Cabinet Maker 1st February 2019

DESIGN

MANUFACTURE

RETAIL

Pasquale Jr Natuzzi talks about his new creative director and stylist role in the family business.

Home furnishings wholesaler Sassy Home follows up from a successful January Furniture Show.

A look at the Spring Fair, highlighting what to expect to see from the furniture category.

1st FEBRUARY 2019 £3.75 l

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DAN squIres

cABINet-MAker.co.uk 01223 846 825 PUBLISHER Stewart Rickersey stewart@cabinet-maker.co.uk EDITOR Dan Squires dan@cabinet-maker.co.uk PRE-PRESS PRODUCTION Tim Morriss tim@cabinet-maker.co.uk SALES Sharon Rickersey Operations & Sales Manager sharon@cabinet-maker.co.uk Kacem Ellabbar kacem@cabinet-maker.co.uk

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One of the big stories that hit the news desk this week was the three main updates from boxed mattress brand eve Sleep. From its latest trading figures to the placement of new shares in a bid to raise around £12m in new funding, the other piece of news that caught my attention was its breakdown of its new strategy.

It was all fresh off the back of last week’s editorial that featured another mattressin-a-box brand, Emma Mattress, which outlined how its growth in the UK market has continued to accelerate, as well as indicating further expansion plans. Roll on to this week and eve Sleep has unboxed its own future plans that consist of three main objectives. eve plans to continue to build brand awareness in its core markets through ‘differentiated brand positioning’, which incudes efficient investment in paid media and partnerships such as with Channel 4. Also on the agenda is to expand its product range and to enhance its customer experience. You will have to wait until next week’s issue to find out more as Cabinet Maker digs to the bottom of the box for further details.

What this does mean is that it shows eve is being proactive in maintaining its position within the boxed mattress market – and from what Emma Mattress proclaimed last week (some brands will disappear in the year ahead) – eve is certainly making a firm stance.

Even Simba Sleep has continued to maintain its foothold, being the only dedicated mattress-in-a-box brand to feature a small space during the recent January Furniture Show.

Perhaps Emma’s vision of a diluted boxed mattress industry will come into fruition – but it will also act as kick-starter for some to keep apace with those that are being successful.

One thing’s for sure, being proactive and investing in a new strategy shows that a business is not standing still and is trying to achieve growth. Which leads onto Natuzzi’s recent promotion of Pasquale Jr Natuzzi as he talks to Cabinet Maker about his new creative director and stylist role in the family business, aiming to take the brand on ‘A New Direction’.

Also within this week’s editorial features are an update from Sassy Home, which recently exhibited at the January Furniture Show, a look at how to build a more responsible furniture brand from an insight by Flora Davidson, co-founder of Supplycompass, and a preview of what to expect to see in the furnishings sector at the Spring Fair.

Featured within the news pages you will also find the winners from Cabinet Maker’s JFS special promotion that was showcased at our stand. Congratulations to all three winners from everyone at Cabinet Maker and a big thank you to all who took part.

As show season continues into February, the Spring Fair is one event that plays host to familiar industry faces as well as plenty of trend-led displays. And yes, it’s at the NEC in Birmingham – see you there!

Dan Squires Editor

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

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INsIDe thIs week’s Issue

NEWS

06

FeAtures

16

A SASSY SHOW

Home furnishings wholesaler Sassy Home follows up from a successful January Furniture Show.

SPRING INTO FEBRUARY

18

A look at the Spring Fair exhibition, highlighting what to expect to see from the furniture category.

A NEW DIRECTION

20

Pasquale Jr Natuzzi talks to Cabinet Maker about his new creative director and stylist role in the family business.

24

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

22

Flora Davidson, co-founder of Supplycompass, looks at how to build a more responsible furniture brand.

PRODUCTS

24

Furniture To Go.

LAST WORD

26

Sian Astley, expert for The Homebuilding & Renovating Show, has the Last Word.

20

16

News

NEWS IN BRIEF uk Boss to leAD us IkeA

Swedish furniture giant IKEA has confirmed that its US president Lars Petersson is set to retire at the end of August 2019. Javier Quiñones, retail manager of IKEA’s UK and Ireland divisions, will take his place on 1 March 2019, although IKEA are yet to confirm Javier’s UK&I successor. Petersson worked at Ikea for 36 years and will remain with the company through the summer as a senior advisor.

New showroom

Bespoke furniture brand HouzLux has announced the opening of a new showroom in Wilmslow.

Situated at Orbit Developments’ Kings Court property on Water Lane, the 1,000sq ft showroom features sofas, chairs, footstools and dining room sets as well as speciallycommissioned accessories from designers. HouzLux was founded by interior designer Maria Dolan.

Liquidation notice

Upholstery manufacturer Billy & Slouch has been placed into liquidation. Ninos Koumettou, of Alexander Lawson Jacobs, was appointed as liquidator of B&S Upholstery Limited, trading as Billy & Slouch, on 4 January 2019. The news was confirmed through a London Gazette filing. Documents filed on Companies House showed a creditor bill of almost £350,000.

1st February 2019 | 06

Tempur to the rescue

Tempur Sealy Inc has agreed to provide $14m in debtorin-possession financing to Innovative Mattress Solutions (iMS), following the latters bankruptcy filing.

The funds will include optimising its portfolio of retail locations. iMS operates 142 specialty sleep retail locations primarily in the southeastern US under the names Sleep Outfitters, Mattress Warehouse, and Mattress King.

store closure

John Lewis & Partners has announced that it will close Knight & Lee & Partners in Southsea, in July 2019 due to the property requiring ‘significant investment’ to modernise the store. The closure puts all 127 shop Partners at risk of redundancy.

John Lewis said that ‘every effort’ would be made to find them roles in John Lewis and Waitrose shops in the surrounding area.

New trends

German kitchen furniture supplier Rotpunkt has showcased its new trends at imm cologne 2019.

Rotpunkt presented its latest furniture solutions for 2019, as well as demonstrating its new concepts, which include asymmetrical design, utilitarian style, dark colours, high texture and eco materials. Rotpunkt said: “Our experts discussed and guided visitors on product suitability, user benefits and specification.”

retAIl

Mattress brand to raise further funds; signs of improvement as sales grow Boxed mattress brand eve Sleep has announced a conditional place of new shares to raise around £12m.

Through the London Stock Exchange, eve Sleep has placed 120,317,323 new ordinary shares of 0.1 pence each and is open to new and existing investors.

In addition Channel Four, which provides advertising services to the company and is an existing shareholder, has agreed that £0.9m of future advertising spend by the company with Channel Four will, when payable, be satisfied by the issue of new shares at the Placing Price over a period of up to 24 months from Admission.

The Placing Shares represent approximately 86.1% of the existing share capital of the company. Following the Placing, the eve’s enlarged share capital will be 260,052,484 Ordinary Shares.

Stated within the announcement, eve said that the placing is on the back of its business review and a trading update in November 2018, where it confirmed its intention to raise new equity.

The proceeds of the funds raised (£11.7m and proposed Channel Four future advertising spend of £0.9m) will be used, alongside existing cash of £6m, to ‘implement its updated strategy’.

As part of its new strategy, eve aims to broaden its position in the bedroom furniture market, expand its product range and to improve its conversion rate with consumers. eve Sleep also reported an increase in sales during 2018.

According to its latest trading update for the 12 months ended 31 December 2018, total sales were ‘ahead of analyst expectations’ at £34.5m.

This was 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 31 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.

“Following a successful start to the winter sales period in the UK, unaudited trading results for the first week of 2019 were in line with the company’s revised expectations.”

w www.evesleep.co.uk

aQO M A N U F A CTURE

New BFM MD reflects on successful JFS

RET A I L

And the winner is...

During the January Furniture Show Cabinet Maker invited visitors and exhibitors to take part in our competition with the main prize to win a holiday in La Manga, Spain.

(Pictured: Clarion and BFM during JFS)

Entrants had to visit our stand at the show, which took a look back at some of our front covers since the very first one on 1 July 1880, as well as highlighting significant events in the UK over the decades through iconic photographs.

The British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) has praised the recent January Furniture Show, with its new MD sharing his thoughts.

Cabinet Maker is delighted to announce the three winners who were picked at random by January Furniture Show director Cleere Scammell and our editor Dan Squires (pictured above).

First place for the holiday Catherine Taylor (pictured left) from AGTC Brands

Nick Garratt, managing director, gave a rave review of this year’s Show: “Although I am not a new face in the industry, I was attending the January Furniture Show for the first time as md of the BFM. My thoughts on the approach to January was that I would take the time to visit every attending member, to introduce myself and find out more about each member.

However, upon arrival, I struggled to talk to a huge number of members due to the stands constantly being full of potential buyers.

“By the end of the fourth day, I had managed to speak to a majority number of exhibiting members and it seemed that everyone had experienced an astonishing show. One member stated that they couldn’t remember the show being so triumphant in the last 6 years! Feedback from retailers and visitors was also of praise concerning the high quality of the stands and that the investment into presentation was terrific.

“This is all testament to the hard work and organisation from Clarion Events. We would like to say a huge congratulations and thank you to Theresa and Larraine for their years of hard work and support, as it was sadly their last ever show with Clarion. We also look forward to the years to come, working with the new management team who will I’m sure encourage the continual growth of what has become such an iconic event in the furniture calendar, and of which we are honoured to be partners.”

Second place for the paintball experience Shane Allard from Upholstery

by Shane Allard Third place for a year’s free subscription to Cabinet Maker magazine Rory Smyth from Mid West Furniture Thank you to everyone that took part and we hope you all enjoyed the show.

w www.cabinet-maker.co.uk

M A N U F A CTURE

Debut JFS a big success British soft-seating specialist, Bazaar Group, is celebrating a successful January Furniture Show (JFS) debut where it launched its first in-store retail brand Ayla.

w www.bfm.org.uk

D ES I G N

BIID opens up registration Registration is now open for the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) CPD Providers Showcase.

Taking place on 21 March at The Chesterfield Hotel Mayfair, London, and returning for a fifth consecutive year, the event offers a variety of BIID-accredited CPD seminars, taught by leading industry experts.

For the first time this year tickets are available to the general public, whilst BIID Members and Associate members can register online for free. The day-long event will include six, 45-minute seminars on a range of topics.

w www.biid.org.uk

Philippe Galland, Bazaar Group’s head of sales and marketing, said: “We’re delighted with the results from our first JFS. We saw a very positive and encouraging reaction to all of Ayla’s pieces, creating a stir with visitors with our Dune centre pieces.

“The feedback focused on how different the pieces were, standing out from other brands at the exhibition.

“The show helped us reach a wider audience than expected including retailers, interior designers plus the contract and office sectors, and enabled us to have a number of meaningful conversations with key potential customers.”

w www.bazaar-group.uk 1st February 2019 | 07

news RET A I L

Independent to close as owner retires Independent home furnishings retailer Hambleton Furniture has confirmed closure plans after the owner nears retirement.

Situated in York city centre, Hambleton Furniture has been trading for more than a quarter of a century. However, its owner John Murphy, now 70 years old, intends to retire next month.

Reflecting on his time in business, John said that there used to be several dedicated furniture shops on the same road, but with modern times, they have relocated to out-of-town sites, mainly due to parking.

Commenting on the future of its store once closed, John added that he thinks it may turn into a café or bar although the York Conservation Trust owns the building.

Hambleton Furniture is currently holding a closing down sale and expects to close for the final time on 28 February.

w www.facebook.com/hambletonfurniture

RET A I L

Retailer returns 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 28 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.

M A N U F A CTURE

Bed maker launches new division & 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. Our continued growth in business allows us to invest, update and expand our product offering in order to reach new markets and audiences.”

Shire has also announced the launch of its new bed-in-a-box range, Heaven7.

Officially launching at the January Furniture Show, the collections 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

D ES I G N

Lighting manufacturer launches new logo design

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

UK manufacturer of creative lighting products Franklite has announced the launch of its new logo.

w www.prestigefurniture.co.uk

Its previous branding has been accustomed to the business for almost 50 years but decided to launch a fresh new design, which was displayed at the January Furniture Show 2019.

RET A I L

Business to close after two years Retailer Bed & Furniture Discount Shop has confirmed it plans to close in Spring.

Situated on College Street in Burnham-On-Sea town centre, the owners, John and Cheryl White, have decided not to renew their lease at the premises.

The Bed & Furniture Discount Shop is currently holding a closing down sale and plans to close for the final time in ‘a few weeks’.

The store opened back in July 2017 with the owners stating that it has been ‘difficult’ in recent times to run the business, leading in their decision to close.

w www.cabinet-maker.co.uk 1st February 2019 | 08

Commenting on the new logo, Franklite told Cabinet Maker: “Our former branding has been going strong for 46 years and we felt it was time to create a fresh, new and vibrant look.

“After several months designing and preparing on our ‘new range’ we are proud to be launching not only some charming new lighting products, but also a completely fresh look for Franklite starting with our new logo.

“The new logo has adopted an additional colour to help us stand out, as one of the leading lights in the luminaire market. We feel the new logo evokes a sense of modernism and although we know it takes time to adapt to, and recognise, any brand changes, we are really excited to start 2019 with our new look.”

w www.franklite.net

aQO RET A I L

M A N U F A CTURE

High street retailer looks to reduce plastic packaging High street retailer Marks and Spencer has indicated plans to reduce plastic consumption when delivering, especially within its big ticket items.

Roger Wright, technical packaging lead, Clothing & Home at Marks & Spencer, told IMRG that the business is looking to transform is packaging division of furniture products by introducing new initiatives.

One of these, albeit down the pipeline, is to potentially use a reusable bag when delivering furniture such as sofas – therefore reducing the plastic packaging on each product.

Roger said: “We’re trying to remove plastics if we can. It’s not going to be a like-for-like plastics into paper: we’re trying to reduce where we can rather than add something else instead.

“We’re now re-evaluating all that packaging. For example, if you buy a sofa from us, you’ll find it’s delivered in a cardboard tray and a plastic bag. Although we take that packaging off and recycle it, what we’re now trying to do is put recycled content into the bag: we’re trying to incrementally improve it.

“In the future, we could potentially use a reusable bag as well: with this white-glove service, the drivers could take the bag back to the vendor, which could be used to pack another sofa at another time. That’s what I would class as an innovation in this area.”

M&S’ ‘white glove’ service may be seen as an expensive model, but it has its benefits of being environmentally friendly, as Roger explained: “Beds and furniture are the types of things you can’t pick up in store. We have what you call a ‘white-glove service’: we employ a different company to deliver these items to the customer’s home.

“It’s an expensive way of delivering these items to customers, but we’re seen as being different in that respect: not a lot of retailers have that level of care and attention in delivery. There are opportunities for innovation in packaging in those areas, but it’s a completely separate market from our normal .com shed which sells the everyday stuff.”

w www.marksandspencer.com

M A N U F A CTURE

new sleep brand launched at JFS Furniture manufacturer Gallery Direct has announced the official launch of its new mattresses range.

The Simply Sleep collection features a unique range of mattresses, divans and headboards.

Gallery said they are manufactured at its factory in Wiltshire and also offers a range of Simply Sleep duvets, pillows and bedlinen.

w www.gallerydirect.co.uk

Bedding group acquires Canadian mattress business The Flex Bedding Group, based in Madrid and owner of UK luxury bed brand Vispring and premium bed retailer And So To Bed, has acquired 100% of Marshall Mattress of Toronto, Canada.

The acquisition of Marshall Mattress continues the strategy of the Flex Group to expand its leadership in the premium bedding sector worldwide and this purchase adds to its portfolio of high-end bed brands which now incorporates Vispring and And So To Bed in the UK, E.S. Kluft & Co. in North America and now Marshall Mattress in Canada.

Marshall Mattress will continue operating as an independent company within the Flex Group (as do Vispring, And so to Bed and E.S. Kluft & Co.), with the new owners confirming that major international expansion is planned for Marshall Mattress in the ‘near future’.

Marshall Mattress will keep its Canadian identity, its 119-year heritage as the inventor of the pocketed spring, its distinctive brand positioning and its specific range of products.

Rafael Gonzalez, CEO of the Flex Group, commented: “We are proud to become a local operator in Canada, a dynamic market with high average spending per capita. The heritage, know-how and reputation of Marshall fit the core values of the Flex Group.

“In the near future we plan to invest in the brand and expect Marshall to reach further heights. We will enhance the Marshall customer relationships with more product development and other brands of the Group.”

Marshall Mattress, founded in 1900 in Toronto Canada by James Marshall, operates out of a single facility in Toronto and specializes in affordable luxury and 2-sided bedding with naturally sourced materials.

w www.flexgroup.com

RET A I L

Furniture retailer brings smaller concept to France Swedish furniture giant IKEA has announced it will open its first Paris city centre store later this year.

The new store will be IKEA’s smallest store at 58,000sq ft and will be situated in the Madeleine shopping centre.

Set to launch on 6 May 2019, it will be the retailers eighth sales outlet in and around Paris, as well as its 34th store in France.

The new store will focus on smaller products but also offers a click and collect service with IKEA announcing the opening of a new distribution centre, which opens next month in nearby Gennevilliers.

IKEA France added that it wants to ‘quadruple the number of pickup locations’ throughout the country and plans to expand from 25 locations to 100 by August this year. IKEA is planning further smaller openings in other cities across Europe including more in London and Copenhagen.

w www.ikea.com 1st February 2019 | 09

news RET A I L

Sofa partnership to extend Fashion and homewares business Joules has confirmed plans to extend its DFS partnership.

According to its interim results for the 26 weeks ended 25 November 2018, Joules said that its DFS sofa collections continued to perform ‘very well’, which was supported by an extension to 63 stores and the introduction of a sofa bed to the collection.

Due to the continued success, Joules revealed that it plans to increase distribution of its sofa range with DFS further.

Commenting within its report, Joules said: “We continue to focus on delivering product extension opportunities that are right for the brand and our customer, with an exciting pipeline of brand relevant licence arrangements, planned for the second half of this financial year and beyond.”

w www.joules.com

RET A I L

Planning application protest Independent furniture retailer Burton’s Home Furniture could be forced to move after its landlord submitted new plans for the building.

Situated on Beaconsfield Street in Long Eaton, Burton’s Home Furniture has been based in the property for the past 118 years but now faces a fight to keep its current location.

The property owner has submitted a new planning application to convert the store into two houses of multiple occupation against the wishes of the business owners.

Burton’s Home Furniture has conducted an objection campaign and has already gathered a list of 42 names against the plans and have submitted it to Erewash Borough Council, along with a letter outlining their concerns.

Detailed within the letter, it states: “Is it not in local interest to take the furniture shop away. It is a well-established store with a loyal customer base from the town and surrounding areas which brings economic viability to the town.”

Despite the protest, the plans are understood to have been recommended for approval by the council.

w www.burtonshomefurniture.co.uk

RET A I L

Operations director to retire Multi-channel retailer John Lewis & Partners has confirmed that Dino Rocos will retire from the position of operations director at the end of May 2019.

Bérangère Michel, finance director, has been appointed operations director, assuming responsibility for the end-to-end Supply Chain and the John Lewis & Partners shop estate.

As a result of Bérangère’s appointment, a recruitment process is underway for the role of finance director.

w www.johnlewis.com 1st February 2019 | 10

M A N U F A CTURE

Furniture industry makes ‘great contribution’ to UK Ms Maggie Throup MP, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Furniture Industry Group (APPFIG), secured a Westminster Hall debate on 23 January 2019 that examined the contribution of furniture manufacturing to the UK economy.

Ms Throup used the opportunity to champion UK furniture manufacturing and raised some of the policy issues that the British Furniture Confederation (BFC) has been highlighting.

During the debate, Ms Throup raised four key issues: trade and export; standards and regulations; skills and education; and the environment. All of these areas are key BFC policy concerns, which can be found in its manifesto.

The debate was well attended by MPs from both sides of the House of Commons and from constituencies across the UK. Richard Harrington MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Business and Industry, responded for the Government.

He acknowledged the economic importance of the furniture industry, commented how ‘furniture is fundamental to all our lives’ and provided clarity on the Government’s position on some of the BFC’s key policy concerns.

Mr Harrington mentioned that ‘the country has a rich history of producing world-class furniture’. On Brexit, he said: “The Government will do everything we can to ensure that the movement of goods remains as frictionless as possible to the benefit of industry across the UK.” On safety and regulation, Mr Harrington said: ‘We need to maintain the industry’s reputation for excellence in both quality and safety’. On skills and education, he said: “The Government are keen to ensure that the industry has the skills it needs.”

Mr Harrington concluded the debate by stating that he recognised “the furniture industry’s great contribution to our country and of the strong position it is in to make a positive contribution to a more sustainable future.”

The chairman of the BFC, Jonathan Hindle, commented: “The debate highlighted the important contribution of the UK furniture industry to the UK economy and allowed a number of the industry’s key policy concerns to be discussed. I’m very grateful to Maggie Throup MP for seeking the debate and look forward to working with her, the APPFIG and Government departments to ensure that the British furniture industry continues to thrive.”

w www.britishfurnitureconfederation.org.uk

M A N U F A CTURE

Irish furniture business expands through acquisition Specialist furniture supplier Environmental Street Furniture (ESF) has announced the acquisition of Irish business Sentry Posts for an undisclosed sum.

ESF, which is based in Antrim, Northern Ireland, said that the acquisition marks an ‘another important stage’ in the growth of the business. Sentry Posts is based in Dromore and specialises in perimeter security and traffic products.

w www.esfwholesalefurniture.com

f o r F u l l s t o r i e s and dai l y n e w s u p da t e s : W W W . C a b i n e t - m a k e r . c o . u k

M A N U F A CTURE

First fabric supplier to gain ‘Certified Company’ status Mobus Fabrics Ltd have been confirmed as the first fabric supplier to achieve ‘Certified Company’ status as part of the Furniture Industry Research Association’s ‘Compliance Scheme for the Fire Performance of Upholstered Furniture’.

The West Yorkshire based suppliers were recognised with their achievement at the January Furniture Show.

The scheme itself was launched at the same show in 2018 when the Furniture Industry Research Association unveiled details and introduced Hertfordshire Trading Standards as their Primary Authority Co-Ordinated Partnership.

In order to become a Certified Company, Mobus Fabrics underwent a thorough audit to prove they have suitable processes and procedures in place to demonstrate due diligence compliance with the Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations (FFFSR).

Speaking on their new Certified Company status, Ian Bostock, managing director at Mobus Fabrics said “We are delighted to be the first fabric suppliers to gain ‘Certified Company’ status.

“This gives us confidence in knowing our processes and procedures are robust.

“It also provides ‘verification’ to our customers, reassuring them that we adhere to the FFFSR in everything we do.”

w www.mobus.co.uk

RET A I L

aQO

M A N U F A CTURE

Difficult trading leads to widening losses Upholstery manufacturer and dining furniture importer Mark Webster Designs has seen losses widen due to margin pressures and a fall in sales.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018, total sales fell 27.7% to £8.6m from £11.9m in 2017, with both UK and EU sales reporting a decline.

The downturn in sales marked a third consecutive decline and was the lowest turnover achieved since 2012 when sales resulted at £7.2m.

Gross profit was also down 44% to £2m from £3.6m, whilst pretax losses stood at £999,596, widening by 35% from its loss of £736,695 recorded last year.

Stated within is report, the company said that overall trading continued to be ‘very difficult’ throughout the year and that the company was ‘still adjusting to major changes’ within its client base.

Furthermore, the business added that despite the overall sales fall, its UK upholstery division saw revenue growth of 31% on the previous year. Looking ahead, the company said it would continue its ongoing restructure with ‘significant growth’ expected for one major customer.

w www.markwebster.co.uk

D ES I G N

Furniture technology specialist forms new license agreement

Call for entries for Best Independent Store

RenewMaterial (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. has signed a license agreement with Välinge for the use of the 5G® locking system and Threespine®click furniture technology.

The organisers behind the Creative Retail Awards are looking to find the Best Independent Store Design or Display that was completed in 2018.

The technologies will help RenewMaterial in its product diversification and strive for continuous sustainable growth.

The award highlights the value of innovative design within independent retail.

Commenting on the awards, organisers SDEA said: “Winning an award would put your company centre stage with some of the world’s most visionary and influential retailers and designers.

“Entrants must be able to demonstrate what makes their store stand out in the community. How does it stand out amongst larger competitors or those with bigger budgets?”

Entries are completely free for retailers and are judged by an esteemed panel of retail design and display experts.

The Creative Retail Awards is an annual event that rewards and recognises the most innovative, inspirational and forwardthinking retail display and design.

This year the winners will be announced at an extravagant evening ceremony on 6th June at London’s newest super-club, Proud Embankment.

w www.creativeretailawards.com

Founded in 2009, RewnewMaterial is a part of the Singaporebased company RenewFibre Asia which specializes in R&D, production and sales activities of biodegradable materials.

Among the company’s products are environmentally-friendly trays, packaging materials, furniture boards and building boards all made from green straw.

The RenewMaterial’s flooring brand Xtd XTRAWDINARY™ is based on the idea of sustainability. 95% of the flooring materials have been made from agricultural straws, allowing the durable flooring to be free from formaldehyde/additives thereby creating a true green and safe environment for consumers.

With 5G, the company will now also be able to improve the user experience by providing fast, easy and long-lasting installation. .

Teck Tin Wong, founder & CEO of RenewMaterial, said: “The technologies from Välinge are simply a perfect match with RewnewMaterial’s idea of increased sustainably. I’m very honoured to partner with Välinge and to jointly promote the renewable and sustainable material with click technologies for flooring and furniture. Our aim is to market these advanced technologies worldwide thereby creating more awareness about sustainable living.”

w www.valinge.se 1st February 2019 | 11

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Upholstery maker gains ‘Certified’ status Midlands-based upholstery manufacturer, ACL 2002 LTD, are the latest organisation to gain ‘Certified Company’ status as part of the Furniture Industry Research Association’s ‘Compliance Scheme for the Fire Performance of Upholstered Furniture’.

Launched in January 2018, with a Primary Authority Co-Ordinated Partnership with Hertfordshire Trading Standards, the scheme highlights organisations who have suitable processes and procedures in place to demonstrate due diligence compliance with the UK’s Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations (FFFSR). This reassures the industry, and ultimately consumers, as they can identify manufacturers and retailers who are part the compliance scheme.

Part of the process to become a ‘Certified Company’ was an in-depth audit which included assessing ACL 2002 LTD’s process management systems, control of materials, traceability, compliance testing, labelling and crisis management. Following the audit, the auditor noted how impressed he was with the manufacturing site and it was clear that ACL 2002 LTD placed great emphasis on due diligence.

Speaking on their new Certified Company status, Craig Watts, managing director at ACL 2002 LTD, said “Having procedures in place to enable us to manufacture compliant products is at the heart of our family business. This helps set us apart when supplying major UK retailers, as they know they can depend on our processes. It is also reassuring to hear the positive words from the auditor on our due diligence processes. We place a very strong emphasis on this at ACL 2002 LTD and it’s rewarding to see this highlighted by an independent third party.”

w www.fira.co.uk

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Discounted furniture prices Furniture prices fell during December, as overall inflation in the UK declined.

According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for December 2018, the total furniture price rate decreased by 0.6% from 0.1% in November. Compared to the same month last year, furniture prices during December also decreased by a rate of 2.3% from 3% in 2017.

Carpets and floorcovering price rate both decreased on an annual and monthly comparison, down by -0.5% from 2.2% compared to December 2017. On last month, prices fell by -0.6% from a rate of 0.1%.

Furnishings group continues to grow online sales Design and retail home furnishings group Conran has reported a fifth straight year of turnover growth.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 1 April 2018, The Conran Shop Limited saw total sales increase by 16.3% to £25.6m from £22m in 2017.

Gross loss and pre-tax losses both widened to a loss of £1.5m from £653,000 and £1.7m from £1m respectively.

Stated within its report, total retail sales growth resulted at 0.1% with online sales 16.2% up on last year, which was driven by an increase in traffic to the site with targeted digital marketing and website improvements.

Commenting on current trading, Conran said that the new financial year has been ‘encouraging’ with sales up by 7% in the first half.

w www.conranshop.co.uk

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Sales grow beyond £30m at fitted furniture firm Manchester-based fitted furniture design and manufacturer Neville Johnson has reported an eighth successive rise in sales as turnover reached another record level.

Neville Johnson, which is part of the Bhid Group, posted a 5.8% uptick in sales to £32.4m from £30.6m in its latest filed accounts for the year ended 30 April 2018.

Gross profit also registered an increase by 7.1% to £18.1m from £16.9m, whilst pre-tax profit for the year stood at £2.5m, up by 13.6% from £2.2m in 2017.

This marked its second highest profit behind £2.6m generated back on 2015.

Stated within its report, the company said that both its furniture and staircases divisions reported growth as the business continued to invest in new plant and machinery, with its most recent being installed during May 2018 at its Trafford Park facility.

In overall group terms, Bhid (Bespoke Home Interior Design) reported another sharp increase in sales by 10% to £56m from £50.9m in 2017, with the other arm of its business, fitted kitchen specialist Tom Howley, also generating an uptick of 12.8% in revenues to £22.9m from £20.3m.

Tom Howley, which reported a slight decline in pre-tax profit from £1.2m to £849,000, confirmed that it continues to invest in new showrooms around the UK and remains on track to open in Islington, Edinburgh and Cambridge during the year ahead.

Overall, the 12-month rate was 2.1% in December 2018, down from 2.3% in November 2018.

The group reported a pre-tax profit of £506,000, significantly growing compared to its profit of £167,000 last year. The group achieved an EBITDA of £4.6m for the year.

w www.ons.gov.uk

w www.nevillejohnson.co.uk

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Difficult conditions led to collapse Furniture manufacturer Hayburn & Co has ceased trading after entering liquidation.

Alison Burnside, of PKF-FPM Accountants, was appointed as liquidator of Hayburn Wood Products Limited on 5 December 2018, with the company ceasing to trade immediately upon appointment.

In recent documents filed on Companies House, the business owed unsecured creditors over £1.5m and generated just over £259,000 in realised assets to be made available for preferential creditors. Total funds left for unsecured creditors amounted to £101,000, leaving a combined shortfall of £1.4m.

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Kitchen furniture specialist expands as sales grow again Kitchen furniture specialist Waterline has reported a second year of successive turnover growth.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018, total sales rose 1.3% to £54m from £53.3m in 2017.

Gross profit experienced a decline of 1.7% to £11m from £11.2m, as did pre-tax profit, which was down by 17.6% to £750,045 compared to its profit of £911,385 recorded the previous year.

The highest individual amount owed totalled £353,000 and was to the Department of Education & Learning.

During the year the company extended its brand portfolio with the addition of Samsung and Kitchen Aid.

Hayburn, which operated out of Ahoghill, Ballymena, specialised in the manufacture of office and shop furniture, as well as other furniture including kitchens.

Commenting on the integration, the company said: “Apart from a globally recognisable brand name, Samsung have a number of innovative products which are proving to be of great interest to our marketplace.

A statement on its website said: “Due to difficult trading conditions, the business has ceased trading with immediate effect. All known creditors, including those customers who have fully paid or paid in part for goods are being contacted by post.”

w www.pkffpm.com

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Online retailer making progress Accrington-headquartered online retailer Findel has reported a ‘strong’ third quarter with its Studio division.

According to its latest trading update for the 15-week period ended December 2018, its Studio business, formerly Express Gifts, reported revenue growth of 13.7% as group sales rose 10.9%.

In line with the Group’s strategy to raise the profile of the Group’s main customer facing brand Studio, Express Gifts Limited changed its name to Studio Retail Limited during the period.

This marks the next step in the evolution of the business, moving away from its background in catalogues and gifting products/cards, to being a modern, online value retailer with a broad product range.

Total revenue for Studio across Q3 increased by 13.7%, with product and financial services revenue both seeing growth.

While January is typically a quieter period for the Group, the early weeks of the new Spring/Summer season for Studio have shown an ‘encouraging response’, with homewares and garden ranges performing ‘particularly well and in line with expectations’.

Within its Education Division, which supplies furniture to schools, revenues slipped by 8.9%. Group net debt was £54m, down by £23m from December 2017.

Phil Maudsley, Group CEO, said: “I am delighted with the strong performance of Studio in its peak trading period.”

w www.findel.co.uk

“Kitchen Aid sits at the pinnacle of the brand tree for Whirlpool whose other product lines we have been selling successfully for a number of years.

“Both of these brands complement our existing portfolio extremely well and should allow us to seek out additional sales opportunities in areas where we have not previously had success.”

w www.waterline.co.uk

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Lack of investment impacts performance as UK sales slip German kitchen furniture brand Poggenpohl has reported its first UK loss in eight years as sales declined.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 December 2017, total sales within its UK division fell 20.4% to £11.3m from £14.2m in 2016.

Gross profit reduced 18.3% to £4m from £4.9m, whilst its pre-tax profit of £24,000 fell into the red at a loss of £823,000 – marking the first time since 2009 (-£453,000) that its UK business had recorded a loss.

Stated within its report, the company said that challenging retail conditions alongside a lack of investment in relation to product development, studio refurbishment and marketing in previous years had a negative effect on performance.

The wider group was sold to Munich-based private equity firm ADCURAM Group AG back in February 2017, with the new owners committing to invest to boost future growth, which has already had a positive impact on current trading.

The business, which has its UK base in St Albans, also revealed that it closed one of its five Central London locations at the yearend due to an increase in rent rates.

w www.poggenpohl.com 1st February 2019 | 13

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Upholstery maker reveals Sales Person award winner Upholstery manufacturer Lebus has announced the winner of its Sales Person of the Year Award.

Francis Foley, who covers the Midlands area for Lebus Upholstery, won the accolade, with the award presented by sales director John Wakeman.

(Pictured L-R: John & Francis).

John said: “He has done a fantastic job in growing the turnover on this area in a very short space of time.”

Sales climb to £40m at tile retailer Independent tile and worktop retailer Al-Murad has reported a ninth successive year of turnover growth as sales climbed towards £40m.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018, total sales rose 1.7% to £38.9m from £38.2m in 2017.

Gross profit increased 6.9% to £20.1m from £18.8m, whilst pretax profit resulted at £6.8m, up by 4.6% compared to its profit of £6.5m the previous year.

Its pre-tax profit mentioned above marked a third straight year of bottom line growth as was the business’ highest profit achieved in its history to date.

Lebus, which recently exhibited at the January Furniture Show, also added that the event was a huge success and was its ‘best result for some years’.

Stated within its report, the company said that it continued to invest in modernising its stores, as well as improving its logistical infrastructure and marketing campaigns. Al-Murad operates from over 70 stores across the UK and specialises in wall and floor tiles as well as kitchen worktops

w www.lebus.co.uk

w www.al-murad.co.uk

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imm cologne achieves greater reach

Non UK sales more than double

imm cologne/LivingKitchen drew to a close on 20 January 2019 with ‘excellent results’, says organisers. A total of 150,000 visitors made their way to Cologne from 145 countries.

Home furnishing design and manufacturer Martin Moore Furniture has reported a decline in turnover although sales remained over £12m.

With 52% of trade visitors coming from abroad, the co-located events achieved an even greater global reach than ever before.

Overall, more than one in two trade visitors travelled from abroad to attend the events.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018, total sales fell by 6.2% to £12.1m from £12.9m in 2017, ending a run of five straight years of turnover growth.

Specialist retailers and high-profile international visitors from the furnishings trade and interior design business were recorded as visitors, with many of them coming from the global top 30 chains.

Growth here was especially strong from the UK, with visitors from DFS, Heal’s, John Lewis, Hatfields and Kingfisher. The events also drew a strong audience from Scandinavia in the form of IDdesign, JYSK, Svenska Hem, the Indoor Group from Finland, Bromölla Möbelaffär and Sängjätten.

Growth in overseas trade visitors was especially strong. But the trade fair duo also attracted greater numbers of visitors from other European nations.

The company grew sales outside the UK during the year, up by 113% to £409,261 from £192,558. However, homegrown sales were down by 9.3% from £12.8m to £11.6m.

Gross profit declined by 9.9% to £7.2m from £8m year-on-year, whilst pre-tax profit resulted in £600,000, down from £1.2m generated last year.

Altrincham-based Martin Moore said within its report that its new showroom in London on Muswell Hill Broadway is expected to boost revenues in the year ahead.

w www.martinmoore.com

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The events achieved significant rises in trade visitor numbers from China (up 23%), North America (up 15%) and South America, where an increase of 29% was recorded.

sales down at Carpet business

Within Europe, considerably more industry professionals from Greece (up 31%), Ireland (up 30%) and Portugal (up 31%) travelled to imm cologne and LivingKitchen.

Rugs supplier Asiatic Carpets has reported a decline in sales.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018, total sales fell by 11% to £17.5m from £19.8m in 2017.

The numbers attending from Spain also rose slightly by 4%.

The organisers are especially pleased with the 13% increase in visitors from Eastern Europe. Visitor numbers from Belgium rose by 5%, while visitors from the Netherlands increased by 3% and visitors from France by 2%.

w www.imm-cologne.com 1st February 2019 | 14

Pre-tax profit resulted at £2.3m, just shy of its previous year’s profit of £2.5m. Stated within its report, Asiatic Carpets said that despite a backdrop of challenging business conditions and market uncertainty, it had continued to ‘perform well’ and maintained a positive outlook to continue to trade profitably.

w www.asiatic.co.uk

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Contract firm supplies new hotel furniture Contract furniture firm Furniture Fusion has unveiled the results of its contract to supply furniture, much of it bespoke, to the new Hotel Indigo in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

The landmark 14-storey hotel has launched following a £30m development project, in a prime location opposite the city’s Victoria Station.

Part refurbishment and part new-build, the design by architects 3D Reid incorporates the grade-two listed City Buildings and a brand new building, giving a total of 187 bedrooms plus a 120-cover restaurant, Mamucium.

Furniture Fusion has supplied furniture throughout the property, from marble side tables and upholstered chairs in the bedrooms to bar stools, bespoke dining tables, dining chairs and high tables in the restaurant.

Several bespoke pieces have been created for Hotel Indigo, including plush velvet wing lounge chairs and sleek lobby leather sofas to set a stylish note on arrival.

Sam Samuels, managing director of Furniture Fusion commented: “We were delighted to be chosen by 3D Reid to work on the Hotel Indigo project. It’s a high-profile launch that has breathed new life into a long-empty listed building in what’s now a really buzzy part of town.

“The Northern Quarter is a creative, vibrant area with deep roots in music, culture and design – all strong influences for Furniture Fusion. We loved creating the bespoke pieces to fit 3D Reid’s interior design concept and think the end result looks great” Scott Torrance, associated director of Interior Design at 3D Reid, said: “We’ve worked with Furniture Fusion many times over the last few years, so knew that on a project of this size and profile, their range of product, pricing and ability to deliver without fuss made them the right choice.

“They went the extra mile in supplying alternatives to come in at the client budget yet with no drop in quality, and met all deadlines that were thrown at them on this project, including sourcing additional items with only a week or so left before opening! We have always enjoyed working with Sam and his team and look forward to this continuing for many years to come.”

w www.furniturefusion.co.uk

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Logistics group grows top and bottom lines Machinery logistics specialist Merrits has reported a rise in both sales and profits.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended June 2018, revenue has increased by £1.56m to £5.52m and profits have more than doubled from £320,000 to £870,000 over the same period.

During the year, Merrits invested £1.4m in new plant and equipment to support the growth plans and increase operational capacity. This has included four new Scania S500 tractor units, four new customised Mercedes Benz Sprinter vans and four new Hyster fork lift trucks.

A new £100,000 Nooteboom low loader is also on order for delivery during January 2019.

The company, which specialises in machinery logistics through its Textile Machinery Movers Division, said that the appointment of a new finance director has helped boost growth.

Commenting, managing director, James Merritt said: “It has proved to be a very successful year following a number of changes at board level. We appointed finance director Alan Cundy, and I moved in to a more customer-facing role. This has improved cost control and operational efficiencies.”

Alan added: “A significant programme of capital investment started in 2018 and will continue into 2019 and beyond. This investment will assist us in meeting the growing demand for machinery relocation services within the UK and Europe.”

As part of its ongoing expansion plans, the company intends to increase revenue to £10m by securing more global machine moving projects on behalf of manufacturers selling new machinery to UK based companies.

Merritts has a blue chip client base of industry manufacturers and supply chain partners in sectors that use heavy machinery such as flooring and textiles, aerospace, defence, automotive, print, plastics & rubber, food production and waste & recycling.

w www.merritts.uk.com

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Lighting supplier reports growth

Carpet business experiences sales drop

North West-based lighting wholesaler Forum Lighting Solutions, a member of the Cascade Group, has reported a fourth straight year of turnover growth.

Flooring supplier Mears Carpets has reported a decline in turnover. According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018, total sales fell 2% to £11.2m from £11.4m in 2017.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018, total sales rose 28.5% to £2.7m from £2.1m in 2017, marking another year of record revenue.

Operating profit was also down by 16% to £1.8m from £2.2m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £1.5m, down by 16%, which was due to increased overheads.

The lighting business saw UK sales grow by 25% to £2.5m from £2m, with sales in the EU also registering an uptick of 51.6% to £194,275 from £128,501.

Stated within its report, the company said that despite the sales drop, gross profit increased 7% with margins up from 37% to 41%.

Gross profit also increased 34.1% to £688,499 from £513,197, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £76,207, up by 153% from its profit of £30,000 recorded the previous year.

w www.mearscarpets.co.uk

w www.forumlightingsolutions.com

F E A TURE |S A SSY HO M E

Home furnishings, accessories and ornamental decorative wholesaler, Sassy Home spoke to Cabinet Maker following a successful January Furniture Show.

1st February 2019 | 16

For Full storIes AND DAIly News upDAtes: WWW.Cabinet-maker.Co.uk First of all, we would like to thank all our customers for visiting us at the January Furniture Show and a big welcome to all our new customers too. The show was extremely successful and we very much appreciate your orders and taking time to pay us a visit.

The January Furniture Show provided a perfect platform for the business, which contributed to a great start for 2019 and we are excited about the response to our new products that we displayed at the show.

Sassy Home, which was born out of Wire Lamps and has expanded its range of products to offer one of the finest ranges of ornaments, mirrors and mirrored furniture, table and floor lamps, and more recently a range of outdoor garden ornaments and

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wrought iron furniture.

We offer prompt delivery, normal circumstances orders are despatched within two days at latest, and our office staff are available for help with any special order requirements alongside a comprehensive website with Trade Prices (strictly trade) on all products. We feel we offer a complete service where customer satisfaction is paramount.

products, many of which we have designed and registered (ACID member), to ensure we stay on top of the latest trends.

2018 has been a great year for us with the new added lines and additions to the range of outdoor ornaments. We have done all we can to keep prices as low as possible to offset poor exchange rates yet retain quality of product and packaging. The new lines shown at the January Furniture Show have taken off extremely well and we are very pleased so far.

We will continue to add more lines of

Thanks again to all old and new customers.

Everyone here at Sassy Home wishes you all a very Happy and successful New Year.

Following the January Furniture Show we have decided to attend the Autumn Fair (start of Autumn trade and leading up to Christmas) so we can display our new products at key times of the year.

w www.sassyhome.co.uk Below: Sassy Home products

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Cabinet Maker takes a look at the upcoming Spring Fair exhibition, highlighting what to expect to see from the furniture category.

Hot on the heels of the January Furniture Show, the Spring Fair exhibition takes place at the NEC in Birmingham from 3-7 February 2019. The show itself has a wide variety of sectors on display, from beauty, gifts, toys homewares and even inspiration for Christmas! Another important sector at the show, particularly for Cabinet Maker readers, is Home.

Described as the ‘source for decorative interiors and furniture’ the Home section provides a definitive destination for stylish interior accessories, decorative trends and finishing touches for home retailers, interior designers, the hospitality industry and much more.

There will be a number of commercial suppliers of home interior accessories, soft furnishings, textiles and furniture, all offering ‘essential and exuberant’ home interiors with ‘influences from multiple styles from all over the world’.

So lets spring into action and explore what’s on offer to see why it’s an event that is worth a visit – even if you’ve just finished trekking the halls at the NEC during JFS. 1st February 2019 | 18

Furniture The furniture section features some high profile businesses that are well seasoned in their respective product categories as well as exhibiting at shows. Mainly spread across Hall’s 1 and 8, visitors can expect to see new product launches, new designs and eye-catching displays. To name a few, Gallery Direct will be on show will be launching an exciting range of new products, including furniture, mirrors, home décor and soft furnishings, along with sofas and chairs to complement its Hudson Living sofa beds.

Other names include The Libra Company, ASG, Associacao Empresarial de Pacos de Ferreira from Portugal, Belfield Furnishings Group, Besp-Oak Furniture, Bluebone, Coach House, Derry’s, Dutch Imports, Febland Group, Fifty Five South, Hill Interiors, Nigel Sargent, Vida Living, Wholesale Furniture Direct and XYZ Agencies.

Rugs, Carpets & Textiles From furniture to flooring and coverings, this section offers a variety of brands including A2zrug, Hanlin, Pellis, Tigermoth, Anderson Textiles, Caldeira, Clarke & Clarke, Dalal Industries, Harwood Textiles, Rapport Group

and Cozy Living. Each exhibitor will be showcasing new launches, as well as offering expert on-stand advice. One particular highlight will be Clarke & Clarke’s stand where they will be launching new fashion-led fabrics and wallcoverings, setting the trend for the year ahead.

Soft Furnishings & Lighting Again, there are plenty of big names filling out the soft furnishings and lighting sections, with Ashley Wilde, Daro Soft Furnishings, Dreamweavers, Ena Shaw and Evans Lichfield to name but a few in the soft furnishings sector. There will be over 100 brands introducing new lighting products from dedicated lighting specialists including Light & Living and Pharmore, to businesses that offer lighting as another product category – with many already mentioned above.

Industry Moving away from more product based exhibitors to service providers, the Spring Fair will house a number of leading industry organisations. These include ACID, Modern Retail, TPS Global Logistics and new cloud based software specialist Vend, as well as many more.

For Full storIes AND DAIly News upDAtes: WWW.Cabinet-maker.Co.uk

Something New Organisers of the Spring Fair have confirmed that there will be three content theatres to inform and inspire on the latest trends and opportunities. Grab a seat at The Main Stage, The Retail Skills Theatre or The Studio to get the latest insights and business practices to help you optimise your processes, make better decisions and help your business thrive. Over the course of the show there will be key seminars. Cabinet Maker has highlighted six talks that are not to be missed.

As you can see trends play a big part in every business. The Spring Fair has indicated the five bestsellers for 2019 within the Home section, which are all on show.

1) Fabrics From inspiration to design: How do we create fabrics customers love? - The Main Stage at 11:30am on 3 February.

The Velvet Chesterfield “The Chesterfield sofa is not going anywhere, after 300 years of this iconic piece, it’s safe to say the Chesterfield is one of the most famous designs and we are sticking by it!

While aged leather gives a timeless and strong look, opulent velvet broadens the style to give a more on trend feel. So, with a wealth of styles, materials, colours and comfort rolled into one, you can see why we are opting for this as a continued bestseller.”

2) Delivery Meeting customer’s changing delivery expectations - Retail Skills Theatre at 11:15am on 4 February.

3) Trends Colour & Material trend forecast for Spring Summer 2020 - The Studio at 1:15pm on 4 February.

4) Technology The future of retail technology 2019 and beyond - The Main Stage at 3:15pm on 4 February.

5) More trends From catwalk to table: How do you translate trends to home interiors? - The Main Stage at 2:15pm on 6 February.

6) Eco The rise of the ethical consumer and adapting to the growth of the green economy - The Main Stage at 10:30am on 7 February.

“Being in the world of interiors means consistently being on your top game so we’re bringing you a dose of interior inspiration focused on trend, style and specific products with our predicted 5 bestsellers of 2019”, the Spring Fair Home team said, continuing below.

Au Naturel Interiors “It’s time to get connected to your roots and immerse yourself in an all-natural look. This raw and intrinsic style features a contemporary twist and is especially suited to tables and seating. In keeping with this, natural materials in general are also one to get involved with including dark woods and leather.”

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wall colours, tiles, lampshades, bedsheets, armchairs and more.”

Swish, Swish – Fringing is Back!

“Fringing is the must have feature, this retro trend is coming back with a bang! Proving popular amongst interiors, fringing is sure to make appearances across lamps, cushions, curtains and even pieces of furniture. Jump into the tassel trend!”

Industrial Lighting “Bedside LampWith industrial luxe interiors set to be huge, industrial lighting will be an enormous part of this! Expect to see a variation of lights and lamps and colours such as black, brass and gold being focal points.”

With plenty on offer for the furniture industry to indulge in, the Spring Fair looks to be an exciting way to continue ‘show season’. See you there!

w www.springfair.com

The 2020 ‘It’ Colour “Neo-mint colour2020 may sound far away but it is already on the horizon, especially in the world of interiors, a fresh and lively tone is set to make a huge impact. Aligning a modern style with nature, be sure to look out for this colour on various interior pieces including

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F e A t u r e |N A t u z z I

Pasquale Jr Natuzzi talks to Cabinet Maker about his new creative director and stylist role in the family business.

When were you appointed in the new position?

This new journey started November 2018 but it is a goal achieved after a long path, started when I was a kid. At the age of 4-5, I was already taking my first steps in the company. I spent my summers with my father in the Style Center and in the Prototyping Room, other than the advertising department, nurturing my interest in the creative side of the business.

What will be your responsibilities moving forward?

In this new role, I’m breaking the boundaries between merchandising, R&D, designers, Style Center and marketing, creating a team 1st February 2019 | 20

that envisions the creative direction and executes it jointly. Luckily being creative director and marketing officer at the same time, I have now the opportunity to manage a team of more than 80 people that are fundamental for the brand evolution. I am very pleased with what we have achieved in few months, working as a well-coordinated team.

You mentioned you have a desire to develop the image of Natuzzi. What is the first step in this process?

Natuzzi is one of the best-known furniture brands in the world, with 60 years of history and a strong strategy: transformation from a furniture player to a lifestyle brand. Our company is ready to take a new direction, and

I am leading it into an exciting new creative chapter of its history. The collections, retail store experience, communication, marketing and consumer service must encompass the brand’s vision, since only through a holistic approach, can we project the brand towards a modern, distinctive creative language and high experiential value and thus create our community of brand lovers.

Looking at 2019, what do you have planned from the creative side of the business?

2019 is the brands 60th anniversary; we are working on a series of collaborations and initiatives to celebrate Natuzzi’s history and values in a unique, memorable way. This year

f o r F u l l s t o r i e s and dai l y n e w s u p da t e s : W W W . C a b i n e t - m a k e r . c o . u k is the link that joins the past and the future of Natuzzi. The future will see a greater move to lifestyle and new retail experience; our products will be enriched by new inspirations, integrated in an effective interior decoration and communicated with increasing inspirational languages. I can’t disclose the details. During the next Salone del Mobile in Milan, you will see the outcome of our work.

You have had a long career already with the brand, have there been any highlights so far you wish to share?

My career has been a path of increase and improvement. I’ve worked side by side with my father and the whole management, studying every part of the business. I have learned a lot about organisation, people and methods of analysis and coordination. Italians are creative, but creativity does not always go well with processes and follow up. After acquiring full skills on managing people and organisation, I have decided to focus my work on the evolution of the brand; I like to imagine something new and see how it takes shape.

What trends would you say are emerging?

Trends come and go. As far as I can tell, today’s trend is rigour. In a fast-moving, digitally led world, consumers are very informed, demanding and discerning: you need an internationally recognised brand of excellence to attract worldwide consumers. Excellence is the result of an evolutionary process based on the right

strategy, implemented with greater rigour and efficiency. Regardless the brand positioning.

Can you reveal any future plans for the UK? UK is a key market for Natuzzi’s growth, together with US and Asia. Natuzzi Italia is strengthening its retail expansion in the market. We recently opened a brand new London store at Westfield White City; it’s our most exciting location to date in London. With this opening, we are making our presence even stronger in a market that seems to be more and more interested in our style and vision. Westfield White City is the arena where the most important brands in the world compete; it is the place where people get excited by constant inspirations, from automotive, fashion and food brands.

We have big news for Natuzzi Editions, too.

Its new collection features for the first time – alongside leather and fabric sofas – new projects for the living area, dining room (tables, chairs, sideboards and accessories) and beds. We have started opening Natuzzi Editions stores in Europe, we have chosen Cardiff for the first one and it is performing very well.

What would you say creates a strong retail experience?

We are an Italian lifestyle brand able to offer in our stores that sense of place’ you can find in the DNA of the Natuzzi brand, which pays tribute through our collections to Puglia

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nature and to the perfect harmony of its element. In our stores, you can see the result of the special feeling between our work and our land: the colours, settings, tastes and the Mediterranean sensuality that are sources of our inspiration and Natuzzi’s unique selling proposition.

In the last few years, we have revolutionised the shopping experience, offering customers a useful, omni-channel, interactive and memorable ‘digital journey’. Among the tools in progress, we have a high-definition online 3D configurator with an easy and fast user experience, a new interior design planner and finally XR store, an area inside the store dedicated to contents used through the augmented and virtual reality.

What challenges do you expect to face?

The effects of Globalisation and some big changes on macroeconomics have made it clear that there is a need for a deep reassessment for companies. As a manufacturer and a retailer, Natuzzi must be able to interpret relevant data and implement necessary adjustments, representing the best value proposition for consumers. I found it rather challenging to stay sharp, focused and resilient and organise our work to meet our medium and longer-term goals.

w www.natuzzi.co.uk

“ 2019 is the brands 60th anniversary; we are working on a series of collaborations and initiatives to celebrate Natuzzi’s history.”

1st February 2019 | 21

F e A t u r e |s u p p l y c o M p A s s Flora Davidson, co-founder of Supplycompass, looks at how to build a more responsible furniture brand.

2) Choosing your focus With terms like ethical, sustainable, conscious, responsible, transparent, and organic often being used interchangeably, it can be confusing to know which is right for your brand and products. Plus, with an increasing number of brands out there offering sustainable and ethically sourced products, how do you differentiate yourself and position your brand in an increasingly competitive playing field?

The key is to choose the areas and terminology that are right for you. Focus in on one or two that are just right. It doesn’t have to be everything or suit everyone – but it does need to be clear, consistent and make sense in the context of your offering and your brand.

Here are four example areas you could focus on: Sustainability & materials Focusing on the origin and impact of the raw material you use for your products, ensuring fibres and other materials (e.g. wood) are sustainably and ethically sourced and manufactured. Fabrics considered to be amongst the most sustainable are linen, recycled PET, organic cotton and tencel. Keep an eye out for new innovations like synthetic spider silk by Bolt Threads, fabrics made from orange and pineapple fibres, and low impact and biological dyes.

Ian Snow

For example: Banbayu ensures all materials are ethically sourced, and Ian Snow focuses on upcycling and reusing vintage materials.

Durable design

With ethics and sustainability becoming so much more important to consumers, how can you ensure that your furniture brand is genuinely responsible and catering to the needs of both consumers and the planet?

1) Positioning your brand Consider how you will interpret sustainability for your brand by thinking what is consistent and in-line with your brand values, brand story and the products you make. It’s impossible to be 100% ethical and sustainable, plus perfection is also not necessarily what consumers are expecting or looking for. But they are looking for clarity – consumers want 1st February 2019 | 22

(and need) to know what it is you stand for and what you are doing to be sustainable and ethical.

If you are starting out, don’t over complicate it or over promise; keep it simple. What stands out for consumers in a busy marketplace is a clear, singular approach to responsibility that cuts through and resonates with them.

Pick your area of focus and stick to that. An example would be being a brand that is all about discovering and working with the most innovative and sustainable fabrics around the world. Not only will this kind of focus help you when looking for supply chain partners, but this singular approach will help you stand out more and stick in consumers’ minds.

Creating high quality products that don’t go out of fashion and are built to last a lifetime, products that you encourage your customers to use them again and again and to love forever. This can mean thinking about end of life and supply chain circularity, working out ways for your customers to recycle, reuse and repair your products.

For example: Neptune uses sustainable wood and offers a lifetime guarantee People and ethics This means more focus on your supply chain partners and working exclusively with those

f o r F u l l s t o r i e s and dai l y n e w s u p da t e s : W W W . C a b i n e t - m a k e r . c o . u k

who are focused on having positive social impacts and caring for the wellbeing of their workers. This could be; offering benefits such as bonus schemes, crèches, and free health care, or giving back and supporting the local community. Certifications such as Fairtrade, SA800 and GOTS indicate social compliance, though, make sure to take the time to visit your supply chain partners to understand what they are doing, and why, first hand.

For example: Myakka – every item of furniture is Fairtrade, and Aerende’s furniture is made by socially disadvantaged people in the UK.

go beyond this and find out if a potential partner shares similar values to you and your brand. Visit them in person, tell them what’s important to you, the things you are willing to be flexible on and things you are not.

For example, if it’s complete transparency you want, ask your partner at the start and if it’s not something they can offer or feel comfortable with, then they aren’t right for you. Don’t force it on them, look for a better fit.

3) Working the right manufacturing partners Picking the right manufacturing partner is key; it is one of the most important relationships for any fashion brand. Certifications are always a good starting point to help you identify who might be the right fit, but

For your shift towards being more a more ethical and sustainable brand to be authentic, it can’t be an add-on or something pushed just for a marketing campaign. To make real, lasting impact, to appeal to a more conscious

Positioning your brand as open and transparent means telling your consumers not just who your key manufacturers are, but providing details on all your other suppliers; from zips and fabrics to labelling and packaging. Transparency can also mean offering a full break down of costs on your website, splitting out labour costs, material costs, logistics costs and taxes.

consumer, and for your approach to be (and to appear) genuine, it needs to become part of your brand DNA and to influence every decision you make throughout your business.

w www.supplycompass.com

4) Stay well informed The best way to start improving your supply chain is by asking questions, so that you are well informed and understand what is achievable. Being a more responsible brand means being more conscious of your social and environmental impact and constantly striving to improve every aspect of your supply chain. Every step of the way, question your decisions and think whether there is a more responsible option. Right from the birth of a design idea, ethics should be front of mind for every decision made; from finalising design details and picking raw materials, to selecting material suppliers, and finding manufacturing partners.

Transparency

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Myakka

Sustainable wood makes for durable design

Some manufacturers are using plastic bottles

“Being a more responsible brand means being more conscious of your social and environmental impact and constantly striving to improve every aspect of your supply chain.”

1st February 2019 | 23

PRO D UCT PRO M OT I O N | F UR N I TURE TO G O Romantically styled with a touch of vintage

PARIS Romantically styled with a touch of vintage The Paris Bedroom collection really lives up to its name, with its romantic style, sophisticated look, and beautiful classic feel.

This bedroom collection is the perfect way to enhance your space. The look of glamour and sophistication is complimented by its beautifully carved cornices, and its brushed bronze handles. The range itself is bold and offers plenty of storage space with its bedsides, chests, and wardrobes. Enhanced by its beds, the collection really gives the room and complete and beautiful feeling, with charm eluding from every angle. Both functional and stylish, the Paris collection by Furniture To Go comes in a fade-resistant and easy to clean finish.

Available in White, Grey Matt, and Walnut – a collection that really cannot be missed.

All easy to assemble and available for next day delivery.

w www.furniture-to-go.co.uk

1st February 2019 | 24

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25th January 201915:12 | 25 12/10/2017

LAST WORD SIAN ASTLEY & MARIANA PEDROSO, EXPERT FOR THE HOMEBUILDING & RENOVATING SHOW

“treNDs Are FuNNy thINGs, soMe people love FollowING theM AND soMe reBels wANt to Follow theIr owN pAth.“

EVE SLEEP OBABY BAZAAR GROUP

Sian Astley, expert for The Homebuilding & Renovating Show, says: “Trends are funny things, some people love following them and some rebels want to follow their own path. But everyone should follow this trend in home renovating: the movement towards taking more control of your renovation project. The key to renovation success in 2019 is not to step back and allow your builder or architect to totally control what is going to be your home. I’ve seen too many people not make decisions on things like bathroom fittings, flooring or kitchens early enough, not do any pre-reno planning, let builders make decisions….. and then wonder why at the end of the re-modelling, when work is complete and a huge amount of money has been spent… why they have the dreaded Renovator’s Regret. Don’t be that person, hop on board the Take The Reins Of Your Reno trend!”

Mariana Pedroso, expert for The Homebuilding & Renovating Show, says: A home deco trend that is here to stay is macramé. If you’re in dire need of adding a layer of texture and colour to your room, macramé can give you both. Its accent pieces create the illusion of 3D volume and a sense of warmth, turning a house into a home. What’s more, it also has the power to absorb sound as it’s usually made out of wool and cotton so when it’s put on the wall it has a tapestry effect which improves the acoustics. I like that it’s versatile and it offers you the chance to play with a variety of patterns and if you feel up for the challenge you can also learn how to DIY from workshops, books or online tutorials.

If not, there’s always the option of sourcing them from artisan platforms like etsy.com, modernmacrame.com, aliciascardetta.com or @macramemakers on Instagram.

What I always advise is to use it only in one room to avoid a sophisticated 70s look. What we’re after is a retro revival style, where you introduce the boho vibe as the wow factor but you don’t force the whole house to follow the same aesthetic. For a laid-back, casual look I’d pair it with neutral pieces, raw materials and geometric shapes.

No matter the style, you have the flexibility of playing with a variety of patterns and shapes. From creating headboards for the main bedroom, cushions, plant hangers and coasters to curtains which separate an open plan layout for additional privacy and hanging swings which makes the space more playful, it becomes a piece of art and the centre of attention.

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An award for excellence in British design Judging panel - Furniture Simon Alderson - twentytwentyone Helen Berresford - ID:SR Joanna Biggs - GA Design Elliott Koehler - Layer Design Jeremy Myerson - Royal College of Art Tom Pearce - Farrah & Pearce Campbell Thompson - The Conran Shop Terence Woodgate - Studio Woodgate

Judging panel - 2D Linzi Coppick - Forme UK Daniel Hopwood - Hopwood Design Studios Prof Clare Johnston - Royal College of Art Natasha Marshall - Natasha Marshall Corinne Pringle - tp bennett Peter Thwaites - Rapture & Wright

Now accepting applications for: - Furniture - 2D (textiles, wall coverings, surfaces,

carpets and floor coverings) Submission deadline: 24th January 2019 Apply now: www.designguildmark.org.uk

Famiglia by PearsonLloyd, Awarded DGM 206 in 2018