Beds May 2019

beds

May 2019 ISSUE 18

❚ DESIGN ❚ MANUFACTURE ❚ RETAIL ❚

❚ OCEAN CLEAN ❚ 9 FOR 19 PREMIER POCKET 2,000

BY DURA BED

❚ MEET MIKE ❚ BAKE A BED

Dan Squires, Editor

W

when to change your bed

ith all the uncertainty surrounding Brexit still firmly at the forefront, there is some encouraging news within the beds industry that should hopefully provide some uplift. The latest consumer research by the National Bed Federation (NBF) has revealed that consumers are replacing their mattresses earlier as well as spending more on purchases. The consumer research, which is undertaken twice a year, found that three quarters of people (75%) replace their bed at least every 10 years, with the mean replacement being every 6.9 years. This is down from a mean of 7.2 years in 2018, 7.4 years in 2017 and 7.9 years in 2016.

It highlights that a growing number of consumers are listening to the call in replacing their mattress when advised, which plays into the well-being factor of a healthy lifestyle. In fact, the latest figure is a 10-year drop from 1995 when consumers bought a new mattress on average every 17 years, further indicating the consumers put mattresses much higher on the shopping list than before. Not only that, the research also found that people are paying more for new beds, with 52% spending more than £400 in 2019, compared to 49% in 2018, 48% in 2017 and 49% in 2016. With the uncomfortable setting of Brexit rolling on, perhaps bed businesses can play on this notion of engaging with consumers to ask the question: when do you change your bed? This will plant a seed, which will hopefully grow into a sale.

Obviously asking the right questions when potential customers walk in the showroom is important, but so is the layout. In this issue, Kaymed conducted their own research and reaffirms the importance of this ingredient when helping a customer find the right bed — but also equally important — helping the retailer become more efficient with time.

From the shop floor to the person selling the product is just as fundamental in the sales process. Millbrook Beds echoes this vision and opened the door to BEDS Magazine to meet their new sales agent Mike Marshall. Protect-ABed also return in BEDS to give an insight in how brand loyalty pays off, whilst Radium Foam deliver another slice of how its products are made in a step-by-step production guide. Dura Beds feature with their latest product range developments and factory investment, whilst Gerd Derieuw, UK sales manager at BekaertDeslee, talks about its new ocean clean-up initiative.

With plenty of investment, innovation and initiatives taking place across the beds market, it provides a clear indicator that once Brexit is firmly under the covers and put to bed, the industry will hopefully experience a boom.

After all, research shows that beds as little as six years-old could offer significantly less support and comfort than a new one, so remember to ask your potential customer, when was the last time you changed your bed?

Dan Squires, Editor

beds

May 2019 ISSUE 18

❚ DESIGN ❚ MANUFACTURE ❚ RETAIL ❚

❚ OCEAN CLEAN ❚ 9 FOR 19

❚ MEET MIKE ❚ BAKE A BED

PREMIER POCKET 2,000

BY DURA BED

ON THE COVER: www.durabeds.co.uk

publisher - Stewart Rickersey stewart@cabinet-maker.co.uk Editor - Dan Squires dan@cabinet-maker.co.uk Sales Sharon Rickersey Operations & Sales Manager sharon@cabinet-maker.co.uk pre-press production - Tim Morriss tim@cabinet-maker.co.uk

Issue no 0018 published by Information Publications Ltd, Suite 15 Brunts Business Centre, Samuel Brunts Way, Mansfield, NG18 2AH VAT No: GB 945225521

©

beds

❚ DESIGN ❚ MANUFACTURE ❚ RETAIL ❚

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.

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ISSN pending Registered as a Newspaper at the Post Office.

Leading the way for 65 years 1954-2019 Suppliers of machinery for the foam, bedding, furniture, insulation and packaging industries Established in 1954, Apropa Machinery provide cutting edge technology for: â—?

Cutting, milling and routing all types of foam and similar materials Mattress roll packing to produce ‘bed in a box’. Pillow, duvet and quilt vacuum packing Packaging mattresses, divans, sofas, insulation boards and other large products Laminating foam and spring encapsulated mattresses Single and multi-needle quilting machines to produce mattress panels, covers, borders, duvets and quilts Mattress and cushion covering. Ticking measuring and cutting Pillow and cushion filling with foam, fibre and feather Drilling foam mattresses and pillows and other foam products Plastic bag cutting and welding

CONTENTSS

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features CLEAN COMMITMENT

BekaertDeslee talks about its new ocean clean-up initiative.

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IN TNE HOT SEAT...

Beds Magazine spoke to new Millbrook Beds new sales agent Mike Marshall (right).

KEEPING FOCUS

Simon Zamet, CEO, and Paul Lake, sales and marketing manager at Protect-A-Bed, updates Beds Magazine on the latest company developments.

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HOW TO BAKE A BED

Radium Foam reveals its recipe behind Vita Talalay by comparing it to a cake recipe.

NEWS

NINE FOR 19

Bed manufacturer Dura Beds shares its latest product range developments and factory investment with Beds Magazine.

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PRODUCTS LIGHTS OUT

GOLDEN TOUCH

Kaymed sat down with Beds Magazine to discuss its consumer satisfaction survey.

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NEWS New division and boxed brand Bed manufacturer The Shire Bed Company has expanded its production facility to incorporate a new headboard division.

Located within Shire’s existing manufacturing space, it allows the family-run business to produce its own headboards and bases.

Shire has also taken on six upholsterers for the new department.

Fara Butt, Shire’s sales and marketing director, said: “Our new production facility will give us greater control with our headboard and base designs as well as the fabrics on offer.

“The development in our facilities is another example of our ongoing commitment to the industry and our products.”

Shire has also announced the launch of its new bed-in-a-box range, Heaven7. It consists of an eco-friendly mattress that features a 100% natural latex core and a natural cotton and wool cover.

Fara added: “The demand for products that are eco-friendly is increasing which is why we’ve created this range. Our Heaven7 mattress is ethically sourced with natural fillings and cover. It is 99.5% biodegradable meaning it is safe on the environment.”

w www.shirebeds.co.uk

Mattress brand confirms new UK MD

bed manufacturer recognised for sustainable practices Bedding manufacturer and distributor Trendsetter International has been recognised amongst some of the world’s most renowned apparel and textile brands in a leading industry benchmark report into the sourcing of sustainable fibres and adoption of responsible supply networks.

The report was compiled by global non-profit organisation Textile Exchange, which promotes the adoption of preferred fibre and materials, manufacturer integrity and standards, and responsible supply networks.

Trendsetter ranked ninth in the race to the top preferred cotton leader board.

The leader board showcases companies that are closing the gap between conventional and preferred fibres in their portfolio.

Trendsetter also features in the 100% Club on the preferred Down leader board with all fibres coming from preferred suppliers.

The achievement comes on the back of a four-year sustainability drive

by Trendsetter, which has included substantial investment into new business practices and processes.

Commenting on the recognition, Trendsetter managing director Claire Watkin said: “As a business we are fully committed to ethical sourcing, traceability and sustainability.

“We have long been a forerunner in our industry, introducing first-to-market products, and we continue to lead our competitors in this area too.

“Where we have taken the decision to use preferred materials, such as BCI cotton and Traceable Down, we score highly. Our new Smartdown range

(duvets and pillows) not only features a sustainably-sourced BCI cotton cover but its fill is made from recycled PET. “It has been extremely well received by our customers and end users alike. It is also now a product that is included in our hospitality collection, catering for hoteliers’ increased desire to demonstrate sustainable business practices to attract guests.

“With regards to the ethical sourcing of natural feather and down, Trendsetter International has worked tirelessly to achieve the highest accreditations and standards in the sector.

“To this end we were the first business in our sector to carry the prestigious Downpass Seal and all of Trendsetter’s suppliers are audited annually by the IDFL (International Down and Feather testing Laboratory) — http://www.idfl.com — to ensure they’re compliant.

“We are now working towards the Responsible Down Standard as an industry-recognised mark to show we do not harm animals when producing our products.

“We ensure that all of our suppliers have signed a contract for the compliance of corporate ethics, including working conditions, the environment and the treatment of animals.

“We use independent third party auditors to ensure supply chain traceability and conformance to the European Down and Feather Association (EDFA), International Down & Feather Testing Laboratory (IDFL), and Oeko-Tek® raw material standards.”

w www.trendsetterinternational.com

Mattress-in-a-box brand Leesa Sleep has confirmed the promotion of Craig Jackson to lead its UK team.

Craig steps up to role after Richard Tucker left Leesa, and his role of UK managing director, towards the end of last year to pursue other interests closer to his home in the South West of England.

Commenting on the senior change, David Wolfe, co-founder and CEO of Leesa Sleep, told Cabinet Maker: “Led by Craig Jackson, who has been with Leesa for almost four years, our UK and European marketing, operations and customer experience team continues to thrive in our Manchester office with exciting plans ahead.

“An important part of our global technology team is also based in our Manchester office.”

Leesa Sleep UK, which manufactures mattresses in the UK, is a subsidiary of Virginia-based Leesa Sleep.

Expanding presence in ireland

w www.leesa.co.uk

w www.sweetdreamsuk.com

Bed manufacturer Sweet Dreams has announced the appointment of Declan McCarville as its new sales agent for the Republic of Ireland.

Declan, who officially took on the new role from early March, has had a varied career, encompassing small independent retail operations, management in multimillion pound turnover furniture businesses, and self-employment as a sales agent.

Declan was previously an agent for Home of Beds/Slumbernights and for Redtree Furniture.

Commenting on his new role with Sweet Dreams, Declan said: “I would hope to add significant growth to Sweet Dreams’ business in Ireland.

“Sweet Dreams is a strong brand and has been getting traction with strong growth. Looking at where we are currently positioned, the future looks promising.

“The product range, from an extraordinary collection of mattress and bedding to upholstery, is as diverse as it is deep, while remaining super-commercial.”

Declan lives in County Cavan with his wife, having made a decision to raise their two boys in the country. He enjoys swimming and family walks — especially as so many of his working hours are spent driving.

Nick Williams, Sweet Dreams’ sales manager, added: “Declan is an experienced agent with excellent contacts. We’re sure his hardworking, enthusiastic approach will be an asset to Sweet Dreams as we focus on expanding our retail offer in the Irish market.”

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plan for exports to drive growth

OTTY Sleep wins regional newcomer award Leeds-based online boxed mattress retailer OTTY Sleep has been named Newcomer of the Year at TheBusinessDesk.com’s 2019 Yorkshire Business Masters Awards.

Held at the Queen’s Hotel, Leeds, The Business Masters Awards is an annual event which celebrates standout and innovative businesses and entrepreneurs from across the Yorkshire and Humberside region.

OTTY Sleep fended off tough competition from companies in a range of sectors to secure the prize, with the award coming as a result of the boxed mattress retailer’s growing stature since its launch in 2016.

The past 12 months has seen OTTY treble the number of employees working at its Leeds headquarters, expand into Europe, and boost its year-on-year turnover by more than 450% - a number which is expected to double again in the 2018/2019 financial year.

Michal Szlas, CEO of OTTY Sleep, said: “I’m over the moon to have seen OTTY announced at Newcomer of the Year at this year’s Business Masters awards. It’s been a really exciting 12 months for the company, which has been highlighted by our overall growth.

It was a very competitive category and everyone at the company is honoured to have been awarded the prize. It really is a testament to our relatively small team - all of whom work hard daily to make the company so successful.”

Otty has also recently increased its in-store presence with a partnership with Beds Are Uzzz.

The collaboration is the first time Beds Are Uzzz has stocked a bed-ina-box brand as it looks to extend its range of beds and mattresses. OTTY will be stocked in the bedroom furniture retailer’s six stores.

w www.otty.com

Bed maker installs new machinery Bed manufacturer Breasley has commissioned a new CNC foam cutting machine.

Breasley, a UK leader of producing of vacuum packed rolled and boxed mattresses, is gearing up for further growth with the installation of a new state-of-the-art CNC foam cutting machine.

Working with Albrecht Bäumer, one of the leading manufacturers of plant and machinery for the foam industry worldwide, Breasley is delighted to be the first company in the UK to adopt the OFS-Queensize horizontal cutting machine following a £300,000 investment.

The OFS-Queensize is the fastest and most efficient horizontal contour cutting machine on the market. Due to its 3400 mm block width, it is possible to increase capacity by up to 100%, as it will allow for up to 4 mattresses to be produced simultaneously instead of 2, in specific sizes.

Mike Crowshaw, joint managing director at

Breasley, comments: “We are delighted to be the first company in the UK to adopt this innovative foam cutting technology. Breasley has grown significantly over the last 12 years and this investment will allow us to continue to serve our customers with competitive lead times over a variety of mattress sizes and further support our commitment to customer service, innovation and growth.”

Felix Zimmermann, area sales manager of Albrecht Bäumer, added: “We were very pleased to work with Breasley on our first UK installation of the OFSQueensize machine. Being the leader in their field, it is fantastic that Breasley have chosen to work with us and we are delighted that this investment will help them achieve their future ambitions within the UK mattress market.”

w www.breasley.co.uk

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Furniture manufacturer Aspire Furniture has revealed it is on course to grow turnover by 50%.

The Barnsley-based business has secured support from the Department for International Trade (DIT) for export growth — an area of the company that supplies 100 beds a week overseas.

Aspire Furniture has already secured deals in Germany and is planning to expand to the Middle East and double its sales to Ireland.

The continued growth of its export division is expected to increase revenues by £6m in 2019 — an uptick of 50%.

Paul Murphy, managing director of Aspire Furniture, said that the DIT has helped transform is export business: “When we were approached by overseas distributors requesting samples, we turned to DIT for advice as we didn’t know how we could send something as big as a bed to another country.

“With DIT’s help we identified the best method of transportation, which meant we could work with new overseas customers and grow the business.”

Founded in 2013, Aspire Furniture manufactures mattresses and frames for businesses including Tesco, Next, Dunelm and Wayfair. w www.aspire-furniture.co.uk

NEWS manufacturer secures fleet deal Ryder, an independent provider of commercial vehicle rental, contract hire, and maintenance services in the UK, has supplied 12 new Mercedes-Benz Actros 1843 4x2 tractor units to bed manufacturer Relyon under a five-year contract hire deal.

The new units — specified with 2.5m-wide StreamSpace sleeper cabs — are fleet replacements, and will be used to deliver Relyon’s mattresses, divans, and headboards across the country.

Laurie Farley, logistics manager at Relyon, said: “We deliver to two types of customers — the big high street retailers, delivering direct to their distribution centres, and then the small independents, where we deliver direct to stores.

“We ran some trials and the Actros performed better on fuel consumption than the other two manufacturers we tested — by almost two more miles to the gallon.”

The bed manufacturer has been a contract hire customer of Ryder since 1971.

Relyon has kitted out the new sleeper cabs with bespoke Relyon-made mattresses to provide its drivers with a more comfortable night’s sleep.

invitation to join successful Apprenticeship programme Bed manufacturer Hypnos marked National Apprenticeship Week by celebrating eight years of apprentices within the business — and inviting more to join its apprenticeship initiative.

The company, which launched its scheme in 2011, has gone from strength to strength, pledging to fill 40% of its projected 150 jobs through apprenticeships by 2022.

With 16 apprentices having joined Hypnos since 2011, as well as two more in 2019, Hypnos is working with schools and colleges, calling on all those interested in on-the-job training and the opportunity to move into further education, to get in touch.

Stephen Ward, group managing director at Hypnos, said National Apprenticeship Week was the perfect opportunity for the company to highlight the value of apprenticeships.

“At Hypnos, we are committed to supporting the manufacturing industry by providing young, talented people with apprenticeships and jobs that will help them to prepare for specialist roles, from production to world-class support functions, like marketing, IT and finance,” he said.

“A role such as this offers an incredibly diverse and exciting way for people to learn new skills and gain long-term employment, so we’d encourage anyone interested in enrolling and joining our team, to get in touch with us.

“As a family-run business, we pride

ourselves on being a company that champions and nurtures our employees.

We have great success stories of people who joined us as apprentices at 16 and only a few years later, are in managerial or senior positions in the business.

“This is a result of the commitment and investment we make in upskilling our workforce so that they can develop a rewarding career and we can continue to deliver a superior experience for our customers.”

One former apprentice, Alex Raven, joined as a 16 year-old school leaver in 2013, worked his way through a level 2 manufacturing apprenticeship and a level 3 team leadership apprenticeship, and was recently promoted to value stream manager at Hypnos, responsible for divan production and the management of 55 employees.

Alex said: “Joining the Hypnos apprenticeship programme has been a challenging but massively rewarding journey for me. I have learnt so much in a short space of time and it goes to show the true value of on-the-job training.”

Open to people aged 16 upwards, Hypnos’ Apprenticeship Scheme combines on-the-job training, mentoring and coaching with further education. There is a pathway for apprentices to progress into full-time employees, and seven people have already made the transition in the last 12 months alone at Hypnos. w www.hypnosbeds.com/uk/abouthypnos/careers/apprenticeships-1

w www.relyon.co.uk

firms’ partnership comes to an end Boxed mattress brand eve Sleep has confirmed its partnership with beds retailer Dreams has come to an end.

In an announcement earlier this year, eve Sleep stated that it was reviewing its retail and partnership strategy and, as part of that, Dreams had engaged with the group to ‘renegotiate certain commercial terms’ in connection with their partnership.

When those talks concluded it was revealed the partnership was to cease.

In a statement, eve said: “Both parties have agreed to exit the arrangement as the Board believes there are other more profitable opportunities to be pursued instead.

“The impact of this step on 2019 performance is not expected to be material due to the low levels of revenue and profitability that were expected to be delivered from the arrangement.”

w www.evesleep.co.uk

world cycling tour link-up for foam manufacturer Latexco, manufacturers of latex foam components, PU foams and pocket spring units for the bedding industry, has formed a new partnership with Australian WorldTour outfit Mitchelton-SCOTT. Latexco will support Mitchelton-SCOTT riders throughout the 2019 season by supplying mattress toppers and pillows to transfer from hotel to hotel during their tour.

Kevin Tabotta, Mitchelton-SCOTT performance manager, said: “Cyclists endure some of the most inconsistent and varied competition and sleep environments of any elite athletes.

“The latex topper and pillows from Latexco will allow us to rectify this by transforming unpredictable hotel beds to a consistent feel to ensure adequate sleep for maximum performance.”

Katrien Dendievel, Latexco PR and marketing coordinator, said: “We are very proud to announce that the riders from the Mitchelton-SCOTT cycling team will sleep on our latex pulse toppers in the upcoming cycling season.

“Scientific tests have proven the positive impact of our latex topper — the athletes who slept on a latex topper during the tests slept on average 18 minutes longer per night and felt refreshed and energised when waking up.

“A lack of sleep, which is not uncommon among top athletes, adversely affects the physical and mental state of rider and increases the risk of injuries.

“We wish Mitchelton-SCOTT a fantastic 2019 cycling season and, of course... a good night’s sleep!”

w www.latexco.com

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NEWS AIS Gold Standard Award for bed maker For the seventh year running, British bed manufacturer Relyon has been awarded the highly prestigious AIS Gold Standard Award.

The AIS bed and bedroom furniture supplier awards ensure the standards of excellence within the bed industry are upheld and recognised every year. The Gold Standard Awards are a pinnacle for quality and service with only seven out of 25 bed suppliers achieving this prestigious status.

Relyon, a leading manufacturer of luxury hand crafted beds for over 161 years, was announced as a 2019 Gold Standard Winner at the two-day members-only bed show this week after demonstrating to the AIS buying group their continuing commitment to provide the best possible service to their customers.

Paul Little, sales and marketing director at Relyon, commented: “We are extremely proud to win a 2019 Gold Standard Award for Relyon. As a company we continue to invest in our products, staff and processes so we continually offer an exceptional level of expertise, service and quality.

“Year on year we aim to exceed our customers’ expectations so is it a huge achievement to win this prestigious award for a seventh consecutive year.”

w www.relyon.co.uk

Boxed mattress business secures funding Mattress-in-a-box business Casper has announced the close of a $100m funding round.

The fundraise includes return investors NEA, IVP, Norwest, and Target (TGT), as well as several new investors such as Dani Reiss, chairman and CEO of Canada Goose, and Gordon Segal, founder and former chairman of Crate&Barrel.

The new funding will further fuel Casper’s category leadership and omnichannel growth, as the company continues to scale its high-performing retail fleet, wholesale distribution, and ecommerce channels.

Philip Krim, Casper co-founder and chief executive, said: “The financing accelerates Casper’s vision to become the world’s largest end-to-end sleep company.

Our growth will continue to be catalysed by state-of-theart sleep products, best-in-class customer experiences, and world-class leadership.”

The announcement comes on the heels of recordsetting growth for Casper with the company’s 2018 revenue topping $400m. Casper’s post-money valuation is now $1.1bn.

w www.casper.com

NBF code of practice has gained assured status Version Three of the National Bed Federation’s (NBF’s) rigorous Code of Practice has been accepted as Assured Advice by Trading Standards.

This means that all ‘Approved’ members of the NBF complying with the Code can rely on it to demonstrate they are exercising an acceptable level of due diligence in complying with the law in those areas under the jurisdiction of Trading Standards — product safety and trade descriptions. All Trading Standards authorities in England must have regard for Assured Advice, while those in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland should also take it into account.

The NBF has partnered with West Yorkshire Trading Standards as its Primary Authority since the launch of its Code of Practice in 2013 and the first two versions of the Code were both given Assured Advice status.

Version Three of the Code of Practice now covers 10 key areas, including new additions and adjustments to existing requirements. The NBF Due Diligence Programme of random purchase and testing has been incorporated into the latest version of the Code and included in the Assured Advice.

The introduction of the new PAS 7100 Product Recall standard, issued by the new Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), means members are to ensure they are aware of the requirements. Auditors will check the progress members are making on incorporating them into existing product recall procedures.

Auditors will also have a watching brief on health and safety (any concerns potentially triggering a more comprehensive separate audit)

and will be checking awareness of the Modern Slavery Act of 2015.

These areas do not come under the jurisdiction of Trading Standards.

Amendments have been made to cleanliness of fillings to cover responsible use of any used components or materials or re-sale of used mattresses. There are also clearer requirements on trade descriptions and further checks on process controls and procedures, such as batch control, broken needle and sharps policies.

The full list of requirements covered by the updated Code are flammability, cleanliness and re-use, trade descriptions, labelling and composition of textile products, EU timber legislation, chemical legislation (including REACH, POPs and biocides), awareness of health and safety compliance, awareness of process controls and procedures, awareness of PAS 7100 – product safety requirements, and awareness of the Modern Slavery Act of 2015.

“The Code of Practice has gone a long way towards raising standards, improving awareness and tightening procedures in bed manufacturing in the UK,” explained NBF executive director Jessica Alexander. “All this helps to level the playing field for reputable manufacturers doing the right thing.

“Since its launch we’ve seen more and more retailers expect their UK suppliers to join the NBF so they can demonstrate their compliance both to required regulations and to basic standards of honesty.

“The robustness of the scheme is further validated by its adoption as Assured Advice by trading standards.”

w www.bedfed.org.uk

independent retailer reports return to growth Devon-based independent furniture retailer Prestige Furniture has reported a return to growth in both its top and bottom lines.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 28th February, 2018, total sales rose 5.5% to £1.9m from £1.8m in 2017. This marked a return to growth following its 5.2% reduction the previous year.

Gross profit was also up 5.1% to £814,633 from £774,177, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £221,988, increasing by 23.4% from its recorded profit of £179,178 last year.

The family business operates from its 50,000sq ft superstore in Newton Abbot across multiple departments, including beds, sofas and dining furniture.

w www.prestigefurniture.co.uk

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• • • •

Range of three pocket sprung mattresses: 3000, 3500 and 4500 spring counts Luxury boxed mattress Assured La-Z-Boy design and quality Product warranties

NEWS anniversary store winners named Lancashire bed and upholstery manufacturer Sweet Dreams, which is celebrating 30 years in business, launched a special anniversary competition for retailers — and the first three winners have been announced.

The competition is for stores that order models from the new Sweet Dreams Anniversary collection.

A number of buyers are drawn from a hat and win their bed free.

The first winners were Terry’s Bed Centre, of Nuneaton, with a Carnival 2000; New Divan Man, of Chesterfield, with a Celebration 3000, and The Sleep Centre, of Middlesbrough, with an Occasion Silk 1000.

Nick Williams, Sweet Dreams sales manager, said: “It’s always gratifying to create winners and we’re sure both the stores and the ultimate owners of these rather wonderful luxury beds will be delighted.”

w www.sweetdreamsuk.com

new marketing lead appointed Boxed mattress brand eve Sleep has announced the appointment of Cheryl Calverley as its new chief marketing officer.

Cheryl, who officially joined last month, moved from The Automobile Association (The AA), which she joined in 2015 as head of marketing before progressing to marketing director in 2017.

Prior to The AA, Cheryl held a number of senior marketing positions for six years at Birds Eye Iglo, culminating in a role as masterbrand marketing manager in 2012.

Before joining Birds Eye Iglo, Cheryl was a marketing manager for Unilever for seven years, working on UK brands such as Marmite and Pot Noodle, then globally on Axe (Lynx).

James Sturrock, chief executive of eve Sleep, said: “Cheryl is a natural fit for the business and the delivery of eve’s refocused growth strategy.

“Her proven track-record in developing and managing high-profile brands will be crucial to further differentiating our brand positioning, enhancing customer experience and helping to achieve our ambition of becoming Europe’s leading sleep and well-being brand.”

Cheryl added: “eve’s culture of challenging the traditional market offers a unique position from which to further build a powerful brand with a genuine connection to its customers.

w www.evesleep.co.uk

institute for apprenticeships approves five standards The Furniture and Interiors Education, Skills and Training Alliance (FIESTA) has announced that the Institute for Apprenticeships (IFA) has approved five new Level 3 apprenticeship standards for the furnishing industry.

The standards are Bespoke Furniture Maker, Advanced Furniture CNC Technician, Advanced Upholsterer, Fitted Furniture Design Technician and New Furniture Product Developer.

The development of the standards was co-funded by the British Furniture Manufacturers Association and The Furniture Makers’ Company, and follows the launch of the Level 2 apprenticeship standards in 2016.

Both sets of standards have been written with the industry under the government’s Trailblazer initiative.

FIESTA hopes that the new apprenticeship standards will be available for use by May 2019, once End Point Assessment plans have been developed.

Gary Baker, FIESTA chairman, said: “We are very pleased that the IFA has approved these new standards, which were identified by the furnishing industry Trailblazer group as the apprenticeships in highest demand.

“After the successful introduction of the Level 2 standards, we’re excited by the prospect of training a host of new

apprentices at the Level 3 standard.”

FIESTA is now calling for the industry to take part in a survey to ascertain demand for higher apprenticeships.

Higher and degree apprenticeships are available at Levels 4 to 7. They combine work with study and may include a work-based, academic or combined qualification relevant to the industry.

Levels 4 and 5 are equivalent to a higher education certificate/diploma or a foundation degree.

Level 6 is equivalent to a bachelor’s degree and Level 7 is equivalent to a master’s degree. Typically, higher apprentices study part-time at college, university or with a training provider.

The survey was produced on behalf of FIESTA members, trade associations from across the UK furnishing industry.

Gary added: “It’s important for industry to realise that we can only develop standards when we have established demand from employers.

“If there is a higher apprenticeship standard required, it is essential that industry lets us know by completing the survey.”

w

www.fiestalearning.com

Key bedding industry figure sadly passes away aged 79 West Yorkshire-based bedding business GNG Group has confirmed that Peter Smith (left) has sadly passed away at the age of 79.

In a statement from GNG, the company said: “We would like to pay tribute to a dear friend and colleague who sadly passed away on the 16th March this year at the age of 79.

“For three decades Peter Smith was one of the most loved and key figures at GNG Foam Converters Yorks (Now GNG Group Limited), even becoming a director in 2001.

“Pete was well known in the Bedding and Mattress industry across the Yorkshire region and particularly in his home of Batley. His dedication and sense of fun has left an indelible mark on this business, even after his retirement he was often involved.

“Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his family and the business will very much miss him. Rest in peace Pete.”

From everyone here at Beds Magazine, our condolences go out to his family and friends at this difficult time.

w www.gnggroup.co.uk

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NEWS celebrity ambassador named for nursery furniture business Nursery furniture brand Obaby has announced television personality, business women and Celebrity Mum of the Year winner, Amy Childs, as its new official ambassador of the brand.

The partnership sees the brand take its next steps in positioning itself at the forefront of the market as it introduces new collections.

Darren Pumfrett, managing director at Obaby, said: “We are so happy that Amy is working with us. She is a very busy lady and as well as having a young family, she is a successful business woman.

“After having our products for her children’s rooms, she understands exactly what it is like to be a parent and the needs and pressures on them to find reliable, safe and attractive furniture to fit their children and lifestyle demands.

“This partnership came through a meeting of minds and Amy can see huge potential in our brand and where we want to push it to.

We can’t wait to grow together and show everyone what we have in store for this year.”

w www.obaby.co.uk

retirement impacts bedding business sales British mattress manufacturer Mansion House Bedding Group has reported a decline in turnover and profit.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31st March, 2018, total sales fell 6.9% to £8.8m from £9.5m in 2017, ending seven years of successive top line growth.

Gross profit also experienced a decline of 6.9% to £4m from £4.3m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £581,852, down by 37% compared to its profit of £933,311 recorded the previous year.

Stated within its report, the company said that sales fell due to ‘difficult market conditions’ alongside the retirement of a senior sales manager.

The business added that its reduction in profit was due to the fall in sales as well as one-off costs associated with its office and factory refurbishment.

Ipswich-based Mansion House has brands that include Epoc, Glanmar, Mattison and The Old English Bed Company.

w www.mansionhousebeddingco.co.uk

consultancy business launched A new consultancy business aimed to deliver support services to the KBB sector has launched.

Simon Acres, former Group retail sales director of Omega PLC, has launched Acres Consultancy with a team of experienced professionals to offer considered recruitment, accredited sales training, video marketing, social media solutions, end to end web development and business consultancy.

Commenting on the launch, Simon said: “With a unique range of

consultants, we are confident that we will become a first choice KBB provider for all support services.

“Our remit is to make a tangible difference, helping our clients to stand out from the competition, improve sales conversions and increase profits.”

The business is located at The Hall, in Raunds, Northamptonshire, with full training facilities.

w www.acresconsultancyltd.co.uk

mattress retailer report says it continues to bounce back Beds and mattresses retailer Mattressman has successfully restructured as growth is forecast to return.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31st March, 2018, total sales rose to £29.8m from £26.6m in 2017.

Gross profit increased to £14.8m from £14.6m, whilst pre-tax losses stood at £5.5m, which was largely due to a number of exceptional costs relating to its Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).

Back in July 2018, Mattressman entered into a CVA after suffering several issues, including adverse weather conditions, leading to a reduction in sales and cash flow problems. As a result, 16 of its 26 stores were closed and 136 members of staff were made redundant.

Since then the business has implemented a turnaround restructure programme, which is now complete, leaving the company in a ‘strong position to weather the economic storms ahead’.

The report indicated that directors are ‘grateful’ for the continued support it has received throughout this restructure and confirmed that the business is on target to return to profitability.

As stated, the significant loss includes costs relating to onerous leases and the CVA write off of impaired assets arising from the restructure.

w www.mattressman.co.uk

waste strategy welcomed by nbf The National Bed Federation has welcomed the Government’s new waste and resources strategy. The report specifically mentions mattresses, stating that manufacturers could have to pay for dealing with those that are sent to landfill in order to encourage more recycling.

Jessica Alexander, executive director of the National Bed Federation, said: “We welcome the announcement and the opportunity to work with the government on reducing the number of mattresses going into landfill.

“The NBF has its own Circular Economy Committee, which recently announced a target to divert 75% of mattresses from landfill by 2028. We would like to achieve this sooner but the average mattress is replaced every 10 years.

“We have also been working with mattress recyclers, retailers and local authorities on a Register of Approved Mattress Recyclers to ensure high standards of good practice are encouraged and followed.

“We believe that, ultimately, a well-designed Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme is the most likely solution and we are keen to work with government on that. If we are going to increase the rates of recycling immediately (they are currently about 15%), costs will inevitably increase and who should pay for that is an important question.

“It is too early to say how much and by what mechanism, but one thing we will be looking at is how mattresses are designed and constructed to make it easier to disassemble and recycle them — which might mean costs aren’t in the end any more than they are now.

“And it’s not just about end of life management — some of our members have been working on designs with the most sustainable materials — some even have their own sheep whose wool is used exclusively for mattresses.”

w www.bedfed.org.uk

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creditors to lose out after collapse

Consumers replace beds earlier, says NBF The latest consumer research by the National Bed Federation (NBF) has revealed that consumers are replacing their mattresses earlier.

The NBF is the recognised trade body for the bed industry and its members account for around 75% of the total UK bed turnover.

The consumer research, which is undertaken twice a year, found that three quarters of people (75%) replace their bed at least every 10 years, with the mean replacement being every 6.9 years. This is down from a mean of 7.2 years in 2018, 7.4 years in 2017 and 7.9 years in 2016.

Simon Williams, marketing manager of the NBF, said: “It would seem that a growing number of consumers are replacing their mattresses every seven years. This is a 10 year drop from 1995 when consumers bought a new mattress on average every 17 years.

“The new figures represent a significant change in attitude among consumers who, little more than 20 years ago, expected mattresses

to almost be a once or twice in a lifetime purchase.”

The NBF and its consumer education arm, The Sleep Council, recommend mattresses are replaced every seven to eight years as during that time it will have clocked up around 20,000 hours of use.

The guideline follows research that showed beds as little as six years old could offer significantly less support and comfort than a new one, thanks to wear and tear not just from body weight and movement but also sweat and debris such as skin scales, hair etc.

The survey was carried out by ‘DJS Research’, based on a broadly representative sample of 500 people — by age, gender and region — who had purchased a bed/mattress from September 2018 to the end of February 2019.

w www.bedfed.org.uk

Bed headboard manufacturer Crown Beds Ltd has entered liquidation, owing creditors almost £500,000.

Margaret Carter and Sajid Sattar, both of Greenfield Recovery Limited, were appointed joint liquidators on 25th February.

Detailed in documents on Companies House, the Dewsbury-based business owed unsecured creditors a total of £483,279, with the majority being owed to trade and expense claims of £322,462.

The HMRC is also owed a sum of £157,317, whilst employee claims totalled £3,500. It is expected that creditors will suffer a shortfall of the entire amount.

Following insolvency, Crown Beds, which operated on Blucher Street, has also removed its website.

w www.gov.uk

new partnership Independent foam converter and specialist mattress and bed manufacturer Breasley has partnered with HR, payroll and talent experts MHR. The Wirksworth based company has invested in a single integrated HR, payroll and time and attendance system.

w www.breasley.co.uk

Visit us during Interzum 2019 Hall 11.1 Aisle E010-F019

We support your dreams Latexco envisions a world where people can dream and enjoy a happy, active and healthy life.

We believe that our innovative bedding solutions can help bring this world one step closer, as a good night’s sleep is essential to live that happy, healthy life.

www.latexco.com

[ 19 [

NEWS signs of improvement reported at boxed mattress business Boxed mattress brand eve Sleep reported an increase in sales during 2018.

According to its latest trading update for the 12 months ended 31st December, 2018, total sales were ‘ahead of analyst expectations’ at £34.5m, helped by a ‘successfully traded Black Friday period’ and ‘early signs of conversion improvements’.

UK&I revenue increased 40% to £22.6m and France revenue increased 22% to £6.8m, compared to their respective annual revenues in 2017.

In the 10-month period to 31st October, 2018, contribution after marketing before overheads was a loss of £1.1m in the UK&I and a loss of £3m in France over the same period.

Gross margins over this period were 53% in UK&I and 52% in France, whilst return rates in the UK&I were ‘broadly stable’ at about 10%. Returns in France improved from about 10% to 6.5%.

Commenting on the results, eve said: “In the current year, the company is focused on building capabilities in customer experience and product range and optimising marketing investment.”

w www.evesleep.co.uk

head of marketing appointed to role Bed manufacturer Breasley has appointed Clare Taylor (right) as its new head of marketing.

Clare brings experience from her previous role as marketing manager at Hypnos Contract Beds, where she was responsible for all areas of the marketing mix, spending the last three years focusing on applying her expertise in strategic marketing and product branding.

Previous to that, Clare was marketing manager at I Holland Ltd, a leading manufacturer of tablet compression tooling, where she headed up a marketing team and had full responsibility for the organisation’s global marketing strategy, spread across 95 countries.

Darren Crowshaw, joint managing director at Breasley, said: “We are very excited to have Clare on board.

“Our accelerated growth over the past couple of years has created this very important role, and we will work closely together to create and implement a marketing strategy to support the ever-growing needs of our business.”

w www.breasley.co.uk

new partnership celebrates launch at annual JFS A new partnership between Mammoth and Celebrity Motion Furniture was officially launched during the January Furniture Show.

The collections, which now exclusively feature Mammoth’s Medical Grade™ Foam technology, were showcased for the first time at this year’s exhibition, and received high praise from retailers visiting the stand.

Mammoth has introduced its unique pressure-relieving seating technologies, as standard and at no extra cost to the retailer or consumer, in five of Celebrity’s bestselling Rise and Recline styles.

Celebrity Furniture now manufacture the only seating to feature Mammoth’s NHS health award winning technologies, recommended by health professionals and in partnership with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

John Tuton, founder and managing director of Mammoth, said: “The announcement of our partnership with Celebrity and its many benefits was incredibly well received by retailers at the Furniture Show. Celebrity’s pedigree in motion furniture is unquestionable and there’s a strong synergy with the Mammoth brand.

“Celebrity now offer the only chairs and settees in the industry to feature our scientifically-tested technologies, meaning retailers can offer their customers, many of whom are living with mobility issues, a product that has the backing and endorsement of a wide range of health professionals.

“As leading experts in health and wellbeing, we understand

the importance of being wellrested and comfortable, and the difference it can make to someone’s life. Everyone deserves better health, and with our background in healthcare and years spent alleviating people’s aches and pains with our comfort technologies, we’re now in an exciting position to reach even more consumers than ever before.”

Speaking about the new partnership, Wayne Hollis, Celebrity managing director, said: “You need only look at the partnerships Mammoth has forged with the likes of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy to appreciate that they leave no stone unturned in their quest to make a difference in people’s lives.

“This dovetails with our own commitment to excellence and the reputation we have built over more than 30 years in business. We are excited about the potential of this partnership and delighted by the feedback it received from retailers at the January Furniture Show.

“For most brands the idea of launching multiple new collections and expanding into an entirely new market would be more than enough to squeeze into a single 12-month period. Yet John Tuton promises that there is still more to come in this transformative year for Mammoth as a business.

“2018 was the year in which we prepared the business for that next growth phase. And now that 2019 is here I can’t wait to see how the fruits of that labour will be received over the coming months.” w www.mammothcomfort.com w www.celebrity-furniture.co.uk

entry into uk earmarked by a new mattress brand Mattress brand Hilding Sweden has confirmed plans to expand after delivering a first year of ‘strong growth’.

Max Fischer and Jens Kopke founded Hilding Sweden, which is backed by main shareholder Hilding Anders Group.

The business has seen turnover accelerate to just under €20m from more than 150,000 mattresses sold in its first year of trading.

The brand said that its partnerships with online retailers Amazon and Otto have boosted the business’ sales, with its own website also performing well.

Looking ahead, the company plans to expand into the UK and French markets, whilst maintaining a core focus on the German market.

Jens said in a statement: “Internationalisation is on the agenda for the coming year, with a focus on the United Kingdom and France. In terms of product portfolio, we will continue to rely on mattresses, and selectively expand the areas spring core and latex.”

w www.hilding-sweden.com

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Howzat for sporting link-up!

Health and wellbeing brand Mammoth has become the ‘official mattress and seating partner’ for the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA).

Mammoth has been a benefits provider for the PCA since 2012 and its unique comfort technologies will continue to support cricketers across the country, offering them an exclusive discount and helping them with advice and support on all sleeprelated matters.

The PCA plays a key role in championing the ongoing interest of professional cricketers in England and Wales. For more than a decade, Mammoth has been supporting professional sportspeople and elite athletes, helping to enhance their health and performance.

Richard Morris, commercial partnerships manager at the PCA, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Mammoth. The company is helping sportspeople across the country train harder, perform better and enjoy a great night’s

sleep. Mammoth’s credentials as a health and wellbeing provider speak for themselves and it’s fantastic that we’re able to offer our members access to these leading comfort technologies at a discounted price.”

Mammoth’s announcement is the latest in a string of high-profile partnerships, including becoming the official mattress and pillow supplier for Tottenham Hotspur and signing an exclusive deal with the Rugby Players’ Association.

John Tuton, founder and managing director at Mammoth, said: “Through our background and vast knowledge of sleep and performance, we know how absolutely vital rest and recovery is for sportspeople. Our new partnership with the Professional Cricketers’ Association reaffirms our reputation for providing mattresses, which genuinely make a difference to sleep and wellbeing.

w www.mammothcomfort.com

boxed mattress brand appoints loaf cfo Boxed mattress brand eve Sleep has announced the appointment of Tim Parfitt as its new chief financial officer (CFO).

Tim officially joins the business with effect from 17th June and replaces Abid Ismail, whose departure was announced on 12th March.

Tim is a qualified accountant, with more than 10 years’ experience as a CFO. For the last six years Tim has been CFO of Loaf, the omni-channel furniture retailer, where he has overseen the transition from an early stage start-up to a profitable, sizeable and fast-growing business, with several hundred products.

Prior to 17th June, he will be working with the eve team to ensure an orderly handover from Abid, whose departure date has now been agreed as 31st May. Commenting on the appointment, James Sturrock, CEO of eve Sleep, said: “Tim’s relevant experience and proven

track record will add further momentum and support to eve’s rebuild strategy and focus on profitability.

His appointment as CFO completes the new management line-up and on behalf of the entire eve team I welcome him to the company.

“While the rebuild strategy remains in its early stages, progress continues at pace with a strengthened management team, continuing expansion of the product range and ongoing improvements to the customer experience, underpinned by the recent fundraise.”

Tim Parfitt commented: “I am confident that I can support eve in its path to profitability. eve has great products and a strong brand, with a substantial opportunity to build a leading and highly-profitable position in the sleep wellness space.”

On the ball for support at dormeo Bed manufacturer Dormeo has continued its support for local football team Wycombe Wanderers after rewarding the captain with a new mattress.

Wanderers captain Matt Bloomfield was given a new Dormeo Octaspring 8500 mattress from High Wycombe-based Dormeo, after reaching 500 appearances for the club.

The midfielder was invited to the Dormeo showroom on London Road in High Wycombe to choose his new mattress.

Matt said: “It was incredibly kind of Dormeo to make this very generous offer and I loved meeting their team and learning more about the company. After a tough match, trying out new mattresses was the ideal way to relax and recuperate.

“Splitting my time between my family in Felixstowe and the players’ accommodation in Wycombe, there’s a lot of early starts, so it’s important that I stay as fit and refreshed as possible, to make sure I can give 100% on the pitch every time.”

Mike Pitt, Dormeo’s managing director, added: “We have a lot of Wycombe fans within the company so we were thrilled to see Matt reach this landmark and wanted to recognise his achievement in some way. w www.dormeo.co.uk

Business For Sale 3URÀWDEOH FRQWUDFW PDWWUHVV DQG GLYDQ EXVLQHVV IRU VDOH Would perhaps suit existing bed manufacturing business that wishes to expand its customer base.

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w www.evesleep.co.uk

[ 21 [

PICTURE

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

team gb partners with bed retailer for olympic games c0untdown

rowers break world record in atlantic with the help of mattress company Health and wellbeing company Mammoth supported a group of rowers who successfully completed a 3,000-mile Atlantic Challenge, setting a new world record in the process.

It was a dream ending to one of the world’s toughest challenges for Team Tyne Innovation as they entered the record books to become the fastest mixed four to cross the Atlantic.

The team, who reached the end point of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in Antigua after 42 days and 10 hours on the ocean, were helped on their way by a range of innovative North East companies, including Mammoth, which supplied its custom-made mattresses for the team of four.

Mammoth created and fitted the specially-designed mattresses, including unique Medical Grade™ Foam and PostureCell® comfort technologies, into the boat’s tiny cabins.

The mattresses helped the crew get through a gruelling schedule of two hours on, two hours off, 24 hours a day — as well as helping to overcome the fatigue that came with such an intense physical challenge.

Team Tyne Innovation skipper, Phil Kite, said: “It was an incredible adventure, helped greatly by the support of our sponsors. We had a tough daily schedule of eat, sleep, row, repeat, and having our Mammoth beds in the cabins was a huge help.

“Our cabins were tiny, but the Mammoth mattresses packed a whole lot of comfort into slimmed down versions, which were specially designed to fit.

“The mattresses are streets ahead of the competition and that’s why I believe having them on board gave us a significant advantage.”

John Tuton, founder and managing director of Mammoth, added: “We would like to say a huge congratulations to Team Tyne Innovation on their incredible achievement. Everyone at Mammoth is absolutely delighted for them and we are very proud to have played a small part in their journey to success.

“The team’s tough schedule meant that rest and recovery was absolutely vital. We’re thrilled that we were able to bring our mattresses on board to help ensure that the limited sleep they had during their voyage was optimised.”

Team Tyne Innovation was made up of Phil Kite, Claire Hughes, Allan Huntly and Steve Sidaway. They were raising funds in support of the Stroke Association, St Oswald’s Hospice and Daft as a Brush.

To find out more, visit www.teamtyneinnovation.com and follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamtyneinnovation

Team GB and Dreams have joined together in a partnership that will see the bed retailer become the official sleep partner for the sporting team up to and including the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

With the Games less than two years away, Dreams and Team GB will work closely together to further prepare for Tokyo 2020, specifically looking to help athletes sleep, rest and recuperate.

Double Olympic gold medal-winning rowers Helen Glover and Alex Gregory (above) visited Dreams HQ, Bedquarters, to help launch the partnership. The London and Rio champions met with Dreams employees and discovered more about the partnership and how the Dreams team can help with athletes sleeping needs.

Sleep is an integral part of an athlete’s performance and, as part of the deal, Team GB will receive products and sleep advice to support their efforts in Tokyo.

The Dreams partnership with Team GB comes at an exciting time with five major competitions ahead of Tokyo 2020, including the Minsk 2019 European Games and the Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Winter Games.

British Olympic Association chief executive, Bill Sweeney, said: “We are very proud and excited that we will be partnering with Dreams, a well-known, respected, and marketleading British manufacturing and retail brand.

“Planning for Tokyo 2020 is well under way and to have their support ahead of the Games is key, given our reliance upon our commercial partners to fund the support programmes for Team GB athletes.

“The importance of sleep, rest and recuperation is critical to athlete performance and we look forward to combining sport science with the expertise of Dreams to deliver innovative initiatives for the athletes. They will be a great addition to the Team GB family and we are excited to start the partnership.”

Mike Logue, chief executive at Dreams, added: “We’re delighted to become the first ever official sleep partner of Team GB in the run up to and throughout the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

“We pride ourselves on being a great British brand as we make, sell and also deliver our Dreams beds — setting us apart from the competition and making us the best and most natural fit for the nation’s most-loved sports team.

“As the UK’s most-recommended bed retailer, we’ve been helping our customers sleep better for more than 35 years, and this new and exciting partnership will see us utilise our wealth of knowledge and expertise to aid the rest and recovery of Team GB athletes, helping them to reach their full potential and be able to perform to the best of their ability.”

sleep partnership Premium bed retailer And So To Bed has announced a new partnership with sleep expert, Dr Lindsay Browning (right).

Author of troublesleeping.co.uk, Dr Lindsay Browning is working with the brand to educate customers on how to get ‘the finest night’s sleep’.

She is providing comprehensive sleep tips on And So To Bed’s blog and social media channels, and will also be available for one-to-one consultations with customers to help them overcome specific sleep problems by looking at their sleep quality and general lifestyle.

Martin Gill, managing director at And So To Bed, said: “Sleep is such an integral part of day-to-day life and for so long we, as a brand, have been dedicated to helping our customers achieve the finest night’s sleep.”

[ 22 [

NEWS collapsed retailer launches online Collapsed beds and bedroom furniture retailer Warren Evans has relaunched online.

Insolvency firm Duff and Phelps was appointed joint administrators of Designer Ideas Limited, trading as Warren Evans, on 6th February last year.

The company first sought to complete a sale of the business upon entering administration, however, no sale was achieved.

Now, Warren Evans has relaunched online — at www. warrenevans.com — and will offer only a range of six adult and children’s mattresses.

The business will be run by founder Warren Evans and a small team of former employees.

The original Warren Evans business was founded in 1978 and operated across 14 showrooms ahead of its collapse.

Detailed within the administrators report, Warren Evans owed creditors a total of £7.6m, with an expected shortfall of more than £6m.

w www.warrenevans.com

sporting partnership is just champioN Bed brand Sealy UK kick-started its new partnership deal with the 2018 BETFRED Super League Champions, Wigan Warriors, by holding a creative photoshoot with the Warrior’s at their DW Stadium.

Passing pillows along the touchline, and even catching a quick 40-winks in the changing room, the shoot saw the likes of Tony Clubb, Sam Powell, Tommy Leuluai and Ben Flower get hands-on with the latest Sealy products, which incorporated Sealy’s brand new Activsleep range.

Sealy UK will remain official kit sponsors and an official major club partner following on from two hugely successful years of sponsorship.

The bed manufacturer will also be continuing in its unique role as the team’s Official Sleep Partner, working closely with players and the club’s high performance staff to ensure their rest and recovery needs are met.

It will also strengthen its relationship with the club, its partners and its fans by delivering a programme of activation events throughout the year.

Neil Robinson, sales and marketing director at Sealy UK, said: “After another great year working with the Wigan Warriors we are delighted to see our partnership with the club kick off for another season.

“At Sealy, we believe that to sleep well is to be well, and this is a philosophy shared by the Wigan Warriors, who understand the effect of a good night’s sleep on both the mind and body. It is fantastic to be able to work with a partner that is so closely aligned to our values.”

Kris Radlinski, Wigan Warriors executive director, said: “Our relationship with Sealy has gone from strength to strength.”

sleep business launches its debut bed frame British sleep brand HÜGGE has announced the launch of its new bed frame.

The ‘bed in a bag’ brand introduced its first bed frame into the UK and European market.

The frame is designed and manufactured to echo the Scandinavian theme of its mattresses.

It comes with a 10-year guarantee and includes home delivery and installation.

Paul Francis, HÜGGE founder, said: “When HÜGGE first launched in 2016, the online rolled mattress companies were seen as ‘disruptors’. ”Now, in 2019, with a quarter of all sleep purchases being rolled mattresses and over 50% being made online, the disruption has become the ‘new normal’.

“So now is the right time to begin the rollout of our new products.”

Paul said they had studied the development of both the online and in-store markets as they had evolved over the last couple of years.

He added: “It is clear that HÜGGE’s continued success will be driven by our ongoing commitment to high quality product and

exemplary customer service.

“This is why we have chosen to launch a bed frame.

“For HÜGGE, inhabiting the quality end of the market with our mattresses, pillows, protectors and now bed frame, continues to help us navigate a course around the high returns issues that some brands in our space are experiencing.”

HÜGGE took the decision to embark on a pre-market consultation with a number of retailers to ensure that its bed frame would be well received.

Paul added: “We believe we have an exceptional product at a great price and intend to ensure that our retail partners have access to the same promotions that can be found online.

“HÜGGE’s strategy to carefully balance its business and routes to market through its own website, selected retailers and the hospitality sector is paying dividends.

“Every sale is profitable and our exposure is well spread to accommodate any hiccups.”

w www.huggemattress.com

NBF publish latest State of Trade report The National Bed Federation (NBF), the trade association for UK and Irish bed manufacturers and their suppliers, has released the results of its State of Trade report for the bed industry.

The report shows a drop in total unit sales and value for the UK bed market in 2018 compared to 2017.

It estimates that the total sales of mattresses, bed sets, divan bases and adjustable beds to be down by over 4% at 8.3 million units in 2018 compared to 2017 with revenue down just under 2% at £900 million at factory gate prices.

Jessica Alexander, executive director of the NBF, said: “The uncertainty surrounding Brexit has had a negative affect on overall business optimism with an annual drop of 10%. There was a more marked decrease of 15% from quarter three to quarter four in 2018 as the deadline to leave the EU looms nearer, whether that’s 29th March or 30th June.

“However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Some encouraging news can be found in the reported softening of raw material price increases from quarter three to quarter four with 5% fewer members reporting significant increases and over 40% of members saying that prices have stabilised.”

Whilst retailers continue to be by far the largest outlet for UK manufacturers’ products, the steady rise of DTC (direct to consumer) now accounts for approximately 11% of output compared to just 4% only three years ago.

The NBF Sales Tracker and Barometer of Trade report is available in full to its members via the protected members’ only area of its website.

w www.bedfed.org.uk

w www.sealy.co.uk

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PICTURE

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

sales agent of the year winner West Yorkshire-based bed manufacturer Dura Beds has announced the winner of its Sales Agent of the Year award.

Dura Beds managing director, Imran Akhtar, (right) presented Paul Longmuir with the accolade, who was delighted on receiving the recognition.

Speaking to Beds magazine, Paul, who covers Yorkshire, the North East and Lincolnshire, said: “I’ve had five excellent years at Dura Beds and grown my area substantially and yearon-year in that time, as the business as a whole as grown.

“This is the icing on the cake. It’s always appreciated that your hard work and commitment is recognised individually as well as a team.”

car maker moves up a gear into the ‘sleep lane’ with smart bed concept Car manufacturer Ford has invented a prototype bed that automatically rolls ‘selfish sleepers’ back to their side of the mattress.

Ford adapted lane-centring assist technology used to ensure drivers remain in the middle of their lane into a new concept called the ‘LaneKeeping Bed’.

The company said that it is aimed to ensure even the most selfish bed sleeper stayed firmly ‘in their lane’ through the night.

The technology uses pressure sensors to identify when someone has strayed from their side of the bed and gently returns them to where they should be, with the help of an integrated conveyor belt.

The project remains in the prototype stage, which indicates that there are no current plans to enter the concept to market.

It is part of a series of Ford Interventions; applying automotive expertise to tackle everyday — or, in this case, every night — problems.

Dr Neil Stanley, an independent sleep expert and author of How To Sleep Well, commented on the innovation: “When sleeping together, many couples each have less space than a small child has in a single bed.

“Humans are most vulnerable when sleeping, so we’re programmed to wake when something or someone touches us unexpectedly.

“If someone moves on to your side of the bed, this defence mechanism will kick in and you’ll have a broken night, often while they continue to sleep soundly. I’ve seen it ruin relationships.”

Anthony Ireson, director, marketing communications, Ford of Europe, added: “Lane-Keeping Aid in our cars can make driving easier and more comfortable.

“We thought that showing how similar thinking could be applied to a bed would be a great way to highlight to drivers a technology that they might not previously have been aware of.”

from mattresses to lighting Mattress-in-a-box brand Casper has announced the launch of its first connected sleep innovation.

The Casper Glow Light, which aims to improve the sleep environment, is a result from its dedicated research.

“Casper applied millions of data points and years of expertise in sleep research and science toward addressing a top environmental factor — light — that often gets in the way of a good night’s rest,” the brand said.

The Glow light gradually dims, cuing your body for bed to help establish healthy sleep patterns.

The light is accompanied by the Casper Glow app for setup and customisation, including a Bluetooth feature.

Neil Parikh, Casper co-founder, added: “We believe in the power of a more wellrested world. Glow raises the bar on sleep innovation while bringing joy back to bedtime.”

The Casper Glow Light officially launched in the UK through its website.

[ 25 [

NEWS AT A GLANCE £250,000 INVESTMENT IN NEW MACHINERY Furniture group Airsprung has announced a £250,000 investment in new machinery. Airsprung Group PLC has invested in a new Lectra automated cutting machine at its Chorley-based sofa manufacturing operation, Cavendish Upholstery.

The latest camera technology enables pattern and stripe matching and the highly-efficient automated CAD operated machine will further expand Cavendish’s extensive upholstery offer.

Furthermore, the group’s Swanglen premier headboard brand has installed a state-of-the-art CNC cutting machine at its Bristol facility. The latest technology allows Swanglen to generate the most accurate profiled shaping and positioning for fittings.

Airsprung continued: “This investment greatly increases the speed of production and reliability. In addition, the system allows for greater flexibility for new product development.”

w www.airsprung-group.co.uk

uk manufacturing facility launched Bed manufacturer Medstrom Healthcare has started to manufacture specialist profiling beds in the UK in early. The ultra-low 5000 bed has achieved significant commercial success since its launch in 2015.

Medstrom is manufacturing the 5000 bed range at its new facility, Medstrom House, Derby, located close to the company’s headquarters in Castle Donington, Leicestershire.

The company said the move would provide a number of benefits to customers and will also provide a level of security against the uncertainties and risks relating to Brexit. The move has also provided a boost to the local economy, creating a number of new jobs in the area.

Commenting on the expansion, Medstrom said in a statement: “Customers have recognised the many unique benefits offered to patients and caregivers, the main feature being a low and customisable height to prevent falls and promote safe mobilisation. Other features include a backrest design that protects patients’ vulnerable skin from shear and friction by eliminating migration down the bed and a unique ‘third generation’ brake, steer and castor design that promotes easy manoeuvrability.”

Selected by many UK NHS Trusts and Health Boards, Medstrom has seen record numbers of beds sold in 2018. Medstrom Healthcare is an independent hospital bed manufacturer and supplies specialist products and services to over 150 hospitals in the UK and Ireland. www.medstrom.com

NEW APPOINTMENT FOR TEMPUR SEALY Mattress manufacturer Tempur UK has announced that managing director Tobin James has been promoted.

Tobin James, managing director at Tempur UK Ltd, has been given additional market responsibilities in 2019, and has been appointed to the new role of managing director (UK and Benelux region) for Tempur Sealy International.

Tobin will continue to manage the UK business with his team and Benelux managing director, Marcel Hoogendoorn, will report to him.

Commenting on his new role, Tobin said: “I am delighted to begin working with Marcel and the Benelux team. Tempur is an established and successful brand in both the UK and Benelux markets and I am looking forward to working on our plans to take our business to the next level.

“In 2019 we will launch our ‘mattress like no other’ advertising campaign, which will continue to grow consumer awareness and increase footfall to Tempur retailers.” w uktempur.com

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Co-founder of online mattress retailer retires Online beds retailer MattressOnline has confirmed the retirement of its co-founder and MD, Steve Kelly.

After 15 years dedicated to MattressOnline - and a remarkable 35 years in the bed industry - Steve Kelly is retiring to spend more time with his family and pursue other interests.

Steve Adams said: “When I co-founded MattressOnline with Steve back in 2003, I knew very little about mattresses or the bed industry. Steve was my mentor, guiding me through the intricacies of the industry - for which I’m eternally grateful. Steve has been a great asset

to MattressOnline. Together, we built solid foundations from which I will propel the company forward into a new, exciting future.”

To facilitate Steve Adams’ sole ownership, cash flow funding has been provided by Yorkshire Bank with support and guidance from Castle Square Corporate Finance.

Steve Adams added: “I look forward with confidence as I continue to develop the success of MattressOnline.”

w www.mattressonline.co.uk

STRONG UK PERFORMANCE AFTER REVENUES GREW ALMOST 250% Boxed mattress brand Emma Mattress grew UK revenues by almost 250% during 2018.

According to a trading update, Emma reported its biggest grossing quarter in the UK since its launch in 2017, turning over £9.4m between 1st October and 31st December 2018, an increase of 170% year-on-year for the quarter.

Its Boxing Day sale saw the bed-in-a-box brand selling one mattress every two minutes during the 12-day promotion, generating £4.4m from the discounting event.

Emma Mattress’ UK revenues remained strong throughout the year, ending with a 246% growth in turnover year-on-year and contributing towards parent company Bettzeit Group’s annual revenues of €79m.

British co-founder of Emma Mattress, Benjamin Quiroga-Rivera, said: “Emma’s positive results are testament to our profitable and sustainable business model, which focuses on product quality, investment in R&D and efficiency when it comes to marketing spend.”

w www.emma-mattress.co.uk

manufacturer launches third showroom in capital Bed manufacturer Silentnight has opened a new showroom in London.

Situated in the The Bentall Centre on Wood Street in Kingston upon Thames, the new showroom adds to its two other dedicated spaces in Lakeside and Barton Square.

The showroom features Silentnight’s complete range of beds, mattresses and sleep accessories.

To celebrate the launch, Silentnight offered the chance to win its Bloomsbury Half Ottoman divan double bed, along with its Pocket Geltex 2,000 mattress.

w www.silentnight.co.uk

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FEATURE

BekaertDeslee Plastic into fabric

clean

commitment Gerd Derieuw, UK sales manager at BekaertDeslee, talks about its new ocean clean-up initiative as well as looking ahead to interzum 2019.

B

rexit has caused plenty of uncertainty over the past few months, with many businesses in the UK feeling the impact. This has also been felt outside the UK too. With this ongoing bubble of pressure widening, Belgium-based BekaertDeslee has been keeping a very close eye on the British market as well as formulating its strategy to prepare for whatever outcome.

Gerd Derieuw, UK sales manager at BekaertDeslee, told Cabinet Maker: “The ongoing Brexit discussions might have an impact on how we deal with the UK. From a fabric point of view, we are on a continuous mission to further develop solutions, meeting the UK FR-regulations with no or a limited amount of chemicals. The continued uncertainty of Brexit has a significant impact on both the industry and consumer confidence. The final decision will lead the direction going forward, but BekaertDeslee is ready.”

In fact, 2019 has been a year of innovation at BekaertDeslee with business performance ahead of the previous year and the implementation of its cover manufacturing division expansion in Europe due to the acquisition of a fully-operational cut and sew manufacturing plant that employs more than

SEAQUAL™ fabric 70 people in Nasaud, Romania.

From the operational side of the business to products, the company has exciting plans ahead of the upcoming interzum 2019 show, which takes place from 21st-24th May in Cologne, Germany. Gerd explained the importance of the event: “interzum is an international showcase for the newest developments in our industry. Every two years, decision makers, influencers and important customers from all over the world

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come to visit the fair to be inspired by future trends and the latest innovations. Our most important business is done here, so we cannot miss out. “interzum allows not only our sales force, but also marketing and product development teams, to catch up with our partners and customers about the daily business and get the first feedback on the products we have on show.”

FEATURE

BekaertDeslee

Festivity, Adrenaline and Marriage

“Textile technology enables us to take the plastics found in the ocean and upcycle them into new yarns.”

Talking products, Gerd revealed that BekaertDeslee is on a sustainable mission to help clean-up the ocean. “We feel a strong sense of responsibility to help save our beautiful blue planet for the future generations. We encourage our employees and their families around the globe to help create awareness and to become SEAQUAL™ Friends. We invite all of our business partners in the bedding industry to join the initiative and to become SEAQUAL™ members and ambassadors,” says Gerd, continuing: “Our attractive range of beautiful woven and knitted SEAQUAL™ fabrics make comfortable mattresses and pillows for a good night’s sleep and a clean conscience. Consumers on all continents are showing a keen interest in purchasing SEAQUAL™ products and in joining the SEAQUAL™ community.”

So how does it work?

Gerd said: “The SEAQUAL™ organisation pays fishermen from the Spanish coasts of the Mediterranean Sea to collect garbage and bring it ashore. For this initiative, additional garbage harvesting platforms will be built in the Americas and in Asia. Each material, including aluminium, metal, glass or plastic, goes to its own unique recycling chain. Textile technology enables us to take the plastics found in the ocean and

upcycle them into new yarns that are used to produce our high-quality mattress textiles and mattress covers. Under the baseline ‘Do good. Sleep well’, we will be launching the product on the market and show that we care about the future of our planet.”.

BekaertDeslee’s ocean campaign is sure to create waves throughout the industry.

Another concept that the company will present during interzum is Moments. Gerd explains: “We will also present our new collection, Moments, which is all about capturing moments in life from very simple and pure moments to big, life-changing moments. The wide range of designs go from peaceful and tranquil to colourful and playful.

We captured these moments in five different styles of design: Moments of Simplicity, Moments of Motion, Moments of Tradition, Moments of Nature and Moments of Fun. “The wide range of designs go from soft and peaceful to wild and colourful. We also created a special Moments bed. It is a unique piece, combining exquisite design, cosiness and comfort. We worked with a great designer, Linde Hermans, to create something that has all the elements of an amazing bed and just a little extra. It’s a bed that brings back memories and creates new ones.”

On that notion, it is clear to see BekaertDeslee is creating its own movement — and moments — to set the bar across the industry. Being a leader of innovation, the company must be able to react and respond to consumer and eco trends. Gerd highlights three trends that are currently at the forefront: “From a retail point of view, we saw the online companies with no bedding background coming into the market and the traditional bricks and mortar shops struggling to find an answer to this phenomenon.

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Moments “From a fabric point of view, we notice a move towards knitted stretch fabrics instead of the typical damasks. From an ecological point of view, the search for (FR) chemicalfree fabrics and attention for an ecological friendly end-of-life solution for mattresses where our fabrics are part of.”

Despite operating in uncertain times, the continued success has been put down to two key factors scale and people. Gerd revealed: “Our 27 plants around the globe are connected as one virtual plant. We are always close to our customers and we can supply them in a way that is most optimal to them. People are our most important assets, we pride ourselves on their expert skills, creativity and knowledge. Working on a truly global scale allows us opportunities that no competitor has. Our combined creativity, skill and knowledge makes us the most flexible and best placed to anticipate market and technological changes.

“Today, innovative ideas, high-performance materials and advanced technologies determine our success. Our newly-developed products will be presented at interzum, so join us at our booth (hall 11.1, aisle C030-C020) and discover how we commit to a sustainable tomorrow with SEAQUAL™!”

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www.bekaertdeslee.com

FEATURE

Millbrook Beds

in the

HOT SEAT Beds Magazine spoke to new Millbrook Beds new sales agent Mike Marshall.

Mike Marshall Millbrook Beds has recently announced the appointment of Mike Marshall as its new sales team manager for Scotland. The youngest ever president of the Scottish Furniture Representatives Association, Mike has been in the interiors market for 15 years.

He currently represents Kettle Interiors, The Great Chair Company and Protect-A-Bed. Commenting on his arrival, sales director Mark Hughes said: “Mike brings great energy and experience to Millbrook beds team and will solidify our commitment to the independent retail sector. As a business we are keen to build on our success and expand the Millbrook brand throughout the United Kingdom.”

Beds Magazine caught up with Mike following the appointment, where we found out a bit more into why the role appealed, future plans and his favourite piece of furniture.

What attracted you to the position at Millbrook?

A lot of things; the 70-year family heritage of the business, the quality of the beds and the high standard of workmanship the factory produces. The eye for detail in everything, especially the point-of-sale and in-store marketing; the brand partners

that Millbrook work with. The close-knit way that the manufacturing team listens and works together with the sales team to design products that sell and independent customers are asking for.

One thing that really impressed me was the enthusiasm, dynamism and drive of everyone in the business, especially from the owners.

The direction the business is taking and the investment, both in people and in the factory, backs it up.

But probably the most importantly thing that attracted me was the team of people that I get to work with. If I’ve learned one thing in my career as an agent, it is the product has to be right, and even more important are the people behind the product. My sales director, Mark Hughes, is highly respected in the bed industry, and I’ve wanted to work with him for years. Ross, Holly and the office team are all highly skilled and I join a team of Millbrook sales agents who I know are among the best in the UK right now.

What are your responsibilities?

Ultimately, my role is to rebuild the Millbrook Beds brand throughout Scotland. I will identify, secure, develop and service all new accounts through relationships with my established customer base. My role will

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include analysing customer requirements, developing sales strategies, staff training, merchandising displays and ongoing coaching.

How have you settled into the role?

It is very early days yet, but I have already had very encouraging conversations with many of my customers, and lots of support from the team. My partner and I are expecting a baby in the next week or two, so I feel that once I return from paternity leave I will be able to hit the ground running!

Can you give a little insight into your career so far?

I guess my sales career began while at university. During my summers I relocated to the USA to run a successful field sales business, selling educational books door-to-door. The sales and business training I received from The Southwestern Company (now Southwestern Advantage) is regarded as the one of the best in the world, and I owe a huge amount to the people associated with SW. After graduating from The University of Glasgow, I spent five years in furniture and bed retail — both as a sales manager overseeing eight stores, and latterly as a buyer and operations manager. Looking to be my own boss, I started EMD Agencies

FEATURE

Millbrook Beds

Mike Marshall is welcomed on board by sales director Mark Hughes

“I am delighted to join Millbrook Beds. they complete my portfolio of brands in cabinet, bed and upholstery.

There is massive untapped potential in Scotland for this product and I can’t wait to get started.” in 2009. Perhaps the most difficult time to start any business, I figured if I could make it work through the recession, I would be OK! As challenging as it was, through hard work and persistence, I have managed to achieve year-on year growth for nine consecutive years, and I now proudly represent some of the best companies in their respective channels.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love spending time with my growing family at home in the South Lanarkshire countryside, but when I get a spare hour or

two I’m a keen wannabe road cyclist. I’m also partial to G&T, and enjoy collecting single batch gins from around the world.

What would you say your favourite piece of furniture is you own?

I’m lucky to have some really interesting pieces of furniture, but my favourite has to be an antique monks bench sitting in my hall which came via my 94-year-old grandmother.

It originally belonged to my great great grandfather the Rev Edward Sherborne Marshall in his family home of Offa’s Dyke, Chepstow. It’s seen better days, but is regularly commented on when people visit and I’m glad that along with many other pieces, I can keep it in the family.

What do you love most about the beds industry?

I love that it is highly competitive. It takes skill, persistence, hard work and dedication to build a brand (with perhaps a bit of luck and good fortune along the way), but I relish the challenge ahead of me. It won’t happen overnight, but in time I know that Millbrook Beds will be one of the biggest bed brands in Scotland.

What do you find most challenging?

I think it’s something we all find challenging, but have little or no control over: the economy and consumer confidence. My customers tell me continually how difficult retail is these days, and it’s getting harder.

Footfall into retail shops is decreasing, and together both retailers and manufacturers have to work smarter and harder to keep

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moving forward. Retail is detail as they say, and I believe Millbrook has that eye for detail.

What is your ideal bed?

My ideal bed would be traditionally hand side stitched, chemical free, and have 100% natural fillings like cotton, wool, silk, cashgora, super soft bamboo and sumptuous pashmina. It would have individually handnested pocket springs, which offered good uplifting support, but a luxurious top layer that contours to your body. Something like… oh, I don’t know, maybe the Millbrook Perfect 7000 in the Soft comfort option!

If you would like to catch up with Mike, please call 0845 373 1111 for sales enquiries or email enquiries@millbrookbeds.co.uk

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www.millbrook-beds.co.uk

About Millbrook Beds In 1946 Walter Croll opened his small upholstery and bedding workshop in the Millbrook area of Southampton, and life for Millbrook Beds began. Now, with 70 years of solid family ownership, Millbrook Beds is the UK’s foremost manufacturer of hand-made pocket sprung beds.

Millbrook Beds is proud to manufacture to Master Craftsmen standard with exceptional quality and design, using only the finest natural fabrics and fillings, such as Hampshire wool, cashgora, and silk.

Millbrook Beds is also the Official Bed of England and GB Hockey.

FEATURE

Protect-A-Bed Cloud, Cool and Cotton are all part of Protect-A-Bed’s offering

keeping

focus Simon Zamet, CEO, and Paul Lake, National Sales Manager at Protect-A-Bed, updates Beds Magazine on the latest company developments.

I

t has been a busy start to the year for mattress protection specialist ProtectA-Bed. Following a successful January Furniture Show to kick off 2019, the business continued to deliver year-on-year growth, which now extends to almost a decade. With recent times proving to be an uncertain period for many businesses, it is encouraging to see a company remaining confident and successful.

However, success does not come easy and requires a number of ingredients as Simon Zamet, chief executive of Protect-A-Bed, explains: “There is no secret recipe for success, just a lot of hard work, a consistent and excellent sales team and a determination to work side by side with our retail partners to grow sales. People are the magic ingredient to our business.”

As Simon says, the people who give life to the Protect-A-Bed brand are at the heart

of the company and its commitment to delivering continued success for its partners Trust is at the centre of our culture, Simon continued: “We take our retailers’ trust in us to put the brand on their shopfloor and trust us to point the way to delivering increased sales very, very seriously.”

“Our training and sales support is unique and will unlock results. Everything is driven by sharing management information together. When the retail climate tightens, it can often lead to more opportunity for Protect-A-Bed and our partners because maximising every sales opportunity becomes critical and there can be a renewed focus.”

Part of Protect-A-Bed’s response to this renewed focus comes in the form of its innovative Platinum Club. Officially unveiled earlier this year, Protect-A-Bed aims to reward those who are loyal to the brand.

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New retail TV displays have been a success

FEATURE

Protect-A-Bed Paul Lake, National Sales Manager, took the lead on explaining why this has been a successful aspect of the business since launching: “The Platinum Club has been designed to build, recognise and reward success with unique promotional and discount opportunities, sponsored incentives, tailored POS solutions as well as membership rewards.

“This includes a unique sales training and motivational programme, our best-in-class mattress protection collection and bundled guarantees, new state-of-the-art display bays, award-winning customer services and claims resolution, and a next-day delivery service where required. The Platinum Club is a way of bringing together the very best elements of what we have to offer and what we know works well to build sales, with the overall aim to increase customer profitability.”

And that’s not all that’s new, with ProtectA-Bed continuing to roll out its ground breaking new retail TV display bays, which have proved to be extremely popular and transformational in terms of leveraging the brand profile to grow sales.

“The Platinum Club has been designed to build, recognise and reward success with unique promotional and discount opportunities, sponsored incentives, tailored POS solutions as well as membership rewards.” - Paul Lake,

National Sales Manager at Protect-A-Bed.

Paul continued: “We have created high quality, informative, but fun videography, new training modules as part of a process of focusing on continuous improvement.

• State-of-the-art dynamic new TV display bays • Award-winning customer services and claims resolution centre • Proven track record in increasing profits • Next-day service across entire portfolio.

“We have several blueprints that instantly increase sales revenue and profitability.

Every customer who walks through the door, if buying a mattress, needs to buy a mattress protector. It’s in their interest to do so for many reasons. Therefore, we continuously build frameworks that are simple for retailers to implement in order to achieve extremely high attachment rates.

The company’s longevity, deep knowledge and experience in the category and superior product innovation, combine to produce a consistently winning formulaRecognised as a world leader in the industry, with products on sale in an impressive 49 countries, there are no signs of any slowing down just yet.

“Focus is key, lots of small improvements often lead to significant improvement in performance once compounded. Often these areas are overlooked, but through analysing every detail, how it’s displayed, how it’s introduced, how sales people feel when pitching, for example, will significantly increase sales in store. Therefore, we know we can instantly increase sales within this category, for new and existing retail partners.”

Paul concluded: “Protect-A-Bed has a long-serving and highly-respected team in the field who have been at the heart of developing the company vision. This is why it is so customer centric and why they are so evangelical about our vision, and, in the end, they know it works.”

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www.protectabed.co.uk

In a nutshell, Protect-A-Bed makes the following commitment: • Professional sales training and a motivational programme • Best in class product innovation and cooling technology • A genuine 15-year guarantee programme

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Why does every mattress need protection?

Paul Lake says: “According to The Sleep Council, we shed around 454g of dead skin a year and the vast majority of that ends up, you guessed it, in our beds. They also state that the average sleeper will sweat up to one pint of liquid a night. With mattress fillings being highly absorbent, your mattress, if unprotected, will absorb hundreds of pints of sweat in its first year alone. Considering the average recommended mattress life span is anywhere around 10 years or more, an unprotected mattress is likely to absorb close to 3,000 pints of sweat. If there are two people on the bed, this figure doubles.

Hygiene and healthy sleep are why every mattress sold should be sold with a good quality mattress protector. You can’t put a mattress in a washing machine, but you can machine wash your mattress protector.

Using a protector will not only keep a bed in great condition, but ensures the dust mites and dead skin cells are kept at bay with regular washing of a waterproof mattress protector. Protect-A-Bed’s products are waterproof, keeping out dust mites and bacteria that need moisture to survive and are particular culprits in causing asthma, rhinitis and eczema. The customer benefits from a healthy and hygienic sleep zone, and the store benefits from increased sales revenue.”

The science behind a mattress protector

Simon says: “To be an effective mattress protector there must be an air porous waterproof allergy barrier that keeps your mattress pristine. We sweat a significant amount each and every night, along with shedding millions of dead skin cells. Mattresses are like big sponges and these contaminants will degrade the comfort layers in the mattress – latex, foams, springs, natural fillings and fibres, causing the mattress to deteriorate over time and creating an unhealthy and unhygienic sleep environment. Protect-A-Bed mattress protectors are made using the finest materials and commercial grade stitching to exacting standards. We have the best programme of product innovation, recently launching our newly-designed Nordic Chill Fibre, used in both our Snow Protector and new Snow pillow. The fibre feels cooler to the touch than other fabrics through high thermal conductivity. Polyester’s conductivity is 0.05w/mK, whereas Nordic Chill Fibre’s is 0.17- 0.31w/mK. When you touch it, it transfers heat away from your skin almost 10 times faster than cotton fibre.”

FEATURE

Radium Foam / Vita Talalay

how to bakE

Talalay latex maker Radium Foam reveals its recipe behind Vita Talalay by comparing it to a pound cake recipe.

T

his is our special recipe for our unique and fully natural Vita Talalay latex. Think of Dunlop latex as a brownie, while Talalay is more comparable to a pound cake. In fact, the similarity is uncanny.

Not only does it take many years of experience to master the art of baking the perfect pound cake, but the airflow and fluffiness is very similar.

To make things simple, we will explain the baking of Vita Talalay latex as if we were at our kitchen at home.

A BED

Let’s get to it, shall we?

In order to bake our Vita Talalay pound cake, we will need a few pieces of equipment. This makes the Talalay process; we will need a mixer, a cake mold, freezer, oven, a rolling pin and a tap with a rinsing head.

Then we need the ingredients, very simple: milk, some honey, baking powder and an egg.

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Total time needed: 11 hours Preparation time: 10 minutes Baking time: 40 minutes Equipment • Mixer • Cake mold and lid • Freezer • Oven • Tap with rinsing head • Rolling pin • • • •

Ingredients 1 cup of milk (natural latex) 1 large egg (air) 1/4 cup of honey (soap) 1 sachet baking powder (additive)

FEATURE

Radium Foam / Vita Talalay

How to make it MIX First, take a large bowl and pour in the milk. It is important that it is fresh and fully natural milk which has been ecologically sourced and filtered for impurities. Add the honey and the baking powder into the bowl and begin mixing. We recommend using a mixer here. Add the egg and mix further until it is whipped into a very airy batter. This will guarantee a fluffy cake!

FILL Now you will need to use the cake mold. It is important that the mold has a rectangular shape with pins to guarantee a consistent baking process. It is the classic shape for the fluffy Vita Talalay latex cake!

Fill the airy batter into the mold. Do this slowly as it will allow for additional air to get into the batter - for extra fluffiness!

RISE Put the lid on the mold. Make sure it is fully sealed. This will create a vacuum in the mold, allowing for the batter to rise.

The more air is whipped in the batter, the fluffier the cake will be at the end. You can even decide for a light weight or heavy weight cake! Simply put more or less batter in the cake mold. Fill between 30%-60%.

FREEZE After the batter has fully risen, the airy batter will be evenly divided in the mold. Place the cake mold into the freezer.

Make sure that your freezer is set to -30°C. Leave the cake to blast-freeze in 8-10 minutes.

Extra tip: Do not worry about breaking the cake, it is very stable and will jump back to its original shape no matter how hard you put pressure on it with the rolling pin. In fact, put as much pressure as you can to ensure that all of the water is out of the cake before continuing on to the next step!

BAKE-OFF BAKE Pre-heat your oven to 115°C. Remove the mold from the freezer into the oven. Do it quickly to avoid the batter from collapsing. You will now notice the importance of a good mold that can take a high degree of temperature change. Let the batter bake for 10 minutes. .

DEMOLD Take the mold out of the oven.

The cake is now solid. Carefully, you do not want to tear it, remove the solid batter from the mold.

WASH Now, bring the pound cake to your tap and prepare the rinsing head. Now rinse the cake. Make sure to use clean, fresh water. After the solid batter is visibly wet, take the rolling pin and roll out the water. Repeat this step 4 times.

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Place the pound cake on to the baking tray. Place it back into the oven. Make sure you have the oven set to 85°C, and leave it there for another 8.5 hours to finish!

TEST AND TASTE Now tap the cake with a spoon.

You will see it has a very consistent feel, and you will find it is deliciously soft. What is the best part about this Vita Talalay latex pound cake? It consists only of pure natural ingredients and is the healthy choice when it comes to cakes!

FROSTING The best way to enjoy your Vita Talalay cake is to have it frosted to your taste. Every cake needs a good frosting!

Where to find a frosted Vita Talalay pound cake? Visit the mattress store!

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www.vitatalalay.com

FEATURE

Dura Beds

9 for

19

Turin

Bed manufacturer Dura Beds shares its latest product range developments and factory investment with Beds Magazine.

points, without compromising on the natural fillings for each option.

Also launched was the Turin; a new box pillow top with 2,000 pocket springs, foam encapsulated. Finished with a striking heavy duty knitted fabric cover, this model sits alongside the already successful Cagliari and Sicily models.

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A further addition are two firmer type models — Premier Pocket 2,000, a traditional hand tufted mattress offering firm support, and the Verona Ortho 1,000, a foam encapsulated option that is also turnable, (not an option widely available). Both these options are aimed at the same retail selling price, offering the consumer a true and varied choice for the firmer feel market.

The flagship addition was the Royal Crown Natural collection. There are three options within the range: 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 pocket sprung count models. Each model contains natural cotton, wool, silk and cashmere. This range was specifically designed to offer the end consumer exceptional levels of comfort at highly-competitive retail price

A further addition to the product range is the Victoria, a luxury firmer-feel open coil model. This option is available as a standard divan option and also as an ottoman promotional package designed to complement the other ottoman packages Dura Beds offers to its retailers.

est Yorkshire-based manufacturers Dura Beds introduced a total of nine new models for 2019, all of which have been well received by their retail customers since the initial preview launch at the September 2018 Telford NBF Exhibition.

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These additions to the existing Dura Beds range mean that Dura Beds can offer retailers almost complete coverage for most retail price points and are particularly strong in the high-volume middle sectors of the marketplace. There are also a number of additional promotional models within the product offering, both for ottomans and standard divan sets, and the company also offers a total of 36 different fabric options alongside an in-house headboard range, which totals 18 designs.

Dura Beds continues to offer all its range on a weekly delivery service, limiting the need for high stock levels, and it can also offer a dedicated DHD service. Dura Beds has invested heavily over the last two years on additional fleet and manufacturing machinery to keep pace with the increased demand and growth plans the company has. Alongside this investment, Dura Beds has also opened a brand new state-of-the-art head office and showroom on their existing Grange Road site.

Thoughts are now firmly on the developments for 2019 and beyond, and this year

FEATURE

Dura Beds

“The significant investment we have put into the business in these last few years shows the confidence we have, not just for the short-term, but for the long-term.”

Royal Crown 3,000 will be one the company promises to “spring” a few surprises to the market.

There are planned developments outside the current traditional mattress arena, with even further investment planned for the business to ensure continued growth, both in revenue and product.

The business will continue to support the NBF exhibition because it sees it as key to its continuing commitment for both independent and multiple retail partners, but will also be exploring the potential for developing its contract sector, with commitment to at least one high-profile exhibition later in the year.

will be on a new show van for the business, which will be a great addition for our team of agents. There will also be more expenditure on trade exhibitions as we want to get the message to the trade about the Dura brand and product offering! We are not resting on our laurels, far from it, and even in these challenging times we still feel there is tremendous potential for our business, which we fully intend to develop.

“We are rightly proud of the progress Dura Beds has made in the last five years, with

Commenting on the above, Imran Akhtar, managing director of Dura Beds, told Beds Magazine: “The significant investment we have put into the business in these last few years shows the confidence we have, not just for the short-term, but for the long-term. We have ambitious growth plans for the business and this year will be an exciting one for Dura Beds, not just in traditional mattress production, but in areas that are new developments for us. These will bring added benefits, not just to us, but to our existing customer base and new customers as well.

“We are conscious that to continue to develop the Dura Beds brand and business we still need significant investment and product development, all of which we are looking to do for this year. Part of this investment

Premier Pocket 2,000

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record turnover seen for 2018, despite the very difficult trading conditions we all faced.

But we are not stopping there, with further investment planned this year, the results of which will be seen at this year’s NBF Exhibition. So be sure to plan a trip to the Dura Beds stand. We promise you it will be very worthwhile.”

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www.durabeds.co.uk

FEATURE

Kaymed

goldEN touch Therma-Phase+ Synergy 2500

Bed manufacturer Kaymed sat down with Beds Magazine to discuss its consumer satisfaction survey.

J

eremy Navrady, UK marketing manager, and Terry Bridger, UK sales manager, at Kaymed revealed all behind its recent consumer satisfaction survey to Beds Magazine over an afternoon pint that left plenty of food for thought when it comes to product display in stores.

“The original satisfaction review took place in July 2016, targeting consumers who had purchased a Kaymed mattress or divan set,” explained Jeremy Navrady, UK marketing manager. “At the time we were seeing a myriad of bed manufacturers using celebrities to endorse their product and we realised it might be a better idea to ask real consumers what they thought. After all, they had all paid good money to sleep on Kaymed, rather than being paid to say they liked it.

“We realised that we could learn from the survey results, so we asked some specific questions; notably about other brands considered and why they ultimately chose our product”, added Terry Bridger, UK sales manager. “I have to be honest and say that for the first survey our focus was far more from a marketing perspective. After all, if

“we have always known that whilst our perceived wisdom and opinions can often be wrong, the maths never lie.”

the consumers rated our product highly we had produced some credible marketing gold dust. It was only a few months later that I realised that I had underestimated the value of the work that Jeremy was doing on this project and failed to take full advantage of the opportunity.”

“The first survey confirmed a customer satisfaction rating of 93%, so marketing gold dust was exactly what we got,” explained Jeremy. “This allowed us to run a campaign with our retail partners in-store and not only gain the confidence of the consumer, but

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From top, Therma Phase+ Energise 2000, Therma Phase+ Energise 3000, Therma Phase+ pillows and branding also other potential retail partners. In fact, the consequent growth we saw post the survey was a big factor in Kaymed becoming

FEATURE

Kaymed the NBF Manufacturer of the Year 2016-17.

However, we both felt that an opportunity might have been missed to delve a little deeper, in terms of understanding more about a consumer’s behaviour, likes and dislikes, through the buying process.”

With two years passing since the first survey, it was decided to repeat the survey process.

However, the Kaymed team felt that they had missed an opportunity to overlay the businesses performance with the results in 2016. So, they set about revising some of the questions for the 2018 survey, with the intention of using the data to identify the optimum store type and layout that seemed to work best.

Once the survey results were collated in late August 2018, they set about challenging the answers received by analysing performance versus several criteria that would be easy to quantify. “We have always known that whilst our perceived wisdom and opinions can often be wrong, the maths never lie”, added Terry. “So we took the opportunity second time around to use what we knew about our size and proximity of display to other brands at similar price points and then compare our performance on a store by store basis.

“Once this exercise was completed, it became clear that there are two distinctly different schools of thought being used when retailers set out a bed display. To be specific, whilst some independent retailers do what they can (within the confines of the space and shape of department available) to display product by similar price point, a significant number are looking to subcategorise by type of mattress filling.

Furthermore, we can see a direct parity between performance with Kaymed and the strategy being used, in that our product (as well as similar product at different price points), performs far better in a price point orientated lay out.

Mighty Bed

“What we can’t say for sure is that a price point layout equates to a better overall performance for a retailer,” commented Jeremy. “However, the likelihood is that we cannot be the only manufacturer doing well in the accounts where continued growth was seen over a very tough trading period.”

The result of the second Kaymed satisfaction survey was a 93.5% rating. This survey involved consumers who purchased from August 2016-July 2018.

Terry continued: “When we were able to predict the type of layout by account, then confirm this with our sales team with a 99% accuracy rating, we realised that we might be on to something. The question is whether a specific layout suits us, or the retailer, or indeed both, best?

“We concluded that since consumers say

that comfort comes first and price second, that displaying by price point makes it more convenient for a consumer to shop a store’s range. It’s also quite obvious that this makes the sales person’s job far easier in the process, as the alternative might well be attempting to march Mr and Mrs Consumer backwards and forwards across a store, to look at models from £1,299-£1,599. In such a situation as a sales person, I might be tempted to ask a question such as ‘would you like a natural bed or a technology one’, in order to identify where to take them.

“This process of elimination might become a necessary evil with such a layout, but results in the sales person homing in on one brand or type of product and having no course of redress if that product doesn’t fit the customers needs. This then leads to consumers going to another retailer, and we know that the average buying journey involves two retailers and three possible models, before the final purchase decision is made. This might be part of the reason people shop around, rather than buying first time from the vast majority of stores.”

On a personal note I found the data enlightening, whilst as a consumer with a specific amount of money to spend the conclusions seemed very logical. After all, as birds of a feather flock together, a floor laid out by price point would be far more convenient for me to shop at. It also makes little sense to ask questions, such as type of bed, that allow any sales person to offer less choice of product from the outset. Food for thought indeed.

Therma-Phase+

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www.kaymed.co.uk

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Take aim for fun and fundraising

Wednesday 12 June 2019 Holland and Holland shooting ground, Northwood, Middlesex

Book your place now!

Contact: 020 7562 8526 events@furnituremakers.org.uk Supported by

LIGHTS OUT supply chain reasons. I believed in that business. It’s good to see they’ve brought it back, but only in a very small way so far.

Name: Paul Francis Job Title: Founder

Company: HÜGGE om www.huggemattress.c

What time is your alarm set for?

7.00am. I’m not a fan of routine but with two young kids and a warehouse operation to supervise every morning, it’s an early start.

Do you have a typical day at work?

The only bit that’s typical is the warehouse supervision at the beginning of every day. Otherwise, I wouldn’t say my day is governed by what anyone would call typical. It has many advantages, especially giving me space to take in school activities, but does result in always being at work in one way or another. I do enjoy it though.

What time do you go to bed?

I’m a bit of a night owl but normally before midnight Do you have a bed time routine?

My wife and I like to unwind and catch up on the sofa once the kids are off to bed, but that does mean our evening starts about 9pm. We both love a good box set and I’m a bit of a binger in that respect.

What made you choose to join the bed industry?

Though I’m qualified as an accountant, I was actually a merchandise director at a very large retailer when I saw an advert in the FT for a finance director at a large branded consumer goods company. It was the role that attracted me at first, I only found out it was beds at interview.

You could say I fell into bed(s).

And what made you choose to stay in the industry?

Hilding Anders was a great company to work for and after negotiating the sale of its UK operation to Steinhoff in 2013 I exercised an option I had been granted to return to the Group and report to the CEO. My first brief was to act as a strategic consultant on the UK. And I haven’t looked back. It ultimately led me to making the decision to push off on my own and start HÜGGE in 2016. I’m passionate about how the industry needed to evolve and how it is now doing that. One or two of my competitors have made strategic mis-steps recently, as I believed they would, and it’s really giving HÜGGE the opportunity to establish itself.

What is your biggest achievement?

We’re talking beds here, right? I’ve two. The first was overseeing the bid and then the execution for the Olympic tender in 2010 through 2012. Delivering 17,500 mattresses was a fabulous achievement. The second is having the desire to start my own business and capping that off with NBF recognition last year, something we never managed to achieve with Hilding Anders.

And biggest regret?

Being unable to persuade the board of Hilding Anders to sell me Jensen UK in 2015 when they decided to close the UK operation down for

[ 42[

What do you think is the greatest challenge faced by the sector?

Too many manufacturers think in traditional ways, nervous to upset their retail customers by going to the consumer and remaining determined to generate the same type of thing every year. Too many retailers hanging on to discounting practices, overwhelming choice and insincere marketing. Too many of the new start up brands trying to gain too much retail distribution and losing what made them different to start with.

And how do you think this could be combatted?

Keep the consumer front and centre.

Delight them. Genuinely strive for excellent customer service. Keep product offers clear and simple, concierge service, no quibble returns policies. Avoid the smoke and mirrors.

What has your year been like so far?

We continue to post excellent year on year results. Long may they continue.

What is new for this year?

We’ve only just completed a soft launch of our new bed frame. A mattress topper is next on the list plus we’ve had some success with our sofa bed mattress into the hospitality sector. That offers a real growth opportunity for us.

We also want to look at getting our own HÜGGE showroom and are on the look out for that now.

What mattress do you sleep on?

It goes without saying — HÜGGE. It’s amazing and at a fraction of the cost of the lovely Jensen I slept on before that.

What keeps you awake at night?

My wife. Apparently I snore!

And what’s your top tip for a good night’s sleep?

Your bedroom needs to be a haven in a hectic world. Keep it as a place to switch off and you’ll sleep soundly.

Oh, and make sure you’re going off to sleep on a HÜGGE mattress and bed frame.

Register now at manchesterfurnitureshow.com

OFFICIAL SLEEP PARTNER OF COMMONWEALTH GAMES TEAM ENGLAND

www.millbrook-beds.co.uk