Cabinet Maker 22nd March 2019

DESIGN

MANUFACTURE

RETAIL

A look at what to expect from the upcoming Salone del Mobile.Milano event that takes place next month.

A new feature examines why apprenticeships will play an important role in the future of closing the skills gap.

A reflection on another successful London Fabric Show.

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DAN SQUIRES

CABINET-MAKER.CO.UK 01623 372 213 PUBLISHER Stewart Rickersey stewart@cabinet-maker.co.uk 01623 372218 EDITOR Dan Squires dan@cabinet-maker.co.uk 01623 372215 SALES Sharon Rickersey Operations & Sales Manager sharon@cabinet-maker.co.uk 01623 372213 Kacem Ellabbar kacem@cabinet-maker.co.uk 01623 372214 Peter Topley peter@cabinet-maker.co.uk 01623 372216 PRE-PRESS PRODUCTION Tim Morriss tim@cabinet-maker.co.uk 01623 372158

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Earlier this month National Apprenticeship Week 2019 marked a 12th consecutive year of the event. The initiative has consistently gained traction year-on-year and the awareness of highlighting the importance of apprenticeships is becoming widely seen but, more importantly, widely implemented.

Did you know that in 2017/18 there were 814,800 people participating in an apprenticeship in England? Did you also know that this figure was down by 119,100 compared to the previous year? It is clear that shining a light on the reasons why apprenticeships are an important aspect for any business is evermore paramount. Closer to our own industry, there has been plenty of hard work championing the importance of apprenticeships. This week, Cabinet Maker looks at this in more detail and highlights some of the success stories as well as an insight into how accelerating apprenticeships in the workplace will play an important role in bridging the skills gap.

Back to wider country data, did you know that the age profile of people starting apprenticeships has changed between 2016/17 and 2017/18? There are an increasingly higher proportion of starts coming from younger apprentices, which is evidence that the message to the future generation is being heard. In fact, apprentices aged under 19 represented 28%, an increase from 25% last year.

Cabinet Maker is dedicated in supporting,

encouraging and championing apprenticeships within the furnishing industry by working with businesses and organisations to continually highlight the importance of apprenticeships and the benefits they offer — not only to the business, but to the industry and future generations of furniture making.

In this week’s editorial, Gary Baker, chairman of the Furniture and Interiors Education, Skills and Training Alliance (FIESTA), shares his thoughts on addressing the skills gap.

Also in this week’s issue Cabinet Maker recaps on another successful London Fabric Show as well as sharing an insight into the upcoming Salone del Mobile.Milano event that takes place next month. To conclude the issue, the British Furniture Manufacturers Association (BFM) reveals its latest analysis of the State of Trade for the British furniture industry. The report outlines some mixed feelings with optimism said to be lower than last year, but raw material prices are now starting to soften.

As many have expressed concerns over difficult trading conditions of late, the continued state of uncertainty has been testing. However, it is important to try to remain optimistic and search for new ways to drive growth. Perhaps opening the door to more apprenticeships could be a path for the future?

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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ON THE COVER MALHAM RISER RECLINERS SHERBORNE UPHOLSTERY

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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

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE

NEWS

06

FEATURES CLOSING THE GAP

18

Cabinet Maker explores why apprenticeships will play an important role in the future of closing the skills gap.

INGENUITY IN MILAN

22

Cabinet Maker reflects on another successful London Fabric Show.

BENSONS FOR BABIES

TOP OF THE LEAGUE

26

A look at what to expect from the upcoming Salone del Mobile.Milano event that takes place next month.

LAST WORD

34

The British Furniture Manufacturers Trade Association (BFM) has the last word on its latest State of Trade survey.

24

18

Pam Johnson, head of buying at Bensons for Beds, explains the technology behind its newly-launched cot mattresses.

26

22

NEWS

FOR FULL STORIES AND DAILY NEWS UPDATES:

NEWS IN BRIEF NEW STORE Department store retailer Marks & Spencer has opened a new 40,000sq ft store at the Ravenhead Retail Park in St Helens. The store, which was acquired through property firm Hammerson, officially opened on 14th March and offers a full range of M&S product categories, including furniture and homewares as well as a click and collect service.

Safety first Flooring specialist First Mats has announced the launch of a new range of safety mats. The new First Mats range has been designed to bring a heightened level of health and safety compliance to commercial and industrial workplaces around the country.

Timber firm expands Timber, kitchen furniture and flooring business Sydenhams has confirmed the acquisition of Snows Timber’s 11acre Glastonbury site in Somerset. The group said that the purchase is a natural fit to the Sydenhams network and will allow the business to offer new and existing customers even more variety.

DEBUT CLEARANCE STORE Online German-based furniture retailer Home24 has opened a new clearance outlet. Home24 has converted its 86,000sq ft Cologne showroom on Max-Planck-Straße to its first discount outlet, which offers returned goods at lower prices. The company said that the ‘mega-outlet’ features more than 5,000 products.

Award nomination

Shortlisted for innovation award

Components specialist Gira UK has been shortlisted for Best Bathroom Accessory Brand and Best Kitchen Component Brand in the BKU Awards 2019. The awards are judged by an online vote, which closes on 26th April.

The winner will be revealed at an awards ceremony on 20th June at the Pavilion, Tower of London.

Furniture-fitting specialist Häfele UK has seen its new AluSplash range of aluminiumbased splashbacks products shortlisted for the Kitchen Product Innovation of the Year award at the kbbreview Retail and Design Awards 2019. The winner will be announced at a black-tie ceremony on 4th April at the O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester.

22nd March 2019 | 06

RETAIL

ScS fined over misleading Black Friday sale A national sofa retailer has been fined £6,000 after it admitted misleading customers over supposed savings in a Black Friday sale deal that had been part of a nationwide Trading Standards investigation.

SCS at Unit 4, Kittybrewster Retail Park, Aberdeen, was uncovered carrying out the misleading act by Aberdeen City Council’s Trading Standards.

Parent company A Share & Sons Ltd admitted the charge under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 of engaging in an unfair commercial practice that was misleading to consumers and related to the display of misleading posters throughout the store.

The poster falsely stated that everything had been reduced in the company’s Black Friday sale, when the reality was that the company had increased the price of three of the sofas monitored

by Trading Standards officers by hundreds of pounds just three days prior to the sale. The company had sought to rely on voucher books offering £25 off a sofa to justify its claim.

While sentencing, Sheriff Ian Wallace told the court: “I do not view this as an oversight. It was a planned act by the company purposefully misleading its customers for financial gain.”

The court heard that Aberdeen City Council Trading Standards had monitored the prices in-store for many months as part of a nationwide investigation to check on compliance by retailers with the law on price promotions and newly-introduced pricing promotions guidance.

Aberdeen City Council Trading Standards manager Graeme Paton said: “I am very concerned that this retailer appeared to have been ignoring the law relating to unfair trading in this manner by engaging in misleading sale practices.

“In one instance the company had increased the price of a sofa by £800 three days prior to a Black Friday promotion, offering a £25 discount. Such practices are unfair, not only by misleading consumers in Aberdeen and the north-east but also by placing the many local and national retailers who trade fairly at an unfair disadvantage.

“Black Friday has become a very high-profile retail event in recent years, and consumers are entitled to rely on the fact that a claimed saving is a genuine saving.

“In this instance only through many months of labour-intensive monitoring of the prices of these product lines were we able to prove beyond doubt that the claimed reductions were spurious.

“Officers of our Trading Standards service will continue to monitor sales promotions, both within the home furnishings sector and beyond, including future Black Friday promotions, and will take robust action where they are shown to be misleading, including the reporting of offenders to the Procurator Fiscal.”

The charge stated that the misleading practice took place on Wednesday, 22nd November, 2017, and related to a three-seater sofa that had been increased in price by £800, another threeseater sofa that had been increased by £270, and a two-seater console manual recliner sofa that was increased by £700.

w www.aberdeencity.gov.uk

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MANUFACTURE

FURNITURE GROUP ENTERS ADMINISTRATION Furniture manufacturer Kingstown has been placed into administration and stopped trading.

ISM specialise in

Joint administrators Phil Deyes and Sean Williams, of Leonard Curtis Business Rescue and Recovery, confirmed the Kingstown Group of Companies has ceased production and closed down.

UPHOLSTERY REPAIRS

The group had two trading arms — Kingstown Furniture Limited and Consort Furniture Limited — and was a long-established business in Hull, employing around 280 people.

SERVICE CONTRACT

SYSTEM & ANALYSIS

CABINET

SERVICE CONTRACT

SYSTEM & ANALYSIS

SERVICE CONTRACT

SYSTEM & ANALYSIS

CABINET

EXPERT CRAFTSMEN

SERVICE CONTRACT

SYSTEM & ANALYSIS

CABINET

JOB MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SERVICE CONTRACT

SYSTEM & ANALYSIS

Wren, which employs over 2,000 staff locally, says it has vacancies at its three state-of-the art manufacturing facilities in Barton-upon-Humber, Scunthorpe and Howden, and for office staff at its Barton-upon-Humber headquarters.

A network of over 100 highly skilled independent furniture repair technicians and expert craftsmen covering the UK and Eire.

EXPERT CRAFTSMEN

Kitchen furniture retailer Wren Kitchens has offered support to Kingstown Furniture employees, following the business entering administration, putting 280 jobs at risk.

CABINET

Wren offers Kingstown employees support

EXPERT CRAFTSMEN

BEDS & MATTRESSES

UPHOLSTERY

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Bed Repairs e.g. broken frames, replacing tufts and resewing damaged stitching, mattress settlement reporting, repairs to mechanisms that drive riser beds and repairs to the lifting mechanisms to TV beds.

BEDS & MATTRESSES

www.leonardcurtis.co.uk

MATTRESS INSPECTIONS & BEDS REPAIRS

EXPERT CRAFTSMEN BEDS & MATTRESSES

w

UPHOLSTERY

‘’We are also seeking urgent expressions of interest in the remaining assets of the group, including the Kingstown and Consort brands, intellectual property rights and associated order book.”

Cabinet Repairs e.g. scratches, heat marks, water marks and structural repairs for solid wood, veneers, foil and laminated surfaces.

CABINET

UPHOLSTERY

“We are now focused on closing down operations, working with customers to fulfil orders where we can, and helping all employees work through the implications of being made redundant as a result of the immediate cessation of trade.’

CABINET REPAIRS EXPERT CRAFTSMEN

BEDS & MATTRESSES

UPHOLSTERY

Phil Deyes said: “The market conditions faced by these two companies has been extremely challenging. Both have seen turnover fall dramatically, impacted mainly by a sharp decline in discretionary spending by UK consumers. Economic uncertainty continues to influence spending decisions, with little foreseeable improvement in demand.

EXPERT CRAFTSMEN

Despite attempts by the group to restructure operations and continue trading, administrators have taken control of both businesses and are in the process of winding down operations.

BEDS & MATTRESSES

UPHOLSTERY

Leather & Upholstered Furniture Repairs e.g. scratches, scuffs, tears, holes, seam issues, discolouration and colour loss, in home or workshop repair, replacement of broken arms, collapsed surfaces, recliner mechanisms, frames and replacement of full or partial covers.

• Very easy to use and navigate to ensure complete transparency • Craftsmen contact number and address details provided on every job submitted • Can be customised to meet your specific needs e.g. you can use your own fault codes, ISM fault codes or both • Allows you to upload images/specification documents for our craftsmen to access • Email notifications will update you as the status of each job progresses • System access 24/7

Anyone interested should send details of any positions that interest them, with a covering letter and CV, to recruitment@ wrenkitchens.com.

A Wren Kitchens spokesperson said: “We have plenty of existing opportunities and are prepared to create new positions for staff who may be losing their jobs at Kingstown, a well-established business that employs talented people. We feel it is important to keep manufacturing alive and help the Humber region.

“Wren is continuing to expand, creating 17 new showrooms nationwide in 2019, and manufacturing and delivering around 2,000 kitchens a week, so we are always looking to recruit.”

w www.wrenkitchens.com

For further information please contact Stephen Black, Managing Director Mob: 07860 928017 Email: stephen.black@ism-networks.co.uk

www.ism-networks.co.uk

NEWS RETAIL

MANUFACTURE

Growth across all sofa brands

MANUFACTURER SECURES NEW PROJECTS

Sofa retailer DFS has reported a positive first half of the year as reported pre-tax profit more than doubled.

Mansfield-based contract furniture manufacturer Deanestor has been specified by the development arm of Mace for two new student housing schemes in Exeter and Cardiff.

According to its latest trading update for the 22 weeks ended 30th December, 2018, group sales rose 29.1% to £422.3m from £327.1m against the same period last year.

DFS outlined like-for-like sales growth across all brands, up 6.6%. Pre-tax profit increased 127.4% to £14.1m, from £6.2m.

Online channels continued to perform strongly with revenues increasing by 22.6%. DFS said its 177-showroom estate continues to benefit from regular refurbishments and technological enhancements.

DFS added a breakdown of its other brands’ success, with Sofology sales up 21.1% year-on-year (like-for-like revenues up 14.2%) and EBITDA up 96.8% to £6.1m.

Both the Sofa Workshop and Dwell brands also continued to perform well with a combined revenue of 28.6m, up by 24.3% on the comparative period.

Tim Stacey, group chief executive, said: “The benefits of our investments in our online channels, delivery networks and the development of our brands help mitigate the impact of a market, which we expect to remain particularly challenging in 2019, given the current political and economic uncertainty.

“Notwithstanding a softer start to 2019, and assuming no weakening of this environment, our profit expectations for the financial year remain unchanged.”

The contracts for the manufacture of the kitchen and bedroom furniture are worth £4m to Deanestor.

It will supply and fit bespoke furniture for the ensuite bedrooms, studios and penthouses for The Depot in Exeter, which is under construction by Sir Robert McAlpine.

The mixed-use, eight-storey scheme will provide 601 student beds, retail space and high specification communal facilities, including study spaces, games room and lounge.

Construction is also advancing on The West Wing in Cardiff.

Galliford Try is main contractor for the 10-storey development, which will accommodate 644 rooms, comprising sleek studios, en suite bedrooms and penthouse apartments. There will be an on-site media room, gym and yoga studio, private dining and study areas.

Deanestor has worked with Mace to develop a range of student bedroom and kitchen furniture for use on multiple schemes.

w www.deanestor.co.uk

RETAIL

w www.dfs.co.uk

MANUFACTURE

INCREASED COSTS IMPACT DUTCH BUSINESS Netherlands-based mattress business Beter Bed Holding has completed its restructuring process, which is aimed to deliver back to profitability.

According to its latest trading update for 2018, total group sales declined 3% to €396.3m from €408.7m in 2017. EBIT resulted at a loss of €23.6m compared to a profit of €15.7m as increased costs relating to its restructure impacted profitability.

New advertising campaign Online furniture retailer Wayfair has announced the launch of a new campaign with brand ambassador Lorraine Kelly (above).

As part of its transformation strategy, Beter Bed previously announced that it intended to reset the footprint and organisation of Matratzen Concord in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

The new advertising campaign with ITV host and brand ambassador Lorraine Kelly has launched on TV screens and online across the UK. It marks Wayfair’s third consecutive year of partnership with Lorraine Kelly.

For more than 30 years Matratzen Concord has been one of the leading suppliers of mattresses and box springs in their markets.

Beter Bed Holding decided to restructure its Matratzen Concord business by closing 176 of its 1,000 stores, as well as investing in online.

Martin Reiter, head of Europe, Wayfair, said: “Lorraine’s role has been a part of helping so many of our UK customers discover Wayfair’s affordable selection and unique product range.

Channels such as our TV adverts have been instrumental in driving growth in UK brand awareness to over 60%.”

The restructuring has incurred one-off costs of circa €7.6m, which were part of total increased costs of €24.5m that also included the expansion of its online presence, operational costs and logistical costs.

Lorraine Kelly said: “Working with the team at Wayfair is always absolutely brilliant. It truly is an incredibly efficient all-in-one destination to shop for furnishing any space.”

w www.beterbed.nl 22nd March 2019 | 08

w www.wayfair.co.uk

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MANUFACTURE

DESIGN

Consultancy firm sponsors kitchen design student Acres Consultancy has sponsored Andrea Williams, a student studying for the Foundation Degree in Kitchen Design at Buckinghamshire New University.

“I am grateful to Acres Consultancy for their contribution,” says Andrea.

“Having completed the first year of the course, I am determined to complete it and fulfil my dream of becoming a kitchen designer. This financial contribution is a great help.”

Andrea Williams and Simon Acres

Simon Acres, principle director, said: “As a new business dedicated to training and education in the industry, we wanted to show our commitment to working with others that promote qualifications and training for our industry.”

Andrea also works at Design a Space, a retail business that has two kitchen and interior showrooms in Buckinghamshire.

w www.acresconsultancyltd.co.uk

REDUNDANCIES MADE AT COLLAPSED GROUP All staff at interior fit-out firm Paragon Interiors Group have been made redundant after attempts to secure a sale collapsed.

Richard Pinder, Sean Williams and Alex Cadwallader, all from Leonard Curtis Business Rescue and Recovery, were appointed joint administrators of Midlands-based Paragon Interiors Group Plc on 27th February.

Upon appointment it was understood that around 90 jobs were at risk as administrators worked to secure a sale for the business.

According to reports, Paragon founder Alan Hardy said in a statement that administrators have taken the ‘extremely difficult decision’ to make the entire ‘incredible Paragon Interiors workforce’ redundant.

Mr Hardy went on to say that a deal to secure the sale of the business has collapsed although administrators are still searching for a potential buyer.

w www.leonardcurtis.co.uk

RETAIL

New retail partnership RETAIL

Debenhams offered £150m loan Department store Debenhams is considering a proposal made

by Sports Direct International over a £150m loan.

If accepted the move would put Sports Direct owner, Mike Ashley, as a director and the chief executive of Debenhams.

In a statement Sports Direct said: “Sports Direct would make a £150m unsecured term loan (of 12 months) to Debenhams. Of the total amount of the lending, £40m would be used to repay Debenhams’ £40m bridge facility. The remaining £110m would be available for general working capital.

“Debenhams would agree to put a proposal to its independent shareholders to approve the issue of circa 5% new shares at the prevailing market price to Sports Direct (so as to increase Sports Direct’s shareholding to circa 35%).

“If the 5% share issue and related “whitewash” was approved

by Debenhams’ independent shareholders, the £150m loan would be guaranteed to be interest-free. If such approvals were not forthcoming, the loan would bear interest at 3%.”

Debenhams responded with its own statement: “Any third party loan offer on these terms would require both the consent of our RCF Lenders and Noteholders and material amendments to existing facilities.

“Nevertheless, the board will give careful consideration to the proposal and will engage with Sports Direct and other stakeholders regarding its feasibility in the interests of all parties.”

Peter Andre has launched his A. by Andre beds brand in retailer Arighi Bianchi and features all four of A. By Andre’s bed ranges.

Peter will be unveiling a new style of fabric and colour bed, which has not been seen before, on the day. It adds a new offering to the collection and will be available exclusively at Arighi Bianchi.

w www.abyandre.com

MANUFACTURE

WHOLESALER RETURNS TO PROFIT GROWTH Furniture wholesaler Julian Bowen has reported a slight decline in turnover as profit returns to growth.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 30th June, 2018, total sales declined by 2.1% to £23m from £23.5m in 2017, ending a run of three straight years of turnover growth.

Within the UK — its core market — sales declined 1.7% to £22.4m from £22.8m. Revenue across Europe experienced a growth of 5% to £645,952 from £614,751. However, sales from outside the EU continued to fall, down by 56% to £2,946 from £6,766, adding to its previous year’s decline of 76%.

Gross profit fell 1.5% to £6.4m from £6.5m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £1.6m, up by 6.6% compared to its profit of £1.5m the previous year.

w www.julian-bowen.co.uk

w www.debenhams.com 22nd March 2019 | 09

Kenzie from the Urba

he Urban Attitudes Collection

It’s all about Attitude

Our 2019 ranges come packed with wow-factor, alongside the comfort, quality and innovation which La-Z-Boy is famous for.

All models in our Urban Attitudes Collection feature a smooth,concealed power recline action for ultimate comfort without compromising the off-the-rail design.

www.la-z-boy.co.uk Visit us at High Point Market, USA, 6-9 April

NEWS RETAIL

MANUFACTURE

Collapsed beds retailer relaunches

OVERSEAS SALES DRIVE RETURN TO GROWTH

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

London-based furniture specialist Teknion has reported a return to sales growth as well as narrowing losses.

Insolvency firm Duff and Phelps was appointed joint administrators of Designer Ideas Limited, trading as Warren Evans, on 6th February 2018.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 30th November, 2018, total sales rose 28.3% to £6.8m from £5.3m in 2017.

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

Both UK and overseas sales experienced growth, up by 5.2% to £2m from £1.9m, and 38.2% to £4.7m from £3.4m respectively.

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

Gross profit improved by 43% to £1.3m from £909,438, whilst its pre-tax losses resulted at £556,798, narrowing from its loss of £1.1m recorded the previous year.

The business will be run by founder Warren Evans and a small team of former employees, with the website already live.

w www.teknion.com

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

RETAIL

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

Sales down at independent retailer

w www.warrenevans.com

Sheffield-based independent furniture retailer Ponsford has reported a decline in turnover.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31st July, 2018, total sales fell 7.9% to £8.8m from £9.5m in 2017.

It is the first time sales have dipped below the £9m mark since 2014 when sales registered £8.5m.

MANUFACTURE

LIGHTING GROUP WELCOMES NEW UK DIRECTOR Global lighting group Signify has announced the appointment of Dervan Alleyne as its new commercial director for the OEM division in the UK and Ireland.

Dervan (left) has more than 11 years’ experience in the lighting industry, including six at Signify, formerly Philips Lighting.

He has previously held the role of national sales manager, helping to drive the industry towards connected lighting by working closely with lighting manufacturers across the UK, as well as technology partners as part of the Sensor Ready programme.

Commenting on his new role, Dervan said: “I want to work with UK lighting manufacturers to drastically change the industry by accelerating the transformation that is already well under way.

Smart solutions and innovative platforms enable partners to collaborate across the ecosystem, meaning we can do much more with light.

The company also posted a decline in pre-tax profits from £589,020 to £6,495, whilst stating that gross margin had fallen by 2.14% to 41.3%.

w www.ponsford.co.uk

DESIGN

Tech firm appoints board member Cylindo, a 3D furniture visualisation platform, has announced the appointment of 3D industry veteran, Roberto Schettler, as its newest board member.

Schettler was the co-chief executive of Realtime Technology (RTT), a leading 3D software and services company for the automotive and aerospace sector.

Janus Jagd, chief executive, said: “I’ve come across many smart people in my career, but never someone who understood Cylindo and our path forward like Roberto. We look forward to learning from him and collaborating on making sure that Cylindo continues to be the market leader in 3D visualisation for commerce.“

“I believe Signify is the partner of choice because of its strong history of innovation.”

Roberto Schettler, Board member, added: “Industrial 3D product visualisation in marketing is a core enabler for comprehensive purchasing decision and thus enables complex product sales through the web. With Cylindo’s platform approach, manufacturers, distributors, and resellers are able to quickly get access to everything required to embrace that part of the customer journey.“

w www.signify.com

w www.cylindo.com

“The goal at Signify is always to positively impact and improve lives in a sustainable way.

22nd March 2019 | 12

aQO RETAIL

Bed retailer cuts ties with boxed mattress business Boxed mattress brand eve Sleep has confirmed its partnership with beds retailer Dreams has come to an end.

In a previous announcement on 23rd January, 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.

These talks have now been concluded and have resulted in the partnership to cease, citing that there were other more profitable opportunities to be sought.

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, which were expected to be delivered from the arrangement.”

w www.evesleep.co.uk

MANUFACTURE

US MATTRESS RECALLED OVER FIRE HAZARD US-based foam mattress business Lucid has issued a product recall on a sofa bed after failing flammability standards.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has enforced the recall of the LUCID Folding Mattress-Sofa (All Sizes) range after identifying that the mattress fails to meet the mandatory federal flammability standard for mattresses, posing a fire hazard.

Around 86,000 units have been recalled across the USA, although it is not yet understood if the recall includes products that have been sold in the UK. The mattress has been sold through Amazon (both international and UK website), Overstock, Wayfair and Walmart.com from September 2015 to June 2018.

MANUFACTURE

SALES OF SINGLE SOFAS GROWING As a mature market, upholstered furniture remains mainly a non-essential purchase with lengthy replacement cycles — and therefore that can be deferred in times of economic constraint, according to the new report by AMA Research.

The market is responsive to levels of consumer confidence, the performance of the housing market, changes in disposable income and more. Nevertheless, the market has shown above average growth since 2012, the research reports.

Within the upholstered furniture market, purchasing patterns have changed considerably in the last decade and most manufacturers and retailers now offer a number of furniture pieces within a range.

As a result of this, the value mix of products has continued to change, with customers favouring more informal and contemporary combinations of sofas and armchairs, including action furniture in either category.

Suites continue to form the bulk of purchases in this sector, accounting for over half of the market, however, this has dropped in recent years. Sales of single sofas are the fastest growing sector within the market and now account for over a third of the market.

In terms of material mix, the share accounted for by leather has declined marginally over the last three to five years, with the wide range of colours and styles supporting the growth of fabrics.

Hayley Thornley, AMA’s head of research, said: “The popularity of modern and contemporary furniture seems to favour alternative furniture combinations, rather than the traditional three-piece suites.

“This is reflected in the range of design options now offered, including corner sofas, u-shaped sofas and chaise sofas.”

w www.amaresearch.co.uk

RETAIL

Online platform reveals new CFO

The mattress is manufactured in China by Ningbo Megafeat Bedding Co., Ltd, which is imported by Utah-based CVB INC and then distributed by Lucid.

Online retail marketplace Notonthehighstreet.com has appointed Phil Branston as its new chief financial officer.

There have been no injuries reported and the recall is to address the fire safety issue with a repair remedy.

Branston joined the business from Just Eat, where he worked as its commercial finance and strategy director for two years.

A statement from Lucid said: “We’ve found a safety issue in our Folding Mattress-Sofa. To resolve the problem, we are providing a fire-resistant liner free of charge to everyone that previously purchased one of our Folding Mattress-Sofas. As valued members of the Lucid™ family, we promise to continue to make your safety our first priority.

Phil will be responsible for ‘scaling operations’ and will lead a ‘high performing finance team’.

“Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled mattresses and contact LUCID to receive a free zippered mattress liner to bring the mattress into compliance with the federal standard.”

Richard joined from online fashion retailer ASOS.com and is responsible for developing and scaling the technical functionality of the marketplace.

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The appointment follows the recent arrival of Richard Zubrik as chief technology officer, who officially took over the role in January 2019.

w www.notonthehighstreet.com

www.lucidmattress.com

22nd March 2019 | 13

Discover inspired home collections that celebrate your style.

Factory Showroom Open Weekend Dongguan

15.03.19 – 17.03.19 in advance of CIFF Guangzhou (Phase 1) The AIS Members Only Furniture Show Cranmore Park, UK

25.06.19 – 26.06.19 Launch of In-store Gallery Concept Furniture China 2019 Shanghai

09.09.19 – 12.09.19

H O M E | E X P LO R E | L I V E | M A K E

NEWS RETAIL

Tough year for boxed mattress brand; confirms senior departures Boxed mattress brand eve Sleep has reported an increase in sales during 2018.

According to its final results for the 12 months ended 31st December, 2018, total sales rose by 25% to £34.8m from £27.7m in 2017, UK&I revenue increased 40% to £22.6m from £16.1m, whilst UK losses narrowed to £0.8m from a loss of £1.1m — an improvement of 29%.

Gross profit increased 14% to £18.4m from £16m, whilst pre-tax losses increased 7% to a loss of £20.3m, compared to its loss of £19m the previous year.

Commenting on the results, eve said: “2018 was a tough year for the business. Swift and decisive action was taken, including a change in chief executive, and, following a country-by-country review, a refocus for now on our most developed markets of the UK&I and France, resulting in the withdrawal from other European territories and the US over the summer months. As a result we now operate from a materially lower cost base.” eve has also confirmed that Abid Ismail, chief financial officer, stepped down as a director of the company by mutual consent.

Abid agreed to stay on with the company until the summer to effect a seamless transition. The search for his replacement will now commence.

Felix Lobkowicz, chief operating officer, will leave the company to ‘pursue new opportunities’ and Kuba Wieczorek, chief brand officer, will move from being a full-time team member to a parttime consultant.

Kuba will remain a brand ambassador and will continue to play a significant role, including providing support to Cheryl Calverley, who joined eve in December as chief marketing officer.

Commenting on the announcement, Paul Pindar, chairman of eve said: “I would personally like to thank Abid, Kuba and Felix for their dedication, professionalism and commitment to eve, and more recently their valuable contribution to the rebuild strategy and the fundraise. They leave with the Board’s best wishes.”

MANUFACTURE

INTERIOR FURNISHINGS BUSINESS NARROWS LOSSES Fit out furniture and furnishings specialist Markey Interiors has seen losses narrow, despite sales declining.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 30th March 2018, total sales fell 34% to £11m from £16.8m in 2017, its lowest sales generated since 2012 when revenues stood at £11.9m.

Despite the reduction in sales, the business managed to reduce pre-tax losses of £1.1m to a loss of £99,177.

w www.markeyinteriors.co.uk

DESIGN

UK businesses selected as part of IKEA Bootcamp Swedish furniture business IKEA has revealed the chosen startups to join its Bootcamp, with three coming from the UK. A world tour and an application site generated more than 1,100 applications from 62 countries and, after a selection process, 18 startups have been selected to join the initiative in Älmhult, starting at the end of March.

The foundation of IKEA Bootcamp has been to find startups that not only share the IKEA vision but can innovate around solving three challenges connected to the IKEA direction — affordability for the many people, connecting with and being accessible for people across the world, and enabling a positive impact on the planet, people and society.

Three of the 18 selected include UK-based businesses Liquiproof LABS, Circadia and Skipping Rocks Lab. Liquiproof LABS is providing advanced fashion care solutions that protect, clean and freshen shoes and clothing, keeping them looking their best for much longer. With IKEA they will use this knowledge to co-create around caring for a range of furniture.

w www.evesleep.co.uk

Circadia has developed a contactless health sensor and personalised therapies to improve sleep, mood and energy.

They bring medical grade measurements and recommendations to the many people using wide range radar and AI.

MANUFACTURE

Skipping Rock Lab makes packaging disappear naturally by pioneering the use of seaweed. This results in eatable packaging for liquids and other food products. They will co-create around sustainable eatable packaging together with IKEA.

KITCHEN FURNITURE BRAND UP FOR AN AWARD Kitchen furniture firm Rotpunkt has been recognised with a BKU Awards nomination in the category of Best Overall Kitchen Brand.

Taking place on 20th June, the BKU Awards 2019 will be held at The Pavilion at The Tower of London. The winners will be announced on the day, which follows an online industry vote that closes on 26th April.

w www.rotpunktuk.com 22nd March 2019 | 16

Per Krokstäde, IKEA Bootcamp manager at IKEA of Sweden, said: “For us it is great to see that the vision that we are working towards is so relevant worldwide and we are so impressed by all the applicants and the quality of the startups that have applied to IKEA Bootcamp.

“To only select 18 startups out of 1,112 has been incredibly hard. We look to find startups where we will have a win-win-win situation. Win for the IKEA customers, win for the startup, and win for IKEA.”

w www.ikea.com

aQO RETAIL

New TV campaign starts Fitted bedroom furniture specialist Sharps has announced the launch of its new spring TV campaign.

The “twice the storage space” spring campaign, launched in partnership with The Market Creative, highlights the storage benefits of Sharps bespoke fitted wardrobes.

Running to mid-June, it comprises a suite of targeted press and social media adverts as well as two 30-second TV commercials.

Margaret Clunie, best known for her role in Victoria, showcases traditional wardrobe designs while Tanya Cumberland, who is currently filming the Wonder Woman sequel, stars in the more contemporary bedroom set.

In both TV ads, a character enters the bedroom and decides to improve their storage. They remove the overflowing freestanding wardrobe to uncover a Sharps fitted wardrobe that fills the contours of their room, maximising space.

Tim Moore, marketing director at Sharps, said: “We anticipate 2019 to be a tough climate for retail, so we needed a campaign that would really connect with consumers to deliver profitable sales growth.

“Built on a really powerful customer insight, the new campaign beautifully demonstrates the incredible storage benefits of our wardrobes and am sure will have a positive effect on our home design appointments.”

Sue Benson, managing director at The Market Creative, a behavioural marketing company, explains: “We found that many people automatically buy freestanding wardrobes, despite fitted alternatives offering double the storage space.”

w www.sharps.co.uk

MANUFACTURE

DEBUT POP-UP STORE TO OPEN Oriental furniture specialist Shimu will open its first pop-up store in London this month.

The London showroom, situated at the Arthill Gallery in Kensington, will run from 30th March to 7th April.

The pop-up will showcase a wide range of the company’s handcrafted furniture in lacquer and natural finishes, as well as many of their current selection of Chinese antique furniture.

Commenting on the pop-up, director James Cottrell said: “Whilst we love being based in Yorkshire and are perfectly located to serve the whole of the UK, many of our customers are based in and around London and so are either unwilling or unable to make the trip to visit us.

“The pop-up store will give these customers a great opportunity to see some of our beautifully-crafted products in person at a more convenient location. The antique pieces in particular are best viewed ‘in the flesh’ to appreciate the character of each unique item.”

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MANUFACTURE

WOOD SUPPLIER RELAUNCHES WITH EXPANDED HEAD OFFICE Wood supplier Freed Veneers has undergone a relaunch with a move to a larger HQ and distribution base.

The business is supporting its relaunch with a marketing campaign aimed at architects, specifiers and the high end KBB manufacturing market.

Established for almost 20 years, the development builds on the Leighton Buzzard-based company’s reputation as a leading supplier of high-quality FSC certified veneers and innovative veneering products, Laurence Freed, founder and managing director, said: “One can never rest on one’s laurels; to do so is to go backwards!

Therefore, we are constantly developing our levels of service, our team, our product portfolio and our marketing tools to make us as accessible, efficient and as flexible as we possibly can be to the professional KBB designer.

“Alongside popular species such as oak and walnut, designers have the opportunity to source rare exciting varieties as well as new, sustainable veneering solutions.

“Our new extensive warehouse facility means that we can provide a fast response for most requests, whilst our special product development facility enables us to work closely with designers to engineer veneers to specific requirements, thus allowing us to translate their concepts into reality.”

w www.freedveneers.co.uk

RETAIL

Save the date Swedish furniture giant IKEA UK is to open its new planning studio in Bromley on 28th March.

It will be the retailer’s second planning studio in London, following the opening of its first on Tottenham Court Road in October.

The new studio, located at the former Mothercare and Early Learning Centre site on Bromley High Street, will offer a personalised service dedicated to planning bedrooms and kitchens.

Customers will have the opportunity to book one-to-one in-store appointments with specialist co-workers, ensuring an easy and convenient way to get advice and inspiration they might need to browse, plan and order furniture for a bigger project in their home.

IKEA Bromley will also feature a community room, a flexible space that the local community can use to host events, workshops, meetings and training.

IKEA is currently exploring other locations in London for similar outlets, to improve accessibility across the city.

w www.ikea.com

www.shimu.co.uk

22nd March 2019 | 17

F E A T U R E |A P P R E N T I C E S H I P D E B A T E Cabinet Maker explores why apprenticeships in the furniture industry will play an important role in the future of closing the skills gap.

Closing

the

GAP Hot off the newsdesk during March has been the Brexit countdown, the ongoing promotion of National Bed Month, the London Fabric Show exhibition, Comic Relief, Word Sleep Day, St Patrick’s Day, Global Recycling Day and even National Butchers Week!

However, lets rewind to the beginning of March to one week-long event that has continued to gather momentum each year — National Apprenticeship Week 2019.

Supported by businesses up and down the country, there are promising signs of plenty of eager apprentices in the furnishing industry looking to establish a career in the sector.

And what’s more promising is the growing 22nd March 2019 | 18

amount of businesses engaging in this field to help bridge the skills gap.

This year marked the 12th annual National Apprenticeship Week, which took place from 4th to 8th March and featured a huge number of high-quality apprenticeship opportunities at all levels around the country, in a huge variety of sectors. Focusing on the furnishing industry, Gary Baker, chairman of the Furniture and Interiors Education, Skills and Training Alliance (FIESTA), revealed the importance of apprenticeships: “First and foremost it is vital that we start talking about vocational training in the broader sense as opposed to just apprenticeships.

Cabinet Maker is dedicated to supporting, encouraging and championing apprenticeships within the furnishing industry by working with businesses and organisations to continually highlight the importance of apprenticeships and the benefits they offer — not only to a business, but to the industry and future generations of furniture making.

In our next issue, 5th April, Cabinet Maker will detail what every employer needs to know about apprenticeships.

Cabinet Maker welcomes your thoughts and also invites your business to share your story on your apprenticeship success so far and plans for the future — email editor Dan Squires at dan@cabinet-maker.co.uk or call 01623 372215.

FOR FULL STORIES AND DAILY NEWS UPDATES: WWW.CABINET-MAKER.CO.UK

“We have to address the skills gap that is evident across many industries in the UK at the moment, including the furniture and interiors industry. On-the-job training as a whole is essential to make sure that our industry keeps up with the demands of modern business and ensures retention through job satisfaction, as individuals develop skills that allow them to keep progressing.

“The importance of a structured approach to vocational training is twofold — firstly, it allows industry to bring in new talent with a clear pathway available for basic skills and training to allow them to do the job in the first place; then it allows employers to develop their talent once they are on board right through to degree level and beyond.”

FIESTA has 10 standards available at Level 2 (GCSE equivalent), which include: General Furniture Manufacturer, Bed Manufacturer, Modern Upholsterer, Furniture Finisher, Fitted Furniture Installer, Furniture Restorer, Modern Furniture Service Repairer, Foam Convertor and Upholstery Cushion Interior Manufacturer, Wood Machinist and Furniture CNC Specialist.

Furthermore, FIESTA is currently in the process of finalising its Level 3 (A/T Level equivalents) standards, as Gary explained: “Through Furniture and Interiors Skills Plus, which we have established in conjunction with The Apprentice Management Group, we are also able to offer employers access to a much wider variety of vocational training at all levels, from GCSE through to degree and beyond — this might be a degree in accountancy for one of your finance team or an HNC in sales for a sales executive.

“For small and medium-sized businesses with the furniture and interiors industry, they are at great risk from not having a workforce that can meet their ever-changing demands to keep them competitive.

“Through establishing Skills Plus we hope to allow them to access new talent, upskill their workforce and retain their staff through continuing development. Without this ability many businesses will struggle to survive in the future. At the same time, Skills Plus also provides a Levy Management Service for larger employers who may not be getting the most out of the levy that they are currently paying.”

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

FIESTA hopes that the new apprenticeship standards will be available for use by May 2019 once end point assessment plans have been developed.

To date there are already some businesses within the furniture sector that are excelling and fully committed to their respective apprenticeship schemes.

Last year, upholstered furniture manufacturer George Smith formed a partnership with Northumberland College, with the Cramlington-based company currently employing seven apprentices amongst its 95-strong workforce.

Keeping with upholstery, Westbridge Furniture has forged a strong partnership with Coleg Cambria in Wales. The »

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“ON-THE-JOB TRAINING AS A WHOLE IS ESSENTIAL TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR INDUSTRY KEEPS UP WITH THE DEMANDS OF MODERN BUSINESS AND ENSURES RETENTION THROUGH JOB SATISFACTION, AS INDIVIDUALS DEVELOP SKILLS THAT ALLOW THEM TO KEEP PROGRESSING.” — Gary Baker, FIESTA chairman

LEFT: Northumberland College has formed a successful partnership with upholstered furniture manufacturer George Smith in creating a number of apprenticeships, with seven apprentices currently employed at the business.

22nd March 2019 | 19

F E A T U R E |A P P R E N T I C E S H I P D E B A T E

From apprentice to manager Alex Raven (right), who worked his way up from being an apprentice at Hypnos to its value stream manager, 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.

“Working in different parts of the business has given me a platform to specialise in my area of interest and the support I have been given has been second to none.

“I particularly loved getting to do a mix of training and work experience, which meant that each day was different and each day was rewarding in its own unique way. If you’re after a role that brings plenty of variety, then I’d recommend the scheme wholeheartedly.”

“By the end of the programme they will be highly-skilled upholsterers with knowledge and a practical insight into the workings of our company,” he said.

link-up has been a continued success with the college supplying six apprentices since joining forces with Westbridge, and the college is constantly encouraging more youngsters aged 16-18 to enrol on the company’s popular traineeship scheme before moving on to a full apprenticeship. Under a collaboration with North Lancs Training Group, the Level 2 Upholstery Apprenticeship programme runs for two years.

Nicola Gaughran, operations manager for traineeships at Coleg Cambria, said: “The project has been a resounding success and an attractive proposition for teenagers wanting to pursue a practical career. We are delighted to be in partnership with Westbridge Furniture, and to be able to give young people in the region this opportunity.”

Westbridge’s HR manager Nick Arundell

“As Westbridge Furniture continues to go from strength to strength, that’s exactly the kind of staff we need. With the uncertainty of Brexit and near full employment in the local labour market, we are looking to young local people to be our next generation of highlyskilled upholsterers as our business continues to grow, so it’s an ideal time to join us.”

says there is demand for more production workers — particularly in upholstery — and he is delighted to have already recruited trainees from the college.

From upholstery to beds, mattress maker Hypnos is no stranger to apprenticeships and recently celebrated eight years of apprentices within the business as well as inviting more to join its successful 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 — and two already in 2019 — Hypnos is actively working with local 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.

Apprentices at Westbridge, which has formed a partnership with Coleg Cambria college in Wales 22nd March 2019 | 20

Stephen Ward, group managing director at Hypnos, comments: “As a family-run business, we pride ourselves on being a company that really champions and nurtures our employees. We have some great success stories of people who joined us as apprentices at 16 and now, only a few years later, are in managerial or senior positions within the business.

“This is a result of the commitment and

FOR FULL STORIES AND DAILY NEWS UPDATES: WWW.CABINET-MAKER.CO.UK

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.”

Westbridge apprentice Kieron Lockett

Another major bed business that has been a leader in recent years with its apprenticeship programme is Silentnight. The company has created 65 full-time jobs since it first launched its award-winning apprenticeship scheme back in 2011. The apprenticeships, which are supported by a college or training provider, last for two years and allow apprentices to go into a range of different and exciting areas, such as manufacturing, junior management, warehousing, HR, IT and finance.

The company, which looks after the apprenticeship training programmes and apprenticeship levy for the Builders Merchants Federation and FIESTA, amongst many others, has launched its own awards initiative to find ‘the people that make a difference in the workplace’.

The categories are: Apprentice Champion of the Year Employer of the Year Advanced Apprentice of the Year Intermediate Apprentice of the Year Rising Star of the Year To enter, simply email info@ theapprenticeshipgroup.co.uk with your name, nomination, company and 200 words on why your person or business should win.

“The Government’s focus on growing the economy and raising productivity by increasing the number of people studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) has meant a reduction in funding for the arts. As a result, the number of schools able to offer design and technology is dropping at an alarming rate.”

A shortlist will be announced in May with the awards taking place in August.

Interior specialist Havelock International is another example of committing to the future. The business has set out to develop its apprenticeship scheme to ensure that it continues to attract talent and provide customers with the right skills and expertise now and in the future. Havelock invests £200k in the scheme annually and at the end of their tenure, all apprentices are offered permanent positions within the business.

With many businesses setting the bar for apprenticeships within the furniture industry, the Government declared its support for the initiative ahead of National Apprenticeship Week. Highlighting the benefits of apprenticeships to employers, individuals, communities and the wider economy, the Government’s Blaze A Trail theme saw activities and events hosted across the country, aimed at challenging ‘outdated views’ many still have about apprenticeships.

FIESTA’s mission Its Vision: FIESTA aims to address the furniture and interiors industry’s current and future skills needs by encouraging and inspiring new talent to join the industry, and ensuring relevant education, training and qualifications are in place to support them.

Its Mission: FIESTA will provide an employer-led forum that allows all its stakeholders to identify, clarify, promote and engage with all issues relating to education, skills and training at all levels, for all ages and for all sizes of businesses and sectors across the UK Furniture and Interiors Industry.

With this in mind, it is interesting to point out that most programmes encourage the 16 to 18 years age-group, which is post GCSE level.

FIESTA’s Gary Baker (below) highlighted another issue for students in secondary school learning, indicating that design and technology (D&T) should be a core subject.

“The teaching of D&T at GCSE is critical to the long-term prosperity of the UK furnishing industry, which produces more than £11 billion of product per year and employs 327,000 people across 50,000 registered companies in the wider furniture and furnishings sector, including specialist retail but excluding general retail,” he said.

Other furniture makers celebrated National Apprenticeship Week in their own way with SMWF marking the week with an inaugural apprenticeship award, which was established to nurture the next generation of furniture makers undertaking the apprenticeship programme with SMWF. Meanwhile, the Apprenticeship Management Group has unveiled the categories for its nationwide search for the best apprentices and employers.

aQO

Perhaps it is time to for the Government to make wholesale changes to secondary school learning within core D&T subjects to further help bridge the skills gap? Cabinet Maker welcomes your thoughts and also invites your business to share your story on your apprenticeship success so far and plans for the future. Email editor Dan Squires at dan@ cabinet-maker.co.uk or call 01623 372215.

Furniture and Interiors Skills Plus service presentation FIESTA is playing a vital role in raising the awareness of apprenticeships. Since the Bridging the Gap conference in 2017, FIESTA has been working towards a solution that will enable furniture and interiors businesses of all sizes to easily train and recruit employees for all job functions. The new Furniture and Interiors Skills Plus service will provide employers with access to a wide variety of funded training programmes for apprentices and the upskilling of existing staff.

There will be presentation of this solution to the industry on 26th April and business leaders are encouraged to attend. Located at the Furniture Makers’ Hall, 12 Austin Friars, London, the event costs £13.19, with each ticket including refreshments and lunch.

For more information, see the website links below... Cabinet Maker will see you there!

Gary Baker, chairman of the Furniture and Interiors Education, Skills and Training Alliance (FIESTA)

w www.fiestalearning.com w www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/

closing-the-gap-conferencetickets-58108719745 22nd March 2019 | 21

F E A T U R E |S A L O N E D E L M O B I L E . M I L A N O

in Milan

Lighting solutions at Euroluce

Cabinet Maker takes a look at what to expect from the upcoming Salone del Mobile.Milano event that takes place next month.

2,350 exhibitors will be on show

The 58th edition of the Salone del Mobile.

Milano, to be held from 9th to 14th April at Rho Fiera Milano, features 2,350 exhibitors across five trade fair events with a completely new exhibition format.

The Salone Internazionale del Mobile and the International Furnishing Accessories Exhibition will be split into three style categories — Classic, Design and xLux. The latter is bigger than ever and will also be shown for the first time in Pavilion 4, where it will be joined by the biennial Euroluce and Workplace3.0 exhibitions, and SaloneSatellite.

Making its debut is S.Project, a crosscutting space dedicated to design products and decorative and technical interior design solutions.

22nd March 2019 | 22

In the wake of the ‘new approach’ launched with the Manifesto in 2018, the Salone is putting the spotlight this year on both the centrality of Milan, which continues to garner international plaudits and recognitions, and on the creative capacity and generosity of spirit of the industrial network that underpins it and works to deliver global excellence.

Euroluce Euroluce returns to Salone del Mobile.Milano 2019, boasting more than 410,000sq ft of exhibition space split between four pavilions (9-11 and 13-15) and 421 exhibitors (48% of which are international brands), underscoring its role as the international point of reference for the lighting world.

This edition will feature integrated and intelligent, increasingly designer-friendly lighting solutions, sparking new aesthetic concepts not just for illuminating, but also for ‘experiencing’ and ‘living’ the space.

This year Euroluce will also explore Smart Living solutions with many exhibitors presenting intelligent and wireless solutions, cutting-edge technology, appliances boasting even more integrated functions such as artificial intelligence and wireless connectivity, higher performance sensors and systems for regulating the colour and temperature of light. Brands will also be looking at energy efficiency and cost reduction as sustainability continues to be a theme across the fair.

FOR FULL STORIES AND DAILY NEWS UPDATES: WWW.CABINET-MAKER.CO.UK

aQO

ABOVE: Milan Workplace ABOVE RIGHT: New living designs RIGHT:S.Project to showcase decorative trends

Workspace Workplace3.0 will act as a think tank for exploring and understanding future and necessary changes to collective spaces, a catalyst for developing ideas responding to new market demands. The exhibition will showcase the top design solutions for supply, reception and working areas.

The showcase will provide a 360° overview of the design of new working environments: stimulating, varied and creative areas that put the amalgamation of office, home interiors and public space into practice. Rigid and hierarchically-organised spaces will give way to a more dynamic approach, with realtime smart, transformable and adaptable furnishings to suit every need: objects that are versatile, hard wearing and functional enough for work but are equally good-looking enough to be used as domestic or decorative solutions. Tactile, textured materials, fabrics, finishes and colours that make workspaces feel less cold and more comfortable, like one’s own living space.

S.Project This year the Salone del Mobile.Milano introduces S.Project, the exhibition devoted to design products and to decorative and technical interior design solutions.

Multisectoral focus is a distinctive feature of S.Project. It is a space showcasing a vast array of goods, ranging from interior and outdoor furnishing, to wellness products, fabrics, lighting, acoustic solutions, coverings and finishes. It is not just an event; it is also

an opportunity for reflection on the new perspectives that enable companies to work increasingly ‘synergically’ together. S.Project will act as a new business-to-business platform that underpins the alliance between retail, designers and companies, providing an inclusive experience and the ultimate networking environment. It is the ideal place for showcasing manufacturing quality and excellence and new design concepts and innovative solutions for designing spaces.

Sixty-six participants will be ranged over 150,000sq ft in Pavilions 22-24, including brands such as B&B Italia, Boffi Living, cc-tapis, Emeco, ercol, Flos, Fredericia, Fritz Hansen, Kvadrat, Maruni, Missoni, and Rubelli.

SaloneSatellite This year celebrates the 22nd edition of SaloneSatellite, the leading design event for talented young designers. This year’s exhibition invites reflection on the future of food from a responsible perspective, with the slogan FOOD as a DESIGN OBJECT. Around 550 exhibitors will be ranged over 32,000sq ft in Pavilions 22-24 at Rho Fiera Milano, with free public entry from Cargo 5.

Commenting ahead of the show, Claudio Luti, president of the Salone del Mobile, said: “At this particular time of great success for Milan, it is important to consolidate the Salone del Mobile’s powers of attraction, offering its visitors not just a wide range of products but, especially, opportunities for international interface and for reflection on the relationship between creativity and business. Looking

again at the keywords of its manifesto, a statement intended to refocus on the values that have helped make the event the leading appointment for the design sector at international level, the Salone is introducing a new word.

“That word is ‘ingenuity’, in other words intelligence as the trigger of creativity, the meaning of talent, and the ingenious ability to create and think. All gifts that our companies possess, that our designers develop and that stem from our roots, and a word that constitutes an invitation to keep looking forward, not to rest on our laurels, to believe that everything can always be reinvented and rediscovered with fresh eyes that look to the future. ‘Ingenuity’ also pays homage to Leonardo da Vinci, in the year of the 500th anniversary of his death, the master of all creatives, the forerunner of the relationship between creative and entrepreneur, a man of progress, of the future and of the present, who came to Milan for the very purpose of developing his relationship with the form of creating.”

To close the show, there will be a great celebration of design on Friday, 12th April at Palazzo Marino, fuelled by the exhilaration generated by the event and its mission. It will be an occasion for celebrating the productive and organisational commitment of exhibitors and all the designers and people who help to make Milan the most interesting and attractive place in the world during April.

w www.salonemilano.it 22nd March 2019 | 23

F E A T U R E |B E N S O N S F O R B E D S

Bensons for

Babies!

Pam Johnson, head of buying at Bensons for Beds, explains to Cabinet Maker the technology behind its newly-launched cot mattresses.

As an established beds and mattresses retailer across the UK, Bensons for Beds prides itself on being one of the most respected bed brands. Having years of experience in guiding customers to their desired bed, the business has stepped up its game to offer parents ease of mind when picking the right mattress for their baby.

Bensons for Beds has recently launched Bensons for Babies, an exclusive range of cot mattresses, to help a baby sleep soundly throughout the night. Aimed at newborn babies to his or her first years, Bensons has an array of impressive technologicallyadvanced mattresses to aid sleep.

Pam Johnson, head of buying at Bensons for Beds, explains the technology behind the cot mattresses, and also offers her insight into why this is a growing market.

Consumers are becoming increasingly savvy when it comes to the purchase of products for their children, particularly for newborns.

We find that safety and comfort are the two most important factors for our customers when it comes to selecting a mattress for their baby — and so our range of cot mattresses is very much centred upon this.

Actipro™ pro-biotic fabric technology A lot of textile materials trap dust and debris 22nd March 2019 | 24

Three of the new mattresses, from left, Pure Comfort Micro Pocket Premium, Pure Comfort Open Coil Luxury, and Pure Comfort Open Coil Support

during their use, which is an ideal growing place for unwanted bacteria. Although antibacterial products can be used to prevent unwanted bacterial growth, they also destruct good bacteria. On top of this, bacteria adapts to harsh environments and becomes resistant to the anti-bacterial products over time.

Our exclusive Actipro™ pro-biotic fabric technology is used in all of our new range of cot mattresses, and is completely composed of natural ingredients. It eliminates unwanted allergens, and reduces bacteria and unpleasant odours — giving parents peace of mind that their baby is sleeping in a safe and gentle environment.

The technology behind Actipro™ is based on ‘the domination effect’. The Actipro™ micro-flora are active organisms that thrive under the same conditions as unwanted bacteria, and so applying these probiotics on a large scale gives the unwanted organisms little chance of survival. Our Actipro™ treated textiles contain 99 per cent less bad bacteria compared to untreated textiles, and all of the active components are Qualified Presumed Safe (QPS) listed by the European Food and Safety Association (EFSA).

What’s more, the Actipro™ pro-biotic fabric is permeable and allows any moisture from little accents through the night to be carried away and fresh air to reach your baby’s skin.”

Coolplus fabric Newborns typically sleep for around 17 hours a day and, as parents know, when baby has a good, comfortable night’s sleep, so do the parents. Our Coolplus fabric has been designed with comfort front of mind, and has been used within our full range of cot mattresses.

Coolplus is a new type of functional fibre with excellent dehumidifying characteristics.

The fibre uses the capillary action from the micro-slits on the fibre surface in such a way that any perspiration on the skin surface will be absorbed in a wink. It diffuses humidity to a larger area through several actions, such as wicking — making sure that the fabric stays pleasantly dry.

The air permeability of the fibre also ensures a cooling effect on body temperature, by keeping the sleep environment fresh and breezy — which we find our customers are particularly keen on when it comes to the comfort of their baby.

Pure Comfort Open Coil Support Support is another of the most important factors when choosing a cot mattress. A baby’s spine grows by around 50% in their first year, so it’s important to buy a highquality supportive mattress. Not only is sleep

FOR FULL STORIES AND DAILY NEWS UPDATES: WWW.CABINET-MAKER.CO.UK

aQO

“THERE IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR THE BABY MATTRESS MARKET TO THRIVE AND OFFER NEW TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED MATTRESSES TO PARENTS.”

essential for a baby’s brain development, it is also key for physical development.

The Pure Comfort Open Coil Support Mattress is perfect for customers who are looking for a mattress that can support their baby through to toddler age. The cot mattress consists of 256 pocket springs, which offer more support for a baby’s head, neck and spine.

Growth in baby mattress market With the wealth of information that is now so easily accessible to parents as consumers, we’re seeing an increasing demand for assurance on safe, comfortable and high quality products for children. Parents are now more aware than ever before of the effects sleep has on their baby, so there is a real opportunity here for the baby mattress market to thrive and offer new technologicallyadvanced mattresses to parents.

Bensons for Babies range of cot mattresses offer a Pure Comfort Open Coil Luxury Mattress and a Pure Comfort Micro Pocket Premium to accommodate just that — as

Bensons for Beds has launched a range of cot mattresses — Bensons for Babies

parents increasingly seek out top-quality products, and are willing to spend more to ensure it meets their requirements and expectations.

w www.bensonsforbeds.co.uk

Bensons for Beds is one the UK’s leading bed specialists and has more than 50 years’ heritage in helping custome rs get a great night’s sleep.

Originally founded as a general store in 1950 by Cyril Benson, Benson’s first bed centre concept opened in 1972.

In 2011, the new Bensons for Beds business was launched, merging the existing Bens ons for Beds, Sleepmasters and Bed Shed brands under one umbrella. Bens ons for Beds now has more than 270 stores nationwide.

Bensons for Beds offers a wide range of beds, mattresses, headboards, pillo ws and accessories, as well as a rang e of high-quality bedroom furniture and a children’s beds range.

Brands include Sleepmasters, Silen tnight, iGel, Sealy and Sensaform.

Bensons for Beds values the impo rtance of providing customers with the tools to achieve their best night’s slee p every night. In addition, Bensons for Bed s is proud to be members of FIRA (Furn iture Industry Research Association) and The Furniture Ombudsman, and has UK manufacturing sites in Bridgend , Huntingdon and Taunton.

22nd March 2019 | 25

F E A T U R E |L O N D O N F A B R I C S H O W

Top of the League Left: Art of the Loom

Cabinet Maker reflects on another successful London Fabric Show.

Crowd pulling and crowd-pleasing was the consensus of opinion as the British Furniture Manufacturer’s (BFM) 2019 London Fabric Show drew to a close on Tuesday, 5th March.

A roll call of UK upholstery manufacturers, along with notable upholstery retailers and buyers of fabrics for large-scale projects, attended the fifth iteration of the show that was held at the iconic Chelsea FC ground at Stamford Bridge.

Over the two-day show, visitors were treated to new designs and fabric treatments from the 38 prestigious UK and international exhibitors, who included new exhibitors Bill Beaumont, from Lancashire; Teksium Tekstil, from Turkey; and Ragolle Textiles, from Belgium.

There were also 10 famed Flemish exhibitors, including Boyteks, Greenstreet and Bru Textiles, and they as well as Turkish exhibitors, such as Aydin, Yakar and Marsteks, heaped praise on the 2019 event.

Praise for the show was also received from other international companies, with James Lowe, from Spain’s Aqua Clean, commenting: “We’ve had a terrific show. Our new ranges and products have gone down a storm and we’ve seen a large number of knowledgeable and serious buyers. This show just works.”

UK companies who exhibited included Art of the Loom, British Velvets and Warwick 22nd March 2019 | 26

Diane Harding from Norfolk House

FOR FULL STORIES AND DAILY NEWS UPDATES: WWW.CABINET-MAKER.CO.UK

Eurotex showed new woven fabrics in patterns and plains

Fabrics — all highly regarded and regular exhibitors at the show.

Abraham Moon, another well-known UK exhibitor, showed its new National Trust Collection, which was well received.

It also left the show on a high, with sales manager Julian Smith saying: “It would take two months of solid driving around to see all of the companies that we can see here in two days.

“Plus we can show more here and present it better. This show is a winner and we’ll definitely be back next year.”

As well as being a serious show, which saw visitor numbers consistent with the previous year, for buying fabrics, it is also a very sociable show with a relaxed feel and provides a relaxed environment for upholstery manufacturers and fabric suppliers to mix and swap stories.

Jackie Bazeley, the BFM’s outgoing managing director, said: “I am gratified to go out on a high. This show has become an essential date in the diary for many of our members.

“It is always a pleasure to see so many

»

aQO

“IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO SEE SO MANY WELL-KNOWN AND FRIENDLY FACES AT CHELSEA AND I’M SURE THAT THE SHOW WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND THRIVE. WE HAVE HAD GREAT FEEDBACK ALREADY FROM THIS YEAR’S EVENT AND I’M THRILLED AT ITS SUCCESS.” — Jackie Bazeley (below) outgoing managing director of the BFM

James Lowe from Aqua Clean shows new fabric treatments 22nd March 2019 | 27

F E A T U R E |L O N D O N F A B R I C S H O W The team from Marsteks was pleased to be back at Chelsea

well-known and friendly faces at Chelsea and I’m sure that the show will continue to develop and thrive. We have had great feedback already from this year’s event and I’m thrilled at its success.

“It is great to go out on a high. We are extremely pleased with how well the show was received by both visitors and exhibitors.

The unusual venue works for everyone and we thank all of those who attended.”

The show will return to Chelsea FC’s West Stand in 2020 with the official dates to be announced soon.

w www.londonfabricshow.co.uk

Looking to the future Nick Garrett (above), new managing director of the BFM, said: “London Fabric Show has now become a fixture in the calendar. It has been growing year on year and I am delighted to be involved.

“We work closely with the Belgian textile federation and this partnership has worked really well since the show started.

“Along with exhibitors from a number of other countries we always have a wide mix of very high quality companies at the show.

“It was great seeing their new collections.

The show was sold out once again and we are looking at ways of building on this success for future years.”

22nd March 2019 | 28

Made in Chelsea

The first London Fabric Show that took place at Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge stadium was in 2015, and it used the executive boxes and suites overlooking the pitch. It proved to be immediately popular — the venue had the prestige to match the companies exhibiting and the executive boxes enabled privacy for negotiations between suppliers and buyers.

It was easy to get to for visitors, being only a three-minute walk from the Fulham underground station, as well as having on-site parking and accommodation. It was especially good for football fans — Chelsea fans, in particular!

Prior to the 2015 event, there had been two simultaneous shows held in London hotels, one for Belgian producers, including major names including Annabel, Greenstreet Fabrics and Van Neder, which was organised by the Flanders Investment and Trade Agency (FIT) and Fedustria vzw (the Federation of the Belgian Textile, Woodworking and Furniture Industry), in conjunction with the BFM. The second, which featured other European producers, was organised by James Lowe, from the Spanish Interfabrics group.

Having two competing shows in different venues proved unsuccessful. It was agreed that the BFM would take over sole running of a smaller, combined show in one venue.

CLASSIFIED

TO ADVERTISE A JOB PLEASE CONTACT KACEM Q 01223 846825 m KACEM@CABINET-MAKER.CO.UK

Head of Operations Prototype Development Manager/Upholsterer We are a well-established furniture manufacturer specialising in designing and Head of Operations

GENERAL MANAGER

making high quality sofas and chairs. Based in Hastings, we manufacture under our own brands for independent in addition We are a well-established furniture manufacturer specialisingretailers, in designing and to exclusive models for highly department stores. making high quality sofas and respected chairs. Based in Hastings, we manufacture under Asretailers, Head of in Operations, will manage our own brands for independent addition toyou exclusive modelsthe forplanning, highly co-ordination and control We are a well-established manufacturer specialising in designing manufacturing process of a busy factoryand as well as being involved with respected department stores. of thefurniture making high quality sofas and chairs. Based in Hastings, we manufacture under our ARCHIBALDS has an excellent reputation in Home Furnishing pre-production requirements and ensuring that the process is efficient and cost own brands for independent retailers, in addition to exclusive models for highly As Prototype Development Manager/Upholsterer, you will be responsible for the effective relocating gained overtoa long period of trading in Aberdeen. It is a destination respected department stores. whilst maintaining the quality we are known for. We will be development of new products, thethe Managing and newliaising larger premises within 18Director/Designer months and you will take a key role store in this move.

As all Head of Operations, you will with manage planning, co-ordination and control for a wide geographical area with a loyal customer following Factory Manager developing new designs, making and making prototype of the manufacturing process a pattern busy factory well being involved with The idealofcandidate willashave aasproven track record of production management and excellent new growth business. We offer a wonderful frames, co-ordinating the introduction within the factory. pre-production requirements and ensuring that the process is efficient and cost in furniture manufacture, however experience from a related industry will be selection of quality furniture in newly refurbished showrooms, effective whilst maintaining the quality we are known for. We will be relocating to considered. new larger within 18track months and you will take a key role ininthis move.

The ideal candidate willpremises have a proven record of prototype making furniture modern to traditional, living room and dining, beds and bedrooms The ideal candidate will have track record will of production management manufacture, however experience fromaaproven related industry be considered.

Required as well as flooring and Interior Design. in furniture manufacture, howeverSkills experience from a related industry will be • Strong production management and production planning experience.

Required considered.

Skills You will be responsible for the overall operation of the store and • Good communication skills • A confident personality who can take charge.

Required Skills bedeadlines. the main focus for the Furniture Sales Halls, Flooring and • Managing, supervising and motivating production teams underwill strict • A confident personality • Strong production management and production planning experience.

• Excellent organisational skills.

• A wide knowledge of modern upholstery techniques Interior Design. You will manage a team of people and have the • A confident personality who can take charge.

• Excellent organisational skills •and the motivating abilitycommitment to meet deadlines Long-term and desire grow with the company.opportunity to develop and lead the sales team to help them • Managing, supervising and production teams underto strict deadlines.

• Ability to work• Excellent with the quality controller organisational skills.to ensure consistent standards for production achieve maximum sales levels and profitability.

• Long-term commitment andThis desire grow with thewith company • Long-term commitment and desire to grow with the company. is a to full-time role a salary discussed at interview commensurate with experience.

Your ability to deliver a superb level of customer satisfaction Thisrole is awith full-time role with a salaryatdiscussed interview commensurate with This is a full-time a salary discussed interviewatcommensurate with experience. experience.

and retention will be crucial in driving the business forward

and ensuring your high standards are maintained across and Please apply with CV. Closing date for applications is 06 October.

Please apply with CV. Closing date for applications is 5th April.

Please apply with CV. Closing date for applications is 06 October. throughout the store. This is a rare opportunity and one where Michael Tyler Furniture (UK) Ltd, Michael Tyler Furniture (UK) Ltd, Way, The Ridge, Hastings, East you can make your mark.

Woodlands Michael Tyler Furniture (UK) Ltd, Woodlands Way, The Ridge, Hastings, East Sussex TN34TN34 2RY2RY Woodlands Way, The Ridge, Hastings, East Sussex Sussex TN34 2RY ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES Email: debby.dawson@michael-tyler.co.uk Email: debby.dawson@michael-tyler.co.uk Email: debby.dawson@michael-tyler.co.uk

• Drive the business forward to maximise sales • Work in a high ticket environment demonstrating commercial awareness

• Drive customer satisfaction by ensuring exceptional customer service at all times

• Efficiently manage a team, developing individual potential to • •

create a strong focused sales force in all departments across the entire store Ultimate responsibility of sales/profit targets and other KPI’s Management of support teams across the store operation

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

• Previous experience and with a strong sales-management background

• A high achiever able to prove past success in delivering results • Well-developed management and strong leadership skills, •

with ability to adjust style and approach, for best team and individual performance Honest, respectful and diligent approach to work with a strong sense of integrity and driven by success

WHAT DO WE OFFER? Competitive Salary and Package, Pension Plan, Generous Holidays, Staff Discount, Free Parking and a friendly, modern working environment.

This is a full time position which will include weekend working; candidates must be able to commit to this working pattern. Relocation expenses will be considered.

Please apply to recruitment@archibaldsfurniture.co.uk or phone 01259 755 141 for more information.

To view our Privacy Notice for Job Applicants please visit www.hampshirehomeoffurniture.co.uk/679-2/ Due to the high number of applicants it will not be possible to reply to each application. Therefore if you do not hear within 7 days of your application then, on this occasion, you will not have been successful

22nd March 2019 | 30

6-14 GREAT WESTERN ROAD, ABERDEEN AB10 6LQ

Boss Design Group

A

Dudley, DY2 8SZ www.bossdesign.com

A By Andre

www.abyandre.com

Halton Hills, ON L7G 4R9 www.brc.group

ACID

Staunton, GL19 3QS www.acid.uk.com

08456 443617

ADVANSA

Hamm (Germany), 59071 www.advansa.com

+49 23888402207

AHF

Peterborough, PE3 7PR www.ahf.co.uk

01733 336200

Airea

Ossett, WF5 0AN www.aireaplc.com Staverton, BA14 8RQ www.airsprungbeds.co.uk

Alstons Upholstery

Colchester, CO2 9JU www.alstons.co.uk

01793 612660

Archers Sleepcentre

0141 892 0308

Ashley Manor

01384 486800

Association of Independent Stores

Solihull, B90 4LF www.aistores.co.uk

Aydin Tekstil Ticaret

+90 (212) 549 20 60

B 020 7823 3612 01609 776 667 0333 7721242 01202 552022 01159 071700

Midsomer Norton, BA3 4BS www.charltonsfurniture.co.uk

020 3058 2751

Cleland McIver

Rochdale, OL16 4NG www.clelandmciver.co.uk

01706 374431

Clockwork Components

Witney, OX29 0YN www.clockworkcomponents.com

01993 775 767

Colefax

London, W1K 3QD www.colefax.com

020 8874 6484

Cookes Furniture

Birmingham, B23 5PN www.cookesfurniture.co.uk

0121 2505050

D Daniel Stores

01753 801000

Elland, HX5 9HF www.decorativepanels.co.uk

01484 658341

London www.decorex.com

020 7921 8275

London, EC2N 2HE www.designguildmark.org.uk

020 7562 8520

Doncaster, DN6 7NA www.dfs.co.uk

01302 573 200

Chorley, PR7 2ST www.dickinsonschorley.com

01257 262141

Dreams 0333 222 6800

Mansfield, NG18 1HA www.dreams.co.uk

0800 652 5090

Dura Beds

Betta Living

Oldham, OL9 7TH www.bettaliving.co.uk

0116 287 5288

Charltons Furniture

Dickinsons Furnishers

Bensons for Beds

Mansfield, NG18 1HA www.bensonsforbeds.co.uk

Leicester, LE3 1TH www.cimchome.com

DFS

Belfield Furnishings

Ilkeston, DE7 5EP www.thebelfieldgroup.com

Matera (Italy) www.caliaitalia.com

Design Guild Mark

Beales

Bournemouth, BH1 1LJ www.beales.co.uk

0330 333 3444

Decorex International

Bazaar

Dewsbury, WF13 3RD www.thefurniturebazaar.com

Purfleet, RM19 1TT www.carpetright.co.uk

Decorative Panels

Barkers Home

Northallerton, DL7 8UB www.barkershome.co.uk

C

Windsor, SL4 1DP www.danielstores.co.uk

Baker Furniture

London, SW10 0XE www.bakerfurniture.com

01244 812628

Ceramic Import and Manufacturing Company

Arc Lighting & Design

Dudley, DY2 0RL www.ashleymanor.co.uk

Connah’s Quay, CH5 4DP www.brownsfurniture.co

01902 492937

01242 235724

Glasgow, G52 4BN www.archerssleepcentre.co.uk

01629 823680

Browns

Calia Trade SPA

AMA Research

Swindon, SN1 3BH www.arc-lighting.co.uk

Wirksworth, DE4 4AA www.breasley.co.uk

01225 754411

01206 733300

Cheltenham, GL50 1TY www.amaresearch.co.uk

Breasley

Carpetright

Alpha Designs Upholstery Bilston, WV14 7HZ

905 873 8509

01924 262525

Airsprung

Istanbul (Turkey) www.aydintekstil.com

01384 455570

BRC

0800 083 1127

Batley, WF17 6PB www.durabeds.co.uk

01924 422 537

Duvalay

BFM

Long Eaton, NG10 4QD www.bfm.org.uk

01332 321 827

Gomersal, BD19 4HX www.duvalay.co.uk

01274 877200

Dwell

BIID

London, EC2A 4PE www.biid.org.uk

0207 6280255

Norfolk, NR17 1N3 www.boconcept.com

Ekornes

Bodyease

0800 046 99 01

London, EC1N 6TE www.ekornes.co.uk

020 7462 0440

ercol

Bolia.com

Aarhus (Denmark) www.bolia.com

0345 675 9090

E

BoConcept

Dewsbury, WF12 9AH www.bodyease.co.uk

London, SE1 0SW www.dwell.co.uk

+45 51502110

Princes Risborough, HP27 9PX www.ercol.com

01844 271800

Espoke Living

Chester, CH4 8BU www.espokeliving.com

0333 344 2855

Eve Sleep +90 224 241 69 00 www.boyteks.com OSB. 8. Cad. No: 60, 38070, Kayseri, Turkey 22nd March 2019 | 32

London, N5 1XL www.evesleep.co.uk

0800 808 5766

» 22nd March 2019 | 31

C A B I N E T M A K E R A L P H A A D S |C O N N E C T I N G B U Y E R S A N D S E L L E R S F

www.harveynorman.com

Harveys

Findel Education Ltd

Accrington, BB5 4EE www.findel-education.co.uk

www.harveysfurniture.co.uk 03451 203 603

01438 777 700

+48 29 64 42 222

01384 408844

020 3348 9829

Mirfield, WF14 9DQ www.furniturechoice.co.uk

0800 035 0070

Furniture Link

Telford, TF1 7AD www.furniturelinkuk.co.uk

01952 604960

Furniture Makers

London, EC2N 2HE www.furnituremakers.org.uk

Slough, SL1 4DX www.furniturevillage.co.uk Newquay, TR7 2HS www.furnitureworld.co.uk

Liversedge, WF15 6QA www.highgrovebeds.co.uk

02380 517067

Furniture World

01209 210080

G

0845 226 9776

Highgrove

Housing Units

0800 804 8879

1254660777

Herman Miller

Home24

Furniture Village

069 7575-0

Heritage Furniture

020 72565558

Furniture to Go

Portsmouth, PO3 5QD www.furniture-to-go.co.uk

01268 745421

Heimtextil

Melksham, SN12 6GN www.hermanmiller.com

Berlin (Germany) www.home24.com Failsworth, M35 9BA www.housingunits.co.uk

HSL

www.hslchairs.com

01924 406600

+49 30 20 38 99 66

0161 681 5678

Dundee, DD5 2AJ www.gillies.co.uk

01284 752804

Chepstow, NP16 6UN www.gfa.uk.com

01291 645080

Grampian Furnishers

Elgin, IV30 8QN www.grampianfurnishers.com

01343 813271

01844 348200

Knutsford, WA16 6EN www.greenwoodretail.com

01565 650101

Gresham

Bolton, BL6 4SA www.officefurnitureonline.co.uk

0333 7777 575

H

I Iain James Furniture

London, W1T 7PJ www.habitat.co.uk/furniture Hammonds www.hammonds-uk.com Harrison Spinks Leeds, LS11 5SB www.harrisonspinks.co.uk

0800 021 4363

0113 205 5200

Harry Corry

Belfast, BT17 9GX www.harrycorry.com 22nd March 2019 | 32

028 9060 6801

La-Z-Boy

Maidenhead, SL6 1BU www.la-z-boy.co.uk

01628 513810

Lanzet

Blackburn, BB1 2BX www.lanzet.co.uk

01254 265883

Laura Ashley

Newtown, SY16 1DZ www.lauraashley.com

03332 008 009

Lebus Upholstery

Scunthorpe, DN16 3RN www.lebus.co.uk

01724 281381

Greengates, BD10 9TQ www.lectra.com/en Bilston, WV14 8LB www.leekes.co.uk

0333 222 4120

Loaf

www.loaf.com

0345 468 0697

London, E1 6QR www.londondesignfair.co.uk

020 7739 5561

London Fabric Show

Long Eaton, NG10 4QD www.londonfabricshow.uk

01332 321827

Made.com

London, WC2H 0JG www.made.com

Iconography

Ilminster, TA19 9DN www.iconography.co.uk

Magniflex

Italy www.magniflex.com

Indus Valley Furniture Ltd Nottingham, NG2 4BN www.indusvalley.co.uk

Maisons du Monde

www.maisonsdumonde.com

Ikea International Leigh, WN7 2RR www.ism.furniture

0300 030 9915

0116 4422363

Mathias Wiemann GmbH & Co KG Germany www.wiemann-online.com/en 020 7384 8211

Mattressman

01603 660661

Mattresstek

JJOplc

01706 877877

JYSK

Hazel Grove, SK7 5BW www.jysk.co.uk

Mason and Pearl

Dudley, DY2 8NT www.masonandpearl.co.uk

Jarrold & Son

Bacup, OL13 0EA www.jjoplc.com

0808 234 21 72

Wallsend, NE28 9NZ www.mammothcomfort.com

J Norwich, NR2 1JF www.jarrold.co.uk

+39 057451011

Mammoth

ISM Networks Furniture

London, SW6 3JW januaryfurnitureshow.com

0344 499 4686

L

M

January Furniture Show

Habitat

01344 771653

London Design Fair

www.ikea.com/gb/en

Greenwood Retail

Crowthorne, RG45 6LS www.en.kobe.eu

Telford, TF3 3BQ www.thelia.org.uk

01382 477281

Global Furniture Alliance

01536 444960

Kobe UK

LIA

Glasswells

Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3TU www.glasswells.co.uk

353 404 80068

Corby, NN17 4JN www.kettleinteriorsagencies.com

Leekes

Hypnos

Gillies

01623 818808

Kettle Interiors

01908 968228

Dewsbury, WF13 1EN www.hyderbedsltd.com

www.gallerydirect.co.uk Sittingbourne, ME10 3RN 01795 439159

Mansfield, NG19 8R www.kbsa.org.uk

Lectra

Hyder Beds

Princes Risborough, HP27 9RS www.hypnosbeds.com

+353 45 484 300

KBSA

01924 486902

Hydeline Furniture

Milton Keynes, MK12 6HS www.hydeline.co.uk

Dublin www.kaymed.co.uk

Foxrock www.kelstonhouse.com

Heico

Blackburn, BB1 1TJ www.heritagefurnitureuk.com

Furniture Choice

Kaymed

Kelston House

Rotherham, S66 9HU www.heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com

Furnico

London, E12 6SJ www.furnico.co.uk

Health Beds

Hockley, SS5 4AD www.heico-fasteners.co.uk

Furmanac

Kingswinford, DY6 7FF www.furmanac.com

01675 433000

Rotherham, S66 9HU www.healthbeds.co.uk

Forte Furniture

Warsaw ww2.forte.com.pl

0344 372 1000

Headlam

Birmingham, B46 1LW www.headlam.com

FIRA

Stevenage, SG1 2EW www.fira.co.u

K

Harvey Norman

03300 883818

Norfolk, NR14 8SQ www.mattressman.co.uk Lancashire, BB4 5JT www.mattresstek.co.uk

49 5401 852-0 0333 577 5773 07891 506241

Matza

Dewsbury www.matza.co.uk

01924 458699

Metro Wardrobes and Kitchens London, HA9 0LB www.metrowardrobes.co.uk

0203 4883347

E V E R Y W E E K TO ADVERTISE ON THESE PAGES CALL 01623 372213 OR GO TO: WWW.CABINET-MAKER.CO.UK Millbrook Beds

Totton, SO40 3XJ www.millbrook-beds.co.uk

023 8086 6111

Minerva Furnishers Guild

Corsham, SN13 0HN www.minervafurnishers.co.uk

01225 444204

MPT Group

Bacup, OL13 9RW www.mptgroup.com

01706 878 558

N

ROM Sofas

Belgium www.romsofas.co.uk Calne, SN11 9BN www.rowico.co.uk

Manchester, M60 6ES www.nbrown.co.uk

0161 236 8256

Nathan Furniture Group

Dewsbury, WF12 9AH www.sareerfurniture.co.uk

Sassy Home

Skipton, BD23 1NL www.bedfed.org.uk

Satra Technology Centre

01756 799 950

Natuzzi

0039 080 8820488

NCF Furnishings

Guildford, GU1 3DU www.natuzzi.co.uk

01483 306 280

Neville Johnson

Stretford, M17 1RW www.nevillejohnson.co.uk

0161 873 8333

Nolte Möebel

Bury, BL9 8RN www.nolte-mobel.co.uk

0161 767 8244

O Oak Furniture Land

www.oakfurnitureland.co.uk Scunthorpe, DN15 6SU www.oldrids.co.uk

Oliver & Sons

www.oliverandsonsuk.com

Oliver Bonas

www.oliverbonas.com

0800 440 2254 01724 281888 0800 083 0683 020 8974 3332

0115 951 9512 0121 389 4262 01623 441886 01509 235236

West Bromwich, B70 0TX www.serene.co.uk

0121 505 0270 0800 789 789

Clayton, BD14 6LT www.sherborneupholstery.co.uk 01274 882633 Dewsbury, WF13 3JY www.shirebeds.co.uk

01924 439 898

Shop Direct

Liverpool, L70 1AB www.shopdirect.com

0844 292 1000

Silentnight

0333 123 0892

London, SW1E 6QT www.simbasleep.com

Simmons Bedding Group Denmark www.skovby.com

45 87 54 55 00

Slumberdream

Birmingham, B11 2NR www.slumberdream.co.uk

0121 773 6669

Sofa by Saxon

Bolton, BL3 2NZ www.sofasbysaxon.com

Sofa Workshop

020 8731 0020

Sofa.com

R

0177 0512 7700

Skovby Mobelfabrik A/S

01945 461361

Protect-A-Bed

Godalming, GU7 1EY www.sofaworkshop.com www.sofa.com/gb

01204 368413

0808 159 9679 0345 400 2222

Sofahouse Imports Louth www.sofahouse.ie

Radium Foam

353 42 935 1950

Sopha

Netherlands www.vitatalalay.com

Highbridge, TA9 3AE www.sopha.co.uk

0116 284 9063

Recticel

Wellington, TA21 8NN https://relyon.co.uk

Serene

www.simmons.com

Pike Textiles

Relyon

016973 20342

Simba

Pickworth Furnishings

Somercotes, DE55 4RD www.recticel.com

0115 943 8980

Sealy UK

Barnoldswick, BB18 6BJ www.silentnight.co.uk

Perfect Home

Loughborough, LE11 3HB www.pickworthfurnishing.co.uk

SCS

Shire Beds

Park Lane Bedding

Huthwaite, NG17 2HW www.perfecthome.co.uk

0208 8384838

Sherborne Upholstery

Paragon Interiors

Birmingham, B8 1AG www.parklanebeds.co.uk

London, NW10 6UD www.savoirbeds.com

www.sharps.co.uk

P Nottingham, NG8 6PX www.paragonplc.com

01536 410000

Sharps

Oldrids and Downtown

RJ Binnie Leicester, LE8 6LH www.rjbinnie.co.uk

0800 14 13 786

Savoir

Aspatria, CA7 2AS www.sealy.co.uk

017738 38800

01278 557755

Staingard

Waverton, CH3 7PD www.staingard.co.uk

01244 888658

Steinhoff (International)

Stellenbosch, (South Africa) www.steinhoffinternational.co.uk 27218080700

Swaffer

Peterborough, PE2 6WQ www.swaffer.co.uk

Burnley, BB10 1SH www.sweetdreamsuk.com 01282 830033

T Orpington, BR6 0PH www.tapi.co.uk

Rothwell, NN16 8SD www.satra.com

Nottingham, NG2 3GZ www.scs.co.uk

02393 873 170

Tapi Carpets

Cwmtillery, Abertillery, NP13 1LZ www.sassyhome.co.uk 0115 943 8980

National Bed Federation

London, NW2 1LJ www.protectabed.co.uk

01254 665228

Sareer

Wensley, DL8 4HS www.nathanfurniture.co.uk

Wisbech, PE13 2RS www.pike-textiles.com

01249 821 748

Royams Upholstery

Lancashire, BB1 5JJ www.royams.net

Hampshire, PO7 7XY www.swanretail.co.uk

Sweet Dreams

Rowico

S

N Brown Group

Italy www.natuzzi.co.uk

Swan Retail +32 87 59 59 59

01733 371727

01689 886888

TCS Imports

Louth, BT35 8PX www.tcsimports.com

353 42 935 1351

Tempur Sealy

Lexington (USA) www.tempursealy.com

800.805.3635

Tetrad

Preston, PR1 5PQ www.tetrad.co.uk

01772 792936

The Cotswold Company Norwich, NR1 3PA www.cotswoldco.com

0333 200 1725

The Furniture Ombudsman (TFO) Stevenage, SG1 2AD thefurnitureombudsman.org

0333 241 3209

The Good Sleep Company

Banff, Aberdeenshire www.goodsleepcompany.co.uk 01261 819984

The Great Chair Company

Cheltenham, GL52 6NZ www.thegreatchaircompany.com

The Lounge Co

www.theloungeco.com

01225 792429

Timeless Chesterfields

Bolton, BL3 2NZ www.timelesschesterfields.com

01204 368413

Treske

Thirsk, YO7 4LX www.treske.co.uk

01845 522770

U United Carpets

Mansfield Woodhouse, NG19 9AL www.unitedcarpetsandbeds.com

01623 428481

V Vi Spring

Plymouth, PL5 2TT www.vispring.com/en-uk

01752 366311

Kidderminster, DY10 1JR www.victoriaplc.com

01562 749610

Victoria Plc

VIDA Living

Stockport, SK3 0XT www.vidaliving.com

353 (0) 42 933 7044

Vitsoe

London, W1U 3ED www.vitsoe.com

Vogue Beds

Barwell, LE9 8GZ www.voguebeds.co.uk

01455 841257

W Walker Greenbank

Denham, UB9 4DX www.walkergreenbank.com

0203 457 5862

www.wayfair.co.uk

Westbridge Greenfield, CH8 7FF www.westbridgefurniture.com

01352 714131

Dorset, DT1 1HN www.woods-furniture.co.uk

01305 262666

Wayfair

Woods Furniture

22nd March 2019 | 33

LAST WORD THE BRITISH FURNITURE MANUFACTURERS TRADE ASSOCIATION (BFM) Raw material prices drop as trading conditions worsen

“THE REPORT HAS FOUND THAT THERE IS A LESS THAN OPTIMISTIC VIEW ON BUSINESS AND SALES COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.“

The BFM (British Furniture Manufacturers Trade Association) has released its analysis of the State of Trade for the British furniture industry.

The report has found that there is a less than optimistic view on business and sales compared to last year.

With the current state of uncertainty in the UK, it may not be a surprise that views are pessimistic while the public awaits the final outcome of the planned exit from the EU. In fact, compared to last year, a balance of 22% of respondents believe trade has worsened and a balance of 15% are less optimistic about the general business situation than they were in October 2018. In addition, one fifth of the sample audience are expecting to make redundancies in the coming months. However, a surprising turn in the report is that manufacturing output is up by an encouraging 41%, despite new order intake being low.

On the other hand, the report shows that the average price of material costs is dropping.

The significant drop in foam chemical prices, particularly TDI, is now feeding through into price reductions, with companies that use foam reporting price decreases in the last four months.

FLOORING MILAN SHOW STEPHEN SIDKIN 22nd March 2019 | 34

42% of companies reported being involved in exporting with a positive amount of overall sales turnover being attributed to export.

Both order intake and output levels were unchanged in the four-month period of the survey and are expected to remain flat going into the summer months. Export seems to be the most constant with regards to production and sales. It has been on the rise of late, but recent studies by Barclays Bank reported that only 40% of British companies who had the capabilities to export actually do.

If your business is looking to export but does not know where to turn, contact the BFM today to learn more about how you can access its export portal, which includes country guides, contacts, goods classification and much more.

And if you want access to raw material pricing to make sure you are paying a reasonable price for logs, timber, foam chemicals, wire, leather, fabric fibres and packaging, membership benefits also include access to price data reports on the flux of pricing to make sure you are always paying the right price for your materials.

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