Issue beds may 2017

beds

May 2017 ISSUE 12

z DESIGN z MANUFACTURE z RETAIL z

z SELLING

CHOICE

z BRANCHING OUT

z TESTING &

ACCREDITATION

z PRODUCT

INNOVATIONS

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Keely Portway, Editor

KEEP IT CONSTANT

I

t seems that barely a week goes by without a new report or story in the national press concerning sleep. What is the right amount? Are we getting enough? What are the effects of not getting enough? How can we ensure we sleep better? And so on.

The latest sleep related story to catch my eye was courtesy of the Baylor University in Texas, where researchers worked with a sample of 28 interior design undergraduate students over a sevenday period to monitor both their sleep quality and quantity.

The students went about their usual routines, but at the same time they were completing a sleep diary and wearing sleep-monitoring devices. The study discovered that the participating students actually overestimated their total sleep time by 36 minutes, and that 79% slept for less than seven hours at least three nights per week, whilst many cycled between nights of little or restricted sleep and longer ‘recovery’ sleep.

Looking at the behaviour of the sample group, the research would appear to bust the myth that, by having a long lie in after a night of little sleep, people can effectively ‘catch up.’ Not so. In fact, during the research, students who experienced nights of short sleep followed by longer, ‘catch up’ nights actually scored less well on tests of attention and creativity. In addition, when the sleep pattern was more wide ranging, the students saw a decline in their ability to not only be creative, but also to make decisions, plan, or even correct errors.

Whilst I did find this story very interesting – notwithstanding other factors which may be affecting the students’ sleep patterns such as the pressure of keeping a diary and the tests they were undergoing as part of the research – whilst reading it there was also a degree of my brain saying: “Oh, irregular sleep can affect people negatively? Who’d have thought it?” And I imagine many of you reading this now, who have significant experience in this particular field, may have had similar thoughts.

Of course sleep is a huge issue. It can impact on health, productivity and even mood, so the work you, our readers, do every day is incredibly important. This is why I so look forward to Beds magazine coming around, as it’s a great opportunity to discover more about all the latest developments in the world of beds from those companies on the front line. This issue is no exception. You can find out in more detail, for example, about the importance of offering choice over a ‘one size fits all’ approach to mattresses, discover a new machinery manufacturer, dedicated to mattress production, find out how one company has benefitted its customers by expanding its portfolio, and see some of the latest products devised to help retailers improve their bottom lines. This issue also features the latest column from James Wilson, the ‘Sleep Geek’ in which he shares his experience of running a retail business and the lessons he learned; and comment from Jon Murthy of UKAS about why ensuring your testing and calibration have accreditation is so important. I hope you enjoy this issue of Beds magazine and that the next quarter is a successful one for all, because let’s be honest, who can really afford more reasons to lose that all-important sleep?

Keely Portway Editor

www.boyteks.com

Editor - Keely Portway email: Keely@cabinet-maker.co.uk News Editor - Dan Squires email: Dan@cabinet-maker.co.uk Graphic Design - Zoe Andrews email: zoe@cabinet-maker.co.uk Sales executive - Kacem Ellabbar 01223 846825 kacem@cabinet-maker.co.uk

beds

z DESIGN z MANUFACTURE z RETAIL z

Publisher - Chris Manning email: chris@cabinet-maker.co.uk Issue no 0012 published by Information Publications Ltd, 1 Grain House, Mill Court, Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire CB22 5LD VAT No: GB 945225521 Managing Director: Debbie Johnson © Information Publications Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. We regret we cannot be liable for the safe custody or return of any solicited or unsolicited material. Contributors are advised to keep copies of all materials submitted.

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

ISSN pending Registered as a Newspaper at the Post Office.

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CONTENTSS DESIGN WHY CAN’T ONE SIZE FIT ALL? Beds magazine finds out, with a little help from the team at Mammoth.

MANUFACTURING

42

HIGH AND MIGHTY A catch up with Jeremy Navrady, marketing manager at Bed Manufacturer of the Year 2016/2017, Kaymed.

28

From Experience

AND SO TO BED Sherborne Upholstery’s Chris Walker reveals more about the exciting new bed story that made its debut at this year’s January Furniture Show.

AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE Meet Mattresstek, a machinery supplier dedicated to the manufacture of beds and mattresses.

36

FEATURE

News

The latest news from the bed industry

48 Products Lights Out

With Dreamworks Beds’ Stuart Page.

BEST FOOT FORWARD Sweet Dreams’ Nick Williams offers his views on some of the issues currently affecting the industry.

24

HELP IS AT HAND

Thomas Small from TCS tells Beds magazine how the company has been helping retailers improve on their bottom lines.

28

THE TEST OF TIME

Murthy of UKAS reveals why manufacturers should 44 Jon always look for accreditation from their testing and

18

calibration partners.

30

FEATURE

48

Automatic for the people

RETAIL FOOL’S GOLD

How Sealy pulled off an April fool’s prank with the help of the Wigan Warriors, and its plans for the 2017 NBF Telford Bed Show.

FROM EXPERIENCE

42 ‘Sleep Geek’ James Wilson shares his story about

running a retail business, and offers his view on fire safety in light of the experiences he faced.

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NEWS Beds retailer grows UK sales Luxury beds and bedroom furniture retailer And So To Bed has reported its highest turnover in nine years, as losses narrowed closer towards profit.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 December 2016, total sales rose by 3.5% to £14.4m from £13.9m in 2015, its highest revenue achieved since generating £15.5m back in 2007.

Across its markets, UK sales rose by 7.9% to £13.6m from £12.6m in 2015, whereas sales in the EU fell by 39% to £254,144 from £417,783.

Turnover outside the EU also suffered a decline by 32% to £539,436 from £793,175 as exports were hindered by geo-political uncertainty.

The company, which is part of the Spanish bedding group Flex, reported a double-digit surge in online sales, up by 14%, as it continued to focus on its omni-channel activities.

Gross profit rose by 2.8% to £7.3m from £7.1m, whilst pre-tax losses improved to £28,056 from a loss of £246,816 recorded last year.

The company said that due to competitors focussing on further discounts, it was forced to be competitive on price, which – coupled with the sharp devaluation in sterling – had an impact on gross profitability, leading to a 1.1 basis point erosion in margin.

During the year And So To Bed stated that it has completed an internal restructure as well as improving its control environment and system efficiency, whilst revealing it expects to return to profitability in the year ahead.

BED SHOW REGISTRATION NOW LIVE The National Bed Federation (NBF) has announced that online visitor registration for the Bed Show 2017 is now open.

Taking place from 19-20 September at the Telford International Centre, the show will see a number of brands return to exhibit, which include Airsprung Group, Highgrove, Silentnight Group, Sleepeezee and Steinhoff Group.

Also returning are Shire Beds, Burgess Beds, Vogue and a host of component suppliers.

Jessica Alexander, executive director of the NBF, said: “The registration process is simple and takes a couple of minutes

to complete, saving you time on the day and giving you longer to enjoy the show.

Visitor numbers were up 10% in 2016, proving that the show remains successful and relevant for those attending.

“We’ve already got a fantastic raft of exhibitors – the best of British bed manufacturers and suppliers - lined up for the 2017 show all of which use the show to present their latest new products and innovations, offers, promotions and sales support for the UK market.”

w www.bedshow.co.uk

Mobility furniture firm wins ASA case Cambridge-based mobility furniture specialist Anchor Mobility has won an advertising case following allegations of misleading adverts.

A complainant to the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) claimed that Anchor Mobility Ltd had issued three misleading statements on a leaflet advertisement referring to ‘All furniture is made to measure’, ‘British made’ and an offer of ‘£350 part exchange’.

The single complainant challenged whether the information was misleading and could be substantiated, which was seen back in October 2016.

Responding to the complaint, Anchor Mobility stated that it did not supply ‘off the shelf furniture’ and products were made to order, whilst providing measurement combinations supporting its claim. The company confirmed that it only used UK factories that did not import furniture and provided relevant documentation to support this.

Finally, Anchor said that every customer who purchased a product from the company and who also exchanged furniture was eligible for £350 off their order after either receiving a Buy One Get One Free offer, or 35% off, and supported this with a backlog of reference sales.

After an investigation on all three complaints, the ASA ruled that Anchor Mobility had provided sufficient evidence to support its individual claims and found that the ad’s were not misleading or in breach of any regulations.

Family business, Anchor Mobility specialises in rise and recliner chairs, as well as adjustable beds and stairlifts.

w www.anchormobility.co.uk

w www.andsotobed.co.uk

SIMBA DESIGNS BASE Online mattress firm SIMBA has announced the launch of its new ‘SmartPack’ bed base design.

The new base in a box SIMBA Base aims to engineer a new approach in flat pack furniture construction and features a maximum of six components that anchor and interlock into place, eliminating traditional self-assembly tools.

SIMBA said that the base can be constructed in three minutes and follows the success of its bed in a box mattress concept launched by James Cox in 2016.

The company said that with fewer components and no tools being required to make the base, it moves away from complicated instruction manuals, designed to reinvent the way flatpack furniture is assembled.

The design has been developed by the SIMBA Sleep Lab’s team of designers, which has taken nine months of testing and the production of 40 prototypes.

Each component is designed to interlock in place, with SIMBA claiming that the base ‘responds to the body’s movement and pressure’ to offer durability and comfort.

w simbasleep.com

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WELCOME FURNITURE’S RUSSELL MATTHEWS SELLS STAKE IN PARTIAL MBO Welsh furniture manufacturer Welcome Furniture has completed a partial management buyout following a £1.5m loan from Finance Wales.

Co-founder John Peterson and Welcome Furniture’s senior management team have bought out fellow founding director Russell Matthews stake in the company, with Mr Matthews to remain at the business in a sales role.

The Gwynedd-based firm, which currently employs 150 staff, secured the loan from the Wales Business Fund, which was launched in September 2016 and is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government.

Out-going director, Russell Mathews said: “I am passionate about what we have built at Welcome Furniture and it’s been an emotional and difficult decision for me after eight years. Although I am stepping down from the Board I will still be with the business remaining focussed on marketing and sales, and continuing to maintain key relationships with our customers.”

John Peterson, Welcome Furniture managing director, added: “I wish Russell all the best and look forward to continue working together at Welcome Furniture where he is great friend to the business, myself and the other senior managers.

“From a day to day perspective there will be no changes for our employees, customers and suppliers - it’s business as usual.”

Senior investment executive Rhodri Evans, who structured the deal, said: “The new team leading Welcome Furniture has extensive experience of the business. The deal also allows out-going founding director Russell Matthews to pursue new projects.”

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w www.welcomefurniture.co.uk

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Competition leads to mattress manufacturers demise A rival mattress manufacturer contributed to the downfall of fellow bed maker Morley Bedding Limited as the company owed creditors more than £230,000.

Jeremy Bleazard, of insolvency specialist XL Business Solutions, was appointed as administrator of Morley Bedding Limited on 2 February 2017.

According to the administrators report, filed on Companies House, Morley Bedding suffered cash flow difficulties as a result of reduced turnover due to the loss of key customers.

Secured creditor claims totalled £11,500, which related to staff wages and holiday pay arrears, with the administrator indicating that a dividend will be paid from the realisation of company assets.

Company assets are expected to generate £32,646 with the bulk coming from plant and machinery sales worth £30,000, 35% more than its book value of £22,236.

However, unsecured creditor claims of £239,519 are likely to see no prospect of any remuneration, with trade creditors baring the bulk of the hit at £156,087.

Creditors set to lose out include glass manufacturer Oakland Glass at £23,583, Bradford-based logistics firm Alan Gee Transport at £16,956, and Stockport-based textile company JT Griffiths & Co at £22,942. The HMRC and Insolvency Service are owed a combined total of almost £40,000.

Detailed within the report, Morley Bedding suffered from customers failing to pay respective accounts on time, leading to the company increasing its own debts.

Furthermore, a former director, Anthony Vaughan – who launched the business back in 2008 with Peter Rogers – left the company in 2015 and set up a competitor, believed to be A V Contracts Limited.

Morley Bedding suffered again due to the competition knowing its customer base, which offered similar products at cheaper prices.

Due to loss of revenue from the companies that had moved its business to the alterative supplier, Morley Bedding experimented in a new approach to sell to retail outlets, which proved to be minimal. After experiencing further cash flow issues and falling turnover, the company was placed into administration.

w www.xlbs.co.uk

COMPONENTS FIRM CONTINUES PROFIT GROWTH Lancashire-based foam and fibre furniture fillings manufacturer Drury Adams Limited has reported its highest profit in a decade, adding to its accelerated growth on last year.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 May 2016, pre-tax profit grew by 70.4% to £525,837 from £308,928, its third consecutive year of profit growth.

Profits for Drury Adams over the past three years have risen considerably, all showing an increase over 50%. In 2014, pre-tax profit reached £110,272, up by 54.9% on 2013 and the first time it achieved over the £100,000 mark since recording over £125,000 back in 2007.

The previous year saw the biggest acceleration in profits by 180% when the figure rose from £110,272 to £308,928 in 2015.

Within the latest filed accounts, no sales figures were published although the company highlighted an increase in gross profit by 14.9% to £2.3m from £2m last year, indicating a potential rise in turnover from last year. Sales for 2015 resulted at £9.1m.

Established in 1979, the Bacup-based business supplies foam and fibre products to the furniture manufacturers across the industry.

w www.druryadams.co.uk

TEMPUR SEALY’S MATTRESS FIRM EXIT WON’T IMPACT UK DIVISION Steinhoff International has revealed that its UK partners will not be impacted by the termination of Tempur Sealy products to US-based Mattress Firm. Speaking to analysts earlier this year, Steinhoff CEO Marcus Jooste said that the company is ‘not concerned’ about its UK partnership franchises and that he has held ‘good discussions’ with senior management regarding its continued relationship.

Mattress Firm, now owned by Steinhoff, and Tempur Sealy cut ties after new terms could not be agreed following the Steinhoff takeover and issued formal termination notices for all of Tempur Sealy brands to Mattress Firm as of 27 January 2017, which are to be phased-out by May.

w www.steinhoffinternational.com

Illegal mattress waste exports uncovered; recycler and storage facility found guilty Storage business Salhouse Norwich Ltd has been found guilty of allowing an illegal waste operation to take place from a site it owned.

Salhouse Norwich Ltd and its director Mark Stone were both found guilty at Norwich Magistrates Court on 28 March 2017, with a third defendant Mark Quinsey pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to running the operation.

Norwich Magistrates’ Court heard that hundreds of tonnes of waste mattresses and mattress textiles were found stored on the site at Salhouse Industrial Estate, almost 100 times as many as were allowed under a registered exemption.

Mr Quinsey, who runs mattress recycling business Salhouse Recyclers, also pleaded guilty for failing to clear site following an investigation from the Environment Agency (EA) and for illegally exporting the mattress waste to Egypt.

Nicholas Ostrowski, prosecuting on behalf of the Environment Agency, told the court that he had deliberately breached environmental regulations, which posed a major fire risk, and despite being served an enforcement notice to clear the site, had failed to do so.

The EA investigated the site in August 2015 following a complaint from a member of the public and found the site was full of badly stored mattresses and mattress textiles.

The court heard that during investigations Mr Quinsey sent paperwork to the EA, which included evidence of a shipment of

27 compressed bales of waste to Egypt for recycling in March the previous year, despite not having appropriate approvals in place for this export.

The EA served up to five enforcement notices to both Mr Quinsey and Mr Stone to clear the site but failed to do so due to Mr Quinsey experiencing problems with Egyptian customs.

Mr Ostrowski further stated that Mr Quinsey, Mr Stone and Salhouse Norwich Ltd had co-operated with the investigation and Mr Quinsey had removed some waste from the site.

Mr Quinsey was sentenced to a total of 20 weeks custody, which has been suspended for 18 months, 200 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay a contribution to costs of £720, as well as a victim surcharge of £115.

Following the two-day trial Mr Stone and Salhouse Norwich Ltd were found guilty of knowingly permitting the operation of a waste facility without a permit and will be sentenced on 5 May 2017.

Lorraine Machin, Environment Agency investigator, said: “We acted quickly to try to get the occupier and landowner to clear the site because of the environmental and fire risk but the majority of the waste still remained on site.

“This case shows how important it is to ensure that any new operation has been fully researched, properly permitted and any site used is adequate for the operation.”

w www.gov.uk

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NEWS Kbsa marketing director leaves after 10 years The Kitchen Bathroom & Bedroom Specialists Association (Kbsa) has confirmed that Ruth Ward has resigned from her role of sales and marketing director due to person circumstances.

Ruth joined the Kbsa in January 2007 and has most recently been working with current acting CEO and consultant Uwe Hanneck, to implement a new strategy for future growth of the Kbsa.

Kbsa confirmed that Uwe Hanneck and membership manager Dawn Harlow would take direct control of all sales and marketing activities to make sure ‘that it is business as usual’.

They will be supported by Kbsa chair Richard Hibbert and the Kbsa Board as a replacement process gets underway.

Commenting on her departure, Uwe said: “Over the coming weeks we will start the process of recruiting a suitable candidate. The new recruit will work to deliver and implement our future policy based on the strategy that has been developed over the past two years.”

Kbsa national chair Richard Hibbert added: “Ruth has been a valuable member of our team and her contributions to our continued success are very much appreciated.”

w www.kbsa.org.uk

EXPORT GROWTH DRIVES SALES FOR FITTED FURNITURE FIRM Luxury fitted furniture manufacturer Canburg Limited has reported its highest turnover in five years as order book and export growth drive revenues.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 30 June 2016, total sales rose by 20.9% to £34.6m from £28.6m, its most successful year since 2011 when sales reached £55.2m.

Citing a growth in the order book as a main driver to business performance, the order book more than doubled to £47.1m from £20.3m in 2015.

Furthermore, Canburg, which trades under brands Smallbone of Devizes and Mark Wilkinson Furniture, saw success within its export division, particularly in the USA, which has been another major factor into the groups productive year.

EBITDA resulted at £5m for the year, up by 59.5% from £3.1m in 2015.

Established in 2009, the Canburg group specialises in the retail, manufacture and design of bespoke kitchen, bathroom and bedroom furniture.

w www.canburg.com

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VOGUE TO HOST SECOND AT HOME SHOW Leicestershire-based bed manufacturer Vogue Beds has announced its At Home Show is to return this month due to popular demand.

Taking place from 16-18 May 2017 at its Barwell headquarters, the At Home Show allows visitors to see all the latest ranges from Vogue Beds and Limelight Beds, as well as getting the opportunity to meet with agents and sales office staff.

Vogue confirmed that the new show room would display new models from Limelight’s range along with Vogue’s Same Day mattress and Divan collection, as well as the promotion specials including the Gallery Floor Models offers.

The recently revamped Hampton Beds will also be available to view as well as its Sports Therapy Range.

Vogue said: “With the success of our very first at home show last year we’re back for another. This will be the perfect time for retailers to look at all the fantastic models and the amazing promotional offers we have.

“We look forward to seeing you and in the meantime, if you require any further information or if you would like to arrange an appointment please do not hesitate to get in contact with us or your agent.”

Vogue Beds recently announced its plans to invest £1.2m into the business over the next five years, including a £200,000 cash injection into new vehicles and machinery.

w www.voguebeds.co.uk

German manufacturer acquires Dutch furniture firm Dutch wardrobe manufacturer Noteborn has been acquired by German furniture firm Vivonio Furniture GmbH as it expands its European presence.

Further strengthening its position within the European furniture market, the acquisition will see Noteborn expand into the German, Austrian and Swiss furniture retail markets, forecasting to build on its turnover of €11m achieved in 2016.

As for Munich-based Vivonio, the acquisition adds to its recent purchase of Leuwico GmbH, which specialises in height-adjustable desks, as the group continues to develop its portfolio of financial strong furniture manufacturing companies.

Noteborn will be the fifth daughter company and the sixth manufacturing site within the Vivonio group, which was founded in 2012 and generates an annual group volume of around €300m.

Norman Noteborn, managing director at Noteborn, said: “We are confident that we can achieve the growth objectives we have been aspiring to significantly faster under the umbrella of the Vivonio Group, without losing sight of who we are: a family-run business with a long-standing tradition.”

w www.noteborn.com

HIGHGROVE BEDS UNVEILS LATEST INVESTMENTS; EXPANDS DISTRIBUTION HUB West Yorkshire headquartered mattress manufacturer Highgrove Beds has revealed a number of investments, including expanding its distribution hub.

Highgrove has invested a further £500,000 into extending its Liversedge Distribution Centre, which will help maintain its Fastersleep 7 Day delivery service as it looks to further increase market share.

Commenting on the expansion, Shane Harding, head of marketing, said: “Development of the new site continues and although the majority of the building work is now complete, there are several other major projects in the pipeline – including the commissioning of a new IT System and new machinery to further improve business efficiency.”

Furthermore, Highgrove has recently launched its new websites for its Highgrove and moresleep brands featuring information for both trade and consumers including a Bed Care section and an online bed registration for consumer purchases.

A third site is currently in the final stages of completion is for its recently launched Sanctum brand as the final design layout has now been approved.

Keeping with the Sanctum brand, Highgrove has injected £50,000 of investment into a new modular in-store display system featuring lightboxes and TV displays, each tailored to store design needs.

The in-store display, which is available to stockist that commit to a minimum of three floor models, also features new branded footmats, pillowcases and mattress cutaways to maximise brand impact. www.highgrovebeds.co.uk

w

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UNITED CARPETS & BEDS RAPPED

BY ASA OVER MISLEADING PRICES AS RIVAL COMPLAINS

Mobility furniture firm enters administration; 17 lose jobs Yorkshire-based mobility supplier Hartmond Limited has gone into administration.

Keith Marshall and Gareth Harris of RSM restructuring advisory LLP were appointed as joint administrators of Hartmond Limited, trading as Yorkshire Mobility, The Mobility Partnership, Trade Mobility and Value Mobility, on 24 March 2017.

RSM confirmed that the company suffered challenging trading conditions in recent years and with increasing cash pressure the directors did not believe they could continue to trade without worsening the position for creditors.

As a result, all 17 employees were made redundant, with the administrators currently reviewing options with regards to maximising asset realisations.

The Hull-based company was a

Flooring and beds retailer United Carpets & Beds has been told to remove two adverts following a complaint from a rival, which deemed the ads misleading.

Rotherham-based United Carpets (Franchisor) Ltd, trading as United Carpets, displayed price saving promotions within its store and website, www. unitedcarpetsandbeds.com, claiming discounted prices on the ‘Satino Romantica’ and ‘Satino Royale’ ranges.

The in-store ad was seen on 20 April 2016, whilst the online ad was seen on 25 April 2016.

Rival retailer Carpetright challenged the claims to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on whether the details of the promotions were misleading and could be substantiated.

United Carpets (Franchisor) Ltd responded to the complaints and stated that its price savings had been established and referred to genuine higher prices at which it had sold significant stock, as

supplier of a wide variety of mobility products including high back chairs, riser chairs and riser recliner beds, which it supplied to both local and national customers through its seven stores and website.

Keith Marshall, RSM restructuring advisory partner and joint administrator, said: “Whilst the company had many loyal customers and a strong local presence, competitive and difficult trading conditions have unfortunately determined that the company can no longer continue to trade.

“At this early stage we have had to suspend activity at all sites, and make staff redundant due to the high level of costs, but we would encourage any interested parties to contact us as soon as possible.”

w www.rsmuk.com

MATTRESS TICKING MANUFACTURER WINS TRADEMARK DISPUTE Wholesale designers and distributors of custom finished fabrics for mattress ticking and furnishing applications Original Fabrics Limited has successfully concluded a claim for infringement of its registered trademark.

Original claimed against Turquia Textile (UK) Limited and its director Fethi Ozmen for infringement of Original’s Community Trade Mark COOLSOFT. Original issued proceedings against both Turquia and Mr Ozmen in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court and sought an injunction, damages and costs. The claim was settled quickly after proceedings were issued upon undertakings being given to the Court by the Defendants.

Turquia has paid an agreed sum in damages to Original, agreed to pay Original’s solicitors costs and to publish an apology in the trade press which will bring the infringement to the attention of the rest of the textile trade.

Original was represented by Tony Catterall of Taylors Solicitors, one of the UK’s leading experts in copyright disputes and an affiliate lawyer with Anti Copying In Design (ACID).

Commenting on the case, Tony said: “I am very pleased to have secured a rapid and worthwhile settlement of this infringement claim. The dispute was brought to a conclusion without the delay and expense of a trial and is further evidence that it is possible to nip infringements in the bud in a very short space of time.

“We hope that trade press interest in the outcome should put potential infringers on notice that Original will not stand by and have its registered intellectual property rights abused by infringers.”

Simon Hargreaves of Original said: “We are very happy with the outcome achieved by Taylors on the Company’s behalf. We strongly believe in the protection of our intellectual property rights, which is why we registered the COOLSOFT trademark. We appreciate Taylors’ specialist knowledge which enabled this claim to be brought to a rapid conclusion.”

w www.originalfabrics.co.uk

www.unitedcarpetsandbeds. com

w

The Adjustable Bed range has been refreshed with a complete change of fabrics and the addition of a lower-priced Bed, Headboard and Mattress together with an upmarket Sprung Mattress.

Sherborne Upholstery Limited Pasture Lane, Clayton, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD14 6LT, England.

[ 11 [ Beds May 2017.indb 11

well as stating that its pricing history showed that its offers were undertaken in accordance with the BIS Pricing Practices Guide.

However, following an investigation, the ASA upheld both complaints, stating that the higher prices and associated savings claims, as well as the presentation of those two prices was misleading and were consequently banned.

The ASA ruled: “We told United Carpets to ensure that future ads did not make savings claims that were likely to be understood as representing the usual selling prices of the product, unless they held adequate evidence to substantiate the claims.

“We also told them to ensure that future ads did not present prices in a misleading manner through the use of different quantity units.

Telephone: 01274 882633 Fax: 01274 815129

sales@sherborne-uph.co.uk www.sherborneupholstery.co.uk

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NEWS Silentnight joins BFM The British Furniture Manufacturers Association (BFM) has announced that bed-manufacturing group Silentnight has joined the trade association.

Silentnight becomes the latest company to join the trade association, which already boasts Whitemeadow, Hypnos, Highgrove, Highgate, Sherborne, Shire Beds, MA Living and Furmanac among its 200 member companies.

Trevor Richards, BFM sales and marketing manager, said: “We are delighted that the Silentnight Group has joined the BFM at what is a very exciting time for us going forward, with a number of new initiatives in the pipeline.

“The company was particularly impressed by our range of benefits, export opportunities, online furniture directories, the Great British Furniture campaign, trade data and industry surveys as well as our representation on issues to UK and EU governments.”

Steve Freeman, Silentnight Group managing director, said: “We see great value in joining the British Furniture Manufacturers - to help us develop further our business both at home and overseas.

“With so many opportunities and challenges facing our industry, to have a collective voice to represent/lobby should facilitate a better outcome for all. Brand UK has a great future and we are proud to support all endeavours to drive greater business return.”

w www.silentnight.co.uk

MATTRESS MAKER OWES MORE THAN £500K FOLLOWING LIQUIDATION Birmingham-based mattress manufacturer A&M Sleep Beds Limited has been placed into liquidation, owing more than half a million pounds to creditors.

Eileen Sale, of Walsall-based insolvency firm Sale Smith & Co., was appointed as liquidator on 31 March 2017.

According to documents filed on Companies House, A&M Sleep Beds Limited, formerly known as Health Therapy Limited, owes creditors £569,733, with HM Revenue and Customs owed a significant figure of more than £329,000.

Other creditors include a former director, owed around £113,000 and trade companies, collective owed more than £118,000, which includes Birmingham City Council, owed almost £13,000.

Stated within the report, only £53,897, from a total value of around £298,000, was estimated to realise from the company assets, with the majority coming from stock at a realised value of £30,000.

Taking into account the estimated realisations figure, creditors therefore face a shortfall of £515,837.

w www.salesmith.co.uk

DREAMWORKS APPOINTS SALES DIRECTOR Mattress manufacturer Dreamworks Beds has announced the appointment of Stuart Page as its new sales director.

Stuart joins the business with over 35 years of industry experience having worked for Furniture Village where he progressed from sales consultant to store manager and then assistant bed buyer.

He then moved into the manufacturing side, working for Dreamworks Beds and Relyon, before running his own Furniture Agency.

For the last three and a half years Stuart has worked for Millbrook Beds, rebuilding their brand and increasing sales.

Commenting on his appointment, Stuart said: “Dreamworks Beds are a high quality manufacturer, with great potential and innovation. I look forward to working with the team and growing the business together.” www.dreamworksbeds.com

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Eve Sleep considering IPO British online mattress retailer Eve Sleep is said to be set to raise £35m in an initial public offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market.

According to news source, Business Insider, Eve Sleep are considering a public listing that could value the business, which was founded back in February 2015, up to £200m.

The news follows Eve’s recent funding round, which saw the retailer raise a further £13.9m in October last year, bringing its total raised capital to £17m from a range of investors, who include Octopus Ventures, DN Capital and Channel 4.

w www.sleepeve.co.uk

STEINHOFF UK DONATES BEDS Bed manufacturer Steinhoff UK Beds has donated a number of Myer’s beds to a family in Bristol as part of the BBC One Series ‘DIY SOS: The Big Build’.

The BBC team, headed up by Nick Knowles, recently completed a rebuild project for a family in Hartcliffe after the family discovered that son Ryan suffered from a blocked ventricle in his brain, which consequently put Ryan in a coma for six months.

After another operation Ryan became more stable, but, after eight months in intensive care, he was unable to go to the rehabilitation ward in Bristol because he was permanently on ventilation, meaning he had to be moved to a unit in Gloucester; some distance from his home. Ryan has spent the last three and a half years there.

House adaptations with all the bespoke care provisions that Ryan needed was installed by the DIY SOS Team and volunteers over nine days ending on 6 April 2017, allowing the family to bring Ryan home permanently.

Paul Little, Steinhoff UK Beds sales director said: “We were delighted to assist in donating Myer’s beds to help bring Ryan home and create a better living space for him and his deserving family.” www.steinhoffinternational.com

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Mammoth strengthens RPA link Mattress and upholstery manufacturer Mammoth has announced it has strengthened its partnership with the Rugby Players’ Association (RPA) to help promote the importance of sleep.

The exclusive partnership will see Mammoth provide sleep and wellness advice, education and support to professional rugby players throughout England, as well as providing education and welfare programmes for professional male and female players throughout the domestic and international game.

As a direct result of the existing partnership with the RPA, which was established five years ago, there are around 250 active and retired rugby players currently sleeping on Mammoth mattresses. www.mammothcomfort.co.uk

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TURNAROUND SEES PROFIT RETURN West Yorkshire-based bedding business GNG Group has returned to profitability as its turnaround project continues.

According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 August 2016, total sales reduced significantly to £6m from £12.8m reported in 2015 but did record a pre-tax profit of £190,601 compared to a loss of £2.1m the previous year.

The group stated within the report that the creditors voluntary arrangement (CVA) had an adverse effect on all aspects of the business in the early stages of the year under review, but continued support of its clients and suppliers helped deliver a positive turnaround.

The group entered a CVA on 18 August 2015 after one of its businesses, Memory Foam Warehouse Limited, incurred losses and ceased to trade on 31 July 2015.

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w www.gnggroup.co.uk

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PICTURE

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

Highgrove appoints new sales manager West Yorkshire headquartered mattress manufacturer Highgrove Beds has announced the appointment of Dave Marsden as its new area sales manager.

As part of the role, Dave will cover the North East, Yorkshire and Humberside, and will be responsible for the Groups Highgrove, Moresleep and Sanctum brands.

Dave is already well known to many of his customers in the area and has more than 20 years’ experience in the bed industry.

Highgrove Beds operates out of its 250,000sq ft office, showroom and manufacturing facility in Liversedge.

Silentnight and Barnoldswick FC sign sponsorship deal Bed manufacturer Silentnight has signed a new sponsorship deal with Barnoldswick Town Football Club.

The Barnoldswick-based bed maker and North West Counties League team celebrated the continued partnership, which now extends into a twelfth year, with a match at the Silentnight Stadium against AFC Bootle.

Man of the match, Jordan Gidley received a Silentnight mattress for his efforts after the game, which concluded in a 1-0 win for Barnoldswick FC. The game saw Silentnight’s mascot, Hippo, warm up with the players before kick off.

Stewart Airdrie, director of football at Barnoldswick Town FC, said: “We are incredibly grateful for the continued support we’ve had from Silentnight over the years, and going into another year of partnership with them is fantastic for the club.”

Hypnos receives Queen’s Award Bed manufacturer Hypnos has been commended with the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade in the 2017 honours list.

Hypnos received the award in recognition of its substantial growth and commercial success in international business, as well as driving strong year-on-year growth in overseas sales and export activity.

The Princes Risborough-based manufacturer revealed that international sales this year will exceed £5m, a hefty increase from sales of £500,000 just five years ago, which now represents 9% of overall group revenue.

James Keen, managing director at Hypnos, said: “It’s a true honour to receive such an accolade and we’re incredibly proud of this achievement and all the hard-work that’s been put in over the last few years. We hope to see around £20m worth of Hypnos’ products being sold globally, which would account for 20% of our total sales, by 2021.”

Kindred appoint new sales manager Bedroom furniture supplier Kindred Living has announced the appointment of Paul Hatcher as its new southern area sales manager.

Paul has worked in the furniture sector throughout his career, spending the last 29 years at Nolte Moble, where he started as an area representative and quickly stepped up to the sales manager role for over 25 years.

Commenting on his new role, Paul said: “I had been considering retirement, however when the Kindred collection was presented to me, I was so inspired and convinced by the integrity of the brand and infrastructure supporting it that I swiftly reconsidered. I am delighted to join Kindred Living.”

Chris Fountain, Kindred’s national sales manager, said: “I am delighted to welcome Paul to the business. I worked alongside Paul at Nolte for two and a half years and his enormous amount of industry knowledge and experience is unrivalled.”

Slumberland’s debut cot mattress wins safety award British bed manufacturer Slumberland has won a safety award for its debut cot mattress at the 2017 Baby and Nursery Trade Awards (BANTAs).

The Slumbertime Luxury Pocket Sprung Cot Mattress was granted ‘Best Safety Product’ by the Baby Products Association at the awards, which was held in partnership with the Harrogate International Nursery Fair.

Slumberland’s cot mattress was the first time a mattress has won the award for ‘Best Safety Product’ and was commended for its chemical-free cover and UK manufacturing.

Steve Birds, national account manager, said: “We were delighted to receive such great feedback, plus achieve excellent distribution with independent nursery retailers.

“For our mattress to be recognised for safety is an incredibly proud moment. The sleeping surface is free from all Fire Retardant chemicals because we’ve used a naturally Fire Retardant fibre. This allows for the sleeping surface to be free from all antinomy, phosphorus and arsenic chemicals - the safest ways for babies to sleep.”

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NEWS AT A GLANCE INDEPENDENT TO EXPAND BEDS SHOWROOM Independent furniture and furnishings store The Home Company has revealed it plans to expand its showroom in this month.

Based at the High Corn Mill in Skipton, the business confirmed it would increase its floor space by 20% when a new first floor showroom is created at the 4,000sq ft premises.

The move behind the expansion will see the first floor feature beds and bedroom furniture, but before that takes place the company is set to hold an ex-display event to clear old stock.

Linda Lee, store manager, commented on its latest podcast: “We are expanding our floor space with a brand new upstairs area, which will become our new bedroom showroom. But at the moment we are preparing the space as an ex-display area.

“The expansion gives us the opportunity to sell new products, including sofas and tables, and we decided that it would be ideal to have the bedroom area upstairs.”

The Home Company has been established since 1981 and is owned by property entrepreneur Andrew Mear since 2015. www.thehomeco.net

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Bed maker to invest 9m Bed manufacturer Harrison Spinks has confirmed it plans to invest £9m as part of its five-year strategy to further grow the business.

Included within its plan, the investment will see a new site developed at its Leeds-based factory in order to house a larger innovation and technology centre, as well as additional offices and a dedicated Somnus showroom.

The investment, which follows a significant 40% growth over the last two years, will quadruple its capacity at its natural fillings plant, whilst also investing in its machinery, wire drawing and spring technology.

As part of this investment, Harrison Spinks has refocused its business strategy to concentrate primarily on beds and components, and will no longer manufacture Spink & Edgar Upholstery at its Leeds factory.

Furthermore, the company is also extending its laboratory to become UCAS accredited with new fire testing facilities to ensure consistent quality of products.

Simon Spinks, managing director of Harrison Spinks, said: “We have been working for some time on new technologies to develop the ultimate natural bed. We want to not only use natural, locally sourced materials, but also remove chemicals and glue from our products.

“A mattress that is foam-free, glue-free and chemical treatment free is just around the corner and will revolutionise the bed industry as we know it today.”

w www.harrisonspinks.co.uk

VOGUE BEDS INJECTS £200K INTO NEW VEHICLES AND MACHINERY; PLANS FURTHER £1M INVESTMENT Leicestershire-based bed manufacturer Vogue Beds has announced that it plans to invest £1.2m into the business over the next five years.

As part of its new capital investment programme, the company has confirmed the purchase of two brand new Iveco vehicles to add to its current fleet, further expanding and improving its delivery capacity and service.

Furthermore, Vogue has acquired two new machines, a new ‘state of the art’ border machine - Bordtac series 2, which was purchased exclusively for its Hampton collection.

The new side stitch machine can create 10 tiers stitched borders, whilst the company also purchased a new tape edging machine with a larger table for bespoke size mattresses.

Ebrahim Patel, managing director, said: “These are exciting times at Vogue Beds. This initial investment of £200k is just the start of an exciting investment programme and over the next couple of years, in our pursuance of continual improvement.”

w www.voguebeds.co.uk

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Dreams opens first store in Cumbria; files new trademark Bed retail specialist Dreams has confirmed the opening of its new store in Carlisle.

The new store officially launched on 24 March 2017 and marked the occasion with a weekend promotional event and becomes the first Cumbrian store for the retailer.

Located at The Maltings Shaddongate, the new store sees Dreams takeover the unit from shoe retailer Wynsors, which vacated the premises after severe flooding back in December 2015.

In other Dreams related news, Hyde & Sleep Limited, a subsidiary of Dreams Ltd, has filed for a new trademark ‘Hyde & Sleep Hybrid Plus’.

Filed back in January this year and published on 24 March 2017 through the Intellectual Property Office, the trademark application adds to its other registered trademark ‘Hyde & Sleep’ which was approved last year.

Established in 1985, Dreams currently operates out of more than 180 stores across the UK and is also behind the bed-in-a-box brand Hyde & Sleep, which launched back in April 2016.

w www.dreams.co.uk

MATTRESS MANUFACTURER MAKES £500K PRODUCTION INVESTMENT Mattress manufacturer AJ Foam has invested £500k in its production, with the purchase of two new machines.

The Dewsbury-based company made the investment in a move to improve its environmental efficiencies whilst also cutting down on transport costs. The first new addition to the factory was a replacement HYMA SCH Carousel cutting machine, which has already been installed. The second new purchase, a Teknomac Fully Automated Bagging, Folding and Roll Packing Machine – which the company told us is the first to be purchased for use in the UK. Mr Jabar Khan, director at AJ Foam told Cabinet Maker: “We currently offer 60% of our Products on a same day dispatch service, and would like to achieve 100% by the end of this year. We also feel it is important for us do our bit for the environment and these machines will help us reduce our carbon footprint.

“The Teknomac is a powerful press and roll-up section with a 60-tonne press and variable diameter between 25-45cm of the finished product. Where our previous machine used to average one mattress per minute, our new machine can give us an average of three in the same time. This will allow us to be more efficient, increase our stock holding capabilities, cut delivery costs for our customers, reduce our carbon footprint, and reduce manual work for our employees.

“We invested in the HYMA SCH Carousel Slitting Machine to help increase our production in this area, to keep on top of growing demand from new and existing customers, and to stay ahead of competitors. The machine was fitted three weeks ago and we are already seeing a massive difference, as it is three times faster than our old machine.”

w www.ajfoamltd.co.uk

Duvalay expands production facility with new lease Bed manufacturer Duvalay has increased its production capabilities with the lease of a new 30,000sq ft factory.

The new factory adds to the company’s 40,000sq ft site in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire, and will be used solely to manufacture its premium range of mattresses, the Hilary Devey Collection.

The increased capacity will enable Duvalay to boost productivity and output levels, allowing the company to continue to expand its network of bed retailers across the UK Duvalay also confirmed that it plans to recruit a number of new employees, along with expanding its apprenticeship scheme in order to ensure the continued development and training of its staff.

Liz Colleran, sales director at Duvalay, said: “Since our Dragon’s Den experience and Hilary’s investment, our company has grown significantly due to diversifying into wider trade and domestic markets. The Hilary Devey Collection is the next stage in our growth strategy and has already been hugely successful with retailers.

“The new factory will allow us to continue to meet demand by retailers and consumers, adding significant output capabilities. It is also a huge boost for the local area as we’ve already initiated a recruitment drive supported by a training programme to help develop new skills.”

w www.duvalay.co.uk

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RETAIL

SEALY

Fool’s Gold

‘Pillow Pilates’ with the Wigan Warriors

How Sealy pulled off an April fool’s prank with the help of the Wigan Warriors rugby league club, and what it has planned for this year’s Telford Bed Show.

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orld’s number one bed brand, Sealy UK recently teamed up with its World of Sport ambassadors, the Wigan Warriors, to take part in an April Fool’s Day prank - filmed following their World Club Championship victory earlier this season.

The prank was designed to showcase a softer side to the rugby team and revealed that their secret training weapon was a sport dubbed as ‘Pillow Pilates’.

Of course, the prank wasn’t all fun and games and there was a scientific reason behind it. Stress and tension relief are crucial to achieving a good night’s sleep and, with such a physically demanding job, this is of paramount importance for the Wigan Warriors. It also transpires that not many people realise how important it is for the mind to be relaxed before going to sleep, or indeed before embarking on a high-pressure challenge, such as a big sporting event. This simply added to the authenticity of the prank - making it extremely believable that the Wigan Warriors would be advocates of this madeup team-building and pressure relieving activity.

The fun prank saw Pillow Pilates portrayed as a glorified pillow fight,

designed to offer some relief from the team’s intensive training regime of cardio and weights. Pillow Pilates training supposedly took place weekly, with every team member being presented with a Sealy pillow before congregating on the rugby pitch. Once assembled, the fight began on command of a whistle and continued until there was only one man standing.

Director of Performance at Wigan Warriors, Mark Bitcon, who played a part in the joke, commented at the time: “The team has an

extreme training regime, which pushes them to their physical limit. Pillow Pilates was dubbed as a great way for them to let off a bit of steam and channel their competitive personalities, which is so crucial to the game. Since we were using pillows, there was a very low risk of anyone getting hurt, so the team has a real opportunity to give it their all – a mindset we’re keen on capturing before a big game. Needless to say, we joked the pitch was often quite a sight during a battle,

The team showed off its softer side

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RETAIL

SEALY but everyone was reported to leave with a smile on their face.”

Sealy also managed to persuade the players to get fully behind the prank, with player Sam Tomkins commenting on the fun stunt: “I have to admit, I suspected it might be some sort of initiation ceremony when I first joined the team. Having never done anything like this before, I was initially a little reluctant to join in, but now I’m the first one on the pitch brandishing my pillow. It’s all a bit of fun and an activity that really brings the team together.”

Finally, to cement the prank’s authenticity, a photoshoot and video took place with Sky Sports reporter, Brian Carney, whilst the Wigan Warriors were engaged in a staged Pillow Pilates training session.

While the Wigan Warriors are poised to attend the Telford Bed Show with Sealy, prior to this event the bed brand will be once again hosting the Brooklands Bed Show - a highly-regarded event held in the world-famous museum on 16 – 17 May. Here, Sealy plans to unveil a range of exciting new products; including the newlook Posturepedic. Taking inspiration from worldwide design advances, the re-launch of this range incorporates an exciting new set of aesthetics and technology.

As well as showcasing innovative advances in bed technology, this show also provides a unique opportunity for buyers and industry insiders to experience Sealy’s entire range in one room. Neil Robinson, sales and marketing director at Sealy, said: “Our Brooklands Show has become extremely popular throughout the industry, as it provides delegates with the opportunity to gather valuable insight on sector trends and developments, as well as learn about Sealy’s entire product range. Our 2016 show was such a great

The Brooklands Bed Show takes place on 16 – 17 May success, so we are hoping to build on that enthusiasm this year.

“We are dedicated to innovation here at Sealy and strive to provide new and exciting products for our buyers and their customers. That’s why we’re so excited about our Posturepedic re-launch; it truly is a whole new look for Sealy UK. Given the show’s timing – several months before Telford – it gives attendees the chance to get ahead of the game, and shouldn’t be missed.”

Sealy looks forward to welcoming its World of Sport ambassadors, the Wigan Warriors to Telford in May – no pillow fights allowed this time though!

w www.sealy.co.uk

The show provides an opportunity to experience Sealy’s entire range in one room

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MANUFACTURING

&

KAYMED

HIGH MIGHTY

Beds magazine enjoyed a catch up with Jeremy Navrady, marketing manager at Bed Manufacturer of the Year 2016/2017, Kaymed.

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here’s no denying that the last few years have been successful ones for Kaymed, with the business displaying strong growth in the UK, including an increase in sales of almost 130% in 2016 alone. The bed manufacturer credited much of this growth to the success of its ThermaPhase and Mighty Bed technologies, originally introduced in September 2014, and to be sure, it last year conducted its own market research into consumer satisfaction. The research aimed to find out why end consumers choose to buy a new bed, the way in which they do so, what the purchasing process involves and whether they are ultimately satisfied with

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their purchase from Kaymed and its retailer customers. And a resounding ‘yes’ was the answer, according to the results.

49% of the consumers polled said that they had visited an independent retailer, with 19% saying they viewed multiple bed retailers when making a purchase. 17% stated that they visited the Kaymed website, which indicated that a mixture of channels are increasingly common in the search for big ticket home products such as beds. The findings also indicated that the majority of people still like to physically interact in-store with the product and seek advice whilst there. Great Job What’s more, the company’s retailer customers are clearly doing a sterling job in selling the products, as the survey

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revealed a weighted average of 93.3% overall satisfaction rating from respondents about their service received. “We were very pleased with this result in particular,” explained Jeremy, “as it reinforces our view that the retailers are doing a great job and that they have motivated sales professionals in store who love to sell our products.” Of course, it is only fair that the manufacturer take some of the credit too, with satisfaction rates of 92.5% for the Therma-Phase bed, 90.0% for the V85, 93% for the Response Gel 93% and 96.5% for the Mighty Bed. Moving back to trade, and one of the biggest achievements for the business last year was achieving the Bed Manufacturer of the Year accolade

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KAYMED

The Therma-Phase Profile 200 with 50mm topper

“WE ARE CERTAIN THAT MIGHTY BED WILL BE AN ESSENTIAL ASSET TO ANY BED RETAILERS’ RANGE”

at the NBF Awards. Factors that stood the company out included its significant marketing investment, improved sales figures and product innovation, which the business managed to undertake whilst also successfully defending itself against a patent infringement. So, does this mean the company will sit back and take a much-deserved breather? Not a chance!

Hot on the heels of winning its award, the company embarked on yet more marketing investment, with another successful TV advertising campaign in time for the Christmas and post-Christmas market, and it won’t stop there. The next campaign is still something of a closely guarded secret, but Jeremy promised that we would be able to share very soon.

What he was able to share with me was details of the latest investment in the company’s products, ready for the summer months. The Therma-Phase™ range with temperature regulation technology has now been extended with the addition of the Therma-Phase Profile 2000 and Profile 3000. The Profile 2000 has a 125mm deep

layer of Therma-Phase with 1000 nested pocket springs in the mattress and 1000 in the base, whilst the Profile 3000 has a generous 160mm deep layer of ThermaPhase with 2000 nested pocket springs in the mattress and 1000 in the base.

Therma-Phase works by combining a high density visco-elastic with an infusion of unique phase-change gel crystals. The gel works constantly to absorb, store and release body heat to maintain the ideal sleep surface temperature of 30-32°C. This is achieved via a chain reaction at molecular level rather than by treating materials with sprays or treatments - ensuring the material works infinitely.

The result is a material that can provide the body with the optimum level of comfort, support and pressure relief to aid a restful night’s sleep. As with the rest of the range, these new Therma-Phase™ models are available in seven colours with matching headboards and include a choice of bases on legs or as a traditional divan, both available with a 10-year guarantee when purchased as a set.

The popular Mighty Bed range too has

seen expansion, and now includes a new model, the Mighty Bed Peaks, which has an even higher specification for the discerning consumer. The mattress has the equivalent of 2,500 pocket springs on a 5ft model in the deep 33cm mattress. It is designed to offer a firmer feel and the correct level of support for consumers of all shapes and sizes, and has the combination high levels of quality fillings supplying comfort and a nested pocket spring system design that will cope with heavy use. The easy to manage deep buttoned topper is additionally supplied as standard, so bed maintenance is designed to be simple.

Also available in seven colours, Mighty Bed Peaks are supplied with a highly durable heavy-duty base - one that the company believes to be the most durable available in the UK. “We are certain that Mighty Bed will be an essential asset to any bed retailers’ range,” said Jeremy.

So, what can we expect next from the company? “We are busy expanding our capacity to further help our retail customers continue the fantastic job they are doing,” Jeremy concluded. And as for the next phase of marketing, we’ll keep you posted as it happens, alongside Kaymed’s plans for this year’s NBF Bed Show. Whilst it’s too early to say whether they can top last year’s achievement, you certainly couldn’t put it past them.

w www.kaymed.co.uk

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DESIGN

MAMMOTH

Why Can’t One Size Fit All? Beds magazine finds out, with a little help from the team at Mammoth.

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ou’ve heard it said, ‘one size fits all’. That’s great – when you’re talking about a t-shirt. After all, a t-shirt doesn’t need to be tailored to individual needs, does it?

But what about when that old adage is used to sell a mattress?

The ‘standard’ approach, one size fits all, ‘bed-in-a-box’ trend seems to have taken the mattress world by storm. Sleep has become one of the coolest commodities around and a number of online mattress brands have sprung up around the Internet toting their quick fix, one size fits all, mattress solutions.

Brilliant, aren’t they? All glossy photography, prominent advertising campaigns and seemingly too-good-to-betrue health claims.

But the truth behind these blanket product approaches are sometimes a case of having more marketing budget than substance. How can one single mattress be everybody’s perfect sleeping solution?

Isn’t there much more to sleep science than that?

Health and wellbeing group, Mammoth, believes that a one size fits all approach couldn’t be more wrong when it comes to comfort, support and sleep. We all sleep differently, have varying requirements for a good night’s rest, are all built in vastly different proportions. The very foundations of Mammoth and its technologies come from a healthcare background, where options to suit different circumstances are crucial to providing support to enhance the recovery of patients. Pressure relief, in a healthcare setting, is one of the most crucial factors in mattress selection, and has always been a central consideration in the design and development of Mammoth mattresses.

“Almost three quarters of us sleep on our sides during the night, one fifth sleep on our backs and the rest of us, a relatively small number, prefer to sleep on our front,” explains Dr Jonathan Bloomfield, Mammoth’s chief scientific officer. “In each position there are challenges presented and different requirements in terms of support and pressure relief.

“Choosing a mattress is a personal choice that should always take into account sleeping position and be reflective of the weight and physiology of the sleeper. That’s why mattress companies typically offer a range of different solutions, rather than one single sleep surface.

“Failure to accommodate the sagging of shoulders into the mattress can lead to inadequate support of the neck and back, placing high stress on the shoulder joint – commonly resulting in pain and joint stiffness.

“Similarly, a mattress that is too soft and sags under bodyweight encourages poor spinal alignment and can lead to increased pain and joint stiffness.”

A soft mattress should be pressure relieving yet still supportive. Something the Mammoth Sky270 excels at. While the Performance 220 is a firm mattress but is zoned to ensure the key parts of the body are supported evenly.

“HOW CAN ONE SINGLE MATTRESS BE EVERYBODY’S PERFECT SLEEPING SOLUTION? ISN’T THERE MUCH MORE TO SLEEP SCIENCE THAN THAT?” “Mammoth’s own Performance range, for example, features a range of tensions and technologies. From pure Medical Grade Foam™ mattresses to hybrids that combine both Medical Grade Foam™ and pocket springs, the purpose of each model is to accommodate varying postures and preferences.

“The human body is wider and heavier in the pelvic area and wider but less heavy in the thoracic (chest) area. This means that those lying on a very firm mattress in a sidelying position are only being supported at the shoulder and pelvis.

So, let’s look back at the bed-in-a-box offering. They have, as we mentioned, huge budgets behind them. The advertising campaigns are glossy and very well circulated. So surely the product development teams had an equally large and far-reaching budget to come up with the mattresses in the first place?

There’s no doubt that some of the mattresses on the market are well thought through and well-constructed.

But the worry amongst retailers and bed experts is that, by buying a mattress online, consumers are missing some vital information and advice that they’d receive

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MAMMOTH

Selecting a mattress is a personal choice when trying a mattress on the showroom floor; information that can help them make the right decision.

That’s why Mammoth has gone all out to produce a wide range of products to suit the varying needs of the consumer and the industry leading product training that accompanies them. We’ve worked with physiotherapists from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) to perform tests on our mattresses to ensure they cater for a range of sleep requirements and body types. As a result, the CSP is an official partner of Mammoth and their members readily recommend Mammoth products, and the technologies behind them, to help their patients achieve more rest and comfort during their sleeping hours.

Matt Donnelly is a physiotherapist.

He’s also head of operations at Beds Are Uzzz in Southbourne. He says that both Mammoth and the retailers they work with put significant time and resources into the market-leading training of staff to offer the most up-to-date advice: “Sales staff are trained and equipped to explain the benefits of different sleep surfaces and tensions. This is something you will not get from a single product solution. Guiding customers by helping them understand the right sleeping posture and performing a bed assessment, with a particular focus on the lumbar spine, is extremely important.

“While this level of customer support isn’t perhaps as comprehensive as might be provided by a physiotherapist, it is certainly more valuable to a consumer than basing decisions on a gallery of pictures. Over the lifetime of the mattress – seven years is the industry standard – an individual will spend anywhere between 15,000 and 20,000

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hours lying on the bed. Put into that context, making an online impulse purchase really isn’t reliable.”

Let’s look at it this way – how many people do you know who would buy a car without test driving it first? And yet most individuals will spend many more hours sleeping on a mattress than they will behind the wheel of their car. We’d argue that it’s just as important to test drive a mattress – impossible to do if you’re making a decision based on an online review and a range of, albeit glossy, photographs.

As an industry, manufacturers and retailers of mattresses must take responsibility for educating consumers on the importance of comfort during sleep. Yes, cost is generally an issue in any purchasing decision, but Mammoth understands that, until the consumer understands the importance of choosing the correct sleeping and sitting positions, and the impact different surfaces

can have on those positions, the back-pain epidemic in the UK is only going to get worse.

“One size most definitely does NOT fit all when it comes to a mattress. At Mammoth, we know the importance of making the right decision when it comes to your mattress,” explains John Tuton, founder and MD of Mammoth. “That’s why we’ve invested so much of our time and expertise into developing mattresses that are backed by medical expertise as well as independent sleep research, carried out by the Northumbria Sleep Research Centre.

Mammoth’s Performance collection offers our retail partners a significant edge in the customer experience, and in turn, happy customers who have the right mattress to suit their needs.”

w www.mammothcomfort.co.uk/trade

There should be a wide range of products to suit varying consumer needs

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MANUFACTURING

SHERBORNE

AND SO TO BED

Beds magazine finds out more from Sherborne Upholstery’s Chris Walker, about the exciting new bed story that made its debut at this year’s January Furniture Show.

The Dorchester 4 ft head & foot adjustable bed featuring Isobel headboard and Supreme mattress

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he last time this editor caught up with Sherborne Upholstery’s Chris Walker was in the midst of a very busy – or should we say two very busy stands at the January Furniture Show.

It wasn’t a great stretch of the imagination to see why there was such interest, after we were lucky enough in the run up to the show to get a sneak preview of just some of the innovations to be showcased.

The more eagle eyed amongst you may remember that, at the time, we had reported there was to be a new and exciting bed story for the business, but we’d been sworn to secrecy ahead of the reveal at the show. So we’re very pleased now to be able to provide more detail for readers of Beds magazine.

To offer a little background, Sherborne Upholstery expanded its product offering to include beds some four years ago, as Chris explained: “The move into beds made sense for us, as our offering is very complementary to the core range of lift and rise recliners for our customers. A lot

of retailers sell them together as part of a package due to customer requests.”

So, when it was time to look at products for 2017, the business decided it was time for something of a refresh for its beds collection, and where better to showcase than at the January Furniture Show? “We decided to replace the existing range of fabrics and re-launched at the show with an additional 18, which doubles the number of options available,” explained Chris. “Eight of these use Aquaclean technology, which has already proven to be very popular.”

The use of this particular technology means that any consumer who owns a bed incorporating one of these fabrics (which are also pet-friendly) can clean even the most stubborn household stains using only water.

The treatment works by covering every fibre with an invisible molecular layer that prevents dirt from penetrating the fabric. It also offers protection against pets’ claws reaching the core fabric and fraying the fibres, thanks to the elastic and flexible barrier. So simple, and, as a cat owner, I found myself wishing my

The Hampton 4 ft head & foot ad (pictured, left)

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MANUFACTURING

SHERBORNE own bed were that smart!

One thing that stands out about the new fabric range is how modern some of the designs are, and this was a conscious decision by the business, as Chris told me: “In order to expand and open up our market, we wanted to have an option specifically for bed customers selling lifestyle products. The new fabrics all have a more modern look, but the style of the Neptune in particular is aimed at the 30-50 demographic, who perhaps likes to relax in their bed on a Sunday morning watching television or reading the papers with a cup of tea.” And with the Neptune incorporating Aquaclean technology, any potential tea spillages would be light work.

The Dorchester 6 ft head & foot adjustable bed featuring tje Dorchester Lyon headboard and Victoria mattresses

The new Regency 3 ft head & foot adjustable bed with Countess headboard and Marquis mattress The fabrics are available across the full range of the company’s 2 ft 6, 3ft, 4 ft, 5 ft, and 6 ft divan, adjustable head, and adjustable head and foot ranges, and they were not the only new products to make their debut at the show, as Chris explained: “We launched a new bed at the January Show, with a 20 stone weight limit – the Regency.

This was in order to offer customers an option with an economy price point from Sherborne.”

The Regency is offered in the most popular 3’ size only, with both head and

“THE SUN WILL KEEP COMING UP IN THE MORNING AND AT SOME POINT WE WILL ALL COME THROUGH THE OTHER SIDE”

foot adjustment. As part of its ethos of providing the whole package for customers, the company additionally launched a new headboard – the Countess, and mattress – the Marquis – to sit in the same price point. For those looking at the mid-price point, another new addition – the Royal – serves this bracket particularly well. The Royal is a sprung mattress, designed to move with the contours of adjustable beds, which includes both Posturefill and Logicoil springs positioned within three layers of

t head & foot adjustable bed featuring the Hampton Lyon headboard, Supreme mattress and Aquaclean technology

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supportive foam and an additional layer of memory foam.

“The new bed, mattresses and headboard have allowed us to provide our customers with further price point alternatives to the other adjustable beds in our range. And with 12 day delivery available across all of our 3ft and 6 ft adjustable beds, headboards and 3 ft mattresses, they have the additional reassurance that they do not have to wait to receive their order.”

I was keen to find out how the company fared at the show, and how things have been since – particularly in the current political landscape. Chris was kind enough to fill me in: “We had a good response to the range at the show and it has continued to get stronger.”

“We’ve seen some retailers changing their entire shop floor, which almost never happens, but of course it can take some time. The company has experienced strong sales throughout January, February and March and while things can sometimes quieten down across the industry in April as a matter of course, we’re conscious that a general election tends to cause uncertainty, which can have an impact on sales for everyone.”

That said, the business’ approach to political uncertainty is a sensible one. “As an industry, we just have to get on with it,” said Chris. “We must all keep doing what we do best, the sun will keep coming up in the morning and at some point we will all come through the other side.”

w www.sherborneupholstery.co.uk

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MANUFACTURING

MATTRESSTEK

Automatic FOR THE PEOPLE Beds magazine meets a UK machinery supplier that is dedicated to the manufacture of beds and mattresses.

W

ith the issue of skills entirely and deservedly prominent in the furniture industry at present, it’s important that we not forget the technology which plays a crucial role in the manufacturing process.

There is a wealth of machines available, and a number of suppliers, so how does a manufacturer go about choosing the right one for their business? We spoke to Shaun Peel, technical director at new start-up dedicated entirely to the bed industry, Mattresstek, to find out.

“We saw an opportunity for a UK based Mattress machinery manufacturer that could wholly design and build mattress machinery,” explained Shaun.

“This allows full control over every aspect of the manufacturing process, from the machine design and development through to testing and PDI. “We also wanted to utilise our combined experiences and own concepts to suit customer demand into our machines.

Liverpool’s John Moores university, with first class honours. During his career from 2002 to early 2017 he completed 13 years within the mattress industry, he also had a few years drawing and designing machinery for the bandsaw cutting industry, as well as can production machinery and large industrial ovens.

Michael meanwhile started his career in 1996 as an apprentice electronic engineer building mattress machines while studying electronics part time for five years at college.

“WE WANTED TO UTILISE OUR COMBINED EXPERIENCES AND OWN CONCEPTS TO SUIT CUSTOMER DEMAND INTO OUR MACHINES” Through our 30-year combined experience with working very closely with customers and operators, their feedback and expertise has been very influential in the designs of our machinery and our decision to set up MattressTek.” Shaun and co-founder Michael Birtwistle are well placed to offer advice, with Shaun starting his career as an apprentice pattern and tool maker whilst studying mechanical design engineering at college.

He went on to design machinery for the mattress industry in 2002 and during the following three years, completed a degree in integrated engineering technologies at

He went on to installation and servicing of mattress machines around the world.

His installations encompass everything from single machines through to factory automation and project management, working with some of the world’s leading mattress manufacturers. During his 20 years in the industry he has designed and maintained all models of mattress manufacturing machines, whilst also providing Global Online and telephone technical support to customers and technicians.

“Our way of thinking,” continued Shaun, “is by using past experiences and including new technology and thinking to design

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the most reliable machinery, with British manufacturing at its core.

“We are part of a group of companies, namely Tek-dry, which has specialised for more than 30 years in process drying equipment and Altham Fab TEK, which have state of the art laser cutting CNC, press break and punch machines, with a large team of on-site engineers and machine builders.

“As a new company in the mattress machinery market, this gives us the credibility, the tools and the ability to grow through the support and expertise of the group of companies.

“As a group, we are strongly focused on Health and safety including fully CE marking

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MANUFACTURING

MATTRESSTEK

all of our equipment, and are always trying to remove or reduce RSI (repetitive strain injuries).”

The business is at the beginning of its journey which, the owners believe, afford them the ability to listen and respond with the right designs for its customer base.

“We have already had very positive feedback from some of the leading mattress manufacturers in the country, who have visited our premises and tested the equipment, with their own operators and engineers,” said Shaun.

“Customers have also brought their own Products to test on the machine, the main feedback being that the machine has performed as advertised. The new TapeTek machine has particularly impressed operators who have commented that it is ‘the smoothest, quietest and most user friendly tape edge machine’ they have used.’

“Within the first week of launching MattressTek we had already received orders

“AS A GROUP, WE ARE STRONGLY FOCUSED ON HEALTH AND SAFETY INCLUDING FULLY CE MARKING ALL OF OUR EQUIPMENT” and have had a huge amount of interest from mattress manufacturers.

“We believe that the lack of UK machinery manufacturers limits the customer’s choice of local maintenance and technical support.

There is also a lack of innovation and versatility of equipment and ergonomic design. With customer product ranges always evolving, they require machines that are already designed to handle changes in their ranges.”

When asked what his advice would be for UK manufacturers looking for machinery?

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“Support British manufacturing. The quality is far superior. We believe in a fast turn around and are building machines to stock. We are versatile enough to cover most of the customer production range to be future proof and we can offer bespoke machinery design from our in-house team of designers.”

The company offers solutions to the mattress industry covering the entire mattress manufacturing process, with all models made in house using U.K. manufacturing facilities near Manchester and the latest state of the art Amada production machinery.

Continued Shaun: “Our ‘in house’ CAD designers know how important it is to understand good design and build quality in the mattress making industry, using their experience. Our current mattress machinery products include tape edge machines, tufting machines and conveyors, and we’re developing a full portfolio of mattress making machinery, including border, panel cutting and slitting machines.

“The MattressTek brand represents innovation, quality and reliability. Our desire to improve and innovate is ingrained within the company ethos.

It’s our aim to develop a reputation for developing and manufacturing leading edge technology to rival existing worldwide mattress industry specialists.”

w www.mattresstek.co.uk

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MANUFACTURING

SWEET DREAMS

Forward Beds magazine spoke with Nick Williams, sales manager at British bed manufacturer Sweet Dreams to gauge his views on some of the issues affecting the industry, and of course, find out what is in the pipeline for the business going forward.

Luxury Latex 2000 from the Pocket Spring collection

hinking back to 1988 some of this editor’s strongest memories involve watching Australian soap Neighbours upon getting home from school; hearing the (somewhat autotuned) sounds of various Stock,

Aitken and Waterman acts on the radio; and watching and listening to VHS and cassette tapes. 1988 was also the year of the very first Comic Relief Red Nose Day appeal and it launched Richard and Judy to the nation in the first airing of This Morning.

T

Empress 5000 – sprung pillowtop style from the Royal Pillowtop collection

“THE PUSH BACK TO TRADITIONAL BED MANUFACTURERS LIKE OURSELVES TO BECOME MORE INNOVATIVE WITH PRODUCT AND PROMOTIONS WILL GO A LONG WAY TO OVERCOMING THEIR CHALLENGES”

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In Burnley, Lancashire, 1988 was the year that saw the introduction of a new UK manufacturer of headboards and mattresses in the form of Sweet Dreams, and the company is not only still proudly producing these high quality products, but it has expanded significantly in its 29-year history.

Having put away my nostalgic look back at double denim and a bubble perm, I was keen to find out from Sweet Dreams’ sales manager, Nick Williams, why he thinks the company is enjoying such longevity. The answer was quite simple: “Never standing still,” he stated. “We’re always looking to take the company forward, whether that’s in product innovation, in new business strategies, or in our sales and marketing approach. Our flat management structure means we’re flexible and open to trying things out.”

Looking Forward Speaking of new things and we jump in our time travelling Delorian back to 2017, where change is very much at the forefront of most people’s agenda. Article 50 has of course now been triggered and Brexit is (apparently) a future reality, so it is not the easiest time for businesses to plan ahead with any real certainty, as consumers become cautious with their cash, impacting both retailers and in turn, their suppliers.

Nick explained how 2017 has been for the company so far and offered his views: “I’d say it’s not felt over-busy, but then I look at the figures and see we’re holding on last year’s results. And last year was a record-breaking year. We sense a hesitancy and a tightening of disposable income that will make 2017 a challenging year.

“I believe the consumer’s disposable

Warwick 4,0 collection

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MANUFACTURING

SWEET DREAMS income will be greatly reduced in the coming years, and with ever growing competition from online companies and direct-to-enduser mattress companies, the retailer will be challenged to be competitive as well as maintaining a workable profit margin. The push back to traditional bed manufacturers like ourselves to become more innovative with product and promotions will go a long way to overcoming their challenges.”

Recruit and Retain And what of the current shortage in skills affecting many areas of furniture manufacture? Will this have an effect on businesses’ abilities to innovate with new products? Perhaps, but not for Sweet Dreams, with its philosophy (and history of) UK manufacture. “Recruiting and retaining people who are skilled and who can train others is a vital part of what we do,” explained Nick. “Providing good working conditions focused on the needs of the local workforce help too. We provide in-house training that maximises the employee’s potential by developing multi-skills to work effectively in different departments of the company.

“The industry is robust and moving forward in a positive way. New innovations and product development seem to be giving a positive vibe in the industry. Online and direct to customer sales are increasing (according to the latest NBF survey). Brexit will inevitably cause fluctuation in the marketplace; however I see this as a transitory period while the UK aligns with new trading partners. Market stability will soon return!”

But while we are admittedly in a period of uncertainty, it is reassuring to know that some things remain, with this year’s January Furniture Show once again bringing in high numbers of visitors and exhibitors alike.

Sweet Dreams once again had a stand at the event, and it’s safe to say it was a successful exercise for the company. “We opened several new accounts and wrote some solid business as usual, with our top-end divan collections doing particularly well,” said Nick.

or supply. New products are launched at the Bed Show in September, which is our most important show. We also strongly support the AIS Trade Shows in April and September and we are excited for this April as we are launching new Dreamworld models at the show. We are additionally pleased to have extra space at the Bed Show in Telford in September where, as always, we will be launching new beds and exciting concepts.”

Marquis 2000 Latex – box-pillowtop style from the Royal Pillowtop collection

Pacino in white – the latest colour finish to this popular compact sleighbed model

Show and Tell “The show’s importance for us is to remind our customers and potential new customers about who we are and what we manufacture

Nick Williams, sales manager

Warwick 4,0000 Summer & Winter from the Pocket Air collection

Beds May 2017.indb 37

As well as developing its product range over the years, leading to the extensive portfolio of divans, mattresses, bed frames, bedroom furniture, children’s beds and upholstery in evidence today, investment in production has also been key for the business. In 2013 it invested £2m in an on-site warehouse facility to store products, enabling the provision of express home delivery on many items, whilst 2015 saw the premises expanded further with the purchase of a Victorian mill, which was joined in 2016 by a 70,000 sq foot mill in nearby Nelson - a £1m

investment.

I asked Nick what effect such investment had made on the business and why it is clearly such an important consideration.

“Despite what we think could be a difficult and challenging trading year,” he said, “we recognise the need for flexibility and scalability in our production and warehousing strategies. We are best placed now to move quickly and react to any market changes.”

And can we expect to see more investment in production for 2017? “Trade secret, sorry!” Nick was able to share, however, how the most recent series of product developments have fared so far in 2017: “In the meantime, it’s terrific to report that our relatively new luxury collections, Royal Pillowtop and Pocket Air, continue to grow in terms of sales, while the Pocket Spring collection, the long-time heart of our divan range, remains an enormous success.”

wwww.sweetdreamsuk.com

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MANUFACTURING

TCS

HELP IS

AT HAND

The Royal Coil SUHU mattress

TCS, The Complete Service’s managing director, Thomas Small tells Beds magazine how, by bridging some of the gaps in the bedding industry, it has been helping retailers improve on their bottom line.

I

t’s not unreasonable to say that the UK is currently in something of a state of flux, not just with Brexit to contend with, but now of course the recently announced early election, which is set to take place in June.

On the back of the announcement, all political parties are currently rushing to put together their election campaigns, arguing over television debates and basically trying to ensure they get their votes. One can’t help but wonder, therefore, how much thought they are giving the voters within the retail businesses, who will no doubt be concerned with how the uncertainty created by the political landscape will affect footfall and sales for them, as consumers keep a tighter hold on spend whilst they wait to see what happens.

Fortunately for retailers within the bedding industry, there is a company in Dundalk based supplier, TCS, which not only thinks about its retailer customers’ bottom

Beds May 2017.indb 38

Royal Coil’s Essence model lines, but actively helps to improve them, with the re-development of a product range which filled the gaps within the industry, to the benefit of the retailer.

The business has grown from strength to strength since it was established in 1998, when it initially specialised in leather upholstery, and became renown for its bespoke handmade suites, crafted with hardwood frames, the finest British designed fabrics and luxury Italian leathers.

Just over three years ago, the company took the decision to broaden its offer by launching its own range of mattresses, and the Royal Coil collection was born. Last year saw the company redesign the Contemporary Sleep range within the collection, and managing director, Thomas Small, says the product range fills a gap that exists in the UK’s bed market. “The Contemporary Sleep

[ 38 [

range was developed over a two year period, utilising experts from within the bedding manufacturing industry as well as the TCS team,” he explained.

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

From its inception, the Contemporary Sleep range has been designed to provide a top quality look and feel, as well as providing consumers with a top quality night’s sleep. And to the benefit of retailers and consumers alike, the range is aimed at the upper mid range customer, but with a mid range price point.”

Being able to offer a high quality sleep

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TCS

“WE SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER NEW PRODUCTS THAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO THE MULTIPLES WITHIN THEIR ALREADY ESTABLISHED ENVIRONMENT”

solution at mid-market prices is something of a holy grail for independent retailers, and thanks to the Contemporary Sleep range’s ability to offer four configurations for a selection of price points, this quest can now be fulfilled.

With the bedding sector more competitive than ever before, the range also provides bedroom retailers with a product exclusive to them, in order to stand them out from some of the larger furniture multiples that have begun to stock beds and mattresses. “We wanted to help mattress retailers improve on their bottom line,” explained Thomas, “and seeing how the larger multiples where reacting to the market, we saw an opportunity to offer new products that are not available to the multiples within their already established environment.”

Not only that, but the company believes that the distinctive finishing touches – such as branded finishing tapes, an embroidered logo and co-ordinated handles, bring an even greater sense of luxury and uniqueness to the product. This

The Regency Orthopaedic 2200 model in turn gives the consumer confidence that they are buying a top quality product, and the range has certainly been well received within the industry, as Thomas revealed: “We’ve had some great customer feedback on the Contemporary Sleep range within our Royal Coil collection, with sales increasing

The Imperial Luxury 2500

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steadily all the time.”

There are currently some new developments in the pipeline for Royal Coil, which will be revealed in good time and of course, the collection generated a great deal of interest from its recent outing at the January Furniture Show.

It was joined by Duvalay’s Hilary Devey Collection, for which TCS recently became the sole supplier for the whole of Ireland, after striking an exclusivity deal with the bed manufacturer. “Alongside our Royal Coil and Contemporary Sleep collections, we can provide retailers with options for good, better and best for pillow top, pocket sprung mattresses. We like products that are simple and easy to explain, and the Hilary Devey Collection, like our other mattress ranges, is just that: a quality product that sells itself.”

So, while the political landscape may be uncertain, and there is always the worry that consumers will curb their spending in the run up to the election, one thing that retailers can happily know for certain is that TCS will constantly strive to develop solutions that can add value not only to the TCS brand but on behalf of its customers too.

w www.tcsimports.com

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RETAIL

SLEEP GEEK

FROM

EXPERIENCE Qualified sleep practitioner and self-confessed ‘sleep geek’ James Wilson shares his story about running a retail business, and offers his view on fire safety in light of the experiences he faced.

I

n 2007 I started a business - We Love Sleep - in my parents’ garage. The mission of the business remains my mission today. It was to help consumers buy sleep products in a way that considered their individual needs, serviced by people who had an intimate knowledge of sleep.

The business started off online, and as it grew we moved into, in the first instance, a small unit where we worked on an appointment only basis and then, five years after I founded the company, we moved into our first store in the centre of Sheffield.

Like any bricks and mortar store it took a little time to get going, but six months in, in March 2013 we were starting to fly, with people coming from all over the country, and overseas, to take advantage of our expertise.

Then, unfortunately, on 3 March, I got a phone call (I was visiting a friend in Harrogate) telling me that there had been a fire and that the shop had suffered some quite serious damage. Ultimately, it led to the business going into liquidation.

There were other contributory factors: I made wrong decision in dealing with the aftermath; we had a web developer go bust; we suffered awful quality problems with one particular manufacturer, and so on - and without a bricks and mortar store, our suppliers started to withdraw support. But the fire was almost certainly the catalyst for We Love Sleep’s demise. Five people lost their livelihoods, and it was a very difficult year and a half.

James is a qualified sleep practitioner who works with individuals from cradle to grave with the aim of solving their sleep issues. He trained with The Children’s Sleep Charity and currently assists them in delivering their services across the UK; helping children and their families sleep better and training healthcare professionals in providing sleep support.

He is also the third generation of his family to be involved in the beds and mattress industry and has experience of developing products for the retail market and running a multi-channel retailer. He now helps companies develop products and services that solve real sleep issues.

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Looking at the cause of the fire, it turned out there had been an electrical fault with one of the wall-mounted heaters, which had set a mattress alight. At the time, I thought nothing of it, but looking back, and knowing what I know now, due to the Cabinet Maker report into mattress fire safety, I must question whether the mattress which caught fire had met with the fire regulations.

The doubts I have are increased because there was, in fact, another mattress, which was made by the same manufacturer, about the same distance from the heater as the one that set alight. This one was only singed around the edges.

My story highlights the uncertainty retailers face with the mattresses they sell. The fire safety certificate manufacturers provide may not prove whether the exact mattress they have sold to a customer meets the fire regulations. This uncertainty is just not fair on retailers and it most definitely is not fair on their customers.

One of my big concerns is that it seems the only way you can know if an individual mattress meets the fire regulations is to set it on fire. That just seems ridiculous! The mattress industry prides itself on having some of the most stringent regulations in the world. The presumption is that because our regulations are the most stringent then we have some of the safest products.

The Cabinet Maker report shows this not to be true. If the industry cannot consistently meet the regulations, then the process of reviewing the fire regulations - which has been going on since 2013 - needs to come to a conclusion as quickly as possible.

They need to protect consumers, not just from fire, but from over exposure to the chemicals that are supposed to help these products meet the regulations.

In addition to this, they need to give reassurance to retailers that the products they sell are safe, and that they are not going to suffer issues in the future.

The factor that seems to be causing the problem is the match test and my, admittedly under-informed, opinion is that if the rest of the world manages to get by without it then why does the industry seem so intent on keeping it?

w www.thesleepgeek.co.uk

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MANUFACTURING

UKAS TEST LAB

Created by Asierromero - Freepik.com

THE TEST OF TIME

A

Jon Murthy

ccreditation is internationally recognised as a robust, independent declaration of an organisation’s competence; the validity and suitability of methods; the appropriateness of equipment and facilities; and ongoing assurance through internal quality control. Rather than being a one off ‘congratulations, you’ve passed’ test, accreditation is a continuous activity operated on a four yearly cycle of annual assessment visits. The assessment process

Beds May 2017.indb 44

?

itself is rigorous and measured against internationally recognised standards and industry-established best practices.

The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is the national accreditation body for the UK. Its role is to check that organisations providing certification, testing, inspection and calibration services are meeting a required standard of performance. In 2016 UKAS conducted over 20,000 assessment days for nearly 3,000 customers, the majority of which are laboratories. Using accredited services helps to maintain the public’s confidence that products and services will perform as specified.

Unlike general quality management certification, which relates to the organisation as a whole, organisations receive accreditation for specific activities.

Testing and calibration laboratories are accredited by UKAS against ISO/IEC 17025 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.

The testing activities themselves are tightly defined, so it is advisable to check a laboratory’s schedule of accreditation (freely searchable on the UKAS website) to make sure it is accredited for the relevant test.

In addition to providing customers with the necessary confidence in the goods and

Jon Murthy, marketing manager at The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), explains why manufacturers should always look for UKAS accreditation from their testing and calibration partners.

services they procure, using accredited services can open doors to previously closed markets; many organisations, in both the public and private sectors, are specifying accreditation (or the use of) as a precondition to tendering for contracts. The potentially expanded market reaches across international borders, as over 90 different economies throughout the world are signatories to mutual recognition agreements. This ‘accredited once, accepted everywhere’ approach reduces barriers to trade for UK companies that either source or sell their services abroad. Not only is this good for business, but it also provides an element of certainty in uncertain political and economic times.

w www.ukas.com There are currently 16 UKAS accredited laboratories listed that are UK based and provide relevant fire safety testing services for the UK bedding industry. More detail can be found by visiting the UKAS website, but Beds magazine has put together a handy reference guide which can be seen over the page. More detail can be found at: www.cabinet-maker.co.uk

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TEST LAB

STANDARD/SPECIFIC BS 6807: Methods of test for assessment of ignitability of mattresses, upholstered divans and upholstered bed bases flaming types of primary and secondary sources of ignition .

JOHN COTTON GROUP LTD UKAS accreditation: 2135 Nature of business (SIC) 13950: Manufacture of non-wovens and articles made from non-wovens, except apparel.

TFT (ILKLEY) LTD UKAS accreditation number: 1801 Nature of business (SIC) 74909: Other professional, scientific and technical activities not elsewhere classified.

FIRA INTERNATIONAL LTD UKAS accreditation number: 0174 Nature of business (SIC): 71122 - Engineering related scientific and technical consulting activities; 71200 Technical testing and analysis SGS LEICESTER UKAS accreditation number: 2001 Nature of business (SIC): 71200 - Technical testing and analysis UL VS LTD UKAS accreditation number: 0616 Nature of business (SIC): 71200 - Technical testing and analysis

BS 7177:2008 + A1 2011: Specification for resistance to ignition of mattresses, mattress pads, divans and bed bases.

BS EN 5971/-2:1995: Assessment of the ignitability of mattresses and upholstered bed bases.

BS 7176:2007 + A1: 2011: Specification for resistance to ignition of upholstered furniture for non-domestic seating by testing composites.

BS EN 12952 Textile Asses the ig beddi Ignitio Smou cigare

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ITS TESTING SERVICES (UK) LIMITED (LEIGH) UKAS accreditation number: 1516 Nature of business (SIC): 71200 - Technical testing and analysis TEXTILES F.R. LTD UKAS accreditation number: 1413 Nature of business (SIC): 13300 - Finishing of textiles SOLVAY SOLUTIONS UK LTD UKAS accreditation number: 1154 Nature of business (SIC): 20590 - Manufacture of other chemical products not elsewhere classified WEST YORKSHIRE MATERIALS TESTING SERVICE (A PART OF WEST YORKSHIRE JOINT SERVICES) UKAS accreditation number: 1104 Nature of business (SIC): 96090 - Other service activities not elsewhere classified SHIRLEY TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED UKAS accreditation number: 1066 Nature of business (SIC): 74909 - Other professional, scientific and technical activities not elsewhere classified INTERSCIENCE COMMUNICATIONS LTD UKAS accreditation number: 2294 Nature of business (SIC): 72190 - Other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering

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SATRA TECHNOLOGY CENTRE LTD UKAS accreditation number: 0248 Nature of business (SIC): 72190 - Other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering; 74909 - Other professional, scientific and technical activities not elsewhere classified

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BRE GLOBAL LIMITED INCORPORATING LPC TESTING, BRE TESTING UKAS accreditation number: 0578 Nature of business (SIC): 71200 - Technical testing and analysis BLC LEATHER TECHNOLOGY CENTRE LTD UKAS accreditation number: 0076 Nature of Business (SIC): 71200 - Technical testing and analysis/74909 - Other professional, scientific and technical activities not elsewhere classified IFS LABORATORIES LIMITED UKAS accreditation number: 2513 Nature of business (SIC): 71200 - Technical testing and analysis HIGH STREET TEXTILE TESTING SERVICES LIMITED UKAS accreditation number: 1695 Nature of business (SIC): 71200 - Technical testing and analysis

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Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations: 1988: Resistance to ignition.

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BS EN 10211/02: Furniture.

Assessment of the ignitability of upholstered furniture.

Ignition source smouldering cigarette.

BS 5651: Method for cleansing and wetting procedures for use in the assessment of the effect of cleansing and wetting on the flammability of textile fabrics and fabric assemblies.

BS1425: Cleanliness of fillings and stuffings for bedding, upholstery and other domestic articles.

Specification for fillings and stuffings other than feather and/or down.

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BS 7175:1989: Methods of test for the ignitability of bedcovers and pillows by smouldering and flaming ignition sources.

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BS 5852: Methods of test for assessment of the ignitability of upholstered seating by smouldering and flaming ignition sources.

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products CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST PRODUCTS

TCS

MPT Group

With the option of the long established premium Royal Coil mattress collection, coupled with the company’s top selling Royal Coil Contemporary Sleep Collection, retailers are in the position of offering quality fast moving products. Combining stylish designs with modern or traditional damask fabrics, the mattresses are proven repeat sellers.

MPT Group is getting ready for show time in Germany. This year will see the company exhibiting the latest version of its highly successful Autotufter, which now hosts a range of improvements.

Also on show will be the company¹s latest addition to its border machinery the BordaTac S2. As well as these exciting innovations MPT Group will be showing some of its current product range covering everything from tufting through to spring unit manufacturing.

www.tcsimports.com

www.mptgroup.com

SHERBORNE UPHOLSTERY

Kaymed

The recently-introduced Regency Adjustable Bed is a lowerpriced alternative to the established Dorchester and Hampton models. Sold in the popular 3’ size, with head and foot adjustment, this features the patented easy two-part assembly method and a generous 20-stone weight limit. Offered in 18 elegant fabrics.

The Mighty Bed range from Kaymed has been expanded to introduce Mighty Bed Peaks - with a higher specification for the discerning consumer. With the equivalent of 2,500 pocket springs on a 5ft model in the deep 33cm mattress, it is designed to offer a firmer feel and the correct level of support for consumers of all shapes and sizes. Available in 7 colours, Mighty Bed Peaks is supplied with what must be the most durable, heavy duty base available in the UK. www.kaymed.co.uk

www.sherborneupholstery.co.uk

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LIGHTS OUT

STUART PAGE

PETER BETTERIDGE

Name: Stuart Page or Job Title: Sales Direct s Beds Company: Dreamwork s.com www.dreamworksbed

What time is your alarm set for?

What is your biggest achievement?

Any time depending on the requirements of the day.

My biggest achievement is my career development from Van Delivery boy to Sales Director.

Do you have a typical day at work?

And biggest regret?

Every day is so varied, from working in the office or out and about visiting customers. No two days are ever the same.

What made you choose to join the bed industry?

I started in retail, and found that I enjoyed selling beds. My career has progressed from there.

And what made you stay in the industry?

I felt I could make a difference to my customers, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenges wherever I have worked. But most of all, it’s because still get a buzz from writing an order.

And how do you think this could be combated?

As mentioned previously the NBF and its members are making people aware of the buying a product from a reputable supplier or retailer. This gives confidence to the end user.

I honestly do not have any regrets as I have enjoyed my career progression. I have honestly met some lovely people along the way, many of whom have remained good friends to this day.

What keeps you awake at night?

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

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

There are two challenges as I see it. Foreign imports is one challenge and having the ability to make a handmade British product is very important.

My wife snoring (But don’t tell her I said that!)

This is really down to individual taste in choosing the right bed, but I have always advised trying and buying the biggest bed that the room size will allow. It’s amazing what the difference 5’0 bed can make over a 4’6.

Ethical trading is challenge two.

Producing a good clean, honest product is very essential. With the support of the National Bed Federation and its members we are achieving this.

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