by myself to finish the course or move with the family to Leicester and I chose the latter.

“Moving there was a real eye opener. In Batley, which I loved and missed for quite a long time, the only Asian people I had seen in business either had a corner shop or a taxi business. But in Leicester a lot of Asian people were running big, successful businesses, doing very well for themselves and driving around in nice cars. There was a particularly big hub of Ugandan Asians who had arrived over here with nothing and had done well for themselves. It really hit me and told me that anything was possible - I hadn’t been exposed to that kind of role model in Batley.

“Having left college in Huddersfield and moved to Leicester at the wrong time to join a course there I decided to start work and earn some money. My first job was in the office of a warehousing company where I learned to drive.

“At 19 I left home and got a place of my own in Leicester and shortly after I got married to my first wife. We were both very young and sadly it didn’t last but I do have two wonderful children from that time and my oldest daughter Bilkis, who is 23, now works with me in the business I set up at the age of 21.

“What happened was that my best friend from Batley suggested that my brother Ilyas and I did what he did and set up on our own making beds. He had a factory near Dewsbury and said we would do well to start one in Leicester.

“It was something that would never have occurred to me but during the summer of 1990 Ilyas and I travelled up to his factory every weekend and worked in his factory learning how to make beds. By October 1990 we felt confident enough to go away and do it ourselves and my friend

loaned us a couple of spare machines to get started.

“My brother and I managed to pool enough cash together to rent some space in a multi-storey in Leicester. With nothing more than a rough plan to see us through the first couple of months and an agreement to take just £55 a week each in wages for the first year, we started making beds.

“By the end of the first month we nearly went down. We’d bought enough timber to make single and double beds but sold more single beds than we expected - which, of course, didn’t bring in as much money. So that weekend, we loaded some double beds on to the back of our van and went round doing house-to-house selling. Ilyas did the driving and I knocked on the doors.

“We only sold one double bed but the following week we managed to sell the rest to a shop in Leicester and just scraped through. After that we were very careful about what we bought and used our heads a bit more. Instead of buying in bulk we went out and bought just what we needed when we needed it. That first year was a massive learning curve but by the end of it we had turned over £105,000 and taken on two people to help us. We also took more space in the multi-storey building, doubling our workspace.

“For the first couple of years we were working six and seven days a week. I made and upholstered the bases, was the delivery man, salesman, book keeper and buyer! Ilyas made all the mattresses.

“At that time I had all the confidence of youth and went driving all round Nottingham and Coventry selling to shops off the back of the van. I always carried a tie with me so that if I saw a potential new shop to sell in to I could go in looking business-like.

“By year two we had more than doubled our turnover to £250,000 and by 1993 had again outgrown our workspace. This time we looked further afield and found premises at

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MANUFACTURING

BREAKING THE MOULD

OULD Barwell near Hinckley in Leicestershire which gave us twice the space we needed for half the price we had been paying.

“It was a good move for us and we are still based there today. We felt we had ‘arrived’.

It was a real turning point for us as we had started up in business during the height of a recession and things had been very hand to mouth for a time.

“In 1996 we reached another milestone when we hit our first £1m turnover year. We’d achieved that after just six years in business and that changed everything. Now we were seriously in business. Sheer hard work and tenacity had got us there and at that point we were still largely Midlands based.

“This year marks 25 years in business and while Ilyas decided to go his own way in 2005, the combined company - now Vogue and Limelight Beds - has an annual turnover of more than £7m and employs around 100 people. We supply a number of multiples as well as having a large independent retail base.

“The past six years have been challenging - as they have for everyone - but we have evolved and adapted and over the years have gradually bought or rented more and more of the buildings around us as the business has grown.

“The hard work and long hours took a toll on my personal life but in 2005 I remarried and with my wife Zareen have been lucky enough to have had a second chance at family life. I am able to spend more time with my two young children, having missed out on more than I should have with my first two.

“As a company we first joined the NBF in 1999 but at that time it was very much something that Ilyas rather than myself got involved with. Up until that point it had been quite an old school, traditional organisation and it was only after Ilyas left the company that I got more involved. At that time, I have to be honest and say that it was not the dynamic organisation it has become in more

Because the NBF has grown and evolved so much there’s quite a responsibility to keep taking things forward.”

[ 27 [ Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 27

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MANUFACTURING

BREAKING THE MOULD recent years and I found myself firing off a lot of emails with ideas and suggestions.

“As a result of doing that I was approached to join the board in 2007. At that point things were starting to happen in the NBF - Peter Keen had taken over as president and things were changing. We knew we needed more members but we also knew we needed to give people good reasons to join and about that time the idea of holding our own bed show was muted.

“The first one was held six years ago and has been instrumental in attracting new members - among them a lot of businesses run by Asian people. I’m personally very keen to attract Asian members: they account for a significant part of the industry and they should have a voice and be encouraged to become more involved.

“To that end, one of the things I’d like to do during my two year term of office is to hold an annual conference in the LeedsBradford area. Being voted in as president has been a huge, huge honour for me and represents the recognition and trust of my peers in the industry. Looking at the NBF president’s board that lists all the English names that have held the role for more than 100 years it’s hard to think that my name will go up there too.

“Although I’m well aware that my appointment breaks the mould, I’m approaching this as I would anything else it’s just me getting on with things. I’m not into accolades - this is about getting on with the job and being there for the members and taking things forward.

“Because the NBF has grown and evolved so much there’s quite a responsibility to keep taking things forward - you are in the spotlight all the time.

“This is an active role and one that needs leading from the front. A few years ago it may be that the role of president was a more ceremonial one but today it’s about strong leadership and direction. Presidents now like to put their mark on the industry.

Vogue has become one of

the trade’s leading suppliers “Having said that, there’s going to be nothing ‘sexy’ about my presidency. So much has been done and achieved in the last few years that it’s about consolidating what has gone before and taking it to the next level.

“The Code of Practice is now a fundamental element of what we do and means that we need to keep our own house in order. The audits are getting more and more stringent but it would only take one member company to do something silly and it could undo everything we have achieved. The media would tear us apart.

“Unfortunately there are ‘problem’ companies within our industry and the danger is that they can ‘tar’ the rest of us with the same brush so we have to be tough on anyone who doesn’t maintain high standards and we’ve got to keep driving those standards higher and higher. It’s why we have just announced spot checks on member

Vogue leads by example when it comes to quality standards

companies and broadened the scope of the audits to ensure compliance with all required and appropriate regulations. It is what differentiates NBF members from others.

“People in this industry have a passion for what they do. They really care and that’s why it’s so important that we don’t allow the actions of the few to affect the reputation of the many.

“I’d like to think that my term in office will reflect this determination to drive standards up. From my own point of view, when I set out in business 25 years ago I could never have expected to be where I am today. I’d never even heard of the NBF back then.

“As a businessman, all I’ve ever done is seen something and taken it on. I’ve made mistakes but had some good luck too – and if you work hard you can achieve anything.

When I look back I can see that it has been quite a journey but at 46 I’d like to think there is still a long way to go!”

Vogue has grown to

employ around 100 people

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 28

[ 28 [

www.voguebeds.co.uk

S

Pa

28/08/2015 14:29

Comfort • Quality • Reliability

Inspired by Innovation Perfected by Bodyease A new range

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Launching at the NBF show, Telford Stand B40

Specialists in Adjustable Electric Beds

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... with British innovation

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 29

T: 0800 0469901 E: sales@bodyease.co.uk www.bodyease.co.uk

28/08/2015 14:29

MANUFACTURING

VITAFOAM

THE RISE for air

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Beds meets up with Vitafoam’s sales director, Graham Wilson, to discover the latest innovation from the founding fathers of foam. hen it comes to innovation, every sector has its leader: a guiding light to which all others seem to follow. In the world of high tech phones it’s Apple that reigns supreme, but in the world of high tech foams, that accolade belongs to Vitafoam.

Pioneers of groundbreaking science since its establishment in 1949, Vitafoam has trail-blazed some of the industry’s must important advancements. To put this into perspective, it was Vitafoam that developed the first combustion modified foam, an achievement that enabled product safety across the entire furnishing industry to improve beyond measure.

Equally, with it’s long established rebonded foam operation, its fair to say that the business was considering sustainability long before the rest of the industry even knew what sustainability meant.

So when Beds received an invitation to visit Vitafoam’s Middleton-based production facility to learn more about its latest breakthrough – Revo – how could we possibly refuse?

Upon arrival at Vitafoam’s headquarters, the first thing that strikes you is the

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 30

OF REVO

attention to safety employed at the premises.

We’re no strangers to factory tours, but never before has our well being been so thoughtfully considered.

But this extensive awareness to safety perfectly illustrates the level of care and attention that underpins everything the company does. From the advanced chemistry to the stringent FR testing that is all carried out on site, Vitafoam is a business that leaves nothing to chance. And the same is true of its latest innovation, Revo.

“I’ve worked for Vitafoam for 43-years and seen so many changes during some really dynamic times,” says sales director, Graham Wilson as we embark on a tour of the complex. “I’ve seen the milestones of the advent of combustion modified foam in the late 1980’s. We then launched our Reflex range of foam in the 1990’s, which really represented another major advancement.

“Due to the reliance upon complex chemistry things do tend to remain rather static in the foam industry for a number of years, but then all of a sudden something different comes along and changes things.

For example, the last big breakthrough in foams was probably Vasco in the early mid 2000’s. But we’re now introducing the next

generation of foam in the form of our Revo range and we’re hopeful that it represents a similar landmark moment.”

But before we learn more about the science behind the company’s latest advancement, Beds is treated to a close up look of Vitafoam’s production operation.

Foam is of course something of an unsung hero that is frequently taken for granted.

However, when you stop to consider how much of it is present in all manner of contemporary furnishings, you really start to appreciate the scale with which it needs to be

Vitafoam’s quality

testing is exceptional

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r

MANUFACTURING

VITAFOAM produced. And when you do stop to do so, the simplistic notion of a three-step supply chain suddenly becomes decidedly more complex.

“The typical supply chain is; chemical supplier, chemical convertor or foam manufacturer, foam converter, furniture/ bed manufacturer, retailer, and then the end consumer,” explains Graham, continuing: “In essence we are chemical convertors and our immediate customers tend to be foam convertors. So we take the raw science and use it to develop the materials to supply convertors, who in turn supply manufacturers.”

To put this process into perspective, Graham guides us through a tour of the foam line in production. And seeing the process in action, much like the chemistry behind it, generates a big reaction. As previously mentioned few of us ever consider the origin of foam, but to witness the transformation it

lengths so that they can be stored in our curing hold because the temperature of the core is around 130 degrees when they first come off the line. We can store up to about 800 of these blocks at a time and will turn that number around within 24 to 36 hours.

So, for example, if a client calls us up to about 2.30pm and the product they want is in stock, we’ll usually have it to them within 24 hours.”

To those with no experience of the foaming process it is quite astonishing to see. However, as Graham points out, what we have witnessed is merely a small part of a much bigger picture.

“What you’ve just seen is actually a much simpler part of the process. What you have to remember of course is that the ‘heavy engineering’ of the science is all done before this stage of production.”

And of course, it is the new science that

O Foam blocks reach

www.vitafoam.co.uk

‘full rise’ in minutes undergoes is a fascinating experience.

“The chemical formulation is mixed and then poured via this pipe onto the conveyor,” explains Graham as he gestures towards, what is best described as a blue puddle.

“This starts off little more than a few millimetres thick, expanding to a block of around 1.2 metres high within minutes. It’s a dynamic reaction.”

Walking alongside the line the chemical process taking place before our eyes actually distorts our perception, as while we descend some steps alongside the conveyor the foam looks to be on an upward trajectory.

“What you can see here is the rise profile of the foam as it makes its way along the line towards the knife where it is cut into blocks of the required size. Dependent on the density of the foam being produced the formulation can achieve ‘full rise’ within six to ten meters.”

By the time we reach the end of the line, which is only a matter of minutes, the foam is being stripped from the special paper which encases it on the conveyor for protection and is being cut into enormous blocks.

“We cut the blocks down to specific

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 31

the company has perfected for Revo that is one of the main focuses of our visit. So what exactly is Vitafoam’s next generation foam and how has it come into being?

“One of the greatest challenges for the foam industry for a number of years has been how to provide a cooler sleep for the bedding and mattress sector. But, given that foam is a natural thermal conductor that lends itself to keeping people warm, this has obviously not been easy.

“But of course, people don’t want to be cool all the time either, they still want warmth too when it’s cold, so the key has been to find a solution that achieves that fine balance.

“The key to this is improvement of airflow through the mattress. So what we have done with Revo is create a foam that enhances airflow immeasurably making it significantly more breathable for outstanding heat dissipation. It is also highly resilient to provide outstanding longterm comfort,” reveals Graham, before concluding: “It’s been quite a journey to get here and we’re very excited to launch Revo into the market; especially into the bed trade in Telford.”

Vitafoam’s incredible history for innovation and advancement is a testament to its ongoing drive to push the industry forward. And Beds has no doubt that Revo will be another milestone for the business, but equally, we know it will likely already be working just as hard on the science to create the next big breakthrough in its field for the future.

Or, to put it another way, Revo is a must see at the Bed Show, but no matter how impressed you are by its performance, don’t think for a minute that it will be this foamer’s last words.

Winning formula: foam

making is an exact science

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MANUFACTURING

ADJUSTAMATIC

Prepare

for AIR

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Experiencing Adjustamatic’s latest innovation ahead of its launch at the NBF Bed Show. eds Magazine was helpfully informed recently that most people will spend approximately six years dreaming over the course of their lifetimes. More than anything, we wished it were possible to choose which dreams we get to experience. After all, six years is a fairly substantial amount of time, so it would be good to think we were enjoying ourselves rather than, say, visiting a dream dentist One thing we absolutely have control over, however, is the how comfortable our bodies get to be while we indulge

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 32

in all those years of dreaming. And while its unfortunate that a good bed won’t necessarily equal good dreams, there can’t be any harm in trying.

On the subject of a good night’s sleep, it seems only appropriate that we pay a visit once again to Denbigh-based manufacturer, Adjustamatic. As a company that is brimming over with innovative ideas to constantly improve its mattress ranges, as well as boasting its own resident sleep practitioner, James Wilson, Beds is particularly looking forward to finding out what Adjustamatic has in store for its appearance at the NBF Bed Show, where it will be exhibiting on stand C10.

Having dedicated time recently to developing its retailer network, Adjustamatic has been pleased with the response to its heritage within the healthcare industry.

However, last time we spoke to James, he happily informed he was looking forward to unveiling the company’s ‘revolutionary’ new product in time for the trip to Telford, and we can’t wait to find out more.

Of course, what makes Adjustamatic most unique is its proposition as not only

[ 32 [

a consumer business, but also a company that has developed product specifically for the healthcare industry, supplying to nursing specialists in skin care that also specify mattresses and support surfaces.

The company not only meets the regulatory requirements to develop and produce beds and mattresses to European medical device standards to benefit the healthcare industry, it also works with a physiotherapist specialising in sleep.

James himself is a sleep practitioner, and ensures he maintains close working relationships with all Adjustamatic’s suppliers, allowing him to gain inspiration and innovation for products with sleep, healthcare and the consumer clearly in mind.

As you can imagine, when it comes to designing new products to complement the company’s current ranges, the team at Adjustamatic have no shortage of inspiration. With each product taking an average of 12 months to develop, designers implement a ‘rolling programme’, which allows them to constantly be on the lookout for issues that require solving, allowing them to work with supplier partners to develop products that solve these issues.

28/08/2015 14:29

It’s time to think inside the box.

Come and see why!

The Bed Show

Stand H60

The UK’s No.1 vacuum packed mattress producer

T: 01629 821510 | E: customerservices@breasley.co.uk | www.breasleyconsumer.co.uk CE

YEARS

ANNIVERSARY

NSUME

R

O

C

YEARS

ANNIVERSARY

MADE IN THE UK

ASLE

10

Y

RE

G

BRATIN

10 LE

B

BREASLEY CONSUMER

BREASLEY CONSUMER

CE

LE

G

BRATIN

10

YEARS

ANNIVERSARY

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 33

28/08/2015 14:29

MANUFACTURING

ADJUSTAMATIC The product will be

on display on stand

C10 of the NBF Bed Show

We are raising the bar when it comes to developing a mattress that deals with temperature regulation.”

As James explains to us: “In my work as a Sleep Practitioner and sleep environment expert the most common problem, outside of insomnia, that I come across is temperature regulation at night. Those who suffer from a lack of sleep were telling me that they loved the pressure relieving qualities of products like memory foam and latex but they were waking up during the night from being too hot.

“It only takes a change in temperature of 0.5 degrees Celsius to start waking you up and we wanted to developed a mattress that would offer the pressure relieving qualities of products like memory foam and latex but without the temperature issues these products usually have.”

Starting with pocket springs, because of their reputation for producing a cooler sleep than memory foam, Adjustamatic then added the proprietary technology of its air foam, which benefits from hundreds of channels running through it from top to bottom. Finally, the product was given an encapsulated edge to complete

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 34

The AIR mattress features an

encapsulated edge

its unique construction that would create airflow throughout the mattress. As James explains, the AIR mattress actually breathes as a users body weight and movement create an airflow. This means that moisture will be able to dissipate from the sleep environment extremely quickly, “The new AIR Mattress range is unique in that it offers excellent support and a way of keeping cool that doesn’t exist in the marketplace,” James assures us, continuing: “Our feeling is we are raising the bar when it comes to developing a mattress that deals with temperature regulation without losing the ability to support the person’s body in the right way.”

The good thing about a company like

[ 34 [

Adjustamatic, which seems constantly in the midst of a new product launch thanks to its rolling design programme, is that it is equally committed to its show appearances.

So it will be of no surprise that James and the team are currently preparing for a trip to Telford for the NBF Bed Show where, as well as the exciting launch of the new mattress range, the business will also be exhibiting its range of adjustable beds, as well as its existing healthcare mattress collection, which applies the latest medical specification materials and designs.

www.adjustamatic -healthcare.co.uk

28/08/2015 14:29

The technology of tomorrow for better sleep tonight Visit us at the NBF Bed Show 2015 and see our Crossflow™ combination system – which introduces a new level of cool, comfortable sleep – and our re-engineered, high-performance pocket that provides real value and advantage. Stand B50.

Contact +44 (0) 1226 707518 or lpsprings.uk@leggett.com © Leggett & Platt, Incorporated

© 2015 Leggett & Platt, Incorporated.

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 35

28/08/2015 14:29

RETAIL

SUNNY OUTLOOK

OUTLOOK

... The economy is ‘set fair’ with the outlook more promising than it has

been for 14 years according to leading economist Roger Martin-Fagg.

And that, as he told delegates at the NBF conference in May, should spell good news for the bed industry. Jan Turner summarises the keynote presentation that’s a Must Read for anyone in business.

A QUICK LESSON IN ECONOMICS

As bedmakers, what you do in your business is add value to raw materials to create ‘sleeping devices’. Essentially, that’s what business is about – adding value to raw materials or intelligence – or both. That accumulated added value is the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Britain’s GDP typically grows every year by around 2.5% and has done since the 1950s.

Banks are the biggest commercial businesses of all. Today most of our spending is with electronic money. Through the act of lending, banks manufacture the money we use – but what they make they can also destroy and the austerity we have witnessed in Britain in recent years is a classic example of that.

WHY THE ECONOMY IS IMPROVING

The growth in bank lending has started to pick up and over the next five years this will grow to around 7%. Historically banks have grown their market through personal/mortgage lending (75%) but new rules mean they are going to have to look more to commercial lending for growth. Lending to business will grow much more strongly over the next two or three years and our banking system is going to be one of the safest in the world.

In the past 18 months things have improved dramatically. Interestingly, one of the biggest drivers of growth has been the £22m paid out in PPI mis-selling compensations. A lot of windfalls to a lot of people has led, for example, to the car industry’s best ever sales in the past two years. Some of that windfall money will also have come the bed industry’s way.

[ 36 [ Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 36

28/08/2015 14:29

RETAIL

SUNNY OUTLOOK British people have become and will continue to be better off because we are seeing wage growth in the system. Consumer spending is up, partly buoyed by the fact Brits are also feeling more confident as they see their homes rise in value.

However, we have stopped saving as a nation and if we strip pensions out of the equation, we will see that people are actually spending their savings. Why would they save with interest rates at their current level?

There’s no incentive to do so.

SO WHO IS GETTING BETTER OFF?

Anyone earning over £60K is classed as ‘high affluence’, those earning between £20 -

by 4 – 5% and as wage growth is currently at 2.5% there is no reason to raise rates.

THE GOVERNMENT ROLLER-COASTER

Among commercial businesses, budgets that are plus or minus 10% of target are pretty average. When they are down 10%, then companies look to try and drive down their cost base. A 10% rise or fall in revenue for the government has rather more dramatic implications! When you consider that the government’s revenue is £700 billion a year, a 10% reduction in sales hits its income by £70 billion at a stroke. The situation is compounded by the fact there is also a

Gross margins are averaging 17% and the cash position of companies has been improving substantially.”

Roger Martin-Fagg £60K are of ‘medium affluence’; and those on sub-£20K fall into the ‘low affluence’ bracket.

We will see discretionary income growth for 80% of the population (the high and medium affluence groups). Earnings growth has been 3 – 4% per annum although wage growth itself has been subdued. By earnings growth we mean that people have been given bonuses rather than wage increases – and perhaps been able to take advantage of more overtime work.

When you consider that wages across the UK have grown at about 2.5% and inflation is currently running at 0% then real income is up by 2.5%: so people are getting better off and they are spending again. And let’s keep the growth in consumer credit in perspective - 3% net growth is not a big deal!

THE OUTLOOK

Interest rates won’t go up for at least another year. Gross margins are averaging 17% and the cash position of companies has been improving substantially which means we are seeing more investment spending. What we are seeing now is a textbook balanced growth economy.

The slight sting in the tale is that we will see a skills scarcity and so the type of labour companies wish to employ will rise in cost.

THE HOUSING MARKET

In terms of the housing market we have seen three price bubbles. Deregulation of the mortgage market allowed banks as well as just building societies to offer home loans. All this lending fuels house prices but the new regulations introduced in April 2014, under which lenders must conduct a strict audit of the borrower’s outgoings, are putting a ceiling on the rate of expansion, capping growth to 2.5% a year. It means prices will only go up by about 3 – 5% a year keeping the housing market nice and stable.

Interest rates won’t go up until wages rise

10 - Sunny Outlook - Bed Issue 7 Sept 15.indd 37

greater call on government resources for social support which can add a further £35 billion to the deficit. So if the economy dips they can quickly have a deficit of £105 billion; but conversely if the economy goes up by 10%, that deficit can quickly go down.

Another complicating factor is that people are not dying on time! This is becoming a very serious problem, putting the country’s annual pension bill at around £83 billion - and the government is committed to increasing that by 2.5%.

EUROPE

The biggest issue now is going to be the referendum. Half of our exports go to Europe and 15.5% of our total income flow comes from that part of the world. Interestingly, in terms of imports we are, for instance, the most profitable market for German car manufacturers so they will be among those who do not want us to leave.

There are those who believe the UK could be like Norway or even Switzerland – that is, not a part of Europe but with access to it. But they make significant ‘goodwill’ payments for their right of access – and Europe will apply a 10% tariff to anyone who wants to supply in to them unless the product contains 40% of components sourced within European countries.

Also in Europe, the banks are creating 80 billion Euros a month and for the first time have increased lending. This will pick up strongly over the next two to three years which is good for us/Europe and the rest of the world.

OIL

Globally, the price of oil means we can be positive about the way forward. The price has been around $50 a barrel for two years as the Saudis are running a price war against the Americans where fracking has made them the ‘swing producer ‘as opposed to the Saudis who have been controlling the price of oil for the past 50 years.

Oil represents 60% of the world’s primary energy input so a stable/reduced oil price is rather like being given a discretionary pay rise.

GREECE

All European banks have now made provision for a default by Greece so if they do blob on payment, it will not be the big deal that was once feared. It is all budgeted for now.

CHINA

China is the second largest economy in the world but from now on will not grow by more than 4% a year. This is because the country has lost the ‘people bonanza’ and the cheap wages that initially came from rural workers streaming in to work in urban factories. As these workers have become more skilled, wages have started to rise so in order to grow, the Chinese need to innovate which is not something they are traditionally known for.

BLACK SWAN EVENTS

SCOTLAND

If Scotland was to become independent right now it would have a deficit of 8% of GDP. That would make it one of the highest deficit countries in the world - Scotland would simply not be able to sustain its current position.

[ 37 [

These are completely unexpected events – possibly a natural disaster - which can have a major impact on the economy. If you strip these out of any predictions, then we can look forward to the best economy we have had for 14 years.

28/08/2015 17:17

DESIGN

THE SHIRE BED COMPANY

Be Bowled

OVER

Shire Beds never takes its

eye off product development

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Beds catches up with Fara Butt, marketing director of The Shire Bed Company to learn how the company’s no nonsense approach to quality has made it the pride of Yorkshire. ince England’s rather unexpected triumph in this summer’s Ashes series, many people have been left stumped as to how a team given virtually no hope of victory could complete such an impressive rout.

Well, for people in a certain part of the world – God’s own county to be more precise – the secret to success was down to one simple thing; indomitable Yorkshire spirit. And irrespective of where you live, a look at the Yorkshire contingent present within the team does more than enough to support this.

But while the series may be over, it’s business as usual for Yorkshire Cricket Club sponsors, The Shire Beds Company, with the next big Test being for its latest

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 38

products at the NBF Bed Show.

So, to find out more about the company’s own Yorkshire spirit and winning mentality ahead of the show, Beds caught up with marketing director, Fara Butt to discuss its latest investments and plans for the future.

As with any business operating in the highly competitive bed trade, The Shire Bed Company has to maintain acute commercial awareness at all times to facilitate its continued growth. So what exactly does the business accredit its successful longevity to?

“We’ve been pleased with the growth of the business to date. Within the team we have a wide range of complementary skills: an in-depth understanding of the market, an ability to create innovative products, a strong work ethic and excellent customer

[ 38 [

service,” says Fara, continuing: “Holding a strong and clear vision for the business has resulted in significant growth – 20% year on year. However, we were also aware that with rapid growth we needed to create efficiencies, increase production capacity and take more control overall to enable us to continue this growth in a measured and sustainable way.

“The strategy was in place but in 20142015 we needed to do two major things: the first was operationally, we needed to increase our manufacturing resource and secondly, to make the first happen, we had to revisit our financial planning capabilities to ensure it supported the current level of growth.”

Clearly the business is highly adept at identifying operational requirements and

28/08/2015 14:29

DESIGN

THE SHIRE BED COMPANY within the team we have a wide range of complementary skills.”

Featuring advanced cool blue memory foam that has been engineered to be cooler, the eco Cool mattress still has the supportive benefits of memory foam that moulds to your body without the heat associated with the traditional version.

“These will be the higher end products,” Fara explains, concluding: “We will be taking the 5’ products and making them the big show stoppers at the front of the stand. They will be in 2000 pocket springs with lots of generous comfortable fillings as well as the anti bed-bug finish.

“We will be doing them with a blue accent and introducing two blues to the Victoria range to match these but these can be also ordered like the other highly successful Victoria products.”

All very intriguing we think you’ll agree.

But while the Bed Show is currently on the mind of everyone involved in the trade,

The company’s ecoShire

range has enjoyed success

actioning the appropriate measures to address them successfully. But what changes has the business made recently?

“We were on a cusp of huge change and needed some further support to facilitate future growth. So we worked with financial experts to develop financial forecasts that were better qualified for our growth and to progress the investment plan. We formulated a strong business plan to raise finance to expand our manufacturing capacity.

“We secured just under £50,000 in the form of a grant from Leeds City Region LEP as well as £250,000 of asset finance towards the purchase of the equipment to go into the manufacturing plant. The infrastructure building project and machinery installation was completed in April 2015.

“This included improvements to the building infrastructure, investment in fixed assets including the installation of conveyor systems, auto wrappers, new tape edge machines and the development of QCD measures. We made key operational and sales appointments as well as increasing the workforce,” explains Fara.

“As well as shop floor efficiencies administration practices were streamlined: an improved stock control system is being introduced, management accounts and financial KPIs are used on a daily, weekly and monthly basis to effectively plan and budget.

“And finally as an innovative manufacturer Shire Beds have never taken our eye off product development. We added to our successful ecoShire range with higher spring counts and encapsulation and continue to develop original concepts.”

Naturally, with the impressive advancments made by the business this year, the entire trade will be excited to see what Shire will

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 39

Shire Beds will be exhibiting on stand H50 of the NBF Bed Show

have to offer at the upcoming Bed show.

“Shire Beds has a tradition of bringing to market innovative and design led products.

From boutique inspired divans to bed-bug banishing mattresses Shire Beds has led the way,” says Fara.

“At the NBF 2015 show, Shire Beds will be adding to its extensive mattress offering via the ever popular ecoShire range as well as filling the gap with more price led offerings.

With more and more people matching their bed to the décor of the bedroom look out also for a wider range of base fabrics.

“We will also be introducing two additional products to the ever popular eco Shire range: eco Gel and eco Cool. Both mattresses have the anti bed-bug features associated with this range, and the eco Gel features gel technology, tiny molecules infused in the foam to allow breathability.

The foam offers support and comfort for a good night’s sleep.”

Shire, rather characteristically, continues to look towards the future.

“Operationally and strategically we have had a successful year all round but we are not one to sit on our laurels: We expect sales to grow: Sales data is already heading firmly in the right direction in existing markets and with current customers. And we will be bringing new products to sectors of the market we do not have a presence in yet,” Fara reveals, before concluding: “We do not plan to stop there and have a number of other projects coming up in the future – acquisition and extension of property for manufacturing premises being at the top of the agenda. The market is showing a growing confidence in the brand and the company and we hope to build on that in the coming year.” www.shirebeds.co.uk

[ 39[

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MANUFACTURING

VOGUE f there’s one thing that should never be underestimated it is the power of a recommendation. How often have you bought a brand simply because a friend or relative has said good things about it? The truth is, we can’t be experts in everything. And while we might have strong opinions on things like colour, taste, size or shape when it comes to the real science behind most things, be it a bottle of shampoo or a new laptop, we all need a little guidance from time to time.

The same can be said for mattresses, a purchase few of us will have to make more than a handful of times in a lifetime. To look at a product we may feel as though we know what we need, but switch to talk of fillings and firmness and anyone could be forgiven for making an uneducated decision in an attempt to escape. So when a company is able to offer not just one, but a veritable plethora of recommendations for its products, it’s enough to turn anyone’s head.

And when a bad night’s sleep doesn’t

Seal Of

APPROVAL Vogue Beds managing director, Ebrahim Patel, talks recommendations, ranges and responsibilities.

As you know, at Vogue we never sit still and we always like to find out what’s going on in this industry, what’s new and what’s different.”

only mean the difference between how many trips to the coffee machine you make that day, but how well you perform in your chosen profession, making sure you buy the right mattress is one of the most important things you will do. Anticipating the difference this assurance could make to sports men and women looking to optimise the time they spend in bed, manufacturer Vogue Beds has gathered a number of high profile endorsements for its Sports Therapy range.

They include Paralympic gold medallist, Dan Greaves, international rugby player Anthony Watson and England and Yorkshire County cricketer, Liam Plunkett. All have praised the way the collection allows them to get a restful, restorative night’s sleep, meaning they wake up on top form. Clearly the brand is already performing well but, as ever in this industry, to stand still is tantamount to moving backwards, so what can we expect to see next for Sports Therapy?

Ebrahim Patel, managing director of Vogue Beds, tells us: “We’ve just updated our Sports Therapy range with a new mattress called Gel Feel. And while we’ve been doing that we’ve taken a look at our base model, which we call ‘Sports Therapy’, and given it the new ‘AirStream’ fibre that we recently launched.

So now it will be called ‘Sports Therapy

New Memory Range -

Memory Sculpture 1500

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

by Repose

New Airstream collection

Ambience 2000 by Vogue

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 40

[40[ 28/08/2015 14:29

MANUFACTURING

VOGUE

Memory Touch Collection Oasis by Vogue

Airstream’, so its just cool fibre that works really well with what the Sports Therapy brand is about, allowing airflow, and it will help with the uninterrupted sleep that we talk about for the sports therapy. Giving constant airflow through the mattress will work well.”

And it isn’t just Sports Therapy that is benefiting from new developments, with Ebrahim happily explaining to us his hopes for the future of Vogue and Limelight too.

Both brands have already been enhanced by new products this year, and will continue to see additions as time goes on. This confidence in what to expect as 2016 looms on the horizon is thanks in no small part to the buoyancy Ebrahim feels is present in the industry today. Having managed to ride out the recession years with a cautious demeanour, he is happy at signs of burgeoning growth from a number of companies, not to mention his own.

It is this increased confidence that has no doubt helped with Vogue’s decision to implement its own manufacturing apprentice scheme as a way of ensuring the that bed manufacturing can continue its progress uninhibited in the UK. Currently awaiting confirmation of government backing, it is hoped that the apprenticeship programme will be successful at setting of 18-25 year olds on a career path in the furniture industry, the importance of which cannot be overstated.

But what else can we expect to see from the business as time goes on? Ebrahim lets us in on his vision for the future, saying: “As time goes on we’re gathering more business and more recognition. We have our NBF

show appearance coming up in September so we’re currently updating images in the Vogue and Repose range and at the show we’ll have one brochure that will feature the Vogue, Repose and the Swift brands altogether.

“We will be featuring a couple of new models for our gel range, which we released in January, and we’re just generally updating our image library as the products develop, for example we’ve refreshed some of the fabrics with updated fabrics.

“As you know, at Vogue we never sit still and we always like to find out what’s going on in this industry, what’s new and what’s different. We’ll have a fantastic selection at the Bed Show, and it will be my first show as President of the NBF as well, so I’m looking forward to that!”

Taking over from Breasley’s Stuart Hibbert in the role of NBF President as of May this

year, Ebrahim has been getting stuck into the role with aplomb. Referring to the offer of the position as ‘an honour and a privilege’, its clear that Ebrahim is looking forward to the challenge of monitoring the needs of the bedding industry, and making sure its needs are being looked after as much as possible for the two years he will hold the post. And although he may only be a few short months into his time as President, if Ebrahim continues to apply to same ambition and drive to the role as he has to his bed brands, they won’t be the only things receiving a whole hearted seal of approval.

www.voguebeds.co.uk

Blu Cool Collection -

Memorypaedic by Vogue

New Gel Collection -

Serene 2000

by Vogue

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THE BED SHOW

BED SHOW SPECIAL

BED SHOW

SPECIAL

IF YOU’RE IN BEDS, THE BED SHOW IS THE ONLY PLACE TO BE IN SEPTEMBER. ecognised as the UK’s biggest bed exhibition, the National Bed Federation’s (NBF) hugely popular and successful Bed Show is back for a sixth year and will take place from 22-23 September 2015 at the International Centre, Telford.

The show welcomes many well-known bed manufacturers and component suppliers and is a must-see for anyone in the business of buying, selling or specifying beds.

All exhibitors are members of the National Bed Federation.

The show is the perfect showcase for visitors to learn more about the latest technological innovations likely to be

BEDS SHOW

incorporated into beds. It is also a golden opportunity to see new, finished products and ranges from the UK’s leading bed manufacturers and suppliers.

The show’s opening and closing times are as follows: 22 September 9am - 5.30pm 23 September 9am - 4pm If you haven’t yet registered online, visit www.bedshow. co.uk

er and ala Dinn

NBF G

2014

Awards

[ 42 [ Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 42

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W

s

THE BED SHOW

EXHIBITOR LISTINGS

EXHIBITOR LISTINGS AIRSPRUNG BEDS B20, C20

For more than 140 years, Airsprung has been at the forefront of making beds that represent exceptional value for money.

Driving forward with fresh, new ideas the company has always been hand-in-hand with customer satisfaction. This year Airsprung will be exhibiting a taste of what’s in store for the coming year, as well as providing inspiration for retailers hungry for new ideas.

BODYEASE B40

A family-owned business with more than 25 years’ experience in the trade, Bodyease is proud to have established an outstanding reputation for making effortlessly stylish, well-designed, high-quality adjustable electric beds that help the users drift off with ease and wake up feeling refreshed, even if they lead a hectic and stressful day-to-day life. The company’s talented British craftsmen create a wide range of lifestyle motion adjustable beds.

BREASLEY CONSUMER PRODUCTS H60, H70 & J60

Breasley Consumer Products will be celebrating its 10th anniversary at this year’s Bed Show showcasing its latest innovations in mattress technology. Exciting new developments under the premium Salus brand will be on display and visitors will also be able to see the full Naked Beds Collection - ‘The natural way to sleep’, plus the latest Medi-Matt Prestige Pocket Collection.

BURGESS BEDS G75

Since Burgess Beds was voted Bed Manufacturer of the Year in 2013 the company has gone from strength to strength.

Distribution in the UK is widening and major opportunities are opening overseas.

Managing director Andy Jackson puts the success down to sticking to core principles.

Burgess Beds holds the Manufacturing Guild Mark and has a range of organic products.

CARPENTER K30

The ‘Sleep Better’ Climate Collection from Carpenter will make its first appearance at the Bed Show; a range of innovative mattresses, toppers and pillows offering sleep in the Comfort Zone. Look out for the stand featuring the latest developments in foam, fabrics and profile designs. Visitors can view a selection of cutting edge pillows and toppers and a new innovation which indicates when a cover needs washing.

CPS (WALES) J35

Mango Creative is the multi-award-winning design and marketing arm of CPS Group, blending creative graphic and web design with crisp advertising, copywriting and PR. The company aims to deliver the full range of business-to-business and business-tocustomer marketing services as well as the highest quality print.

DUNLOPILLO B35

Dunlopillo mattresses embrace the comfort values that this iconic brand was founded upon in 1929. The extra deep latex cores combine all of Dunlopillo’s design and technical expertise to produce the ultimate range of natural mattresses to aid a perfect night’s sleep. It is supported with a full in store display package and marketing collateral.

DURA BEDS G70

Dura Beds will be unveiling new ranges for 2016. Among the new developments will be an innovative Naturals Collection, with mattresses featuring the finest natural fillings, available with complementary divan and headboard fabrics. In addition Dura Beds will launch a new posture range, featuring a variety of support systems and luxurious fillings.

DUVALAY J33

The company will be showcasing the Hilary Devey Collection. Having first caught Hilary’s eye in the Dragons’ Den, Yorkshire sleepspecialist Duvalay has now captured her love of lavish glamour and luxury comfort in a range of supreme quality mattresses, bedsteads and divans. This range combines natural materials with traditional techniques and Duvalay’s signature product innovation.

THE FOAM COMPANY/ REVITALISE H10, G42

The Foam Company, an innovator in foam, memory foam and latex products, will be showcasing SleepShaper Gold and Classics together with its Mammoth and Revitalise ranges. SleepShaper Gold uses the groundbreaking Vystex foam, incorporating V-Max technology for improved airflow.

SleepShaper Classics features two pure foam mattresses and two pocket sprung options, and includes removable covers with Outlast Adaptive Comfort. The Classics range also comes with The Foam Company’s ‘Memory Foam Quality Rating’.

FURMANAC F30, F40

The MiBed range offers exciting and innovative designs with a style to suit any taste. Combining the pure luxury of the Hestia divan range with the technological innovations of MiBed, the new range Hestia Motion is a logical step in the evolution of high-end, luxury adjustable beds. The Hestia upholstered bedframe collection has both contemporary and traditional designs which can be matched with occasional bedroom furniture in the same fabrics.

GAINSBOROUGH BEDS C20

With the abundance of fillings that are part of a quality handmade mattress, Gainsborough is aware that ‘turnability’ is an issue and is launching its new range of non-turn Dual Pocket mattresses, engineered to reduce settlement without sacrificing lifespan. The Windsor Bed range, exclusive to ‘bricks and mortar’ retailers, has been revamped with new fabrics. Also new is a range of contemporary strut and floorstanding headboards.

GAINSBOROUGH SOFA BEDS C20

The 2015 Bed Show has much to interest new customers and excite existing retailers.

There will be several new shapes with an emphasis on a more contemporary look; in addition, there will be new fabric swatches on show. There is a choice of three mattresses available, open coil, pocket and memory foam, which sit on a sprung slatted base. All of this is based around the company’s market leading mechanism that makes it a leading sofa bed specialist.

GLOBAL MATERIAL SOURCING (GMS) G45

Specialists in sourcing bespoke components for UK and Irish furniture manufacturers. GMS has offices in China, Malaysia and Vietnam, offering sourcing, quality control and logistics. The firm aims to take the risk out of doing business in Asia. Most of its regular customers have been out to Asia to see for themselves the supply chain and meet project managers and QC staff.

HARRISON BEDS F60

Advanced award winning technology combined with sustainable natural comfort makes the latest Harrison Bed Tailor collection the best yet. Titanium alloy micro springs are now a positive feature of the range with the Bed Tailor Solitaire featuring a massive 29,800 springs.

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THE BED SHOW

EXHIBITOR LISTINGS HEALTHBEDS B55

A fifth generation family firm making handmade bespoke products for over 120 years, Healthbeds is launching a new signature collection at the show. The Sensation pillow top range and Balmoral and Kensington high spring count pocketed mattresses plus the improved low and high profile Cooltex Talalay latex pillows will be on show.

HIGHGATE BEDS G30

With 40 years’ experience linking traditional materials with advanced technology, Highgate Beds has created the ground breaking Healthopaedic Zero Gravity.

The company uses natural fillings, handstitched pillow tops and high spring counts to create a state of the art sleeping experience for the consumer. The company aims to continually develop products with an enthusiasm that inspires consumers.

HIGHGROVE BEDS C50

Highgrove will unveil a new top end brand with three different models plus a wide range of comfort, size and style options. The traditional, hand side stitched mattresses will also feature stylish new covers, natural fillings and upgraded fittings. Stockists will be supported with floor model incentives including tailored in-store point of sale. The now totally pocket focussed Highgrove Collection has been re-structured. Several new specifications – including luxurious box pillow tops and new covers - will be on show for the first time.

HUSH-A-BYE BEDS B20

2015 sees the debut of a brand new ottoman bed. The exclusive safety features have undergone a thorough risk-assessment

by FIRA and this, in their words, ‘ensures that this is one of the safest products of its type on the market.’ Last year, the company launched Coolwave, a new gel infused

latex that delivers a much cooler sleeping experience than memory foam. This year sees a revamped Coolwave Gel range and a new selection of non-turn models, all featuring pillow tops.

HUSH FROM AIRSPRUNG B20

Hush from Airsprung was created to target consumers looking for a higher level of specification and design. Drawing from an enviable pedigree, the Hush from Airsprung collection includes wool and cotton fillings as well as many technically advanced features.

HYPNOS H5

Hypnos, the award-winning, family-run British company, has been manufacturing luxury handcrafted beds using time-honoured methods for over 100 years, and is renowned for its expertise in making handcrafted pocket spring beds. Combining traditional skills with constant innovation using only the finest natural and sustainable materials, Hypnos has a reputation for making the most comfortable beds in the world.

KAYMED J20

Kaymed has more than a century’s expertise at the forefront of sleep science and is a leading innovator of temperature regulating materials for mattresses. Its latest advancement is Response Gel, a fusion of Kaymed’s exclusive instant response open cell material and patented MicroSupport gel beads. This unique combination delivers the feel of latex combined with temperature regulating gel technology, for scientifically proven cooler, smarter and more comfortable sleep.

KOZEE SLEEP (MIDLANDS) AND SHAKESPEARE BEDS J80

First time exhibitors at the Bed Show, Kozee Sleep (Midlands) and Shakespeare Beds will be showing a comprehensive range of pocket sprung mattresses with natural to memory

foam and latex fillings. Manufacturers of fine quality mattresses and divans to suit all budgets, the company prides itself on its excellent customer satisfaction and weekly deliveries throughout the UK, considering no order too large or too small.

KYOTO FUTONS G40

Along with the comprehensive range of futons and sofa beds on offer Kyoto will be exhibiting the latest additions to its upholstered bed frames. The company always endeavours to meet retailers’ requirements by offering same day despatch on its extensive range of products, versatility of delivery and price points to suit all markets.

L&P SPRINGS UK B50

With a 130-year history of successful sleep innovation, Leggett & Platt is the industry’s largest producer of pocketed innersprings and a leading developer of new sleep technology. The Crossflow combination system introduces a new level of cool, comfortable sleep. Its re-engineered, high-performance pocket provides real value and advantage. Optimized and efficient, it’s resilient, lighter in weight and easier to handle, which in turn reduces its environmental impact.

LATEXCO E44

Latexco is a leading manufacturer of latex component products for the bedding industry. It aims to maintain the flexibility and responsibilities of a family company, while providing the professionalism expected of an international organisation. Products supplied include an extensive range of mattress cores, pillows, and comfort topper pads made with the highest quality latex.

MA LIVING J70

This family owned company was established more than 35 years ago and supplies the furniture market from its Yorkshire factory.

MA Living will be showcasing collections of frames and fabrics which are available in a large selection of colourways and textures.

The company will launch a new collection in modern designs. Special show offers will be available.

MAMMOTH H10

Leading UK mattress and upholstery brand, Mammoth Technologies, is launching a new luxury range and high spec bed base and showcasing its best sellers. Mammoth Technologies’ mattresses have been clinically proven by Northumbria University’s Sleep Science Centre to aid sleep. The company is accredited to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, Newcastle University’s School of Bio-Sciences, the British Athletes Commission, English, Welsh and Irish Rugby Players Associations and the UK Chiropractic Patients Association

MONKS INTERNATIONAL K60

Monks International specialises in jacquard woven ticks, double knits and upholstery style ticks exporting worldwide to more than 60 different countries. The factory includes extrusion, yarn dyeing, piece dyeing,

Vogue Beds will

exhibit on stand F70

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THE BED SHOW

EXHIBITOR LISTINGS Sealy can be found on stand J50

headboard options. The new collections are perfectly complemented by a host of new upholstery fabric options which ensure this ‘Which? Best Buy’ brand remains a firm favourite with customers.

SEALY J50

Renowned for superior quality, innovation and customer service, Sealy is one of the biggest bed brands in the world and has been steadily growing for more than 100 years. Sealy calls upon the latest technological developments from around the globe. The latest collection includes the ultrahigh spring count Pocket range, refreshed Orthopaedic collection and special 65th Anniversary collection.

SHIRE BEDS H50

weaving, knitting and finishing. In order to improve production efficiency and reduce costs during production of mattresses, bases and headboards Monks international offers foam, felt and lam stitch laminations.

MPT GROUP F80

The MPT Group is one of the world’s leading producers of mattress machinery for the mattress industry. With years of experience MPT is a leading force in the supply and delivery of mattress machinery around the world and exports its products to over 80 countries.

MYERS C40

Myers’ all-encompassing comfort collections have been designed to offer the best looking and best value products on the market. A new fun-inspired range offers an array of different mattresses, divans and headboards that will bring a new shade of personality to a shop floor. Myers’ says its mattresses and divans are not just comfy, but really, really comfy.

Shire Beds has a tradition of bringing to market innovative and design led products.

From boutique inspired divans to bed-bug banishing mattresses Shire Beds has led the way. The company will be adding to its mattress offering via the ever popular eco Shire range as well as filling the gap with more price led offerings. Shire Beds is playing its cards close on another product to be showcased, saying only that it will take a certain sector of the market by storm.

SIESTA BEDS G80

Siesta uses traditional bed manufacturing techniques and has seven collections within its range. This year attention is on the superior edge to edge encapsulated beds, and new additions within in the natural bed collection. This, along with commitment to both value, service and quick delivery helps the brand grow.

SILENTNIGHT H40, J40

NAKED BEDS AND MEDI-MATT PRESTIGE J60

Silentnight is proud to offer quality sleep solutions for all the family. At The Bed Show this year the company will be showcasing its full product range architecture Miracoil, Mirapocket and its new, uniquely engineered, spring-free mattress technology Miraform.

Hemingway In Bed With Silentnight brings the best of British design and manufacturing together to produce something really exciting, offering a fresh approach to bed design. Our interactive area will unveil our latest digital developments.

PALATINE BEDS D60

SLEEPEEZEE AND SIMMONS G50 & G60

– see Breasley Consumer Products.

Palatine Beds, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, has been in operation since 1907 manufacturing high quality contract mattresses for generations. The company is proud of its rich heritage and guarantees that its mattresses are comfortable, durable and competitively priced. Palatine Beds is showcasing its full range of contract bed sets.

RELYON B35

David Wescomb and the Relyon team are delighted to present the new Heritage and Classic Collections. This well-loved range of beautifully tailored beds feature sumptuous new mattress ticks with a modern twist, as well as a host of new stylish divan and

Sleepeezee and Simmons will be showcasing a host of models featuring innovative sleep support systems, technologies and finishes. Working alongside leading industry experts the group has designed a diverse range of beds which promise to excite and inspire event goers. Along with unique and eye-catching branding, POS and marketing propositions, the collections offer opportunities for both mainstream and online retailers.

looking younger and feeling great it says that event goers will need to lie down when they hear what the business has to say at the show.

SOMNUS H80

Somnus prides itself on uncompromising attention to detail, high standards of craftsmanship and its unique Sensa iP intelligent pocket springs that gently respond to the shape of the body. It even rears sheep on its own farm to provide fine British wool for fillings. Together it all adds up to a beautifully designed night’s sleep.

SPOTNAILS K44

Spotnails supplies collated fasteners to several major furniture and bedding manufacturers. Spotnails has years of expertise in the furniture industry and has an extensive stable of staplers, including highspeed automatic tools and pliers. As well as the renowned Spotnails and Omer Brands they can supply industrial tools for Hog Ringing and Hartco/Vertex style Clips.

SWEET DREAMS

Sweet Dreams is launching two entirely new ranges. The Royal Pillowtop Collection features sprung pillowtops to high end pocket spring mattresses, bringing the total spring count to a massive 6,000. Enchanted Beds Collection features encapsulated mattresses. There are two kinds; one with pocket and one with Sleepzone springs.

Enchanted Beds will be sold with matching bases. Sufficient diversity in specification and looks means the beds can be offered to a wide market at a variety of price points.

VITA CELLULAR FOAMS UK J32

Vitafoam has been supporting the bedding industry for over 65 years. From small beginnings Vitafoam has grown to become a market leader in the manufacture of polyurethane foam. Adding to its Reflex and Vasco brands it is to launch Revo – a revolutionary cool sleep concept. The Revo foam family offers the bedding industry three innovative, open celled foams.

VOGUE BEDS F70

Vogue Beds is the longest established brand name from the Vogue Beds Group, Established in 1990 and celebrating its 25th anniversary in October, Vogue has grown to become a market leader in innovation and quality handmade beds. The Vogue Beds Group incorporates Vogue Beds, Hampton Bed Company, Repose Beds, Sports Therapy Mattress, the Swift Mattress Company and Vogue Beds Contract Solutions.

SLUMBERLAND C30

Slumberland has a secret… The company says it is to reveal something special at the show. Citing rumours about a better sex life,

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THE BED SHOW

FLOORPLAN

F90

The Bed Show 2015

Storage

International Centre Telford

F80

G MPT

F70

G Vogue Group

FIRE EXIT

E65

FIRE EXIT

G

F60 D60

Catering

Stuart Jones

Harrison

Palatine

FIRE EXIT

B50

B55

C50

Kayflex

D40 B40 A40 Desleeclama

Bodyease / Sareer Furniture

Pieters

Maes Myers

Deluxe Beds

Rawson

E44

G

F40 Furmanac / MiBed

Latexco

B35 Sweet Dreams

C30

Relyon / Dunlopillo

NBF

Slumberland

G

F30 Hestia

A22 B20 Vispring

G

E46 B30

FIRE EXIT

E40 E42

C40

A30

C20 Gainsborough Beds / Gainsborough Sofa Beds

Airsprung / Hush from Airsprung / Hush-a-Bye

B10

Main Entrance

Catering

C10

Swanglen Furnishings

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 46

G

F50 Highgrove Beds

Healthbeds

L&P

Adjustamatic Healthcare

[ 46 [ 28/08/2015 14:30

THE BED SHOW

FLOORPLAN FIRE EXIT

H90

Catering

Storage

Gateway Systems

Softheads Ltd

G70

oup

H80 Somnus

Shakespeare Beds (Kozee Sleep)

J70

H70

G75 Burgess Beds

Dura Beds

J80 FIRE EXIT

G82

G80

Salus Beds

J74 Global Components

MA Living

K62 Seetall

G60

J60

H60

J64 Apropa

on

Breasley

Simmons / Sleepeezee / Pirelli

Naked Beds / Medi-Matt

K60

Monks

J62

G50

x

J50

H50 Shire Beds

Simmons / Sleepeezee

Sealy

K50

FIRE EXIT

Enkev

Stellini

K46

G40 Kyoto

MiBed

G44

Revitalise

Hemingway in Bed / Layezee / Pocket Spring Bed Co / Rest Assured

G45

Sherborne

Global Material Sourcing

G30

a

Silentnight

K44 Spotnails

J30

H10

Latex Wholesale

Foam Company / Sleepshaper / Mammoth

HIghgate Beds

By Charles & Charles

J40

H40

G42

J35 CPS

J32 Vitafoam

J33 Hilary Devey Collection

K30 J20

H5

Kaymed

Hypnos

Catering

Carpenter

J10 Millbrook Beds

FIRE EXIT

[ 47 [ Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 47

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THE BED SHOW

EXHIBITOR CONTACT DETAILS

Adjustamatic Colomendy Industrial Estate Rhyl Road Denbigh Denbighshire LL16 5TS

C10

Airsprung Group B20, C20, B10 Canal Road Trowbridge Wiltshire BA14 8RQ Apropa Machinery Coburg House 5 Gloucester Road Teddington Middlesex TW11 0NS Bodyease Savile Business Centre Mill Street East Dewsbury West Yorkshire WF12 9AH

A40 Deslee Clama Industriezone De Polderhoek 8980 Zonnebeke-Galuveld Belgium

DuraBeds G70 Kelvin Business Park Grange Road Batley West Yorkshire WF17 6PB Tel: 01924 422537 Fax: 01924 470579 B40 sales@durabeds.co.uk newwebsite.durabeds.co.uk

G75 Burgess Beds Knowsley Park Way Knowlsey Road Industrial Estate Haslingden BB4 4RS Tel: +44 (0) 1706 212 731 Fax: +44 (0) 1706 224 701

Duvalay and Hilary Devey Collection J33 Camtex House Quarry Road Gomersal West Yorkshire BD19 4HX Tel: 01274 877200 tom@duvalay.co.uk www.duvalay.co.uk www.hilarydeveycollection.co.uk Enkev J62 Enkev House Silloth Airfield Industrial Estate Silloth Cumbria CA7 4NS

The Foam Co, Revitalise and Mammoth H10, G42 K46 8-10 Eyston Way Abingdon Oxon OX14 1TR www.sleepshaper.co.uk www.mammothmattress.co.uk

Carpenter K30 Dinting Lodge Industrial Estate Glossop Derbyshire SK13 6LE Tel: 01457 861141 www.carpenter.com CPS (Wales) Ltd Unit 34 Sir Alfred Owen Way Pontygwindy Industrial Estate Caerphilly CF83 3HU Tel: 0292 086 0899 sales@cpsgroupltd.co.uk www.cpsgroupltd.co.uk

D40

J64

Breasley Consumer Products H60, H70, J60

Unit 4 Temple Court Knight Road Strood Kent ME2 2LT Tel: 01634 712580

By Charles and Charles Cote House Cote Lane Thurgoland Sheffield South Yorkshire S35 7AE

Deluxe Beds Beacon Street Birkby Huddersfield West Yorkshire HD2 2RS

J35

Furmanac Unit 71 The Pensnett Estate Kingswinford West Midlands DY6 7FF

F30, F40

Gateway Systems G82 Unit 3 Northgate Terrace Northern Road Industrial Estate Newark Nottinghamshire NG24 2EU

Global Components (UK) J74 Greenbank Mills Warneford Avenue Ossett West Yorkshire WF5 9NJ Global Material Sourcing (GMS) G45 Nickson Brandon Court Leeds LS17 8AU Tel: 0113 2666380 Mobile: 0044 (0) 7802 431690 Fax: 0113 2669761 info@gmsourcing.com Harrison Beds Westland Road Leeds LS11 5SN Tel: 0113 2055 200 info@harrisonspinks.co.uk www.harrisonbeds.co.uk Healthbeds Kingsforth Road Thurcroft Industrial Estate Rotherham South Yorkshire S66 9HU Tel: 01709 559977 01709 561937 Sales@healthbeds.co.uk www.healthbeds.co.uk Highgate Beds Kings Mill Mill Street East Dewsbury WF12 6AN Tel: 01924 454678 Fax: 01924 459266 info@highgatebeds.com www.highgatebeds.com Highgrove Beds 231 Spen Lane Gomersal West Yorkshire BD19 4PN

Kayfoam Woolfson J20 (Belfast) Kaymed J20 Bluebell Industrial Estate Naas Road Dublin 12 Ireland Tel: +353 1 419 2999 jnavrady@kaymedworld.com www.kaymed.co.uk

Kozee Sleep and Shakespeare Beds J80 Kozee Sleep (Midlands) Ltd & Shakespeare Beds Ltd 154 Wharfedale Road Tyseley Birmingham B11 2DG F60 0121 764 4024 Fax 0121 706 8495 App - Search for our brand new app for Android and iPhone by searching for ‘Shakespeare Beds’ www.kozeesleep-beds.co.uk www.shakespearebeds.co.uk B55 Kyoto Futons G40 Hards Lane Frognal Deeping St James Lincolnshire PE6 8RP

L&P Springs UK B50 L&P Springs UK Long Royd G30 Park Springs Industrial Estate Barnsley South Yorkshire S72 7GH Tel: +44 (0) 1226 707518 lpsprings.uk@leggett.com www.lpeurope.com Latexco Sint-Amandstraat 8 bis C50 8700 Tielt Belgium Tel: +32 (0)51 40 14 31 info@latexco.com www.latexco.com

Hypnos H5 Longwick Road Princes Risborough HP27 9RS Tel: 01844348200 sleep@hypnosbeds.com F50 Kayflex Unit 3 Ravensthorpe Mills Huddersfield Road Dewsbury West Yorkshire WF13 3NA

E44

Latex Wholesale 637 Green Lane London N8 0RE

J30

MA Living MA Living Limited Oakwood House Oakland Mills Netherfield Road Dewsbury WF13 3JY Tel: 01924 457333 Sales@maliving.co.uk www.maliving.co.uk

J70

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THE BED SHOW

EXHIBITOR CONTACT DETAILS

Maes Mattress Ticking E42 Blokellestraat 157B Industriezone Breemeers B-8550 Zwevegem Belgium Millbrook Beds, Calmore Industrial Estate Totton Southampton Hampshire SO40 3XJ 0845 3731111

J10

Monks International K60 Monks International Grote Molstenstraat 21, 8710 Wielsbeke, Belgium Mobile: 0032 494 82 38 79 Tel: 0032 56 671 600 www.monks.be MPT Group MPT Group Ltd Newline Industrial Estate Newline Bacup Lancashire OL13 9RW Tel: 01706 878558 info@mptgroup.com www.mptgroup.com

F80

D60 Palatine Beds Stamfordham Road, Westerhope, Newcastle upon Tyne NE5 5HH Tel: 0191 2772559 0191 2772544 Fax: 0191 2772550 andrew.waters@yhn.org.uk palatine.sales@yhn.org.uk www.palatinebeds.co.uk Pieters Textiel Molstenstraat 42 8780 Oostrozebeke Belgium

E40

Rawson Fillings Castle Bank Mills Portobello Road Wakefield West Yorkshire WF1 5PS

A30

Sareer Furniture Savile Business Centre Mill Street East Dewsbury WF12 9AH. sales@sareerfurniture.co.uk www.sareerfurniture.co.uk

Sealy UK Station Road Aspatria Wigton Cumbria CA7 2AS Tel: 016973 20342 www.sealy.co.uk Seetall Furniture, Oaks End Industrial Park Swansea Road Pontiliw Swansea Glamorgan SA4 9DZ

K62

Sherborne Upholstery G44

Pasture Lane Clayton Bradford West Yorkshire BD14 6LT Shire Beds Unit 3/8 Branch Mills Off Netherfield Road Ravensthorpe Dewsbury West Yorkshire WF13 3JY

H50

Siesta Beds Mulliners Works 154 Bordesley Green Bordesley Green Birmingham B8 1BY Tel: 0121 773 9969 info@siestabeds.co.uk.

G80

Simmons Bedding Group, G50, G60 Sleepeezee Knight Road Rochester Kent ME2 2BP Tel: 01634 723557 sales@sleepeezee.co.uk www.sleepeezee.co.uk H80

K44

Steinhoff/Relyon/ Dunlopillo C30, C40, B35 Station Mills, Wellington, Somerset TA21 8NN Tel: 01823 667501 www.relyon.co.uk sales@relyon.co.uk www.dunlopillo.co.uk sales@dunlopillo.co.uk

Vita Cellular Foams (UK) J32

Soudan Street Oldham Road Middleton Manchester M24 2DB Tel: 0161 643 1133 info@vcfuk.com www.vitafoam.co.uk Vogue Beds Kingsfield House Arthur Street Barwell Leicestershire LE9 8GZ www.voguebeds.co.uk

F70

Steinhoff/Slumberland/ Myers C30, C40, B35 1 Windover Road Huntingdon Cambridgeshire PE29 7EF Tel: 01480 442200 www.slumberland.co.uk sales@slumberland.co.uk www.myersbeds.co.uk sales@myersbeds.co.uk Stellini Textile Group Via Manzini 54 20020 Magnago (MI) Italy

Silentnight Group

H40, J40, J50 PO Box 100 Long Ing Lane Barnoldswick Lancashire BB18 6WT

Somnus Westland Road, Leeds, LS11 5SN Tel: 0113 2055 245 jnoble@somnus.co.uk www.somnus.co.uk

Spotnails Spotnails Ltd Pant Glas Ind Est Bedwas Caerphilly CF38 8DR Tel: 029 2086 0222 Fax: 029 2086 0999 Sales@spotnails.co.uk www.spotanils.co.uk

K50

Stuart Jones E65 Artex Avenue Rustington West Sussex BN16 3LN Swanglen Furnishings, B10 Canal Road Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 8RQ Sweet Dreams Primrose Mill Martin Street Burnley Lancashire BB10 1SH

B30

Vi-Spring Ernesettle Lane Ernesettle Plymouth Devon PL5 2TT

A22

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THE BED SHOW

THE NBF BED INDUSTRY AWARDS

This year’s host >>> Gyles Brandreth’s unique career has encompassed the role of Baron Hardup in Cinderella, MP for the City of Chester and Lord Commissioner of the Treasury. In the latter role, he countersigned the largest cheque in UK history alongside HM The Queen. He still speculates on which of them they didn’t trust.

As the Sunday Telegraph Review’s editor-at-large and a journalist for many years, Gyles has interviewed a wealth of celebrities and world leaders.

Many of these meetings were documented in Brief Encounters: Meetings with Remarkable People, a book described by doyen of interviewers Michael Parkinson as ‘quite superb’. Gyles’s vast oeuvre also takes in books on royalty (Charles and Camilla, Philip and Elizabeth), rhetoric (You Talkin’ to Me?), The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries, 7 Secrets of Happiness and numerous volumes of diaries as well as compilations of party games, jokes, brainteasers and

Telford offers a wealth

of eateries for socialising

quotations.

A habitual name-dropper, Gyles also speaks about leaders and leadership with lessons drawn from the biggest names on the world stage from Thatcher and Blair to Clinton and Bush, Charles de Gaulle, Richard Branson and Sheik Mohammed of Dubai. An expert after dinner speaker, Gyles adapts his huge store of personal anecdotes and tales to any audience with consistent success. From his early time wearing unusual knitwear on morning television to Westminster to writing, Gyles is now a regular on The One Show and Radio 4 institution Just A Minute. He’s also appeared in Countdown’s Dictionary Corner more than any other guest, and made appearances on everything from Dr Who to The IT Crowd to The Gadget Show.

In 2014 Gyles also toured the country with his one man show Looking for Happiness.

back by popular demand

After a busy day at the show there’s plenty of choice around for a bite to eat.

Whether it’s dining with clients and colleagues or a simple refuel following a productive day, the area around the Telford International Centre has restaurants and bars with food to suit all palates.

From Indian to Chinese, fast food to fine dining, Telford and it’s wider area has it all.

Dragon Den Chinese Buffet is just up the road in the town centre offering Asian cuisine and is open until 11pm. It scores highly on Trip Adviser too - call 01952 219921 to book.

Indian restaurants aplenty are to be found a little further out than the immediate town centre area and a trawl of Trip Adviser gives a number to choose from in the Wellington and Oakengates areas – all attracting high scores.

For something traditional, Euston Road Brewer’s Fayre is an English pub close to the train station only five minutes from the International

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Gyles Brandreth is

Centre. Call 01952 201075 to reserve a table.

If you’re looking for a familiar experience, there’s a Frankie and Benny’s American Diner, Bella Italia and Pizza Express all in Telford town centre.

For wining and dining customers or clients, Merlot’s Restaurant is based at Grey’s Hotel in Telford centre and is a spacious and comfortable restaurant which serves an a la carte menu, table d’hote and a carvery. To reserve a table call 01952 425000; or try The Olive Tree Restaurant at the Holiday Inn Hotel, St Quentin Gate, Telford is a contemporary restaurant offering a la carte, table d’hote and bar snacks. Call 01952 527000.

Of course, the International Centre itself offers an endless choice for refreshment while you’re at the show. For further information visit the Bed Show website at www.bedshow.co.uk

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THE BED SHOW

THE NBF BED INDUSTRY AWARDS

The NBF BED INDUSTRY ho’s the best in beds? The hotly contested and highly acclaimed National Bed Federation (NBF) Bed Industry Awards seek to recognise the manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and e-tailers who are leading the way.

The awards look for trailblazers and performers, the movers and shakers of the bed world.

Chosen by an independent panel of judges, there are five award categories.

These are: • Bed Manufacturer of the Year • Bed Component Supplier of the Year • Independent Bed Retailer of the Year • Multiple Bed Retailer of the Year • Bed E-tailer of the Year This year’s six-strong panel of judges includes four key trade publication editors – Chris Peck, of Cabinet Maker; Andrew Kidd, of Interiors Monthly; Richard De Melim, of Furnishing Report and Paul Farley, of Furniture News – plus Bernard Eaton, the md of Greenwood Retail and Jessica Alexander, executive director of the NBF. The judges look for companies that have excelled in some way over the past 12 months. This could be through increased turnover by boosted sales with an innovative marketing campaign, winning awards or gaining accreditations, implementing smart eco policies or investing in the business or its people. The panel look for clear, concise entries with quantifiable supporting material.

This year has seen another bumper crop of entries making the panel’s decisions harder than ever. The judges pointed at the high quality of entries.

day in the sector.”

Jessica Alexander, National Bed Federation “Every year, the judges have a harder time of whittling down the shortlists and selecting winners within each category. I believe the increasingly fierce competition is testament not only to improving standards across the bed industry, but also to the regard in which the awards are held – and I’m proud to be associated with them.”

Paul Farley, Furniture News “The NBF awards have now become ‘the’ prestige honours for the furniture industry. It is difficult to judge between the increasing quality and number of applications, but it’s always so rewarding to see the delighted reaction from the deserving winners.”

Bernard Eaton, Greenwood Retail

“The Bed Show awards have developed a reputation for delivering believable and credible winners, based on a democratic and evidence-backed entry process that rewards true excellence in performance over a given period.

“They are genuinely sought-after by companies in the beds sector, and many have taken advantage in subsequent years after prior achievements had been recognised with an award win.”

Richard De Melim, Furnishing Report “The awards have established themselves in such a short space of time it seems unimaginable to imagine a time before them.”

Andrew Kidd, Interiors Monthly “The quality of the entries for the Bed Show awards has consistently increased year

The 2014 NBF

Award winners

“Our NBF Bed Industry Awards have been running for five years and have become increasingly valued, highlighting as they do the excellent work that is taking place every

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RETAIL THE BED SHOW

THE NBF BED INDUSTRY AWARDS after year, which makes judging tough to say the least. However, being presented with incredible examples of industry advancement is a problem the judging panel welcomes, as it is a testament to the trade’s perpetual ambition.

“No other industry awards are subject to such intense scrutiny and debate from such a discerning panel of judges. So all NBF Award winners can take great pride that their recognition amongst such fierce competition is an outstanding accomplishment.”

Chris Edwards-Thorne Cabinet Maker/ Beds Magazine Last year’s winners were: Bed Manufacturer of the Year – Hypnos; Bed Component Supplier of the Year – J De Walleg; Independent Bed Retailer of the Year – Surrey Beds; Multiple Bed Retailer of the Year – Furniture Village; Bed E-tailer of the Year – Loaf.

There was also an honour for Hypnos’ Peter Keen - a lifetime achievement award.

And Hypnos’ marketing director Chris Ward was in no doubt about how much the success meant to the company.

He said: “We were absolutely over the moon to be crowned Bed Manufacturer of the Year by the National Bed Federation last year for the second time.

“As a company that prides itself on producing British, handmade beds and mattresses for hotels, homes, superyachts and even palaces, we work incredibly hard to ensure every bed we make meets our exacting standards and winning this award is testament to this.

“Both the retail and contract furniture industries are incredibly competitive so winning an award of this nature has proved highly valuable in helping to differentiate us from our competitors while reinforcing our brand image of creating high quality, luxury and sustainable beds. “ Chris pointed at a successful year: “We’ve had an incredible year, the Hypnos brand has grown from strength to strength and has become a household furniture name. The award has marked us as leaders in the field of bed manufacturing.

“We have been able to actively promote the win throughout the year on all Hypnos communications, which has again reiterated our level of craftsmanship and experience as a trusted supplier.”

J De Walleg’s production director Andy Richardson and sales manager Helen Wright echoed the delight at winning and reported a stellar year since being named NBF Bed Component Supplier for 2014/2015.

Said Helen: “On a personal and corporate level we are proud to be accredited with such a prestigious industry related award. We operate in a highly competitive industry so to have our accomplishments recognised has been both satisfying and motivating as it has been a concerted and collective effort by all levels within the company… Andy’s smile said it all on accepting the award.

“The last 12 months have been exceptionally busy for us. After many months of planning the launch of the new Pompom Chain earlier this year in Cologne along with Mattress Production Technology Group has been remarkable. This has enabled us to

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Peter Keen’s recognition

of outstanding achievement continue with the research and development of even more new products, while still investing in the core fundamentals of our business.

“The award has given us a standing within the industry, not only in the UK but also in the overseas markets. Our customers have the confidence within the NBF for the accreditation to be valued on a worldwide scale.”

Rebecca Maloy, bed buyer at Furniture Village, winners of the Multiple Bed Retailer of the Year award, said the award recognised and set a standard within her organisation.

She said: “Not only did winning the award endorse what we have already achieved in our bed departments at Furniture Village, it also provided a goal for us to work towards, namely continuing to deliver at the same level

and beyond, by continually pushing the category further forward.

“As a furniture retailer selling across living, dining and sleeping, it truly is a testament to the strength of our bed offering. It allows our sales consultants to sell with authority, and our customers to buy with confidence.

“Since winning the award, we’ve had a strong start to the year, capitalising on our NBF Award at every opportunity. This has included a strong marketing campaign of stand-alone bed brochures and TV ads, and a strong in-store presence. This activity, alongside ongoing range updates and the introduction of new brands, has helped drive significant year-on-year growth on beds, particularly for our UKmanufactured NBF brands.

“As a business, the key has been to bring our people on the journey, so we’ve invested heavily in training all 305 of our salesforce, with each now accredited by the NBF Sleep Council to be experts in selling ‘a great night’s sleep’.”

Former NBF President

Stuart Hibbert

THE OSCARS OF THE The 2015 Gala Dinner and NBF Bed Industry Awards will take place on Tuesday 22 September in the Ludlow Suite.

The industry’s biggest and most glamorous, must-attend event, the gala dinner, brings together almost 500 manufacturers, retailers and suppliers. The evening will start with a drinks reception followed by a threecourse sit-down dinner.

Back by popular demand, the evening is being hosted for the third time by writer, broadcaster, former MP and government whip, Gyles Brandreth. It will be topped off with the much-awaited NBF Bed Industry Awards.

Ticket prices this year include a donation to the National Bed Federation’s industry charity, The Furniture Makers’ Company.

A fantastic event for networking

with industry peers, colleagues and customers, and the celebrations will carry on into the evening with a cash bar and dancing until 1am.

Ticket prices are:

Individual tickets - £85 + VAT Table of eight - £615 + VAT Table of 10 - £770 + VAT

The Gala Dinner is

always a night to remember

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Retailers know there is always something new and innovative to be seen on the Sealy stand at the Telford Show and they make a beeline for it…

This year marks a special anniversary for Sealy as it commemorates 65 years of the Posturepedic spring system, and naturally there is a Sealy Anniversary Collection to celebrate this milestone! But the Company has come a long way in the intervening years and their commitment to being sleep experts and designing and making mattresses that are not only comfortable and properly supportive, but which will also last for years in perfect condition, has made them one of the most successful bed manufacturers in the country.

It’s little wonder this commitment to quality has resulted in not one, but TWO of the renowned Which? Best Buy accolades this year. The Napoli 1200 was the Best Buy in the pocket spring category for the THIRD year running.

The icing on the sleeping cake, however, was the other, the Sealy Teramo 1400 pocket spring, which was deemed by Which? to be ‘the best mattress we’ve tested in years’ and was therefore the highest scoring product across ALL mattress types.

Now everyone knows what the Sealy staff are busy beavering away at, up in the factory in the beautiful Lake District!

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As Neil Robinson, Sealy’s Marketing Director, says “These Awards are a real testament to the huge amount of research and testing that goes into the production of every new model we manufacture, and our aim is always to provide retailers and the public with the very best beds to choose from and make everyone deeper sleepers”.

But it isn’t only the springs and other materials that go into the beds and mattresses that Sealy’s designers work on. Knowing how storage space is now at a premium in more and more of our homes, on show at Telford is their latest creation, the new Sealy Ottoman.

The new Sealy Ottoman

State of the art hydraulics enable it to be lifted easily. Revealed underneath is wonderfully spacious storage which can house anything from kids’ clutter and toys, through to sports gear, spare duvets and pillows and bedlinen, or even luggage.

There is easy access to all the space and one push sends the mattress back down neatly with the bedding on top barely moved.

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The choice of mattress means every customer can be satisfied whether they want an Award winning pocket spring, the amazingly successful Hybrid, or perhaps a pocket spring version of the acclaimed Profile bed. There are so many Sealy mattresses to choose from.

If supporting your back is a key consideration, the highly praised Profile range, which launched at Telford in 2014 to huge interest, has been an enormous hit. So much so, there are now two new models in the range with either 1200 or 1400 pocket springs. The Profile Pocket will give the sleeper truly the best of all worlds - innovative spinal and neck support and almost unbelievable comfort.

The new Anniversary Deluxe

Plus you can view the new Sealy Anniversary Collection, commemorating 65 years of the Posturepedic spring system.

Come and see these stunning beds, and more, at the NBF Show on Sealy’s Stand (J50) and encourage your customers to become Deeper Sleepers too.

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“

more decorated than an enthusiastic cub scout.

At Sealy, we seem to be collecting so many awards and accreditations we just don’t have room to display them all.

Safe to say that we cover all the bases, from safety and recycleability to quality and service.

Scout’s honour.

www.sealy.co.uk

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“It’s one of the best value mattresses we’ve tested.”

Mirapocket 1200 Mattress Awarded Which? Best Buy Mattresses June 2015 For more information call 01282 851111 or visit www.silentnight.co.uk

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Silentnight Group has had a very busy year with significant investment in marketing and advertising activity. We can expect an exciting appearance from them this year with a number of new products from across their brands and an engaging digital zone.

Providing quality sleep solutions for all the family, Silentnight has a wide range of products to help mum look after the family. The foam free Safe Nights cot bed mattresses which are breathable and create a safer sleeping environment for babies and Healthy Growth children’s mattresses cater for the younger ones in the family. While the Miracoil and Mirapocket with a variety of comfort fillings and ratings ensure there is a product for everyone.

Within the Mirapocket range is the 1200 pocket model which was chosen by Which? as one of five winners in the 2015 group mattress test. It was praised by Which? for being ‘one of the best value mattresses we have tested’. Investment in an advertising campaign to support the award across its participating retail stockists will start within the next month.

Silentnight will be unveiling their sensational new product range Miraform, along with the new range they have been developing with designer Wayne Hemingway, aptly named ‘Hemingway… In Bed With Silentnight’. You can also meet the Hemingways on Tuesday 22nd at the stand.

It’s digital area will highlight their latest website developments which includes an interactive Bed Selector as well as housing the new contemporary collection ‘Studio by Silentnight’ and the Babies to Kids range.

And finally Jo Pavey, the ambassador of Silentnight’s Achievements brand campaign will be available to talk to at the stand on Wednesday 23rd – so come along to meet her.

Miraform Silentnight are proud to be unveiling its exciting new premium mattress technology at the show this year.

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SN Be

5 07:28

Two of Lancashire’s most famous exports; designer Wayne Hemingway and bed specialists Silentnight have come together to create a range of beds that combines quality and trust with cutting edge design – and they have even selected fabrics from the region!

Beautiful, yet practical beds that will appeal to all, Tilly Hemingway, the daughter of the ‘Red or Dead’ designer, is also personally involved in the design of the range – bringing her youth and fresh approach to Silentnight.

Rest Assured New for The Bed Show 2015, Rest Assured is unveiling an addition to the Traditional Pocket Collection. With 1400 pocket springs, the latest model in the range offers a double sided mattress with luxury wool filling for exceptional comfort and support. With a choice of headboard designs and base colours, it has been designed to offer exquisite style at an affordable price.

Pocket Spring Bed Company

Wayne and Tilly Hemingway will join the Silentnight team at the manufacturer’s stand to showcase their designs on Tuesday 22nd September.

“Gerardine and I both grew up not far from the Silentnight factory, We are proud of our Lancashire roots and now we can get up close anD personal with them every night” Wayne Hemingway MBE

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Earlier this year Silentnight Group launched their new luxury bed brand, Pocket Spring Bed Company in partnership with the National Trust, the range features a mattress design of a flower from Virginia Woolf’s home and uses traditional techniques to produce high quality, luxury beds.

Each bed and mattress is handcrafted by skilled manufacturers here in the UK.

COME AND SEE US AT STANDS

H40 AND J40 IN HALL 1 AT THIS YEAR’S SHOW.

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Our Heritage Collection offers affordable luxury and exquisite style and has been awarded Good Housekeeping Institute approval for the 2nd year running!

To find your nearest leading independent retailer visit www.rest-assured.co.uk

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RETAIL

CONSUMER RIGHTS CLARITY

XXXXXX XXXXXX

RIGHTS CLARITY

The Consumer Rights Act comes into effect on October 1 2015 and will, according to the Department for Business, Innovations and Skills, represent the biggest shake up of consumer law for years. Peter Stonely, lead officer for civil law with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) and director of Stonely Training and Consultancy explains what it means for bed retailers.

he new Consumer Rights Act streamlines and enhances existing law by replacing eight pieces of legislation, providing a single clear statement of rights for consumers when buying goods, services or digital content.

In reality it is the absolute clarity of the way that consumer rights have been stated that will surprise some businesses.

In this article we will look briefly at how the law will affect the sale of beds and associated products, we will focus on the rules covering the supply of goods and not look at the rules for the supply of services or digital content. The Act will apply to contracts entered into from October 1 2015, so the existing regime cannot be forgotten for six years (or five years in Scotland). The law does not deal with the rights of businesses buying from other businesses, which will remain within the existing legal framework.

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Consumer Rights

The Act sets out the rights consumers have when they buy goods from traders. Many of these should be familiar because they have not changed.

Satisfactory Quality

This is the standard that a reasonable person would regard as satisfactory, taking account of any description (second-hand, shop soiled, second etc), price and any other relevant circumstances that might define quality. The law tells us that we should consider: • The state and condition of the goods • Their fitness for their normal purposes • Their appearance and finish • Their freedom from minor defects • Their safety • Their durability - have they lasted as long

[ 61 [

as they should have?

This should be an easy test for a retailer to apply. Ask yourself: “How would I feel if I had bought these goods?” The bottom line is there are two reasons why goods fail to meet the test - the customer has misused them (for which you are not responsible) or that there is a manufacturing or design fault (when you are). The hard bit is deciding which of these it is and communicating this to the customer when you genuinely believe that they are to blame.

Satisfactory quality will not apply to faults that you have pointed out to the customer - make sure that you always make a note of these on any associated paperwork. Nor will it apply to any faults that a customer should have seen - for instance, you have a bed on display at a reduced price due a small tear in the base that is clearly visible.

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RETAIL

CONSUMER RIGHTS CLARITY Fitness for a purpose made known

Customers can use your expertise and the goods they buy must be reasonably fit for any purpose that they have made known to you, even if this is not a purpose that the goods should normally be used for.

It is that classic question:“I do not know what I want but will this be suitable for….?”.

A keen member of staff may commit you to an obligation that they should not have done.

Staff training should always include advice that if the answer is not known do not take a guess, seek further help.

As described

Goods should meet any description that you or the manufacturer has applied.

CTSI lead officer, Peter Stonely

Goods should match any model or sample

The inclusion of a model as well as a sample is new. This means that beds supplied must be the same as any material swatches.

In addition the bed on display would be classed as a model and the one delivered to the customer should be same - this an important right because, I am sure, customers will be encouraged to try out beds to select the one that feels right for them. Although this will be subjective, it is important that display items are kept fresh and are not worn out through excessive use, which could mislead customers.

Goods should be installed correctly

If you deliver and set up beds, then this must be carried out correctly. The bed may have been of satisfactory quality but if the installation lets you down, the customer will have a claim against you if the installers were employed by you.

Consumer remedies when things go wrong

The diagram, below, shows the route that your customer can take when goods don’t conform - the legal way of saying that one of their rights has been broken.

This new single route is very clear and may prove quite a shock to businesses that sell high priced articles. To add a little more detail to this:

• Short-term right to reject - customers can reject and request a full refund in the first 30 days if goods don’t conform. Once agreed, this must be given within 14 days, and will include the customer’s cost of returning the goods, although if they return them to where they collected them from they cannot claim for this. A customer can opt for a repair or replacement during this time, which will stop the 30 day period until the goods are replaced or returned. Thereafter, the period continues up to the 30 days, or seven days after the repair/replacement if that is longer.

receive a price reduction (refund) of an appropriate amount - this is likely to be smaller payment to compensate for the inconvenience that they have suffered.

• Repair or replacement - a customer can ask for a repair or replacement but you have the right to negotiate if an alternative is more proportionate to the problem and the price of what has been supplied. Whatever you agree upon must be delivered without causing the consumer any significant inconvenience. Sadly if your supplier delays sending a replacement, this can leave you vulnerable to the customer becoming frustrated and moving on to the next remedy.

Unfair Terms

(First 30 days)

Do not use any contract terms or notices that attempt to restrict customer’s rights, as set out above. Such terms or notice are not binding on the customer and are illegal.

Time for change

The Act will provide a tremendous opportunity for you to review how you work with your customers. Should you need more information, detailed guidance is available on the CTSI Business Companion website.

• Final right to reject or price reduction you have one attempt to repair or replace goods. After that the customer is entitled to request a full refund, if within the first six months, and a refund less a deduction for use of the goods after that. Alternatively the customer can keep the goods and

www.businesscompanion.info

>>

>> Short term right to reject

The good business will not have a problem with this new single route, good customer care will ensure that customers are happy to give you more opportunities to put things right. The law does not force the customer to take a particular action and clearly allows you the opportunity to negotiate.

Repair or replacement

Final right to reject or price reduction (After one failed repair or replacement)

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HILARY DEVEY CBE

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MANUFACTURING

MPT GROUP

COMFORTAB

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Beds looks at the MPT Group’s mechanical marvels that are contributing to the advancement of UK manufacturing.

here’s an old saying that a bad craftsman blames his tools. Now, while this maybe true in the sense of people not accepting fault for their own failures, it rather ignores the fact that in real terms, shoddy equipment can dramatically contribute to sub-standard products.

It doesn’t matter how skilled an individual might be, ask them to produce something to the best of their ability with outdated, in-effective equipment and you are setting them up to fail.

So for the very same reason that accountants would balk at doing your annual accounts on an abacus, in the competitive world of bed manufacture, you have to source the best equipment available. And that’s where Lancashirebased MPT Group, the UK’s leading producer of mattress making machinery enters the equation.

The MPT Group has forged an outstanding reputation for its innovative machinery, supplying cutting edge equipment to some 80 countries worldwide. However, this September the business has its attentions fixed intently upon the UK as it makes its sixth appearance at leading trade event, the NBF Bed show in Telford.

So to find out more about what the business has planned for the event, Beds paid a visit to its Bacup headquarters to find out more.

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Quilt Remarkable

One of the most exciting innovations that MPT will be exhibiting at the Bed show will be its latest advancement in quilting in the form of its Matramatic Sculpture Quilt Pro. The high-speed, continuous-feed quilting machine has been designed specifically for the efficient production of bespoke quilting effects on mattresses and similar products.

Being offered in several different configurations, including machine quilting size, single or twin sewing head configurations, and in either standard or heavy duty specifications, the Matramatic Sculpture Quilt Pro provides maximum flexibility.

The Verso-Quilt offers enormous scope for creativity and style.”

The Tuft Gets Going

The constant drive of the MPT Group to innovate means that it is frequently introducing the next generation of cutting edge machines and the introduction of its New Generation Auto-tufter is a perfect example of this.

Designed specifically with volume producers in mind, the new Auto-tufter is now a more capable and flexible machine than ever in order to meet the increasing demand being seen for tufted mattresses.

Combining an array of invaluable improvements, the Auto-tufter means that manufacturing operations can be more efficient than ever.

One of the aspects that the new machine offers is significantly reduced changeover times on tuft lengths, allowing the process to be performed in under five minutes.

The reduction in changeover times is further complemented by an increase in production speed. To put this into some perspective, a single bed can be tufted by the system in under 59 seconds from in-feed to exiting the machine.

Unsurprisingly, the additional rapidity of the tufting process should enable many UK producers to complete the tufting of in excess of 260 mattresses a single shift. In fact, one prominent manufacturer using the equipment has reported achieving as many as 400 in a single shift.

The Verso-Quilt

from MPT Group

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MANUFACTURING

MPT GROUP look, might lead you to believe that acquiring one would cost a business a small fortune.

However, in perhaps the best benefit of all, customers have reported that they have received payback on their investment in the technology in less than two years.

Verso Virtuoso

ABLE

The machine’s auto product sizing and improved in-feed systems further enhances performance adding additional flexibility.

Naturally, the improved capabilities provide a vast variety of benefits. The system reduces the necessity for manual handling of heavy mattress constructions and in turn minimizes the potential for damage to the product.

By eliminating bottle necks in the tufting process through its heightened flow line production efficiency it reduces labour costs and requires just one operator for the tufting and quality inspection of 200-300 beds a day.

That the machine does all this in addition to offering the special advantages of greater production output per square foot and producing end products with a more tailored

For those looking to add a touch of extra refinery to their products, MPT Group has also developed machinery to take mattress borders to a whole new dimension.

The inspiring Verso-Quilt has been introduced to facilitate the production of 3D border effects for high-end products.

The technology allows manufacturers to create intricate effects that would simply be unachievable with standard quilting technology.

With designs being able to be created on screen, the Verso-Quilt offers enormous scope for creativity and style. In order to create these impressive designs the VersoQuilt utilizes high speed, servo-controlled sewing heads that can deliver a limitless range of pattern effects and border finishes.

Like MPT Group’s other technical wizardry; Verso-Quilt is extremely flexible and can be supplied as a twin head system or linked into an optional multi-needle sewing head to further enhance borders with 3D spacer fabrics and decorative tape, a feature which also offers the added benefit of automatic hemming of the borders during the quilting process to reduce secondary processing.

Stars Of The Show

Even ahead of the Bed Show, many of MPT Group’s innovations have already received

great praise from the international trade following a triumphant display at leading trade event Interzum.

Discussing the success of the company at the show, managing director, Andrew Trickett says: “Shows like Interzum are an important part of our marketing strategy here at MPT Group, as they allow us to speak to potential customers face-to-face and physically demonstrate the many benefits of our machinery.

“The exhibition gaves us access to a very large, yet targeted audience and also offered a chance to see what else is going on in the industry. We took the opportunity to showcase a wide range of our technology, such as the new AutoTuft machine, which attracted a lot of attention, the Matramatic Sculpture Quilt Pro, the Matramax Tape Edge Machine, the Fanghanel label and handle attacher, and the prestigious Infinity Sleep Support System.

“We certainly found that the show offered significant sales opportunities, having secured new business from Mexico along with more business in new European markets as well as in the UK.” Beds would certainly recommend that anyone looking to enhance their UK manufacturing operations should definitely pay a visit to the MPT Group’s stand (F80) at Telford. As from what we’ve seen, their latest range of machines have all the functions to make a real difference to production efficiency and product quality.

In fact, they’re the perfect way to make yourself comfortable.

www.mptgroup.com

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RETAIL

RETAIL VIEW

VIEW

Beds Magazine asked four leading retailers for their views on the issues and challenges they currently face – and how they see consumer expectations and motivations changing.

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RETAIL

RETAIL VIEW The Retailers David Amery (buyer) for the Sterling Furniture Group Alan Williams (managing director) for Steinhoff UK Retail, including Bensons for Beds Mike Logue (CEO) for Dreams Colin Heal (general manager) for Newbridge Street Bedding Centre What, to you, is currently the burning issue for bed retailers?

How are you tackling that?

David Amery: Following a couple of years of a challenging trading environment during the ‘recession’ the task has been to focus on detail. This has led to ensuring that all the boxes are ticked with regard to compliance with the NBF code and each member of staff has been trained to offer a quality level of service to our customers. We live in a very competitive market place so the speed with which we respond to lead times and resolve service issues is vital to retain customers once they have purchased. At Sterling we have worked very hard with our current supply chain to reduce lead times, agree service levels and train all staff in partnership with suppliers to ensure consistency across all locations.

Alan Williams: It’s all about ensuring we understand the individual needs of our customers and then through our knowledge and expertise show that we are the ones to help them find the right bed. To address this we have invested in our unique and exclusive Comfort Station Adaptive (CSA) system - that’s investment in bespoke technology, in training every member of staff and in a forthcoming marketing programme to inform customers all about it. With the CSA we’ll be able to

We live in a very competitive market place so the speed with which we respond to lead times and resolve service issues is vital. provide a higher level of service that meets the needs of each customer individually so they get just what they are looking for.

Mike Logue: I see the biggest issue for the industry is to grow the market. Encouraging more customers to replace their mattress more often is what we are focussing on to ensure customers have a healthier/better sleep. We have recently launched our ‘Replace Every 8’ campaign and all our Dreams manufactured mattresses now come with a ‘Replace by’ label.

Colin Heal: One of the burning issues for ourselves would be making sure we are dealing with reputable manufacturers. When a manufacturer is an NBF approved member you are assured that they are following stringent guidelines, including fire safety and code of practice. If a manufacturer/importer is a non-member we always apply due diligence and ask for fire retardant certificates and other relevant paperwork. Keeping the customer safe is paramount and no one deserves to be concerned about what they are sleeping on at night when they have made a purchase from a high street retailer. Education is vital and The Sleep Council together with the NBF has made great strides forward in this

area. The flame retardant labelling has been hugely helpful in reassuring the retailer and ultimately the customer.

that?

Where do you see the future of bed retailing? How are you aligning your strategy to embrace

David Amery: The future of bed retailing is to embrace all things connected with ‘the sleep experience’ thus driving average transactional value upwards with pillows, linens, mattress protectors etc. When customers place their trust in Sterling by shopping with us, it is only good practice that we cater for all their requirements.

Alan Williams: The formula of bed retailing will still contain the same elements; great product, great service, great value for money and integrated, easy to understand sales channels. The future is brightest for those retailers who do all these things, having truly understood what the customer is looking for; and who do them in a way that is utterly consistent with what they want their brand to mean to those customers. At Bensons we will continue to invest significantly in product development (our new iGel and Sensaform ranges are two recent examples of this), in our

ON THE PANEL

Alan Williams

Managing director for Steinhoff UK Retail (including Bensons for Beds)

Colin Heal

David Amery

General manager for Newbridge Street Bedding Centre

Buyer for the Sterling Furniture Group

Mike Logue

CEO for Dreams

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RETAIL

RETAIL VIEW teams (through training and development programmes) in our store base (so we deliver inspiring shopping environments with a touch of theatre) and in our websites.

Mike Logue: I see the industry becoming even more competitive and consumers becoming more demanding for better products and better prices. At Dreams we put the customer first in all that we do and listen to over 1,000 customer comments a week via our Pillow Talk website to ensure we are doing all we can to continuously improve.

Colin Heal: The future of bed retailing will be like nothing that has gone before.

High street retailing will be led by digital marketing and any company that does not embrace this new era will be left behind.

We have a highly influential e-commerce website that is helping us to develop our digital strategy and we are reaching and delivering to customers we would never have hoped to target before. It is the only way to grow the business. Social media and the education we do through such channels, regarding the importance of sleep, will make us stand out as the specialist centre with expert advice that people can trust.

How do you regard online retailing – as a threat or vital part of your sales growth?

David Amery: Online retailing is not a threat - it is an opportunity to grow business. It will be measured by the way we embrace and use the internet and social media to get our message about a good night’s sleep across to the buying public. Our potential customers carry out extensive research prior to purchasing so we need to ensure our suppliers assist in supporting us to drive business to our stores. It is vital that historic discounting without a high standard of service is left in the past. The way forward is for our suppliers to think more carefully about how they grow their brand presence in all online mediums. Our potential new customers have grown up using this technology and we must engage with them.

Alan Williams: Online is a key and growing part of our business and we had another record year last year. But we need to move on from thinking online and stores are separate - customers don’t see it that way, so we shouldn’t either. We’re working on joining things up, making it easier for them to shop in whichever channel they want and at whatever stage of the journey suits them.

Mike Logue: Online is vital. Over one million consumers visit our website every month and it is often their first detailed view of our brand for over 10 years.

Customers are no longer ‘going online’ they are ‘living online’ and it is vital we are at our best in all our digital channels.

Colin Heal: Online retailing is absolutely

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 68

vital to the future of this company. More companies should embrace reviews, feedback and fair pricing policies as it is this transparency that will set them apart from the unscrupulous internet trader.

Are consumer tastes/expectations changing? If so, how?

distress purchase – but not to the level that most people might think (about 30%). This is followed by moving house, a room revamp and ‘just fancied a change’. Then came children growing up (less than 10%), followed by a long tail of other reasons.

David Amery: Customer tastes are changing with a move away from ‘wall to wall’ memory foam and related hybrids to a more bespoke, natural story. At Sterling Furniture we want to achieve the best sleep experience possible for the customer.

Mike Logue: The age of the mattress is the biggest single reason to buy that we see across the country as customers have often delayed as long as they can before replacing.

However, we are also seeing a significant increase in home moving and improving, driving the need for a replacement bed frame and mattress.

Alan Williams: In terms of tastes we are tapping into the increasing desire for fabric over leather. As house sizes continue to

Colin Heal: The biggest driver in terms of the customer’s reason to buy has got to be the age of their mattress. Educating people

In today’s marketplace changes happen more rapidly due to Information driven by the internetand social marketing.” shrink, or perhaps as possessions increase, built in storage is becoming ever more important and the British love for tech means TV, media and motion beds are in greater demand. On top of this, we think customers want to be individuals and express their personality so customisable solutions will also come more to the fore.

Mike Logue: Customers are becoming more and more informed and better prepared before purchasing with over 90% of them researching on the web before buying.

However two thirds of customers still want to test products in a showroom. Price is no longer the only decision, levels of service in showrooms and delivery service and timescales are also a major factor.

Colin Heal: Consumer tastes will always change as fashions change. In today’s market place, such changes happen more rapidly due to information driven by the internet and social marketing. Expectations are also higher with customers wanting an even higher level of service. If this, however, is what you are used to providing, it can only help build your business as you are a trusted part of your target audiences’ lives.

What is the biggest driver in terms of the customer’s ‘reason to buy’ (distress purchase/age of mattress/ house move/room revamp/growing children/imminent guests etc) David Amery: Most customers’ ‘reason to buy’ is still a distress purchase – they are replacing a worn out bed that no longer satisfies their comfort requirements and many are returning customers. As the housing market recovers a new house purchase is helping to drive volume.

Alan Williams: Our recent research showed that the biggest driver continues to be

[ 68 [

about the need to change their mattress every seven years has helped hugely. People are now aware of the fact that a bad night’s sleep can be down to the age of their mattress where once they would have not considered this option.

What is the biggest driver in terms of customer choice (familiar brand/ looks/latest technology/comfort/ price etc?)

David Amery: High proportions of customers are now well informed thanks to the internet and have conducted research before entering our shops. They like the fact we offer quality NBF approved brands which along with comfort and guaranteed after sales service certainly motivate final choice.

Alan Williams: In our opinion comfort is the biggest driver of customer choice. That is why we’ve introduced Comfort Station Adaptive into every one of our stores. This is followed by reassurance about product selection, then style. Under-pinning all of that are the central basics of good retailing; deliver high quality products, at great value for money through friendly, expert staff.

Mike Logue: Price/budget is still key but not the only consideration. Customers are researching ways for better sleep and learning more and more about comfort levels provided by foam, latex, natural fillings, types and number of springs. Customer choice is based around the value equation: level of comfort/level of spend.

Colin Heal: We recently conducted an online survey with a local radio station to which we had an astounding 3000 entries. When questioned, just one in five participants said they would choose a bed based on style over comfort which ultimately means 80% of our potential customers told us that comfort is the biggest driver.

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Join us!

2BE0D s1ho5w

r eptembe S 3 2 2 2 H50 D N A T S al Centre n io t a n r e Int Telford

CREATING COMFORTABLE SLEEP SOLUTIONS

FOR EVERYBODY

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GEL TECHNOLOGY

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DESIGN

TCS

CONTEMPORARY How TCS’s new Contemporary Sleep collection is set to help retailers improve on their bottom line.

ith the further expansion of its Royal Coil Range of mattresses, TCS has just launched into the UK marketplace its entirely new range of Contemporary Sleep mattresses.

Designed and manufactured with the latest spring technologies, comfort layers and coverings, these four new mattresses will stand out within any bedroom showroom.

As TCS managing director, Thomas Small, explains: “The Contemporary Sleep range

The Contemporary Sleep collection incorporates

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

modern airflow technologies

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was developed over a two year period, utilising experts from within the bedding manufacturing industry and the TCS team.

We wanted to provide a mattress that filled gaps within the bedding industry, primarily incorporating modern airflow technologies with pocket spring techniques and comfort layers, that brought together all the benefits of these advances into one collection.”

From their inception, these mattresses have been designed to provide a top quality look and feel along with a top quality sleep, and aimed at the upper-mid range customer but at a mid range price point. With distinctive finishes such as the fabrics, pillow or box tops, the Royal Coil finishing tapes and the embroidered name at the end of the mattress and the vertical handles, all combine to give an air of luxury and uniqueness to potential customers.

Never before has the bedding sector been more competitive and now with the flooring and furniture industries looking to diversify into other revenue streams and furniture retailers looking for ways to widen their product offerings, more and more ‘specialist’ retailers are turning to beds to improve on their offerings.

As Thomas tells us: “With the multiples such as Carpetright now rolling out beds

B The mattresses have been designed to provide a

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top quality look and feel

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o

R

Beds_Be

“...fantastic show, always is, every year”

“...serious about selling beds on the UK market, you have to be at the show”

“...allows us to totally devote ourselves to beds”

“...great opportunity to see what’s new and changing and to look for emerging trends”

“...we’ve been here every year and we will continue to do so”

“...focus purely on bed retailing and bed buyers”

BRITAIN’S BIGGEST BED EXHIBITION organised by the bed industry for the bed industry

Register now at www.bedshow.co.uk Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 71 Beds_BedShow2015_page.indd 1

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DESIGN

TCS The company wants to help retailers improve on their

bottom line

within their new stores, we are offering bedroom retailers the opportunity to offer beds that exude luxury, yet offer lower price points to the multiples within their stores that aren’t available to these multiples.”

“Once an order has been placed with TCS, the company takes over and ensures that the new bed is delivered to your customer by a professional team of installers, with little to no disruption to your core business.”

Serving existing retailers with these new offerings from the company, Thomas informs us: “We wanted to help mattress retailers improve on their bottom line and seeing how the larger multiples were reacting to the market, we saw an opportunity to offer new products that are not available to the multiples within their

TCS is offering

in-store studios with its Royal Coil range

already established environment.”

TCS is offering in-store studios with its range of Royal Coil mattresses and beds to carpet and flooring retailers, which take up the minimum of square footage requirements within a retailer’s store, and with the award

The company will appear at the January Furniture Show

winning logistics and service that TCS offer and their direct home delivery service, flooring retailers do not need large warehousing, delivery services, or in fact any logistics to deliver the TCS range of beds to their customers’ homes.

Thomas confirms that the Contemporary Sleep Collection will be available to view at the company’s stand at the January Furniture Show in 2016, a show that is a well-trusted event for TCS, who enjoyed a great response at this year’s show when it exhibited with its new sofa and swivel chair ranges, as well as a new electric recliner gaming chair.

To contact TCS regarding installing an in-store studio for its bed offerings, contact 00353 429 351 351, email info@tcsimports. com or visit the company’s website.

www.tcsfurniturerange.com

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SEE US AT THE 2015 BED SHOW STAND H10

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Contact us today to find out more 01235 529 148 sales@thefoamco.co.uk

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 73

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MANUFACTURING

BREASLEY

Triple THREAT

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Breasley Consumer Products prepares to celebrate a decade of design and innovation with an enhanced presence at the 2015 NBF Bed Show.

ave you ever heard the expression ‘less is more’ and thought it didn’t seem right? It seems to be the go-to phrase for people trying to make excuses rather than apologies when something is lacking from their offer. And while we are not disputing the fact that a little of something can be quite nice, we hope we’re not alone when we say that we’d choose more over less most days. A perfectly presented plate of haute cuisine food, for example, will most likely be lost in the plate it arrives on, and while it may taste extraordinary, just think how much better that could be if you could have as much as you wanted.

Let’s face it, the more you have the more likely the chances are of pleasing as many people as possible. Let the consumer decide how little or how much they would like to partake of and you surely can’t

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 74

go wrong. It is this mentality that fuels performers today to become what is known in theatrical circles as a ‘triple threat’. That is, someone who can sing, dance and act to an equally high standard and therefore inch out any competition who can only offer, say, two out of three.

We’d certainly like to think it was this mentality that inspired bed manufacturer Breasley Consumer Products to take steps to exhibit on not just one stand at the NBF Bed Show, or even two, but three separate stands. Enabling the business to highlight the depth and breadth of its design, innovation and manufacturing capabilities, the three stands will include one that will be devoted to Breasley’s Naked Beds brand.

Regular readers of Beds Magazine will recall Naked Beds’ grand unveiling last year, and the significant interest the brand received from retailers who were looking

to target a more female market. Today, Naked Beds’ popularity continues, and the four bed collection of softly shaped, fully upholstered divans, featuring raised pattern stretch weave ticking, will take pride of place on stand J60 of the Beds Show when doors open on September 22.

This increased show presence is just one way the business is celebrating reaching 10 years of bringing fresh ideas and exciting, new technology to the bed market.

As Breasley’s managing director, Stuart Hibbert, explains: “A decade of experience has been gained from those first steps in developing the vacuum packed mattress business in the UK, to becoming the country’s leading No.1 producer. Brands from those early years, such as Postureform and Flexcell, are still best sellers today, but Breasley has gone on to develop the Salus Bed Collection and, more recently, Naked

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The home of the Healthopaedic mattress

highgatebeds.com +44 (0)1924 454 678 Kings Mill, Mill Street East, Dewsbury, WF12 9AN

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MANUFACTURING

BREASLEY Beds – the natural way to sleep, and MediMatt®.”

Ask what Stuart thinks has kept Breasley on top form since the company’s inception in 2005 and he has no doubt of the answer; innovation. From a blank piece of paper the business saw immediate success with its initial offer of three vacuum packed mattresses, turning over £5m at the end of its first year. Since then, the diversity of the products on offer has skyrocketed, with non-vacuum packed mattresses, divans and hand-tufted mattresses all joining the ranks of Breasley’s product offer.

“We are always looking at ways to introduce new technology to add value and USPs to our products, which has led to our exclusive UK affiliation with the manufacturers of Viscoool®” Stuart tells us, continuing: “This new generation of visco foam has been scientifically proven to stay cooler for longer than standard memory foam, whilst still offering a superb comfort feel. The success of Viscoool under the Salus brand has led to its development within the Medi-Matt range under the ‘Prestige Pocket’ label.”

Also keen to re-energise the interest in latex mattresses and to grow the market in the UK, Breasley jumped at the chance at an exclusive UK partnership with Belgian latex foam manufacturer Latexco. Seeing it as a chance to answer the growing demand for more natural and high quality products, the 2015 Salus Latex Collection will be on

Medi-Matt Prestige 2000

Damson with Loft headboard

We are always looking at ways to introduce new technoogy to add value and usps to our products.”

2015 marks Breasley’s

tenth year of business

display at Telford, with a stylish look and contemporary design to appeal to the discerning bed buyer.

Of course, this latest milestone is only the beginning of Breasley’s journey as a business. Having spent a decade laying foundations and building a reputation that will last, all that is left is to wait and see what exciting new developments and products the next ten years will hold for the company. And, far from signifying an end of an era, Breasley’s presence at the NBF Bed Show promises to give retailers a glimpse of

Breasley will be exhibiting on three stands at the

NBF Bed Show

[ 76 [ Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 76

what they can expect to see in the future.

As Stuart divulges: “To celebrate our anniversary, we will be showcasing ’10 of the best’, a new and unique vacuum packed collection that features exclusive mini-spring technology combined with Viscoool and premium grade foams. We recently invested in the latest folding and compression machinery, which has also led to more creative packaging options and, more importantly, reduced transport costs.”

Just a couple of paces away from Breasley’s ’10 of the best’ collection the company will be exhibiting its Salus brand on a second stand, where there promises to be a real ‘show stopper’, which will be new and exclusive to the UK. A hybrid of German engineering and Breasley design, details of the product have been kept under wraps in the run up to Telford. What we do know, however, is that we can look forward to seeing a ‘fantastic lifestyle product’ that could be set to revolutionise the adjustable bed market. With this constant flurry of activity, three stands seems more than justified for Breasley Consumer Products. In fact, if it continues at the same rate, we’d be very happy to see even more. After all, as we like to say, more is most definitely more.

www.breasley.co.uk

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DESIGN

HIGHGATE BEDS Highgate Beds’

Valencia Olive model

Repeat

PERFORMANCE

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

How mattress specialist Highgate Beds has been making the most of the run-up to the NBF Bed Show. ow often have you seen your favourite film, or read your favourite book? Do you eat the food you love often, and spend plenty of time with the people you get on well with? Of course you do. It is a fact that, no matter how many times you experience something, if you loved it once its likely you always will. Some things are so timeless that they only bear repeating, such as reruns of Only Fools and Horses, while some may enable you to notice something new every time, witnessing a Guns N Roses concert, for example.

And it doesn’t end with small things.

Holidaymakers will often find themselves returning to the places they have the fondest memories of, and if a motorist is pleased with one make of car it is more

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 78

than likely they will commit to buying the same brand in the future. Maybe it’s a sign that we as a society don’t enjoy the risk of the unknown, or maybe we’re just smart enough to know when we’re onto a good thing.

An industry example of this phenomenon is the NBF Bed Show, held this year from Tuesday 22 until Wednesday 23 September at Telford’s International Centre. Each year the showcase never fails to attract a veritable ‘whose who’ of the UK bed industry, and its easy to understand why. Companies in attendance at last year’s outing praised the event’s layout, visitor profile and general organisation, with one exhibitor calling it a ‘must attend’.

One company that is no stranger to The Bed Show’s exhibitor list is Dewsbury-based

Highgate Beds is committed to being eco-friendly

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DESIGN

HIGHGATE BEDS manufacturer, Highgate Beds. Keen to learn more about this industry stalwart, Beds met up with the company’s sales director, Zahid Ayub, to hear what Highgate Beds has planned for Telford and beyond.

“We’ve been in business for almost 40 years, ever since the company was set up by my father,” Zahid informs us, continuing: “Today, the company is still run by our family, and I like to think it always will be.

“Since the recession we have changed our business model, a lot of our products have been changed, and a lot of new raw materials have been introduced, including a lot more natural fillings.”

Highgate Beds currently has around 30 mattresses, a concise offer which it recently downsized from more than 100. The brand has always manufactured its products in the UK, and is committed to continuing this into the future, with Zahid confidently asserting that there is a large enough talent pool in the local area to enable to business to comfortably continue for a number of years to come.

Natural materials are also sourced as locally as possible, but Highgate Bed’s commitment to its roots doesn’t end there, with Zahid also happy to fill us in on how the business is fulfilling its duty to the environment.

As he tells us: “We do a lot of recycling

The Rhapsody Ottoman in Naples Grey

in our factories, and while we don’t recycle mattresses like some other companies do, we ensure we recycle the raw materials we work with.

“It isn’t difficult to ensure the right waste products are bailed properly and sent to the correct recycling companies. It is only a small expense and it’s a lot better than filling up skips and landfill sites. I want Highgate to be as eco-friendly as it can be, so we’ve been working on our eco-friendly credentials for the last four or five years. Its something that we believe every company should do. Being environmentally friendly is something every company can do.”

Having spent almost four decades creating the business we find today, the team at Highgate Beds certainly have adequate experience to continue for many years to come, but what about the products on offer? Well, one innovation that Zahid is particularly eager

The brand will be

exhibiting on stand G30 of the NBF Bed Show

We’ve been getting some really good feedback.”

to acquaint us with is the company’s Zero Gravity range.

“It’s a form of filling that comprises a foam product combined with springs, and over the last two years we’ve been getting some really good feedback and its doing really well,” he explains.

“Zero Gravity is actually part of our main branding, which is Healthopeadic. It started as a collection, but over the last 15 years we’ve developed it into a separate branding and since then it’s done fantastic things for us.

“We find that customers are actually asking for the Healthopaedic brand rather than Highgate and by the time 2016 arrives I think most of our products will feature the Healthopaedic branding.”

It is Zero Gravity that will be taking centre stage when Highgate Beds sets up its stand at this year’s NBF Bed Show, and the company will also be taking the opportunity to introduce some of its high spring count mattresses. But if you find yourself unable to make the annual pilgrimage to Telford this September, never fear, for Highgate Beds, among a seemingly never ending list of industry names, is already planning its appearance at next year’s edition of the January Furniture Show, where you will be able to try out it’s Healthopaedic brand for yourself. And who knows? It may become a firm favourite.

www.highgatebeds.com

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MARKETING MAGIC

Awards, accreditations, endorsements and official certifications.

They’re all nice to have – but which ones really pack a punch when it comes to upping sales? Beds Magazine has been looking at what’s out there, what’s what; and how they rate on the 1 – 10 scale of ‘marketing magic’. Jan Turner reports.

There’s no doubt that certain endorsements resonate with the consumer. They provide a clear ‘permission to purchase’ signal and communicate a whole host of messages from quality to value-formoney to luxury and durability. In short they give the public the kind of trust and reassurance in a product or service that translates directly into hard sales.

But which ones work for the bed sector? If you’re a manufacturer, does a good trade accreditation – such as the NBF Code of Practice – matter the

Ian Owen, UK sales director, Carpenter: “Over the last few years we

have seen news reports about cheap labour in the clothing industry, human trafficking into countries where they are made to work for a pittance and the horsemeat scandal. All these have tarnished retailers and manufacturers alike. ISO9001 and Sedex confirms to the retailer and consumer their supplier has good systems, is fully compliant with UK regulations and treats its work-force in a social and ethical way. Companies with these are in a stronger position to gain business in today’s market.”

Mike Nash, md of The Foam Company: “The Which? Best Buy award really helped to put us on the map back in 2008. We’d only gone in to making mattresses a couple of years before and getting the award for our Sleepshaper memory foam mattress really helped to establish the brand for us. It helped us to get the name out there and translated into greatly improved sales.”

most? Or is the ultimate piece of marketing magic still a consumer recognised award such as a Which? Best Buy award or a Royal Warrant?

We asked a number of manufacturers and retailers what really works for them. The table overleaf shows most of the accreditations, endorsements and certifications relevant to the bed industry along with the out-of-ten rating awarded to each by the manufacturers and retailers who took part in our survey.

Our report starts with comments from a number of people across the sector followed by an explanation of the various accreditations mentioned.

Paul Little, national group sales director, Relyon and Steinhoff UK Beds Limited: “Operating

in a market that is swamped by products, largely sold to consumers who have limited knowledge of the brands or product, the key to success lays within the relationships retailers have with their suppliers. If retailers have confidence in the quality of any particular range of products, they will happily sell these, knowing that they can satisfy the needs of their customers.

“Supported by all the great work the NBF does throughout the year, such as the training academies and audits, retailers respect and place a huge amount of merit on the NBF Manufacturer of the Year award. For this reason I would say this is the most coveted award a manufacturer could receive.”

Ross Thurston, marketing director, Millbrook Beds: “We were

awarded four out of five stars by Which? magazine 2012 for ‘best value for money’ for our Splendour model, part of the Grandeur collection. In the past three years we have experienced a steady growth in this collection

in in and now the Splendour is in our top three best sellers.

Retailers have used this as part of their selling technique offering reassurance to the end customer.”

Pete Ruddle, sales director for Simmons Bedding: “We have held the

Prince of Wales award since 1985 and the Queen’s between 1963 – 2012. We have supplied a number of different products to the royal households over the years which are invariably from our High Street collections. We’ve promoted this to the consumer through on-product branding/ labelling, product brochures, point of sale material within retail outlets as well as on the Sleepeezee and stockists’ websites. It is difficult to evaluate the effect they have had on sales as the Sleepeezee brand has been coupled with Royal Warrants for many years.

As such our retailers and consumers alike appreciate the unsaid benefits that exist, although this is difficult to put into monetary terms.”

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MARKETING MAGIC

MAGIC

in

in Fara Butt, marketing director, Shire Beds: “When

Naheed Effendi of Shire Beds won the Woman in Furniture award in 2005 it had a very positive effect on sales – they have risen year on year since then. We had some coverage in Cabinet Maker and some in the Yorkshire Post and local press. We have also found it useful being members of the Calderdale and Kirklees Manufacturing Alliance, of which I was on the steering group. It helps local manufacturing businesses stay in touch and work together on points of mutual interest.”

James Keen, director, Hypnos: “I

believe being the proud holder of a Royal Warrant, which was first granted to my family

by King George V in 1929 and renewed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, has been the most instrumental in shaping the Hypnos brand and business. Being a trusted supplier to the royal family has given Hypnos a world of opportunities; specifically we now have a global reach that is able to cater to

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royals and dignitaries across the world. The Royal Warrant has been fundamental to this development and become part of who we are as a company.”

Nick Booth, marketing director, Silentnight: “From a sales and marketing

point of view, Which? Best Buy has significant credibility, both to the trade and end consumers. We are delighted to have been awarded Which? Best Buy and best value for our Silentnight 1200 pocket deluxe in the latest mattress test programme. We will certainly be using this heavily in the ongoing marketing programme both on and off line.”

Colin Heal, general manager, Newbridge Street Bedding Centre: “By far, the Which? Best Buy Award is the strongest, giving confidence to buy in all areas – customer satisfaction, comfort, value for money and durability.”

on the ticket, or perhaps even more so, the size of the discount or reduction.

“We have to engage, entertain, and educate them, and will use Royal Warrants, Guild Marks and NBF Approved labels to reinforce our sales pitch where appropriate but, despite NBF advertising campaigns, there is little public awareness of how we measure and accredit quality. Fortunately we generate a very high level of loyal repeat and recommendation business, when the customers will usually trust us to find them the right bed with the right comfort level, to suit both purpose and pocket.

“The Which? Best Buy Awards have created some interest in the past, particularly a few years ago when Healthbeds were the winners, and generated considerable demand.”

Ian Casson, md, Reddish Beds, Stockport: “Sad as it may be, all that

the majority of our new customers are initially interested in is big brand names and the price

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MARKETING MAGIC THE MANUFACTURER’S VIEW

Awards, accreditations and certifications explained:

The out-of-ten rating given by each of the contributing manufacturers holding that particular award.

ISO 9001

The NBF Code of Practice sets out criteria for ensuring processes and procedures are in place for supply chain scrutiny and compliance with regulatory requirements. It covers three key areas of business – flammability, health and hygiene and trade descriptions.

Membership of the NBF is dependent on compliance with the Code, and to achieve that compliance every NBF manufacturer member has agreed to an independent audit against the Code’s criteria, conducted by BM TRADA.

NBF Code of Practice

SMETA Best Practice Guidance (SMETA BPG) is a compilation of social audit best practices to help auditors achieve the consistency needed for social audits to be widely accepted by retailers and brands.

2008 - ISO 9001 is a quality management standard. It suits all organisations large or small and covers all sectors, including charities and the voluntary sector. It aims to help organisations become structured and efficient.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is an international non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) through independent third-party certification.

THE RETAIL VIEW

NBF Manufacturer of the Year

7

AIS Supplier of the Year

4

AIS Retailer of the Year

4

NBF Approved

6

FSC Timber

6

FIRA Gold Award

4

6

Which? Best Buy

7

10

Queens Award for Industry

5

Royal Warrant

8

NBF Code of Practice

9

WCFM Guild Mark

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6

8

5

10

10

10

9

10

10

10

9

10

9

10

FISP

10

FIRA Gold Royal Warrant WCFM Sustainability Award Which? Best Buy Award Woman in Furniture Award Queen’s Award for Enterprise NBF Bed Manufacturer of The Year Award AIS Gold Standard Award Carbon Neutral BS PAS 2060 Manufacturing Guild Mark

10

10 6

10

10

10 8

10 8

SATRA Approved

9

Superbrand

8

7

Good Housekeeping Institute

5

6

Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme (FISP). Launched in 2006 to support and improve the furniture industry’s sustainability credentials, FISP has rapidly become established as the industry forum on all environmental and sustainable issues.

to recognise the manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and e-tailers who are leading the way.

The FIRA Gold certification scheme is a quality certification mark for a product or its installation within the furniture and kitchen industries and signifies that it has been assessed against specified performance levels through independent tests or evaluation.

PAS 2060 is a specification detailing how to demonstrate carbon neutrality produced and published by the British Standards Institution.

Royal Warrants are granted to people or companies who have regularly supplied goods or services for a minimum of five consecutive years to The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh or The Prince of Wales.

The Manufacturing Guild Mark is awarded to a company rather than a specific product or product range and is widely recognised as the mark of excellence for Britain’s top furniture and furnishing manufacturers.

The out-of-ten rating’ supplied by retailers responding to our survey.

10

10

FSC

The Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (Sedex) is a not-for-profit, membership organisation for businesses committed to the continuous improvement of ethical performance within their supply chains.

Sedex was founded in 2001 by a group of UK retailers to drive convergence in social audit standards and monitoring practices. The aims of Sedex are to ease the auditing burden on suppliers through the sharing of reports and to drive improvements in supply chain labour standards.

8

8

SMETA/SEDEX

Which? Best Buy Awards recognise businesses that have achieved positive change and deliver excellent products and services that score highly in its research and testing. The award is made to businesses across a wide range of sectors from cars to retailers, banks to energy companies and home appliances to local businesses.

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise recognise outstanding achievement by UK businesses in innovation, international trade and sustainable development. The awards are valid for five years.

AIS Gold Standard Award for outstanding levels of service and the quality of goods supplied to AIS.

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WCFM Sustainability Award is made each year to recognise improvements in furniture manufacturing sustainability in its widest sense, looking at all aspects of how a business is operated – waste and energy management, design, process and product improvements, packaging, transportation, procurement, end of life management, client relationships, supplier management, employee engagement and corporate social responsibility.

Good Housekeeping Institute Tried and Tested Award – The GHI Approved initiative is an unbiased, independent endorsement only for products that pass the institute’s consumer quality assessment tests.

SATRA Approved Construction products testing and certification at SATRA ensures products meet appropriate industry performance and safety standards.

A SATRA test report offers the most accurate interpretation of results and has considerable authority.

Superbrands commissions independent research to identify the UK’s strongest brands, as voted for by marketing experts, business professionals and thousands of The NBF Bed Industry Awards are made British consumers. annually at the NBF Bed Show and seek

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MANUFACTURING

SWEET DREAMS

TIME TO BE

Enchanted

Sweet Dream’s Royal

Pillowtop ottoman bed

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Sweet Dreams unveils its new collections, which have been designed for the most discerning of tastes.

weet Dreams, focusing more than ever on own-manufacture beds, is to launch two new top-end collections at The Bed Show; the Royal Pillowtop collection and the Enchanted Beds collection. The company has continued its move into highest quality beds, established last September with the Pocket Air collection, with these new luxury divans.

ROYAL PILLOWTOP COLLECTION

The Royal Pillowtop collection comprises a select handful of models. All feature pocket springs in the main part of the

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mattress and all feature a pillowtop with its own mini-spring system. In the case of the top model, Sovereign, the main mattress contains 4,000 pocket springs and the pillowtop 2,000 mini-springs, bringing the total spring count to an impressive 6,000.

The rationale behind the new collection is clear: many customers appreciate the extra softness conferred by a pillowtop mattress yet also like plenty of support. The minispring system provides that. Customers also, of course, like to know that they’re sleeping on a superior bed with a spring count far in excess of the norm, and one that’s high specification in every way.

The finishing is the quality customers would expect and luxurious fillings are used in the mattresses, offering a diverse choice including foam, latex and gel.

Beds in the Royal Pillowtop collection, when bought as a divan, are offered with a smart fabric-upholstered headboard to match the base, supplied free for floor models, and the base will have the usual Sweet Dreams storage options including ottoman, halfottoman and side-opening ottoman as well as drawers.

ENCHANTED BEDS COLLECTION

The second new collection is Enchanted Beds. This features beds with encapsulated springs; pocket or Sleepzone® springs completely set within a foam frame. The extra support this provides to the edge of the bed is welcomed by many sleepers who feel insecure on a traditional spring unit bed; there is a definite cessation of movement beneath at the bed’s edge and this can be reassuring. Most Enchanted beds feature luxury fillings such as silk or latex and have removable, dry-cleanable covers: a boon

The Naomi Sleigh

bed with drawers

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Latex, a gift of nature Natural latex, the milk of the tropical rubber tree (Hevea Brasiliensis), is a natural and inexhaustible raw material. Every year the rubber trees neutralize over 90 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). A forest with rubber trees has the same air purifying characteristics as a tropical rain forest.

V

isi Natural latex products guarantee: durin t us B e d Sho g the • Optimal ventilation Stand w 2015 • Excellent durability E44 • Even pressure-distribution • Hygienic and healthy microclimate • Unequalled elasticity and perfect body support • Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-dust mite characteristics www.latexco.com

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MANUFACTURING

SWEET DREAMS for those with allergies or who wish their mattress to stay pristine. As with the Royal Pillowtop collection, the divans are offered with fabric headboards to match the multi storage option bases. Both collections will be sold complete with branded footmats and pillowcases for those purchased as showroom models.

Meanwhile new beds in other collections will also be introduced, most particularly two divans with a 2,000 pocket spring count and a soft feel.

Sweet Dreams are also keen to stress to retailers that none of their new divans will be available on any transactional website.

COMPANY DEVELOPMENT

Sweet Dreams are taking advantage of their recent growth to focus on their own-manufacture beds. The Burnley-based company invested in a new £1m, 165,000 sq ft property earlier this summer, a former textile mill located a couple of miles away in Nelson. The intention is for this to become the focus of the manufacturing operation for Sweet Dreams’ upholstered bedframes as well as for sister company, upholstery manufacturer Comfort Zone Sofas. The original Primrose Mill will as a result be able to see more space dedicated to the manufacture of divans and mattresses. A

Cutler Mirrored bedframe found that our new spring machines, installed last year, required extra power to operate and we spent around £125,000 on a new sub-station and power supply. In addition,

to provide models that fulfil these criteria,” says Jackie McGarvey, Sweet Dreams’ general manager, continuing: “A good quality bed for a child as they grow is important for their future wellbeing and health.”

BEDFRAMES WITH DRAWERS

Fabric upholstered bedframes have become a speciality for Sweet Dreams and 2015 will see four own-manufacture additions. Two large drawers are an option to these models. Naomi, Winsome, Aura and Adventure are sprung slatted, come in three sizes and have gorgeous, boudoir-style finishes.

BEDROOM CABINET

Enchanced Sapphire Silk

shift in focus for Sweet Dreams away from imported furniture for downstairs makes obvious sense, given that sales of Sweet Dreams’ own manufactured beds have risen from £13.652m in the year to March 2014 to £17.1m in March 2015, an increase of 25%.

This has been achieved mainly by opening new accounts with national chains such as Next, Asda, Wayfair and Dunelm Mill and by a significant increase in business with AIS customers, now representing 5% of total bed sales.

Says MD and company founder Riaz Ahmed: “In the last year or so we’ve taken decisions that have gradually meant we can concentrate most on what we do best: manufacturing our own divans, mattresses and bedframes. Our growth has allowed us to invest not only in new property but also in machinery. We recently spent £105,000 on new equipment, particularly two flanging machines to allow us to manufacture to a group’s particular specification. We also

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we’ve expanded our workforce and invested in green initiatives. We are fully committed to expanding our British-made collections and intend to dedicate the additional 20,000 sq ft at Primrose Mill that the new property purchase will bring us to own-manufacture beds.”

CHILDREN’S LUXURY

As well as new bed collections for adults, Sweet Dreams will also be increasing the number of divans in their children’s collection this September with the launch of two new beds, Dolly and Striker. These represent a step up from the current mid-market divans; Dolly and Striker both feature good quality spring units and fillings as well as luxury knitted, child-focused patterned covers.

“The importance of quality children’s beds with plenty of support has never been more recognised than now, and we’re very pleased

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The bedroom cabinet range this year sees launches of no fewer than seven ranges of ready-assembled wooden furniture.

Folllowing the success of the Dawson range, three new rubberwood models are planned for September with similar good looks and sturdy manufacture. They include the fabulous Kramer that features concealed side cupboards to chests, providing extra shelving and hooks for jewellery and knick-knacks. In addition there’s Dexter, unusual bedroom furniture with concealed drawers to the chests, and Perry, in an eye-catching two-tone finish. All three furniture ranges come with matching bedframes.

Cutler is the umbrella name for a range of well-made, ready-assembled chipboard furniture in four finishes; grey, white, black and mirrored, all four with matching bedframes. There’s an extensive choice of pieces, meaning Cutler is also likely to hit the top of retailers’ ‘must-have’ lists.

The new divan collections will be represented together with many other models in what promises to be a fascinating display from Sweet Dreams at The Bed Show on Stand B30.

www.sweetdreamsuk.com

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TEL. +44 (0) 20 8731 0020

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EMAIL. sales@protectabed.co.uk

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MANUFACTURING

LEAP OF FAITH

LEAP OF

FAITH A massive new bed manufacturing facility was getting ready to open in West Yorkshire as Beds Magazine went to press. Jan Turner went along to take a look at the new Highgrove Beds site – and the industry’s most ambitious expansion plan to date.

t is quite simply huge. A 250,000sq ft manufacturing facility on a 20 acre site, representing an investment of more than £10m.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the new Highgrove Beds site near Leeds in West Yorkshire. Almost certainly the biggest bed manufacturing plant in the UK, the move represents a phenomenal leap of faith by the owners Wazarat Ali and his son Saleem.

A major expansion by any measure, Highgrove’s ambitious move to a former car spares plant gives the company the capacity to manufacture more than 25,000 beds per week and could see its workforce dramatically increase in the next two years from around 180 to more than 300.

Company founder Wazarat Ali said: “Highgrove is now one of the UK’s fastest growing bed brands and the new site will help us to continue this growth. The extra space will also give us the opportunity to develop new products and target new customers in both the contract and retail sectors.”

Mr Ali has been personally overseeing the redevelopment of the new site where £2m is being spent on state-of-the-art plant and

machinery for the vast production unit and another £1m is being invested in a new fleet of delivery vehicles and trailers.

Due for completion as Beds magazine went to press, Highgrove’s prestige new premises are a far cry from its humble beginnings just 13 years ago when the business was established in 2002 in a small rented workshop in Dewsbury.

A former public transport worker in Lancashire, Wazarat Ali decided he wanted a change of career and started up his small manufacturing unit making mattresses with just a handful of other people. His decision to cross the Pennines and start up in West Yorkshire was made because of the area’s established skills base.

Says son Saleem, who joined the business in 2007: “My father started out with 10,000 square feet of space and one truck making just three kinds of mattresses, all using Bonnell springs. While the rest of the team made the mattresses, he was on the frontline, out there selling and going round Manchester and Liverpool drumming up sales and opening accounts.

“He had a real eye for business and saw a gap in the market for producing much better

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MANUFACTURING

LEAP OF FAITH Highgrove’s substantial new production facility

Highgrove always

delivers on quality

Our aim is to create a good, better, best story and the range we launch in september will be one that really demonstrates the skills we have at Highgrove.”

quality, lower end products. His strategy has always been to drive down costs while keeping efficiencies high – it’s about running a really lean business that’s totally customer focused.”

In short, Wazarat saw he could do for the bed industry what others have done for the fashion market, producing good quality, aspirational ‘high end’ style models at lower end prices. “We’ve never been the cheapest manufacturer,” says Saleem, “But we have always offered a lot of bed for the money.”

It was a formula – combined with Wazarat’s legendary drive and determination – that quickly paid off. The company first expanded into more and more space around its original workshop in Dewsbury – and then, in 2009, it bought and moved into the former Jay-be Beds site at nearby Gomersal. It was three times the size of the original premises.

From there, Highgrove continued to grow at a formidable pace. From a turnover of £6 million at the time of moving, the company has since more than trebled that figure and once again outgrown its home. Trapped in a landlocked site with no room to expand, Messrs Ali senior and junior once again found themselves out property hunting.

They found what they were looking for at Headlands Road, Liversedge near Leeds where the former Birkby Plastics site was up for sale offering both massive potential and ‘futureproof’ room for growth.

A more than favourable deal was done in early 2014 and by last summer work had started on the site, clearing some buildings, refurbishing others and generally transforming the site into one fit for making beds on an almost heroic scale. Wazarat has personally overseen every last detail of the project, right down to buying rather than renting the diggers and other machinery needed to do the work. “It has been my Dad’s life for the past year - he has lived and breathed it,” said Saleem.

Largely self-funded, the investment required to buy the site and the subsequent millions spent on it suggest a remarkable belief and optimism in the future of the bed industry in general - and Highgrove in particular.

But, standing in the cavernous space that is the new production facility, Saleem Ali seems unperturbed by the pressure which must inevitably come to ‘feed the monster’ manufacturing capability.

Says industry stalwart Shane Harding, who has been brought in on a consultancy basis to help Highgrove take its business to the next level: “At the moment the company has probably got less than a 5% share of the UK market and has enjoyed rapid and continuous growth since 2008. So while other companies experienced a downturn

during the recession, Highgrove continued to expand and invest in its business.

“People like to be associated with a success story, so as the company has continued to prosper, more and more customers have come on board recognizing that it is a company which can react quickly to market demand. Retailers are also increasingly reluctant to hold much stock and knowing they can get a speedy delivery service across a complex range is an irresistable formula.”

Saleem Ali

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MANUFACTURING

LEAP OF FAITH Saleem points to what he sees as the many other opportunities ahead: “We’ve achieved a turnover of nearly £20 million with just one brand – Highgrove – for the low to middle end of the market and in a few months we’ll be bringing in new brands, one of which will be launched at the Bed Show this year.

“Our aim is to create a good, better, best story and the range we launch in September will be one that really demonstrates the skills we have at Highgrove with a hand tailored bespoke product with natural, high end fillings. Highgrove itself will be the ‘pocket’ house but even within that there will be a ‘steps and stairs’ approach. In time we will also be introducing a tactical, low price range with Bonnell springs.

“As a company we also feel there are more opportunities within the contract sector which currently only accounts for about 20% of our turnover. And then there’s the fact we have yet to seriously go for sales in London and the south east.

Plus we have barely touched the multiples market where we believe our commitment to further reduce lead times will stand us in good stead; and then, of course, there’s exporting which we haven’t even begun to look at.”

It’s an ambitious strategy, but Highgrove’s performance to date has already seen it included in the London Stock Exchange’s ‘1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ report. Issued in March this year, businesses selected for the list had to demonstrate not only positive growth over the last four years but also significantly outperform their sector peers.

For the ordinary, more risk-averse business owner, the endorsement doesn’t

make the breath-taking scale of expansion appear any less daunting. The vast new manufacturing facility with its divan hall, mattress hall, quilting hall, raw materials section, 15 loading bays and two giant sized showrooms are unmatched by any other bed maker in Britain. Then there’s the offices, training facility, staff kitchens and canteen.

Outside space has required huge investment too with 15,000 square metres of concrete laid, new stone retaining walls built, garden areas landscaped and others patio paved.

The company has also invested heavily in its fleet of delivery vehicles and trailers of which there are now 22. The new site provides them with a diesel pump and service

area.

Said Saleem: “Companies in this area are responsible for producing a hell of a lot of mattresses and one of our hopes is that this new production facility puts West Yorkshire on the map in a positive light.

“Ultimately our vision is to be one of the best bed producers in the UK, even Europe but this is as much about the legacy we hope to leave as it is about money.”

www.highgrovebeds.co.uk

The company is investing £1m in a new fleet

The impressive new facility

is situated on a 20-acre site

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MIX & MATCH, CHOOSE YOUR PERSONALIZED SLEEP PAD!

‘MIX & MATCH’, CHOOSE YOUR PERSONALIZED SLEEP SURFACE

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BEKAERTTEXTILES.COM

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DESIGN

DUVALAY

DRAGON

Hilary Devey snapped up a 26% share in the company in 2011

Beds discovers why Duvalay’s latest launch is a premium addition to any Dragon’s Den elebrity brands and collaborations have enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years, but the partnership between Duvalay and Hilary Devey goes one step further: the media personality and former Dragons’ Den star is a major shareholder in the Yorkshire-based sleep

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specialist, contributing to its business strategy and design.

In 2011, husband and wife team Liz and Alan Colleran stepped into BBC2’s Dragons’ Den, hoping to secure investment in their Gomersal-based company, a producer of hand-made and custom-designed bedding products for the home and leisure industries.

Little did they realise that this would be a turning point in their company’s history and that they would soon be celebrating a partnership with one of the UK’s most iconic businesspeople.

Four years later, Duvalay has firmly established itself as an international marketleader. Liz Colleran, Duvalay’s marketing director, explains: “Partnering with Hilary

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allowed us to take Duvalay to the next level.

Feedback from our already rapidly expanding customer-base confirmed our confidence in our fabulous brand and amazing products.

Dragons’ Den was the perfect opportunity to secure the boost and guidance we required.”

Hilary Devey CBE, founder and CEO of international palletised freight distribution network, Pall-Ex, recognised Duvalay’s appeal from the outset, snapping up a 26% share in the company. Looking back, she comments: “Duvalay turned out to be one of the best investments I’ve ever made. Liz and Alan’s passion was infectious and I instantly knew that their brand would be loved throughout UK and beyond.

“Duvalay is an incredibly passionate, bigthinking, innovative family business which has

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DESIGN

DUVALAY brought a constant stream of relevant, unique products successfully to market, keeping traditional craftsmanship alive in the heart of West Yorkshire.”

In the four years since that initial highprofile meeting, Duvalay has concentrated on establishing a presence within the contract beds market. “We wanted to shake things up,” Hilary informs us. “For too long contract beds had been purchased purely on price. We decided to make contract beds that were not only comfortable but also glamorous. That gamble has more than paid off.”

Hilary Devey’s influence and expertise have helped Duvalay to grow and prosper at an impressive rate. The company is currently in the process of doubling its workshop capacity, relocating to a custom-built 30,000 square foot premises in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, and boasts a 36% increase in turnover compared to 2014.

Managing director, Alan Colleran, divulges: “Having someone of Hilary’s stature as a business partner generates an enormous amount of interest. She’s incredibly well-

start to finish,” explains Hilary. “I have always had a keen interest in interior design and beautiful furniture,” she adds. “I’ve been lucky enough to stay in some of the finest hotels in the world and have gained a thorough, direct knowledge of the luxury market. I’m truly proud of the collection.”

The range comprises five premium mattresses, created with custom-blends of luxurious material to complement the comfort requirements of any customer. They combine the finest natural fillings, including silk, cashmere, latex and wool, with highdensity, pressure-relieving memory foam.

The mattresses are accompanied by a range of divan bases, offering a wide variety of storage options, as well as a selection of classic, stylish headboards and bedsteads in rich jewel colours and soft neutrals; available in plush velvet, lustrous crushed velvet and elegant floral damask.

The range is completely customisable and includes a range of indulgent, subtle and playful finishing touches.

“While designing the headboards was a

Duvalay is an innovative family business

real highlight of the project, my favourite item from the collection has to be the plush, indulgent Sapphire pillow-topped mattress.

The base is supported by more than 1,500 individually nested pocket springs; while an integrated topper is plumped by a system of mini springs and the finest snuggly wool”, added the entrepreneur.

Liz Colleran is looking forward to seeing the range succeed, as she tells us: “The Hilary Devey Collection allows us to offer our stockists not only an incredible collection; but also a compelling brand, story and marketing support to accompany the products on their shop floor. Consumers are really picking up on that.”

Duvalay’s marketing team has replicated the success of previous campaigns, developing online and print materials as well as working alongside one of the best TV production companies in the UK to develop a range of films and infomercials to assist stockists in promoting the range.

“We know just how important in-store marketing is for retailers and potential end-customers, which is why we’ve invested in lovely, appealing footage as well as beautifully designed brochures to deliver extra reassurance and show just why our products are the best on the market,” Liz concludes.

The Hilary Devey Collection will be officially unveiled, by Hilary Devey and the Duvalay team, at the NBF Bed Show when the event opens at Telford’s International Centre from 22-23 September. Retailers and stockists are invited to visit stand J33, sink into luxurious ‘HD’ comfort and experience premium Duvalay quality. Here, retailers can discuss the ways in which the power of celebrity can boost their premium bed sales. www.hilarydeveycollection.co.uk

we very much intend to lead this part of the industry in the years to come.” received. Hilary’s first class business acumen and high-profile status have given us serious industry exposure.

“Duvalay has grown exponentially and our next step will be to move into retail supply.

This is, of course, a difficult and crowded market to enter; but we’ve never shied away from a challenge. We very much intend to lead this part of the industry in the years to come.”

As well as assisting with business strategy, Hilary has worked closely with Duvalay’s product development and design teams in order to create her debut, luxurious Hilary Devey Collection. This customisable range of mattresses, divans and headboards reflects Hilary’s unique personality and love of opulent glamour.

“I enjoyed this project immensely from

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 93

The Hilary Devey Collection

[ 93 [ 28/08/2015 14:32

MANUFACTURING

SLEEPING GIANT

Legislation to dispose of end-of-life (EOL) mattresses in an environmentally acceptable way is almost certain to come, impacting on businesses across the industry. Jan Turner takes a look at a new report which suggests the industry is gearing up to lead the way rather than be bulldozed into action. ccording to Tony Lisanti, chair of the National Bed Federation’s recycling group, at some point in the future, it will be unacceptable, for either environmental or financial reasons, to simply send EOL mattresses to landfill as a method of disposal. However, with little reliable data on mattress waste and recycling in the UK it’s hard to be sure exactly who is doing what.

And therein lies the rationale behind the NBF’s first ever ‘End of Life Report for Mattresses’ * It’s an information gathering report which the NBF intends to repeat on a regular basis to monitor the situation and also use to establish itself as a key partner for legislators in the future. Said Tony: “We are committed to developing recycling strategies that work for both the industry and legislators. We intend to be the leading experts in the field, somewhere for legislators to approach when deciding policy in this area.”

The report estimates that in 2013, 600,000 mattresses were collected for recycling, 30% more than in 2012. That

GIAN

represents a recycling rate of around 13% - up from less than 10% in 2012. While most EOL mattresses recovered from the waste stream are sent for recycling, in practice, a small number will be routed to other end fates such as reuse/resale or remanufacturing.

There are, according to the report by specialist consultants, Oakdene Hollins, considerable barriers to increasing the rate of recycling - many of which are shared by manufacturers, retailers and local authorities.

Top of the list is cost, with landfill still the cheapest option. A further hurdle is the low financial return being achieved by mattress recyclers, with limited markets for recyclates and lack of stability in these end markets, also cited.

But shape up we must. EOL mattresses are being targeted in many countries as one of several products for which a higher recycling rate is required. The current and on-going European Union waste management policy review process may affect UK government policy on mattress recycling and make it a legislative matter.

Landfill bans are under consideration and already in place in certain EU countries and

y

100% 80% 60% 2012

40%

2013

20% 0% Wholesales /Retailers

Consumers

Hospitalit y

Services

Comparative increases in recycling

Returns are considerably higher when mattresses are sold direct to consumers – for 2012 and 2013, approximately 80% of mattresses were collected from direct sales to consumers, 30% from the hospitality sector (hotels, private care homes, youth hostels, B&Bs, etc.) and 50% from the service sector (prisons, care homes, hospitals, armed forces, sheltered accommodation, etc.). Very few (less than 2%), and mostly faulty or damaged mattresses, were returned from wholesalers and retailers. mattresses could be a target for a producer responsibility levy at a later stage. From a policy perspective, mattresses have long been perceived as a problematic waste stream: difficult to handle, composite in nature, with components that are generally difficult to recycle and with limited markets for those components. There are also concerns over contamination and challenges for recycling from the heterogeneous and low quality nature of the materials.

Technologies available for mattress recycling in the UK also tend to be basic – typically manual disassembly and segregation of the materials into the different types: fibre, steel, foam, fabric etc. The businesses that recycle mattresses are small scale, with limited capacity and investment.

More sophisticated, automated technologies are available in continental Europe. However, they require significant investment, high throughputs and profitable end markets for the range of recyclable materials, and the economic viability of such investment is not yet proven.

[ 94 [ Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 94

y

28/08/2015 14:32

MANUFACTURING

SLEEPING GIANT

ANT While local authorities account for the largest proportion of recycled mattresses in the UK, less than a quarter (100 of the 439 authorities) have any infrastructure in place for mattress recycling and their rate of recycling varies greatly around the country, from almost 100% to less than 1%. More encouragingly, since 2011, there has been a clear upward progression in the number of local authorities collecting mattresses and sending them for recycling, albeit with wide regional variations in mattress recycling performance.

Efforts have also been made to increase the reuse of EOL mattresses via Third Sector organisations, although this is limited to the highest quality returns.

Said Tony Lisanti: “The scope of this project was to quantify and assess the flow of EOL mattresses in the UK from the point of discard by the user, to their recovery from the waste stream or disposal. This included assessing the sources of EOL mattresses, the collection methods used, the operators dealing with them and the end fates of the mattresses. “It is inevitable that at some point the spotlight of the legislators will fall on this issue and the concern is that the manufacturers will, in the future, be held accountable for the EOL product under

Technologies available for mattress recycling in the UK also tends to be basic

4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 2011 Q1

2011 Q3

2012 Q1

2012 Q3

2013 Q1

Recycling performance by region

[ 95 [ 28 - Search Giant - Bed Issue 7 Sept 15.indd 95

28/08/2015 16:01

NBFaccredited,

MANUFACTURING

SLEEPING GIANT Mapping out the

rates of recycling

Almost all mattresses collected by NBF manufacturers were recovered via a direct EOL mattress management route and less than 10% are managed and recovered indirectly through a charity.

Recycling among these members has risen 31% over the two years. The average mattress recovery rate, for the NBF members that provided data, was 14% potential ‘producer responsibility’ laws, similar to those adopted for white goods and vehicle tyres.

“As and when this industry is targeted, the NBF will be able to lead the way in providing acceptable solutions to both the industry and policymakers. The board’s position is that, rather than have legislation from either the UK government or Brussels foisted on manufacturers, we should develop recycling strategies that work for both the industry and the government.

“In essence, we do not want to have to deal with a bed-industry version of the white goods fiasco, whereby EOL legislation was passed that resulted in mountains of old fridges being stockpiled with no plan as to what should happen to them.

“However, in arriving at any way forward there is significant complexity involved in establishing the lifecycle of mattresses and options for recycling EOL products. It ranges from a lack of available data on volumes of currently recycled products, through to understanding where the constituent materials used in mattress manufacture end up, once a mattress is disassembled. Indeed there are wide variations in what different audiences consider ‘recycling’ actually means!”

Said Tony: “The NBF’s report is believed to be the first comprehensive report of its kind and represents a significant start. It provides a new methodology to quantify and assess the current position, although we acknowledge that there are considerable

E sa improvements to be made to response rates to the three surveys at the core of the methodology. Hopefully, the next time around, response rates and data will improve.”

Manufacturers that sell directly to consumers or the hospitality sector, achieve high rates of EOL mattress returns, at greater than 50% of sales.

Very few manufacturers’ returns (around 2 %) are from wholesalers and retailers, and these returns are mostly faulty or damaged mattresses.

*The NBF EOL report was produced by Oakdene Hollins, specialists in research and consultancy in the field of recycling and end of life.

To see a full copy of the NBF report visit the below website. www.nbfrecycle.org.uk

70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000

2012

30,000

2013

20,000

Lo

rit y

ca l

A

ut

ra on t C e

as t

Redistribution of EOL mattresses

W

Re

[ [

ho

ct or

rit y C ha

La

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ra

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ac

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10,000

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96

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 96

Koz

Web 28/08/2015 14:32

Full Pag

Excellent customer satisfaction

PROMPT DELIVERIES THROUGHOUT THE UK

Kozee Sleep (Midlands) Ltd & Shakespeare Beds

NBF accredited

Phone number: 0121 764 4024 Fax number: 0121 706 8495 Website: www.kozeesleep-beds.co.uk / www.shakespearebeds.co.uk Full Page Advert - Kozee.indd 1 Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 97

26/08/2015 14:33 28/08/2015 14:32

MANUFACTURING

SHAKESPEARE BEDS

As You Like It The Coolgel

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Shakespeare Beds director, Mohammed Zahoor, discusses how giving the people what they want is the secret to great performance. hen considering choices for a company name there is a world of possibilities. But when looking for something suitable that reflected both wide variety and a sense of quintessential British quality, company director, Mohammed Zahoor, needed only to look at the nearby town of Stratford-uponAvon for inspiration for his Tyseley-based enterprise.

Shakespeare Beds, prides itself on its British-made credentials and its pursuit of timeless designs. So to find out what the business has planned ahead of its debut performance on the bed trade’s biggest stage – The NBF Bed Show – Beds Magazine paid a visit to the company’s West Midlands headquarters.

“The Shakespeare Beds brand is really our way of celebrating the British-made quality of our products. And we feel that having placed this emphasis on the company it has really raised our standing in the industry,” explains Mohammed as he greets us.

However, it is not only public perceptions of the brand that have grown in recent times. The company’s concerted efforts to differentiate itself within the highly competitive marketplace have also paid off in terms of its performance.

“We’ve been seeing some great improvements, particularly in the form of an increase in turnover,” Mohammed reveals, continuing: “We’ve made considerable

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 98

investments in recent years into our infrastructure, which we have naturally utilised to full effect. And I think we are now really seeing the benefits of those in our manufacturing operations, and by association, our company results.”

However, investment into the company’s production facility isn’t the only attribute that Mohammed believes has helped to increase business. He explains: “I don’t think you can underestimate how important NBF membership is in terms of how customers view your business. It really does provide an extra level of assurance to buyers as a symbol of quality. Having

that trust is invaluable, but you still have to deliver on products.”

Of course, a crucial part of delivering on products is the ability to offer an incredibly diverse variety, and much like the company’s namesake, Mohammed and his production team have no problem in catering to a wide audience.

“We offer a wide variety of pocket spring, orthopaedic and memory foam options, so retailers seem to like that freedom of choice to offer the end consumer genuine product diversity. It’s a strategy that appears to be working too as we are enjoying strong performance across all of our various lines.”

Naturally, as the only 100% dedicated publication for the trade, Beds is pleased to hear that business has been so good for the company. So does Mohammed feel confident that the company’s performance is indicative of improving conditions for the wider trade after years of being hampered by economic uncertainty?

“Well the increase in our turnover would suggest that there is a definite rise in demand,” ponders, Mohammed, continuing:

Shakespeare Beds

has enjoyed strong growth

[ 98 [ 28/08/2015 14:32

[99 [ 29 - Kozee Sleep - Bed Issue 7 Sept 15.indd 99

28/08/2015 17:24

MANUFACTURING

SHAKESPEARE BEDS The company is always driven to innovate

“However, whether this is exclusively attributable to the improved economic conditions I’m not entirely sure. I certainly believe that there is greater confidence in the market now than recent years, but I also think that a large part of our success is born from our heightened focus on our products and our drive to innovate.”

Innovation is of course the word on every bed manufacturer’s mind at this time time of year as the entire bed sector is frantically putting the final touches to the latest advancements they’ve made ready to launch them at the Bed Show. And it appears as though Shakespeare Beds is no different.

“We are developing new products all the time. It’s a necessity of remaining competitive in this business,” admits Mohammed. “There are always new materials and fabrics being developed that provide additional benefits to product performance and as a supplier you have to monitor these innovations and incorporate new technologies into your offer.

“There have been considerable advancements in the way that beds are made in recent years and if you are not able to offer products that capitalise on these and help improve the quality of sleep your products can provide, you will not be

We are developing new products all the time. It’s a necessity of remaining competitive.” able to compete.”

Evidently Mohammed appreciates the importance of product development in the face of fierce competition. But would he say it is a driving force behind the company’s progression?

“I think that every company in the bed sector is driven on by the intense competition, but more than that, I think it is the desire to improve the quality of sleep people get,” says Mohammed, continuing: “The rise in new technology in terms of things like temperature control and pressure relief has not only inspired manufacturers, but also consumers. People shopping for a new bed go into a store with greater knowledge of what is available. So as a supplier we have to ensure that our retail customers have the products to be able to fulfil those demands.”

With the market already populated by a wide array of different fillings and materials it’s always difficult to see what is on the horizon as the next big thing, or indeed,

The luxurious

Air Suspension model

[100[ Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 100

whether consumers will embrace one trend ahead of all others. So has Mohammed seen any evidence to suggest that that one particular type of mattress – pocket spring, foam, gel, or latex - is on the verge of breaking away to be recognised definitively as the nation’s favourite?

“I don’t think that there will necessarily be one favoured type over all others,” muses Mohammed. “I actually think that as the consumer has become more knowledgeable they are looking for more of everything, or more specifically, products that offer a combination of technologies.

“It all comes down to what offers the best level of comfort, so if that is the support of pocket springs combined with the pressure relief of foam or the temperature regulation of a gel then that’s what the suppliers have to produce.”

Clearly Mohammed has a strong awareness to what the modern consumer wants, so how will this be reflected in the company’s exhibit at the upcoming Bed Show?

“We’re developing a new collection of products as we speak, which we hope will be taking a prominent place on our stand at the Bed Show,” reveals Mohammed, before concluding: “However, as is always the case with major product launches, we’re keeping the specifics under wraps until the show itself. We’re hoping to see a lot of customers at the show to reveal what we’ve been working on.”

Judging from the company’s recent success it will be exciting to see exactly what takes centre stage when the curtain rises on this year’s show. But for the time being at least, Beds, like everyone else, appears to be Bard from knowing. www.shakespearebeds.co.uk

28/08/2015 14:32

SCSA

STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD The must have online qualification for bed retail sales professionals

NOW AVAILABLE ON SMARTPHONE & TABLET • Focuses on sleep knowledge, not product knowledge • Shows how to use that knowledge effectively to build trust with customers • Demonstrates professional achievement and adds credibility to your sales pitch

DOWNLOAD THE SLEEP HUB APP NOW!

• Measures and improves your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) • Accessible online – dynamic and interactive • Only £25 per person

iOS

ANDROID

To find out more and enrol, go to www.sleepcouncilsalesacademy.org.uk

[ [

Visit us on 101 stand E46 SCSA_A4_Cabinet_Maker.indd 1 Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 101

17/08/2015 15:47 28/08/2015 14:32

DESIGN

BEKAERT

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Ref IDE

The easy to use

Mix & Match concept

30 -Berkart - Bed Issue 7 Sept 15.indd 102

ekaert Textiles is a name that has long been synonymous with refreshing ideas and the Belgian bedding specialist’s presence at the 2015 NBF Bed Show will certainly be no different.

Following the company’s acquisition by German equity firm, the change in ownership has allowed the ever-ambitious company to go yet another step further in its constant pursuit of innovation, by assuring its longterm development and enhancing its intention to continue to grow as a market leader.

The scale of the company and its importance to the global market cannot be underestimated. With nine production facilities located in eight countries worldwide, Bekaert is a quintessential example of a multinational business.

However, it is not the vast manufacturing capabilities the company possesses, or even the more than 1600 people that account for its substantial workforce that make Bekeart such a driving force in its field. That instead can be attributed to one unique quality: a passion for technical advancement.

Bekeart’s love for new ideas and innovation to create the most comfortable, functional and stylish mattress textiles has been the driving force behind a number of gamechanging developments by the company.

Chief among the company’s latest

innovations is CoverConcept. With this latest development Bekaert Textiles redefines the way mattresses are viewed by creating mattress covers with a story.

CoverConcept places the focus on the end product of a bed or mattress and presents a range of innovative and inspirational covers.

With CoverConcept Bekaert wants to highlight that its innovative textiles can add to a product’s overall performance and engage consumers with visual elements.

‘Mix & Match’ CoverConcept - one of the newest innovations of Bekaert Textiles perfectly illustrates the possibilities.

‘Mix & Match’ is a patent pending mattress concept that focuses on individualised sleep. Bekaert Textiles believes that there is not one mattress that is sure to please everyone. Next to a good support system that responds to the individual needs of the sleeper, the sleep surface plays a crucial role in maximizing the quality of your sleep. ‘Mix & Match’ separates the sleep surface from the support system and enables it to boost comfort as well as add personality to the top layer of the bed.

The individual sleeper chooses the sleep pad that fits his or her personal needs for their desired sleep comfort. Mix & Match® then uses Bekaert Textiles’ performance fabrics to customize the sleep surface of

[102[ 28/08/2015 17:33

DESIGN

BEKAERT

efreshing DEAS Bekaert sets out to refresh both bodies and minds.

Bekaert wants to

aid advancement

Mix & Match separates the sleep surface from the support system bed partners individually. Treatments such as anti-allergen Purotex®, thermal regulating Adaptive® and pressure relieving Cairfull® now become available for every consumer.

Mix & Match® is washable and changing it is just a simple process so it can be done in no time.

In addition to tailoring sleep surfaces for individuals and aiding couples to achieve perfectly harmonised sleep irrespective of their sleep surface needs, Bekaert is also keen to inspire greater creativity within the bed trade.

In the pursuit of this goal, the company has introduced a gamechanging computer app called IMAGINE, to facilitate the creation of cutting edge products.

The sophisticated 3D modelling software enables designers using the programme to visualise and create high performance mattress designs limited only by their imagination.

To ensure that visitors to the NBF Bed Show remain as alert and refreshed as possible whilst navigating the trade’s most exciting event, Bekaert has taken measures to keep visitors’ creative juices flowing by sponsoring refreshment vouchers for all those attending.

Summing up the company’s key objectives for the future a spokesperson for the business said: “Bekaert Textiles is trying to offer the best possible service to the industry. When it comes to service, the company does not want to limit itself to products, but to cooperate with customers. Bekaert wants to inspire the trade with new products and concepts.

“The Bekaert Academy, a platform for

open innovation, keeps a close watch on new trends in bedding, sleep and overall consumer trends. This information is shared with customers and new products are adapted to these trends.

“At Interzum earlier in the year, the company introduced a game-changing computer app; a novel tool engineered to bring product development in bedding to a higher level. IMAGINE has been developed to be able to deliver extra services to our customers as by using it we can help them throughout the product development stage.”

So it appears as if the to future of comfort will not be the product of an individual, but rather a breakthrough achieved through collaboration. A refreshing concept we think you’ll agree.

www.bekaerttextiles.com

[103[ Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 103

28/08/2015 14:32

RETAIL

THE SEARCH IS ON

The search

IS ON In the world of SEO and digital marketing, data defines us, data measures us and data drives us.

And according to a new report looking at the beds and mattress market, online search volumes continue to grow.

TOP 10 SHARED CONTENT FOR ‘BED & MATTRESS’

Understanding how existing content is performing is an integral part of building an effective content strategy. This table looks at the top engaging content produced by the top brands and measures how effective it has been at gaining social media shares. It gives examples of the type of content which is most engaging to the beds and mattress market.

MICHAEL ROSEN ON THE IMPORTANCE OF BEDTIME STORIES (dreams.co.uk)

0

636

81

in

0

15

DR NERINA’S SLEEP TOOLKIT (silentnight.co.uk)

2

105

16

in

0

0

732

123

SEVEN SLEEP MISTAKES YOU DON’T KNOW YOU’RE MAKING (dreams.co.uk)

SLEEP FOR SUCCESS (silentnight.co.uk)

446

4

59

in 20

201

0

101

5

in

0

0

730

123

HOW TO GET BEAUTY SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE YOUR WEDDING? (dreams.co.uk)

COMPETITION (silentnight.co.uk)

594

9

24

in 13

1

72

0

641

22

49

in 0

0

87

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SLEEPING POSITIONS FOR COUPLES (dreams.co.uk)

91

15

in 46

1

SLEEP PODS: CREATING CONVENIENT NAPPING OPPORTUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD (bensonforbeds.co.uk/blog)

5

6

1

in 0

0

209

12

THE MORNING ROUTINE CHEAT SHEET (dreams.co.uk)

CHILDREN WON’T SLEEP AT NIGHT (featherandblack.com/blog)

104

2

15

190

in 67

2

0

3

18

in 0

0

21

[104[ Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 104

28/08/2015 14:32

RETAIL

THE SEARCH IS ON SOCIAL INFLUENCE TABLE Social influence is starting to affect the search engines more over time. We’re seeing a shift from basic ‘how many likes does a page have’ towards engagement with the user. Active pages that promote great content and engagement have higher performance metrics than those which build pages purely with the motivation of having a well-liked page. This data shows who has been the best at promoting engagement through the social channels.

dreams.co.uk dfs.co.uk silentnight.co.uk bensonforbeds.co.uk mattressonline.co.uk bedshed.co.uk time-4sleep.co.uk featherandblack.co.uk bedstar .co.uk bedroomworld.co.uk bedfactorydirect.co.uk gltc.co.uk aspace.co.uk sealy.co.uk bedworld.co.uk sleepingsolutions.co.uk roomtogrow.co.uk mattressman.co.uk mattressnextday.co.uk

1931

654

103

1192

266 44

325 134

49

396

53

18

833 1

152 16

60

55 4

1146 142 26

220

86

230 13

1465 76 70

473

0

3

103 555

1996 2

195

805

We’ve come a long way from the days when an online presence meant having a brochure style website that people could visit to see what you made or what you sold.

Today, online is increasingly where it’s at. In its ‘Bed & Mattress Sector Report 2015’, SEO specialist Inside Online say beds and mattress retail is a growing sector with a steady year-on-year incline in search volumes for bed and mattress related search terms.

Between June 2014 and June 2015 average growth on organic searches across 19 analysed sites was 3.77% although there were some wild variations within those figures.

The report attributes this growth to the growing number of online and bricks-and-mortar retailers, along with improvements in the housing market.

Companies, they say, now sell a lifestyle to aspire to rather than just a product; and the industry as a whole is subject to volatile growth post-recession.

31 - The Search Won - Bed Issue 7 Sept 15.indd 105

364

2

2951 1482

6

14

465

186

44738 56

12644 456

1331 22 39 4

367 27

167

117 2

47 114

176

1

36 1

45365

40

642

235

0

12715

66 1

2382 40 334

0

21

10

22 1 1

19 0

0 49

19

• www.dreams.co.uk showed short- term ranking potential with over 10,000 keywords on page two or three • 48% of searches are now done on mobiles as opposed to 52% on desktops (To see the full report visit the website below.)

3000 246 264 829 5

2146 720

1195

As Andy Cooper. managing director of Inside Online points out: “The increase in social media influence, content marketing campaigns, brand ambassadors and fierce competition within the industry means it is more important now more than ever for companies to cement their positions within the search engines.”

THE REPORT FOUND:

• Five out of 25 of the websites analysed were down on average growth compared to the other websites from June 2014- June 2015.

• The website with the largest growth was www.bedshed.co.uk with an increase of 847% in organic search from 2014 - 2015 • The hardest hit in 2014 – 2015 was www.bensonsforbeds.co.uk with a decrease of 65% in organic search from 2014 - 2015 • Five out of the 25 websites initially looked at were seen to be under performing

www.insideonline.co.uk

BRAND SEARCHES PER MONTH dfs

673000

bensons for beds

135000

dreams beds

74000

feather and black

27100

gltc

18100

silent night

14800

hypnos beds

1210

and so to bed

9900

mattress man

9900

tempur

8100

bedroom world

6600

bed world

4400

bed shed

2900

sealy

2900

room to grow

1900

matress next day

1600

matress online

1600

time 4 sleep

720

childrens-rooms

720

a space

720

bed-star

390

bed factory direct

320

sleeping solutions

320

robinson beds

260

[105[

28/08/2015 16:02

DESIGN

KAYMED

Innovatio

NOT

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Imitation

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 106

[106[ 28/08/2015 14:32

DESIGN

KAYMED Keen to see first hand the workings behind one of the most advanced and pioneering manufacturers on the bed market, Beds Magazine travelled west and across the Irish Sea to visit sleep technology expert Kaymed at the company’s two production sites in Dublin and Kilcullen.

on

t is a term that is so often self-used by a large percentage of companies in business, and on the most part often without any real substance attached to its usage.

Innovation, innovative, or even innovator, whichever tense you want to use, is a phrase commonly uttered by firms seeking to glamourize or add credence to their own products, or even business themselves. It’s a quick route for some to try and prove their credentials in a competitive environment, and unfortunately has only led to something of an abuse of the term across all industries.

Looking specifically towards the beds market, however, fortunately there are also a handful of companies within our industry that can also enjoy the distinguished assertion of being innovators in their field. This, for the most part, is due to the ability by such businesses to influence people’s lives with their mattress products and ground breaking sleep technology.

The actual definition of ‘innovate’ in the Oxford English Dictionary is: ‘Make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products’. So, who can we actually say matches this definition when filtering through the bed market? One of the primary names in Beds Magazine’s humble opinion is Republic of Ireland headquartered manufacturer Kaymed.

Founded over a century ago, in 1898, the company continues to push the boundaries in terms of creating and constructing the latest advancements in contemporary

Dublin, and the other in the picturesque town on the River Liffey, Kilcullen.

Alongside the famed Irish traditions you might suspect, Kaymed plays an integral role in the communities surrounding both factories, and it is easy to see why.

The business is the only manufacturer of foam in the country, a huge benefit that allows Kaymed to monitor, intensify the quality and be at the very forefront in technologies for its own mattresses to take to both the Irish and UK markets.

Furthermore, it holds global presence, selling components such as foam, fillings and gel internationally. One of the very first things we are treated to is the daily ‘foam run’, in which Beds Magazine was privileged to spectate the creation of one of Kaymed’s variety of available foams.

Mounds of the product are shaped before being led down a gigantic conveyor belt to be cooled and fully formed. It was an impressive sight to behold and only adds emphasis to the sheer scale of Kaymed’s operations here.

“It’s a pride of knowing that we make really good quality, unique products,” enthuses Kaymed’s UK sales manager, Terry Bridger, before continuing: “When we bring our customers to see what we do, everyone leaves impressed and nobody is underwhelmed by it. They are always appreciative of the amount that goes in to making one of our products.”

Terry holds an eminent standing in the UK bed market, having worked with the

It’s a pride of knowing that we make really good quality, unique products.”

Kaymed is exhibiting at stand J20 at the show

sleep products. In fact, Kaymed can only be regarded as an innovator of better ways to sleep, whilst gaining praise for quality design. And thus, to see how the business operates and to garner just what it is that makes Kaymed tick, Beds Magazine made the journey to the Emerald Isle to find out.

On our arrival, the main thing that blows us away is the sheer scale of the operations of the business. Employing a combined workforce of 250 members of staff, production is undertaken at two sites

by Kaymed; one at its hub in Ireland’s capital

likes of Courts, Dreams, Hilding Anders and Millbrook, whilst also presently sitting on industry body the National Bed Federation’s (NBF) board. Terry, however, has a real glint in his eye when discussing and explaining the work behind his latest employer Kaymed, and his enthusiasm for the business and its products is infectious.

“We’re in a perfect position, as we have a foam factory, we have the technology, and we have the ability to offer the latest in sleep technology and innovation in the UK bed industry,” Terry acclaims.

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DESIGN

KAYMED “Of course, as with all factions and sectors of business, there are those in our industry that are presently in a race to the bottom, led by price margins and forgetting about quality. We are not interested in doing that. What we are actually interested in is pushing up a level.

It is all about presenting the very latest and best in technology, and a high quality product, which is what we do.”

Indeed, the premium quality of Kaymed’s products are for all to see and alone make the company a must-see exhibitor at the upcoming NBF Bed Show in Telford this month. However, it is the technology behind each Kaymed product that also really pushes the company to its innovative heights. Kaymed stands as the European partner for the principal US inventor of gel infused foams, and studying and experiencing each product at the company’s research and testing lab in Kilcullen is only testament to the advancements Kaymed is making in its field.

Kaymed’s chief executive officer, the articulate and approachable David Moffitt, explains: “We believe that because we can make a visco foam that nobody can make, we are making the standout product.

“When you look at it from the consumers and also the retailers’ points of view, it has been proved that there is a market for a high-end block of visco foam for a certain quality level. What we are doing is offering something that competes with the very best head on. Gel foam is the follow on technology and we are also the market leaders.”

Looking succinctly towards the UK, Kaymed is taking the market by storm with its offer of four individual collections, all of which help define the company as being at the forefront of sleep science and at producing temperature regulating materials for mattresses.

One of Kaymed’s latest advancements is its Response Gel™ range, a fusion of the manufacturer’s exclusive instant response open cell material and patented MicroSupport™ Gel Beads. Categorised wholeheartedly as unique, Kaymed’s latest combination delivers the feel of latex alongside the inclusion of thermal regulating gel technology. Terry explains: “Response Gel™ is the most advanced instant feel material to enter the UK market, offering unparalleled levels of pressure relief and temperature control.

A wide range of models are being introduced, including pocket sprung and all foam options.”

The company’s second latest offering is its Therma-Phase™ collection, combining high-density visco-elastic with an infusion of unique phase-change gel crystals. The gel works by constantly absorbing, storing and releasing body heat to maintain the sleep surface temperature registered as ‘ideal’ at 30-32°C. Discussing Therma-Phase™ on the UK market, Terry also reveals: “To further enhance the range, the ThermaPhase™ Silhouette collection will also

be introduced in the UK. This range allows consumers to combine either a pocket sprung or all foam base mattress with a choice of Therma-Phase™ topper for a bespoke solution to their requirements.”

Also available to UK retailers are the V85® range, a premium grade viscoelastic approved for and used in medical applications, and the Kaymed Mighty Bed®,

Alongside promoting our brands within the business with this campaign, we will also be addressing the message of ‘what is in it for the consumer?’ in terms of what we provide with our innovative sleep technology.

“The TV advertising campaign is also part of our strategy of focusing on Temperature Regulation in the category and underpins our drive to bring innovative products

The Silhouette 50mm topper with grey divan

which is designed to be as durable as a mattress can be, complete with a long-term performance.

So, indeed, when trying out the finished products at Kaymed’s showroom in Dublin, the high quality, alongside innovative technology, attached to each bed really is something left to be impressed by. In fact, we could go on for the length of this issue about the company, that inspired were we by our visit at its headquarters. The only thing we can say to retailers is that we recommend they make the visit. There is one thing, however, that we have to finally include and that is the latest marketing drive Kaymed are set to undertake in support of their retail partners.

As an exclusive for Beds magazine, Kaymed’s knowledgeable marketing manager, Jeremy Navrady, reveals: “As of Boxing Day this year, we will be launching a nationwide TV advertising campaign to promote our Therma-Phase™ and Response Gel™ collections. We are investing in this because we believe our role is to get consumers into our retail partners’ stores.

to market. Indeed, it marks a six-figure investment and commitment, and we will couple that with additional in-store and online advertising drives to reinforce the story we have to tell across the media and to consumers.”

Kaymed might not be the first bed business to take to the screen in living rooms up and down the country, but what can be said is that such support with the firm’s progressive sleep technology will only help in raising a few uses of the term innovation across retail stores and with consumers both this year and beyond.

Kaymed will be exhibiting at the NBF Bed Show, due to be staged at the Telford International Centre on 22-23 September, on stand J20.

www.kaymed.co.uk

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Big fines. Court actions. Shattered reputations.

The price of selling illegal beds.

Be completely assured the beds you sell are everything they say they are.

Every NBF Approved Member manufacturer has undergone rigorous independent auditing to certify that they have robust procedures in place to ensure they are complying with regulatory requirements for flammability, cleanliness of fillings and trade descriptions. Buy from an NBF Approved Member with confidence, safe in the knowledge that what you’re selling is safe, clean and honest.

NBF Code of Practice now awarded ‘Assured Advice Status’ by Trading Standards.

Find out more and for an up to date list of NBF Approved members visit: bedfed.org.uk

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products CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST PRODUCTS

Breasley

KAYMED

The Medi-Matt® Prestige Pocket Collection from Breasley.

Designed to harmonise our unique medi-foam® contoured sleep support system with Viscoool technology and Actipro, the safe and natural solution to dust mite allergens. There is a choice of spring counts: 1000, 1500 and 2000, plus retailers benefit from a range of high quality branded POS material.

Kaymed will be introducing a new addition to their best selling Therma~Phase™ range - SilhouetteTherma~Phase™ combines high density visco-elastic with an infusion of unique phasechange gel crystals which constantly absorb, store and release body heat to maintain the ideal sleep surface temperature of 30-32°C. The result is an innovative material that provides the body with the optimum level of comfort, support and pressure relief.

www.medimatt.co.uk

www.kaymed.co.uk

DUNLIPILLO

adjustamatic

A Dunlopillo mattress can offer the ultimate instrument to aid a perfect night’s sleep. Made using 100% pure latex, these mattresses inherently possess anti-allergenic, anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties and their unique open cell structure enables the mattress to be self-ventilating for the whole of its life. The unrivalled elasticity provides instant pressure relief, encouraging a healthy blood supply to muscles and the Actipro™ technology used in the mattress fabric provides natural protection against allergens, dust mites and odours which helps to maintain a clean, fresh and healthy sleep environment.

Discover the latest sleep technology providing the right temperature and the right support with the new AIR mattress range from Adjustamatic. The unique construction of the mattress is what creates airflow meaning it’s a mattress that actually breathes. With the AIR, moisture will dissipate from the sleep environment extremely quickly and your body will be able to control its temperature better. www.adjustamatic-healthcare.co.uk

www.dunlopillo.co.uk

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RELYON

SHERBOURNE

Praised for its durability and comfort, the Pocket Memory Classic mattress from Relyon has been awarded the Which?

Best Buy, for the fourth consecutive year. This trusted award holds tremendous value for the consumer and has contributed to the significantly increased sales of this mattress since first receiving the accreditation in 2012. This classic mattress features a deep layer of temperature sensitive memory foam, offering exceptional comfort, support and value for money.

Already firmly established, the Sherborne Adjustable Bed range now includes upgraded mattress options including softer, quilted covers and ventilation strips. Both the Dorchester and Hampton ranges offer Head-and-Foot and Head-only Adjustable Beds, all supplied in two parts only for easy assembly with a 25-stone weight limit and a five-year guarantee. www.sherborneupholstery.co.uk

www.relyon.co.uk

oluptam SWEET quidel DREAMS

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Ratur, ut porende prat issimol ecerionsenim ratusandeles sectiumqui unt, que expe nectas dolorrovide possimi, te ma eate www.sweetdreamsuk.com volorporem. Ut peritatus dessita commolor mi, quam elitia consed ut perum fugit aut eos et ex eos into officient, officit dolorrum facepudament erfero totatis dus dis quunt alita vid eatiaspis ipit

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Et The Belgravia 7000ipsam contains the highest specification and most comfortable mattress the highest number of springs and Raecabo rerupta turibuswith evendigent as estotatium volorporibus as 36cm deep.sam Thererferci individually pocketed spring uses a breathable molupitium nonectoria voluptam quidel fabric reduces allergens and is fully turn able for longer Ihiliquewhich eosanto eatiuntum, acestiant lasting comfort. The Hampton Bed Company evolved from a Pudit odi ne coritatiaero blabor reprati orempori ad quis desire to produce an exclusive and distinctive range of beds modictecest fuga. Us doluptatur? with a difference.

They offer mattresses which are handmade Comnihil et aruptione sint laccatum idus. and feature a unique configuration of pocket spring layers Ut eate consequi anisTechnology速 repere corum to volupta quibusa with Active Support meettissectur, individual needs perfectly. ntiaero quo maximodis prepelecus ati iniatquam di ut eos imusam www.hamptonbedcompany.co.uk www.homesiteaddress.co.uk

www.homesiteaddress.co.uk

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products CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST PRODUCTS

RELYON

SHAKESPEARE BEDS

Relyon invests time and traditional craftsmanship skills in every base that carries the Relyon name. It is one of the only manufacturers left in the UK that offers hand lashed bases, where every individual spring is eight-way hand-tied with waxed linen cord, offering outstanding levels of support. Cane rod edging attached to the top of every sprung edge divan continues to be the best material to give a reliable, durable and resilient firmer edge to the base.

This collection comprises 1000, 1500 and 2000 pocket mattresses. These mattresses contain memory foam and reflex foam within a beautiful luxurious micro quilted knitted cover with a matching micro quilted border. This complements all of Shakespeare Beds’ coloured bases. www.shakespearebeds.co.uk

www.relyon.co.uk

Carpenter

Ihilique eosanto Pores desecerae soluptas voloria temporro blant eossi odi ipsa et DUNLIPILLO laccuptatia cupturi ipsam asperitio. Et

Climate Collection from Carpenter features temperature regulating products with patented ‘Thermic’ technology so that pillows, mattresses and toppers can respond to changes in the body’s temperature. The products work by absorbing, storing and releasing heat to maintain the ‘comfort zone’ of 28-30° Celcius, the optimum temperature for a good night’s sleep.

This month also sees Carpenter launch another innovation in foam and bedding fabrics.

Raecabo rerupta turibus evendigent as estotatium volorporibus as The exceptional wireless adjustable base from Dunlopillo molupitium sam rerferci nonectoria voluptam quidel demonstrates a fusion of practicality, innovation and design and Ihilique eosanto eatiuntum, acestiant offers the ultimate in stylish, yet functional comfort.

Ratur, ut porende prat ratusandeles Conceived to work inissimol perfectecerionsenim harmony with all of the Dunlopillo sectiumqui queare expe nectas dolorrovide te ma eate mattresses,unt, there a host of base optionspossimi, that include the classic sprung edge dessita base, acommolor unique slatted baseelitia and consed a volorporem.

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www.carpenterconsumer.co.uk

www.dunlopillo.co.uk www.homesiteaddress.co.uk

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The Science ™ of Comfort

@2015 BedShow

New products & exciting new services for retailers

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NIGHT PATROL

JEF MAES

PETER BETTERIDGE

NIGHT

PATROL Your full name: Jef Maes Name you are known by: Jef Official title: CEO Company: Maes Mattress Ticking

Q Q

Q

What do you sleep on ?

A high quality pocket spring mattress with natural fillings and covered with the best Maes ticking on a sprung divan.

Three things: quality, quality, quality. A well-tailored bed made out of quality materials will always be appreciated.

Lark or owl? Tell us what time your day generally starts and ends?

Q

Work-wise a lark, holiday-wise an owl. I feel it is important to get a good night’s sleep when a working day lies ahead of me but at weekends or holiday periods, I can lose track of time.

Q

Being the third generation I started in the family business as a sales manager in 1977. I bought the company in 1996. Since I started out in 1977, I have been working not only in sales, but across all the different departments of the factory, which helps stay in the know in terms of running my company.

Q

What was the last innovation in the bed industry that genuinely impressed you?

The drive for natural products.

Q

What’s the best thing about the bed industry?

Q

How do you think the industry will look in 10 years’ time?

Bed 07 Spet 2015.indb 114

How do you like to wind down before bed at the end of the day?

With a good glass of Bordeaux wine – if possible outside in the garden.

How did you get into the industry?

It’s a cottage industry. Everybody knows everybody.

I think the quality manufacturers will stay loyal to their quality standards. I hope they will increase their levels and not become tempted to spec down. It’s all about Good, Better, Best!

What advice would you give to someone starting out in the world of beds?

Q

What’s in your bedroom?

Q

What do you think the next big thing will be in beds?

My pocket sprung bed and an antique Antwerp cabinet.

I hope the emphasis stays on quality and proper sleeping comfort.

www.mmt.be

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by Bed Frames Direct - Complying with the EU Timber regulations

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Awarded Best Memory Foam mattress 2015.

MEMORY FOAM MATTRESS Bed 07 SpetNow 2015.indb 116 Bed Mag.indd 1 SN Mattress 3 Zone advert

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