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Cabinet Maker covers the recent Young Furniture Makers
Sophia Squires, national sales manager at Baker Furniture, speaks to Cabinet Maker on their past year’s success.
Show organiser Lieven Van den Heede reports on the recent Brussels Furniture Fair.
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CABINET-MAKER.CO.UK 01223 846 825 PUBLISHER Stewart Rickersey stewart@cabinet-maker.co.uk EDITOR Dan Squires dan@cabinet-maker.co.uk PRE-PRESS PRODUCTION Tim Morriss tim@cabinet-maker.co.uk SALES Sharon Rickersey Operations & Sales Manager sharon@cabinet-maker.co.uk Kacem Ellabbar kacem@cabinet-maker.co.uk Chris Manning chris@cabinet-maker.co.uk
Roll up, roll up, the latest findings from the recent National Bed Federation (NBF) consumer survey are in. And yes, the focus is on the rolled up mattress, which according to the report has gained further market share. The research showed that rolled up mattresses accounted for 24% of purchases, up from 17% in the previous report. However, the new ‘one mattress suits all’ brands only accounted for 7% of total purchases (up from 5%), which indicates that there are many manufacturers now producing and supplying rolled mattresses to the retail trade. Other findings that were uncovered saw mattress-only sales were down from 40% on the previous report to 32%, but were still the most purchased sale. There was, however, a surge in sofa bed sales, particularly from the under 35s market, growing at 18% compared to the mean of 9%. And with the month of ‘Black Friday’ upon the trade, it was interesting to see that online bed purchasing continues to be more preferable than buying in-store (50% vs 45%).
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In this week’s editorial you will find what’s new at Baker Furniture as the business prepares for the January Furniture Show, as well as an insightful round-up from the recent Brussels Furniture Fair. Taking to the pages is another event recap in the form of the Young Furniture Makers exhibition – and let me be the first to congratulate the budding young talent in the furniture industry. Concluding the issue is a look at the potential top five trends in fabric to look out for courtesy of Supplycompass. Despite a subdued performance in furniture retail sales of late, it is inspiring to see the next generation of furniture design, what’s trending and the continued success of trade events. What’s more, this positivity will certainly help build the momentum into next year’s JFS, an event I’m extremely looking forward to. Dan Squires Editor
The opinions and views expressed in Cabinet Maker are not necessarily those of Information Publications Ltd. Being subject to the Advertising Standards Authority guidelines in place at the time of going to press, all data submitted by advertisers and contained in their advertising copy is accepted by Information Publications Ltd in good faith. ISSN: 0964-4199 Registered as a Newspaper at the Post Office.
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On a wider scope, the latest Office for National Statistics data for retail sales revealed a downturn in overall furniture spend during October, by around 20% to £1.2bn from September’s £1.5bn. However, on last year, sales are flat. Floorcoverings experienced a similar month-on-month fate with sales down by almost 30% to £134.6m, whilst overall retail sales in the UK slipped by 0.5%.
If anything, this could mean shoppers are becoming more savvy in the build up to the festive period, where sales are expected to grow over the next few months. In-store promotions are likely to help drive footfall and, in turn, boost revenues. So I pose the question, what promotional events does your business have planned? Perhaps you took some notes on last week’s Retail Intelligence topic?
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covers the recent Cabinet Maker Makers Young Furniture exhibition.
manager at national sales Sophia Squires, Maker speaks to Cabinet Baker Furniture, year’s success. on their past
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2018 £3.75 l
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British Furniture Manufacturers British Furniture Manufacturers British Furniture Manufacturers
Lieven Van den Show organiser on the recent Heede reports Fair. Brussels Furniture
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INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE
Swivel Recliner & Footstool NEWS
CReam plush
brown plush
grey plush
pebble plush
lisbon grey fabric
lisbon wheat fabric
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lisbon mocha fabric coming soon!
FEATURES BRILLIANT BRUSSELS
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Show organiser Lieven Van den Heede reports on the recent Brussels Furniture Fair.
ORGANIC GROWTH
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Sophia Squires, national sales manager at Baker Furniture, speaks to Cabinet Maker on their past year’s success.
NATURAL TALENT
22
Cabinet Maker covers the recent Young Furniture Makers exhibition.
LAST WORD
26
Flora Davidson, founder of Supplycompass, has the Last Word.
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NEWS
NEWS IN BRIEF NEW STORE OPENING
Hardwood furniture retailer Oak Furniture Land has announced the opening of its first store in Basingstoke. The new store, which has created six jobs, is situated in St Michael’s Retail Park on Winchester Road and officially opened on 11 November 2018. Oak Furniture Land said that the move to open its debut store in the location was due to the success of its other stores in the region.
Introducing VON
British furniture maker ercol introduced its latest modular collection at the Sleep+Eat show earlier this month. The VON Collection caters for three areas, home, work and play. It features seating, benches and table units that can be fitted together to create bespoke configurations. Also on display was ercol’s popular Originals collection and contemporary Marino range.
Timber merger
Arnold Laver & Co. Limited and The National Timber Group have jointly announced that they have merged, to create the largest independent timber distribution business in the UK. CEO Rob Barclay will lead the enlarged Group, which now has a combined turnover of £250m, 52 distribution and processing sites, extending from the north of Scotland to London and the South West, and over 1300 employees. 23rd November 2018 | 06
Logistics expansion
Logistics specialist Rhenus is celebrating its first year milestone in Manchester, which has provided significant growth for its North West hub. As well as marking its first anniversary at its new facility at Port Salford, the group has also expanded its Hull base by relocating from Wellington House to a larger site located at Saxon Business Park.
NEW EU FACILITY
Logistics group Advanced Supply Chain Group (ASCG) has expanded its European operations with a new 68,000sq ft site located in the Usti nad Labem region in the Czech Republic. It is expected to boost turnover, including UK growth, by more than £15m on last year’s sales of £60m. The Bradford-based group supplies logistics for multiple sectors, including home furnishings, with clients such as DFS, dwell and Next.
New bespoke seating
Hospitality and leisure interiors design specialist Jones AD and contract furniture firm Furniture Fusion have unveiled the results of their collaboration to supply bespoke atrium furniture for the flagship St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff. The partnership is part of a wider £30m investment to completely transform the visitor experience at the Cardiff museum.
MANUFACTURE
DESIGN
SPECIALIST FURNITURE MANUFACTURER ENTERS ADMINISTRATION
BIID unveil student design challenge winner
Specialist seating manufacturer AJ Way has been placed into administration after failing to secure a buyer.
The British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) has announced that the De Montfort University team has been awarded first place at the BIID Student Design Challenge 2018.
A S McGill and G L Lemon from Smith & Williamson have been appointed as administrators of AJ Way & Co Ltd on 15 November 2018, which has subsequently ceased trading. In a statement Tony Mercer, managing director, confirmed the news after speculation around the business had emerged. Mr Mercer said that sales had declined as it struggled to reduce costs resulting in a loss making business. Last year, Direct Healthcare Group acquired AJ owner Kirton in 2017, with AJ Way then becoming an independent company. Following the acquisition, the board attempted to turn the business around investing £100,000 of personal money into the business as it underwent a complete restructure. However, the business continued to suffer and further investment was needed to continue to trade. AJ Way said it had found a buyer, although they withdrew their offer ‘in the final stages of due diligence’ leaving the company no choice but to enter administration. Mr Mercer concluded by thanking AJ Way’s ‘loyal customers’ over the years, which sees the business date back to 1936 from its High Wycombe roots. Customers are now advised to contact administrators on 0121 710 5200. Back in 2010, AJ Way was acquired by the Kirton Healthcare Group. In 2013, Kirton completed a management buyout (MBO) for £5.5m. In 2017, Direct Healthcare Group acquired Kirton, resulting in AJ Way becoming an independent company.
w www.smithandwilliamson.com
Returning for its fourth consecutive year, the Student Design Challenge is open to all final year Interior Design and Interior Architecture students based in the UK, and aims to encourage collaborative work, promote creative thinking and inspire students looking to progress in the design industry. The challenge took place on 10 November at the London showroom of award-winning furniture manufacturer Herman Miller. Part of the De Montfort University’s winning team included Khia Lemart, Pengjunyuan Gao, Youna Choi, Christiana Andreou, Zuzanna Lubera and Amy Marsh. A total of 36 students from six Interior Design and Interior Architecture courses across the UK were nominated by their course leaders and invited to take part in the event. The teams chosen to participate in the challenge this year included students from Plymouth College of Art, University of Wolverhampton, University of Lincoln, De Montfort University, University of Huddersfield and University of Bedfordshire. The competing teams received the brief on the day and were given just six hours to create a design proposal, before presenting to the judges. The brief this year focussed on the decline of radio and students were tasked with the challenge of designing the new headquarters of an upcoming youth radio station, which had to be dynamic, accessible and acoustically sound. Gilly Craft, President of the BIID, comments: “I was so impressed at the high quality of work the students presented this year. The BIID is dedicated to supporting up-and-coming designers as they begin their careers and The Student Design Challenge is the perfect opportunity to discover new talent and provide students with invaluable industry advice. The BIID would like to thank all participants who joined us this year and to congratulate the winning team.”
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Business revamps showroom
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Harrogate-based home furnishings retailer Richard Grafton Interiors has completed its showroom refurbishment project.
GERMAN FURNITURE BRAND APPOINTS NEW MD
As part of a £100,000 investment, the 4,000sq ft showroom, which is located in Harrogate’s Montpellier Quarter, has undergone a complete makeover and now features additional room sets to showcase larger furniture pieces and bespoke cabinetry.
Design and manufacture of German kitchen furniture, Rotpunkt Küchen, has announced the appointment of new managing director, Sven Herden.
The new-look store has also seen its dedicated fabric and design studio relocated on the second floor. Commenting on the revamp, founder Richard Grafton said that the refurbishment gives customers ‘a taste of the quality of our handcrafted pieces’.
Sven Herden is a proven expert in the kitchen industry and will join the management board of Rotpunkt Küchen from 1 January. The two managing partners, Andreas Wagner and HeinzJürgen Meyer, said in a joint statement: “We’ve demonstrated continuous double-digit growth during 2018 and will continue to invest in the future of Rotpunkt Küchen.
Established six years ago, the business also operates out of a showroom in Ilkley, which it launched back in 2016.
“Now, we want to move forward on this route with Sven Herden. We will get new ideas from him for our business and we hope to benefit from his former experience.”
w www.richardgraftoninteriors.com
w www.rotpunktkuechen.de 23rd November 2018 | 07
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CONTRACT FURNITURE FIRM GROWS ORDER BOOK TO RECORD LEVEL
Scottish independent refocuses store and product strategy
Components supplier signs new license agreement
MANUFACTURER RECOGNISES LOYAL EMPLOYEES
Scottish independent retailer Archers Sleepcentre has reported another strong year as it prepares to grow its store estate.
Furniture producer TNC-Components OÜ has signed a licence agreement with Välinge Innovation for the use of Threespine® click furniture technology.
Contract furniture specialist Deanestor has announced a record order book and strong financial performance this year. The business has secured £20m of orders in 2018 from contractors and developers – a record order intake in the history of the company, which is up 40% on the same period last year and has secured projects for the business for 2019 through to 2020. Turnover has grown from £2.5m in 2002, when the company was acquired by its current owners, to in excess of £16m this year. Its average project size has increased to over £1m. Deanestor has seen a significant rise in orders and enquiries from developers and contractors for student accommodation schemes and in the build-to-rent sector, which is performing strongly in urban centres across the UK. As part of its expansion and to meet the increased demand for its contract furniture solutions, Deanestor has recently completed a £1m investment programme at its factory in Mansfield. This has included installation of a second production line for cabinet manufacture to double capacity, investment in the latest computer-controlled cutting equipment, and a new dedicated metal powder coating facility for specialist laboratory furniture. Commenting on the strong performance, William Tonkinson, managing director of Deanestor, said: “We have diversified into new sectors in the past year such as laboratories for the pharmaceutical sector and kitchens for private rental schemes.”
w www.deanestor.co.uk
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Upholstery retailer continues sales momentum Upholstery and beds retailer Loaf has reported another year of turnover growth as sales stormed past the £40m mark. According to its latest filed accounts under Really Comfy Beds Limited, trading as Loaf, total sales rose 19.7% to £41.3m from £34.5m in 2017, a year-on-year growth of £6.8m in cash terms. Gross profit also increased by 16.5% to £19.7m from £16.9m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £2.5m, down by 32% compared to its profit of £3.7m recorded last year. Stated within its report, the company said that its bottom line decline was due to significant investments made in the business for long-term growth. Loaf added that adverse exchange rate movements impacted the business throughout year, whilst also continuing to grow its physical presence with the opening of its third London store as well as a Guildford site. The company said that the new stores have ‘traded well’ since opening.
The business, which recorded sales of £9.9m for the year ended 31 August 2018, said that conditions have been challenging, with cost pressures associated with the decline in Sterling a particular issue. However, despite these challenges Archers has once again recorded a pre-tax profit of more than £360,000 and cemented plans to further expand its store presence into more ‘prominent’ retail parks. Archers is currently in the process of refitting a unit on Almondave Retail Park in Livingston, which will see it relocate its town store to a larger site. The new store is set to open on Boxing Day. Furthermore, Archers plans to keep with the retail park strategy and will target out-of-town parks in Scotland and the UK, with Straiton in Edinburgh forecast for late 2019 and Aberdeen on the agenda to follow. The move behind its retail park push comes from Archers change of product proposition to a renewed focus on the master bedroom category.
Decorative Panels Holdings has recognised a combined 1,068 years of service within their subsidiary companies by presenting long service awards to four of their most loyal employees, each of whom has reached over 25 years of service during 2018. They were joined at the celebration by 33 of their colleagues who had achieved this milestone in previous years.
The technology implementation will enable the high-volume manufacturing specialist to improve its current products and to attract new customers.
A leading manufacturer of sheet materials, wood-based panel components and flat pack furniture, Decorative Panels is a significant employer in the areas of West Yorkshire and Teesside, with over a century of history and experience.
As a part of TNC-Component’s implementation of Threespine, the company has invested in a new profiling line from HOMAG, which aims to generate new business opportunities for the company. The target is to launch the new production line during the summer of 2019 and to release the first products later in the same period. Marko Melter, TNC-Components plant manager, said: “We plan to start with the implementation of Threespine in kitchen furniture and wardrobes. Next step will be to expand to all other products lines.” Estonian-based TNC-Components provides components and ready products, including kitchen cabinets and wardrobes, from MFC, MDF, HDF and veneer to furniture sellers, DIY stores and building companies.
w www.tnc.ee
Ross Beveridge, managing director, told Cabinet Maker: “Having built our business targeting the 2nd and 3rd bedroom and specialising in “beds to take away today”, we now focus solely on the master bedroom, adopting a much deeper bespoke bed specialist approach.
The awards were presented by Group chairman Steve Gaunt and Group managing director Guy Metcalfe, who commented: “To be here today recognising over 1,000 years of commitment alongside our most loyal colleagues is extremely gratifying. “A strong business can only be built on the drive and support of all those that work together within it and we are extremely appreciative to have such a hardworking and committed team within all our group businesses. It is a fantastic achievement for all concerned and we look forward to extending the 25 Club family further next year.”
w www.decorativepanels.co.uk
BED UPHOLSTERY REDEFINED
“In the last 24 months we have driven our average order value from £511 to £841. To support our increased AOV, we offer industry leading four-years interest free credit, in store and online, supporting our omni-channel approach. All stores have undergone a major refurbishment programme to provide appropriate surroundings for our new product proposition. “The move to the master bedroom market has provided the platform to expand and move forward. Our latest store opened in Clydebank in July this year and has been an overwhelming success. This success has firmly refocused the Board on the opportunities now presented to us. “The most exciting part for me is that the change in product proposition provides Archers Sleepcentre with the opportunity to target the very best prime location Retail Parks in all the major cities.” Reflecting on the year’s performance, Ross added: “As you know 2017/18 has not been without its challenges and the well-documented cost pressures associated with the vertiginous decline in the Pound have seen numerous increases from suppliers and retailers alike. “That being said, I am proud of the changes we have made at Archers Sleepcentre and it is clear that the successes we have experienced are a result of our proactive actions.”
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w www.loaf.com 23rd November 2018 | 08
23rd November 2018 | 09
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TESTING BODY PREPARES FOR DEBUT JFS APPEARANCE
Furniture retail sales fall in October
ROLL UP MATTRESSES CONTINUE TO GROW
Furniture retail sales decreased during October but remained in line with last year.
Roll up mattresses have gained further market share, according to the National Bed Federation (NBF), which has revealed the results of its latest consumer research report.
Inflation unchanged as furniture prices rise
Testing house SATRA has confirmed it will be exhibiting at the January Furniture Show for the first time next year. SATRA, which also celebrates its 100th anniversary during 2019, said that it has had an extremely positive year, with furniture testing numbers doubling in 2018. SATRA has seen growth in chair and cabinet testing work and flammability testing for both the domestic and contract markets. Geoff Bindley, SATRA’s furniture and floorcoverings business manager, said: “We are delighted to be exhibiting at the January Furniture Show for the first time and look forward to meeting our established clients and new manufacturers and suppliers over the four days. “My team and I will be on hand to explain how furniture testing and our Diamond Certification Programme can give you, and the brands you supply to, confidence that your products are fit for purpose, safe and comply with the necessary European regulations.” To find out more, visit SATRA’s stand at the January Furniture Show in Hall 3, L64.
According to the latest October 2018 figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the total value of furniture and lighting sales fell by 20% to £1.2bn from £1.5bn in September. The decline brought an end to successive month-on-month growth, with September’s figure remaining the highest recorded so far this year. Compared to October 2017, furniture and lighting sales remained consistent at around £1.2bn. Floorcoverings retail sales suffered a significant drop, both on a monthly and annual comparison. Sales fell 29.3% to £134.6m from £190.4m last month, whilst compared to the previous year, sales declined by 22.6% from £174m. In overall terms, the quantity bought in the retail industry during October decreased by 0.5%. The total amount spent within retail during the month represented £32.9bn, down by 16% compared to October 2017.
For appointments please email furniture@satra.com or telephone + 44 1536 410000.
Online sales as a total of all retailing increased to 18% from the 17.7% reported in September 2018, with textile, clothing and footwear stores continuing a record proportion of online sales at 18.2%. This was despite a fall in total retail spending in this sector.
w www.satra.com
w www.ons.gov.uk
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MANUFACTURE
Family business expands product offer following move
BESPOKE FURNITURE BUSINESS SECURES EXPANSION SUPPORT
Morayshire-based furniture business Grampian Furnishers has announced a new partnership with lighting specialist Pagazzi. Following its recent relocation to a larger 30,000sq ft premises in Elgin, the business has expanded its product offering with a new partnership with Pagazzi Lighting. Furthermore, Grampian has grown all of its categories due to the larger store allowing more space, with its upholstery section seeing the largest increase. Royce Clark, director at Grampian Furnishers, said: “We have partnered with Pagazzi lighting to offer the biggest selection of lighting locally. “All our categories have expanded as the new store is three times as big as our previous store. However, sofas have seen the biggest increase as we now have over 60 different models on display.” Grampian Furnishers has also expanded its workforce from 14 to 28 following the move, whilst also revealing that it has now submitted another planning application to ‘build an onsite warehouse’.
w www.grampianfurnishers.com
23rd November 2018 | 10
Bespoke furniture maker NEJ Stevenson has secured new investment to accelerate its expansion. Warwickshire-based NEJ Stevenson invested £750,000 in expanding its premises and in new machinery to help improve its processes after support from Business Ready through the University of Warwick Science Park. Business Ready supported the firm with grant applications through the Warwickshire Small Capital Grant and also from the Rural Development Fund in order to purchase a new sanding machine, a CNC machine and spindle turner, as well as offering general advice and support. Neil Stevenson, managing director, said: “In the past, we’d try to go for grants and look for help but we were always told we were doing too well or were not in the right area, so we had all but given up on getting support.
The research, which is undertaken twice a year, surveys 500 people who have purchased a mattress in the past six months, to gauge consumer bed buying habits and trends. It showed that roll up mattresses accounted for 24% of purchases, up from 17% in the previous report, as they continue to gain traction among consumers. However, the new ‘one mattress suits all’ brands only accounted for 7% of total purchases (up from 5%), which indicates that there are many manufacturers now producing and supplying rolled mattresses to the retail trade. Simon Williams, marketing manager of the NBF, said: “Roll up mattresses have grown significantly and are currently the second most popular choice of purchase after mattress-only (flat) sales. This indicates that more and more people are looking to buy just a mattress and not a mattress with a base or bedstead. “It’s also interesting to see the rise of the roll ups across all three age demographics (under 35s, 35-54 and over 55s). In particular, it’s the over 55s who now account for the biggest percentage of roll up mattress sales (26% compared to 17% earlier in the year). This suggests that the appeal of a quick delivery with a no-fuss approach is starting to resonate with an older audience.” Other interesting findings saw that mattress-only sales were down from 40% on the previous report to 32% but were still the most purchased sale, with the share of mattress-only sales accounting for 56% of all bed products purchased.
Furniture prices have experienced a slight increase, as overall inflation remains unchanged. According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for October 2018, the total furniture price rate increased by -0.2% from -1.4% in September. Compared to the same month last year, furniture prices during October increased by a rate of -1.5% from -2.7% in 2017. Carpets and floorcovering price rate both decreased on an annual and monthly comparison, down to -0.3% from 0.4% compared to October 2017. On last month, prices fell from 0.1% to a rate of -0.6%. Overall, the 12-month CPI inflation rate was 2.4% in October 2018, which was unchanged from September’s figure. The large downward contributions to the change in the 12-month rate from food and non-alcoholic beverages, clothing and footwear, and some transport elements were offset by upward contributions from rising petrol, diesel and domestic gas prices.
w www.ons.gov.uk
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Independent furniture retailer closes
Mattress and bedsteads sales were down from 25% to 21% though popular with the under 35s (30%), whilst sofa beds were popular with the under 35s at 18% compared to the mean of 9%. Interestingly, those who purchased sofa beds were also the highest purchasers of topper pads at 28% compared to the mean of 20%, indicating there could be a comfort issue with sofa beds.
Independent retailer William & Sons has closed its furniture showroom for the final time.
Online bed purchasing continues to be preferable to buying in-store (50% vs 45%), whilst pocket springs are still the most popular mattress core (42%) with memory foam the most popular comfort layer (44%).
William & Sons was owned by the William Cole family, which first started trading as a building materials reclamation firm just after the First World War, nearly 100 years ago.
w www.bedfed.org.uk
The family business has been passed down for five generations and has always been led by a Cole with the first name of William. The latest company was established back in 1994.
MANUFACTURE
COO LEAVES KOELNMESSE WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT German-based trade fair organiser Koelnmesse GmbH has announced the departure of chief operating officer Katharina Hamma after seven years in the role.
“But Business Ready has been absolutely invaluable and we have been able to grow quicker than we would have done.
Until further notice, Koelnmesse CEO Gerald Böse will assume Ms. Hamma’s previous responsibilities.
“We’ve bought neighbouring properties in order to expand and we are currently fitting out and creating the most efficient workspaces possible.”
A statement said: “In light of differing views on the future strategic direction of the company, the Board of Koelnmesse decided on 16 November 2018, to terminate the working relationship with Katharina Hamma with immediate effect.”
w www.nejstevenson.co.uk
w www.koelnmesse.com
The business, which is situated on Level Street, Merry Hill, Brierley Hill in Dudley, has appointed commercial property specialist Bulleys to market and sell the 35,000sq ft showroom.
The current William Cole said the family had decided to close the furniture business after the death of his father, also William, in 2016, and that the intention was now to become landlords and property developers. In a brief statement following a closing down sale, William & Sons said: “Since 1996, William & Sons has been the area’s premier home furnishings destination. Now, after 22 years, we have made the strategic decision to close our fine quality store in order to concentrate on other personal and business interests.” Max Shelley, associate at Bulleys, said: “It’s pretty unique to have such a large property available so close to a popular retail park, and we’re already getting lots of enquiries from potential tenants. “This is a major opportunity, and it will be great to see such a fine building in a prime location passing into the right hands.”
w www.bulleys.co.uk 23rd November 2018 | 11
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WHOLESALER RETURNS TO GROWTH; CLOSES US BUSINESS
Boxed mattress brand to raise further funds and expand product range
UPHOLSTERY MANUFACTURER GAINS ‘CERTIFIED’ STATUS
Carpet specialist delivers sales growth for a fifth year
Furniture wholesaler Andrew Martin has reported a return to sales growth. According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 January 2018, total sales rose 7.4% to £8.7m from £8.1m in 2017. The return to growth saw the end of four consecutive years of falling sales. Both its core sales categories reported growth, with furniture sales up by 7% to £5.8m from £5.4m, and fabric sales increasing by 7% to £2.9m from £2.7m. UK sales rose 31% to £5.4m from £4.1m, as did sales in Europe, up by 7.6% to £1.4m from £1.3m. However, revenue for the US dropped 16% to £1m from £1.2m. Gross profit increased 10% to £4.4m from £4m, whilst pre-tax losses resulted at £469,169, reducing from its loss of £631,250 recorded last year. Stated within its report, the company said an exceptional profit of £625,000 was made due to the sale of the freehold property in London, which reduced its losses. The company added that it ceased to trade its US subsidiary, whilst also implementing a successful cost-reduction strategy, which is expected to put the business back into profitability during 2019. Andrew Martin International was founded in 1978 and offers a wide range of fabrics, wallpapers, furniture and home accessories from its stores across the globe.
w www.andrewmartin.co.uk
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Department store grows sales Independent department store group Ulster Stores has reported an consecutive rise in turnover as sales surpassed £14m. According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 January 2018, total sales increased by 2% to £14.1m from £13.8m 2017. Gross profit rose 2.1% to £4.7m from £4.6m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £288,676, up by 19.5% compared to its profit of £241,873 recorded last year. The bottom line figure was its highest return since 2002 when pre-tax profit resulted at £396,027. Ulster revealed that it has agreed to undergo a refurbishment project at its stores in Moores of Coleraine and The White House Portrush to keep the stores ‘fresh’. The revamp is expected to last three years. The company has also continued to invest within its digital presence, which is expected to add further growth to the business as its digital strategy develops.
w www.ustores.com 23rd November 2018 | 12
Boxed mattress brand eve Sleep has outlined the next steps as part of its new strategy. Following a business review by new CEO James Sturrock, who joined back in September 2018, eve plans to build a ‘deeper relationship with customers’ through repeat orders on a broader product range. Eve also plans to appoint a new chief marking officer by the end of the year to continue its growth in chosen markets. Eve said the appointment would be targeted at building a ‘strategy that optimises marketing effectiveness’. This will be achieved with a lower investment level, concentrating on partnerships, PR and digital marketing, as well as building repeat orders, whilst continuing to build awareness and competitive differentiation. The brand revealed that broadening the product range has proved successful, with sales of non-mattress product now accounting for 17% of total group revenues in the first six months of 2018. Eve aims to grow this by market, by doubling its product range in 2019 to create more ‘cross sell’ opportunities. Furthermore, eve announced that it plans to raise around £15m of new equity, on top of its existing £7m net cash, to fund the company’s ‘refocused strategy through to profitability’. This investment will allow increased focus on website customer experience, enhancing the delivery proposition and significantly developing the company’s product range. Eve added that it has already received ‘material levels of support’ for the planned fundraise from certain existing shareholders at a price that is significantly higher than the prevailing share price. The fundraise is expected to be launched prior to the end of 2018. Analysing its latest trading update, eve said that its new partnership with Dreams will deliver revenues in line or above expectations, although a re-valuation for its 2019 financial year has seen the group anticipate a reduction. Commenting, James Sturrock, CEO of eve Sleep, said: “The business review has reaffirmed my initial confidence in the size of the opportunity in the sleep market and eve’s ability to realise it. It will, however, require further investment than originally expected.
UK upholstery manufacturer, Buoyant Upholstery Ltd, has been confirmed by the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) as the latest company to gain Certified status under their ‘Compliance Scheme for the Fire Performance of Upholstered Furniture’. Despite being in place since 1988 the Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations (FFFSR) are complex and require sophisticated management to demonstrate compliance. The Furniture Industry Research Association scheme aims to offer reassurance that a manufacturer, retailer, upholsterer or supplier of upholstered furniture has suitable processes and procedures in place to demonstrate due diligence compliance with FFFSR. In order to become a Certified Company of the Compliance Scheme, Buoyant Upholstery’s manufacturing site was audited to ensure due diligence procedures covering all facets of production were not only in place, but were robust enough to meet the requirements of the FFFSR. This included checking their process management systems, control of materials, traceability, compliance testing, labelling and crisis management. In addition, as the scheme also has a co-ordinated Primary Authority Partnership with Hertfordshire Trading Standards, Buoyant can benefit from assured advice, providing interpretation of the FFFSR when needed. Speaking on their new Certified Company status, Glen Ainsworth, development director at Buoyant Upholstery said: “Compliance and Safety is always at the forefront at everything we do here at Buoyant Upholstery. The independent audit reviewed our materials, traceability, labelling and systems to ensure they comply with the requirements of the Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations. “As a member of FIRA we are pleased to have achieved Certified Company status under the Compliance Scheme for the Fire Performance of Upholstered Furniture, which will also reassure our customers that both our approach and systems in relation to FR compliance are robust.”
w www.fira.co.uk
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“Our planned strategic investments will drive growth through expanding and developing our highly complementary product range and enhancing the overall customer experience and proposition, which will all serve to further strengthen our differentiated brand positioning.
Family business ‘highly commended’
“While we have revised our short-term growth ambitions during this period of consolidation and investment, we anticipate a marked improvement moving into 2020 and beyond. Eve has an exciting future ahead and we look forward to putting the business on a stronger footing and establishing eve as Europe’s leading sleep and well-being brand.”
The awards, which were held at The Grand Hotel in Eastbourne, and recognise, reward and celebrate local businesses, saw Sussex Beds add another trophy to their already impressive collection, which has been achieved over 30 years of trading.
w www.evemattress.co.uk
Family business Sussex Beds has been ‘highly commended’ in the ‘Retailer’ category at the Eastbourne Business Awards.
Steve Pickering, MD of eight-store Sussex Beds, said: “We like to think that we are an invaluable asset to the town and this accolade rubber stamps it for us. Thank you to everyone who has supported us and to those who nominated us for this title. Our trophy will be proudly displayed in our Hailsham branch.”
Carpet specialist Fludes Carpets has reported a fifth straight year of turnover growth. According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 30 April 2018, total sales rose 5% to £2.9m from £2.8m in 2017. Gross profit also increased by 1% to £1.5m from £1.4m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £79,528, slightly down from its profit of £95,616 recorded last year. Stated within its report, the business said that Brexit had dominated the retail market in causing uncertainty, along with a lack of consumer confidence, big-ticket purchases and a sluggish housing market. Despite the difficult conditions, Fludes concentrated on its core strength of its reputation and service to deliver another year of top-line growth. During the year, the business invested in new LED lighting in its two stores, which has improved appearance but will also reduce energy costs over the next few years. Fludes decided to exit its concession in Beales Bournmouth due to a slowdown in sales and has migrated it to a nearby store in Boscombe, which has delivered early positive results. Furthermore, the company added that Robert Flude retired from the business after 45 years and that an internal restructure is under way following the retirement.
w www.fludes-carpets.co.uk
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FITTED FURNITURE FIRM RECORDS DECADE-HIGH PROFIT Fitted furniture manufacturer and retailer Ashley Ann has reported a seventh successive year of turnover growth. According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018, total sales rose 7% to £16.9m from £15.7m in 2017. Gross profit increased 8.5% to £7.6m from £7m, whilst pre-tax profit rose 77.5% to £293,432 from £165,528. The bottom-line growth marked a second straight year of rising profit as well as its highest return achieved since 2008, when pretax profit resulted at £306,863. Stated within its report, the family business said that growth through the year has been ‘steady’ and declared the outlook for the year ahead as ‘cautious’. Scotland-based Ashley Ann added that it does ‘not expect to grow at the same level’ as in previous years due to the ‘ongoing impact of Brexit and uncertainty in the marketplace’.
w www.ashleyann.co.uk
w www.sussexbedcentre.co.uk 23rd November 2018 | 13
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SECOND INSOLVENCY IN LESS THAN YEAR AT FURNITURE FIRM
Outdoor furniture business completes MBO
FURNITURE MANUFACTURER UNVEILS JFS PLAN
Four more House of Fraser stores face closure
Swindon-based furniture business WJ White has entered administration for the second time, almost a year after being rescued. Gareth Roberts and David Taylor, both of KRE Corporate Recovery LLP, were appointed as joint administrators of W J White Contract Furniture Ltd on 2 November 2018. The appointment follows an unsuccessful attempt at trying to sell the business and assets during October, ahead of being placed into administration. On 18 December 2017 W J White Ltd went into administration and was subsequently sold to W J White Contract Furniture Ltd, which was incorporated in November 2017, for £200,000 as well as securing the jobs of all 48 employees. Leading up to its initial insolvency, the company experienced financial difficulties following the Brexit vote and suffered a subsequent fall in demand, resulting in unsecured creditors being owed over £1m. Last month KRE listed the current business for sale, which stated that its turnover amounted to £2.1m during the year with forecast revenues expected to grow to £3.9m. No sale materialised for the company, which dates back to the 1930s, and it was therefore left with no option other than to begin insolvency proceedings.
Outdoor furniture and garden centre business Langlands has been acquired under a management buyout (MBO). Family-owned Langlands Garden Centre, which trades from three sites in York, Leeds and Sheffield, has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by James Ducker, whose grandfather Walter Ducker founded the business in 1955. The deal will see Walter’s son, John Ducker, retire after 54 years in the business whilst John’s son, Ian, who has also worked in the business for many years, will leave to pursue other business interests. Langlands, which is headquartered in Shiptonthorpe outside York, with further operations in Whinmoor, Leeds and Loxley near Sheffield, employs over 180 staff and has a turnover of £7.5m. The transaction sees James Ducker become the majority shareholder with his father, Robert Ducker, retaining a shareholding. Steve Hubbard and James Atkinson, from RSM’s corporate finance team, supported the management team, with tax support from Chloë Ellis and Clare White.
Furniture manufacturer Whitemeadow has confirmed that the January Furniture Show 2019 will see the business showcase its most ‘ambitious and innovative’ upholstery and upholstered bed collections to date. Accompanying current models in new fabric stories will be a large selection of brand-new upholstery models.
Sports Direct International PLC will close HoF stores in Norwich, Nottingham, Lakeside in Essex, and Metrocentre in Gateshead in the new year after failing to agree terms with landlords.
Back for a second year after its highly successful launch last year, Whitemeadow will also be exhibiting a selection of brand-new upholstered bed designs, as well as the Content by Terence Conran collection.
Intu Properties PLC, which is understood to be in the middle of a potential sale to a group of investors, owns the sites and has been discussions with Sports Direct for the past 14 weeks.
Paul Ainley, design director, commented: “We have invested heavily in our brand-new Design and Development Centre. We have also strengthened our team to now include five designers, who join the 20 members of staff all specifically involved in the creation of new models. “This team is now fully focused on creating an array of new products for the 2019 January Furniture show, where we will be showcasing more new products than ever before with a few surprises thrown in for good measure!”
w www.whitemeadow.com
w www.langlandsgardencentre.co.uk
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Sales and profits decline
w krecr.co.uk
GROUP PREPARES ANNIVERSARY ROAD TRIP
Retail interior fit out specialist esprit has reported a decline in turnover and profit.
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Belgian floorcoverings and fabrics business Beaulieu International Group (BIG) has revealed plans to mark its 60th anniversary.
Homewares retailer proposes new store
Beaulieu Flooring Solutions will exhibit at tradeshows spread across Europe, the US and Asia during the first quarter of 2019.
According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 28 February 2018, total sales fell 44.9% to £12m from £21.8m in 2017.
Value homewares retail chain The Range has earmarked a potential new store in a current Homebase location.
Starting already in January at BAU 2019 in Germany, the marketing & technical experts will go straight on to Las Vegas for Surfaces, followed by Domotex US and Domotex Asia in February/March respectively.
The future of the Homebase store in Barnstaple has come under question after a planning application to North Devon Council revealed that The Range is proposing to takeover the unit.
Sales teams will be on-the-ground at additional industry events throughout the year for face-to-face meetings with customers, including Domotex 2019.
Earlier this year Homebase announced it was closing 42 of its stores, although the Barnstaple location was not included.
Further plans include new product introductions to support the flooring industry in embracing segment and consumer trends. There will also be a big emphasis on enhancing personal contact with customers.
The application states a change of use to ‘allow the building to be occupied by The Range’, as well as confirming it would create up to 85 jobs. A statement of support of the application read: “The demand from The Range for retail representation in Barnstaple is immediate, and subject to the grant of planning permission, it is anticipated that The Range could occupy and trade the unit within six months of permission being granted.” Devon-based The Range, which was founded in 1989, currently operates from 150 stores across the UK.
w www.therange.co.uk 23rd November 2018 | 16
James Neuling, vice president, Beaulieu Flooring Solutions, explains: “Building strong relationships has always been at the heart of B.I.G. and our division, and to reflect this we’ve deliberately chosen events and activities that are more intimate for the diamond anniversary year. We’ve set a goal of achieving at least 60 extraordinary moments to get closer to customers.
The new owner of House of Fraser has confirmed plans to close four more stores.
Gross profit was also down by 34% to £2.5m from £3.8m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £616,261, decreasing from its profit of £861,808 recorded last year. This represented a bottom line decline of 28.4% year-on-year. Stated within its report, the business said that the year ahead looks ‘encouraging’ with the current market ‘stable’ for ‘potential growth’.
w www.esprituk.co.uk
Mike Ashley, CEO of Sports Direct, said in a statement that it had ‘multiple meetings’ but was unable to agree ‘reasonable terms’ to keep the stores trading. Following the announcement, the company has entered into a consultation period with affected staff at each store.
w www.houseoffraser.co.uk
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Sales continue to grow for expanding retailer Independent furniture retailer Barker and Stonehouse has reported a sixth straight year of turnover growth as sales surpassed £70m. According to its latest filed accounts ended 2 April 2018, total sales rose 11.4% to £73.9m from £66.3m in 2017. Gross profit also increased 11% to £34.3m from £30.8m, whilst pre-tax profit resulted at £3m, down from £4m, which was due to investments made into expanding the business. Stated within its report, the company said that it traded successfully during the year and opened two new stores as well as a new warehouse, with both new stores trading well.
w www.barkerandstonehouse.co.uk
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MANUFACTURE
Discount retailer delivers strong half year
FURNITURE BUSINESS GROWS SALES PAST £20M
Value homewares retailer B&M Homestore has reported a growth in both half-year sales and profit.
Cabinet furniture manufacturer Trade Mouldings Distribution has reported a growth in turnover. According to its latest filed accounts for the year ended 31 March 2018, total sales rose 12% to £20.5m from £18.3m in 2017.
“This includes tradeshows, personalised events, roadshows, hosting product workshops, supporting dealer events, and plenty of social media interaction. We’re looking forward to being true to the name of our founding company and making a BIG impression.”
Gross profit resulted at £6.7m, whilst pre-tax profit stood at £2.3m, slightly down from its profit of £2.4m recorded last year.
w www.bintg.com
w www.trademouldings.com
Stated within its report, Trade Mouldings said that it would continue its current strategy to maintain year-on-year growth.
According to its latest trading update for the 26 weeks to 29 September 2018, total group sales rose by 16.1% to £1.5bn, with UK B&M store sales up by 7.1%. Like-for-like revenues rose by 0.9% on last year. Group pre-tax profit increased 32.5% to £115m. The group said that 22 new stores opened in the UK during the period and it remains on track to open a total of 58 during the year.
w www.bmstores.co.uk 23rd November 2018 | 17
brussels furniture fair
F E A T U R E |B R U S S E L S F U R N I T U R E F A I R
Brilliant Brussels
Show organiser Lieven Van den Heede reports on the recent Brussels Furniture Fair that took place from 4-7 November, labelling the event that attracted visitors from 40 countries a ‘brilliant edition’.
The atmosphere at the fair was surprisingly positive. And yet as a trade fair, we are not immune to the difficult situation in the furniture trade, and did see a slight fall in overall visitor numbers following a small increase last year. What’s more, the internationalisation of Brussels continued this year too. Compared to 2017, more visitors came from abroad to Europe’s capital city. Foreign visitors also ensured that visitor numbers remained robust. In Belgium we are again losing ground, with a fall of 9%. This figure should not come as a surprise, given the somewhat skewed domination of Belgian visitors, which nevertheless still comprised 35% of the total figure. There is probably no need for us to outline the reasons for this: following truly dreadful sales figures in the shops since early spring, it should come as no surprise that a number of shops have chosen not to attend. Over the past year a number of businesses have also closed. We also received 113 fewer visitors from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, a drop of 8.3%. The German market, in particular, is in a state of flux and is extremely volatile. The combination of buyers who are changing group and fewer buyers in the shops probably
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Innovation is key to success meant that a visit to Brussels Furniture Fair was not top of their to-do list. Visitors from the United Kingdom and Ireland remained stable (-0.37%, or two fewer visitors). However, we did see cheering figures from France and, especially, from the Netherlands. We welcomed 0.7% more visitors from France. Visitor numbers from our northern neighbour rose by no fewer than 6% and we went over the threshold of 5,000 visitors! The Netherlands is coming ever closer to representing 30% of all visitors. Is it merely a matter of time before they overtake the number of Belgians? Time will tell. In any case, this has only served to burnish the image of Brussels as the most important fair for the Benelux region and a strong fair for the French market. And it goes without saying that we are very pleased about this. Indeed, our important role on these markets is one of the key reasons why manufacturers choose to participate in the Brussels Furniture Fair. Visitor numbers from other countries also
rose, by 5% or 117 visitors. This year there were two additional countries on the visitors list, bringing us to a total of 40 nationalities that visited the Brussels Furniture Fair, including nine non-European countries. The total number of visitors from abroad rose by 2.65% or 308 visitors. We take pride in this figure, as according to the logic of the market, growth will have to come from the nonBelgian visitors.
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268 exhibitors from 24 countries showcased in Brussels
In total there was a decline in visitor numbers of 1.76% or 329 fewer visitors. A reduction in Belgian visitors accounted for the most significant drop. And yet we were told by a number of exhibitors with whom we were able to speak during the fair that buying from both Belgian and foreign visitors was better than had been expected or feared prior to the start of the fair. In general, the closing balance of this year’s fair was positive. It would seem that the furniture trade believes that the way to get out of this impasse is to renew its offering. We wholeheartedly hope that they numbers of whom took photos of them and succeed in this, and are more than willing to consult how can better alignbalance ourof this year’s fairshared these on social media. Visitors could feared prioron to the start ofwe the fair. In general, the closing was positive. It would seem that the furniture trade believes that the way to get out of pause for a breather in one of our stylish offering to their expectations. this impasse is to renew its offering. We wholeheartedly hope that they succeed in this, and are more than willing to consult on how we can better align our offering to themed bars, which were furnished by our their expectations. exhibitors Joli, Kluskens, Toon De Somer and Yaskworld. The visitor experience was that of a truly international event for the furniture sector. The trade needs innovation in order to be able to make sales figures rally again next year. It In total there were 268 exhibitors from 24 countries. There were 10 more than in In total were 268 exhibitors from 24new, which meantis, therefore, no surprise that those exhibitors 2017,there spread over a slightly smaller surface area. 76 of them were that there were a lot of new things to discover at this year’s edition. The level of the who sold well had also made huge efforts countries. 10oncemore than in 2017, stands andThere collectionswere was higher again, and truly worthy of an international trade fair. The fact that loyal exhibitors upgrade their stands year after year also to come up with innovative, surprising or spread over a slightly smaller surface area. shows that participating in the Brussels Furniture Fair is worth the investment. original products that are also commercially Seventy-six of them were new, which meant This upgrading was also apparent in the overall design of the fair. When entering through Hall 5, visitors immediately saw a reference the campaign image, with viable. a Of course, the result of a fair cannot that there were a lot of new thingsto to discover giant cage and a promotional film on a big screen. Extra space was also created to only be measured in terms of sales figures at at this year’s edition. Thestyle level the stands welcome visitors. The new, sleeker of theof trend passages clearly appealed to visitors, large numbers of whom took photos of them and shared these on social the stands themselves. The work is not done and collections higher once media. Visitors couldwas pause for a breather in one ofagain, our stylishand themed bars, which furnished by our exhibitors Joli, Kluskens, Toon De Somer and Yaskworld. The truly were worthy ofwas anthatinternational Thesector. when the fair closes its doors. And that work visitor experience of a truly internationaltrade event for fair. the furniture is so much easier if the furniture trade has fact that loyal exhibitors upgrade their stands The trade needs innovation in order to be able to make sales figures rally again next year. It isyear therefore no surprise that those exhibitors who sold well had also made already seen the new models. year after also shows that participating huge efforts to come up with innovative, surprising or original products that are also viable.Furniture Of course, the result cannot onlythe be measured in terms in thecommercially Brussels Fairof aisfairworth of sales figures at the stands themselves. The work is not done when the fair closes Following a successful show, attention investment. its doors. And that work is so much easier if the furniture trade has already seen the new models. has turned to 2019 with the dates from 3-6 Balthazars 2018 This upgrading was apparent in the of the BalthazarNovember already set. See you next year! The annual highlight during also the furniture fair is the announcement winners. As the organiser, our aim with these awards is to stimulate innovation overall design of the fair. When entering amongst our exhibitors. Participation is free of charge: all exhibitors need to do is to www.furniturefairbrussels.be enter so that the members doimmediately not have to study all 268 standsa in detail. Unlike in through Hall 5,juryvisitors saw previous years, the jury had to deliberate for an unusually long time. The prize for best international product was a particularly close call. with The jury a members were Leen reference to the campaign image, giant Creve, Marie-Anne Desiere, Siegrid Demyttenaere, Colette Demil, Elien Haentjens, der Steen and Chrisfilm De Roock. the following names cagefrances and van a promotional on aThis bigyear,screen. triumphed: Extra space was also created to welcome visitors. The new, sleeker style of the trend passages clearly appealed to visitors, large
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Balthazars 2018 The annual highlight during the furniture fair is the announcement of the Balthazar winners. As the organiser, our aim with these awards is to stimulate innovation amongst our exhibitors. Participation is free of charge: all exhibitors need to do is to enter so that the jury members do not have to study all 268 stands in detail. Unlike in previous years, the jury had to deliberate for an unusually long time. The prize for best international product was a particularly close call. The jury members were Leen Creve, Marie-Anne Desiere, Siegrid Demyttenaere, Colette Demil, Elien Haentjens, Frances van der Steen and Chris De Roock. This year, the following names triumphed: BEST OF BELGIUM: Reset by Magnitude by LS Bedding (design: Alain Berteau) Highly commended in this category were Mintjens Furniture with Caress and the Wire Lounger by Joli, a design by Mathias de Ferm. INNOVATION: Resleep by Velda Recor Originals with Soul and Otium Care with Daan were highly commended in the innovation category. BEST INTERNATIONAL: Glide by Kluskens (design: Tiel Design Studio) Highly commended were Design Studio Zürich with Edge and Egoitaliano with Honey. LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT: Lucie by Moome (design: Tessa Lauwaert) Passe Partout with Thor and Mathy by Bols with Discovery were also highly commended.
Visitors were in confident mood 23rd November 2018 | 19
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“THE GAINING OF NEW ACCOUNTS HAS SHOWN THAT THE CURRENT PRODUCT PORTFOLIO IS TRANSFERABLE TO OTHER MARKETS AND BAKER FURNITURE EXPECTS TO SEE THIS ASPECT OF THE BUSINESS CONTINUE TO GROW.”
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Maintaining customer relationships has been key
Bedroom furniture has been a growing market
Sophia Squires, national sales manager at Baker Furniture, speaks to Cabinet Maker on their past year’s success.
look at trends in the bedroom sector to help progress a new direction in this division.” The second important factor that Baker Furniture was quick to point out was their relationship with its customers. “Looking to the UK market, Baker are pleased to see sales with our existing customers to have grown organically during the year, which we put down to strong relationships with our longstanding customer base. Customers have been very supportive of our products, which has shown in the strength of the current dining offering as momentum has increased during 2018 in this particular category,” Sophia said.
For a business to deliver year-on-year growth many would put this down to a number of factors. The three that spring to mind when speaking to manufacturer Baker Furniture are product, relationships and strategy. It’s fair to say that these three ingredients are essential to every businesses success, however it is the way that they are implemented and maintained that defines one business from another. Dating back over two decades, Baker’s roots began in 1995 with the business becoming one of the leaders in producing contemporary and traditional bedroom, dining and occasional furniture. Working in close conjunction with their factories in the Far East and using woods felled under strict controls, Baker has continued to make made significant investments in the business, both operationally and in terms of new ‘exciting ranges’. Baker’s more recent history, 2018 to be exact, has been another year of growth, with turnover registering a second straight uptick as revenues pushed close to the £20 million milestone. And with the January 23rd November 2018 | 20
Furniture Show a perfect platform to begin a year for most businesses, Baker shared the same view as Sophia Squires, national sales manager, explained: “2018 has once again been a busy year for Baker Furniture. “The 2018 January Furniture Show was, as ever, a great platform for Baker Furniture to launch new ranges from our Rustic Oak, Reclaimed, Heritage, Fusion and Little Tree collections. “This was also a great opportunity for Baker Furniture to experiment with new looks, including contemporary ceramic tables
Brussels Furniture Fair was a recent success
Forging relationships is one thing in business, but maintaining them is key if you are to set a solid foundation to allow future growth. And an area of growth for Baker Furniture this year has been outside the UK, with exports emerging as an interesting segment of the business to pursue. “The move in 2017 into the export market has
The company has recently returned from a successful Brussels Furniture Fair appearance, where it showcased its latest products and was one of the few UK brands that represented British furniture. Reflecting on the exhibition, Sophia said: “It was a great show for Baker. Not only was the Brussels Fair a great opportunity to meet existing export customers and gain new contacts, it also gave Baker the opportunity to give UK buyers a preview of what to expect for the January Furniture Show 2019.”
that were embraced by customers and complimented the already diverse product portfolio.” This brings the first of the three key ingredients to fruition. Product. As mentioned, Baker Furniture had early success from its collections, which set the benchmark for the remainder of the year. One product area that proved to be a ‘challenge’ at first was bedroom furniture, as Sophia indicated: “Bedroom furniture has been one of the challenges for 2018 and although we are pleased with the results of new ranges launched this year, we have continued to
helped contribute to the 2017/2018 growth for Baker Furniture,” Sophia said, continuing: “Although export is very much in its infancy, the gaining of new accounts in Belgium, Holland and France have shown that the current product portfolio is transferable to other markets and Baker Furniture expects to see this aspect of the business continue to grow.”
And with the largest furniture exhibition in the UK creeping around the corner, Baker revealed that it has ‘some exciting looks’ for the 2019 show.
Baker has expanded outside the UK with new accounts
w www.bakerfurniture.co.uk 23rd November 2018 | 21
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Beatrix Bray and Fluctuare Table
venues, with Hayden Davies, Master of The Furniture Makers’ Company, officially welcoming guests before presenting this year’s awards, which were assessed during the day by a panel of distinguished judges. This year’s judges were: Anthony Bailey, editor of Woodworking Crafts Magazine; Steven Minghella, retail sales manager at Timothy Oulton; Rupert Senior, multiple award-winning designer-maker; Peter Sharratt, technical support advisor at Blum; and Alan Styles, managing director at Axminster Tools & Machinery.
Mac Collins and Iklwa Chair Huw Evans won second place in the Innovation Award category
Cabinet Maker covers the recent Young Furniture Makers exhibition that took place last month, which unveiled the next generation of aspiring talent. Possessing the natural ability to be good at something is the definition of talent. Within the furniture industry of late, the natural appeal to product manufacture has weighed heavy on the minds of the consumer, therefore sourcing natural materials and producing more sustainable products has become the forefront of many businesses strategies across the industry. Using natural materials may enhance the ability of the product in question, but what about the creator behind them? British furniture design has continued to evolve through the generations and the trend certainly continued at the recent Young Furniture Makers exhibition. Taking place on 10 October 2018 at the Dutch Church and Furniture Makers’ Hall in Austin Friars, 23rd November 2018 | 22
Emma Louise Hayward and Arch
And the winners were… The Young Furniture Makers Bespoke Award, sponsored by Festool, was awarded to Beatrix Bray for the Fluctuare Table. The Young Furniture Makers Design Award, sponsored by Crofts & Assinder, was awarded to Lewis Small for the Wilf Floor Lamp. Daniela Costa was awarded third place in the Bespoke Award category The Young Furniture Makers Innovation Award, sponsored by Knightsbridge, was awarded to Matt Hill for the Array Table. The National School Prize was awarded to Brodie Haward for the Radioactive Bench. London, the event, which is organised by industry charity The Furniture Makers’ Company, showcased around 90 pieces of furniture and lighting from GCSE and A Level students through to BA and MA graduates. The event was one of the best displays of young furniture talent in the exhibition’s more than 10 year history.
And it’s this aspiring talent that should be recognised within the furniture industry as the next generation to continue Britain’s famous legacy of furniture design. Amongst the products on show, awards were dished out to designs that really excelled.
The Blum Best in Show Prize was awarded to Harriet Speed for Corkey’s Cabinet. The Timothy Oulton Best in Show Prize was awarded to Mac Collins for the Iklwa Chair.
The exhibition saw visitors fill up the two 23rd November 2018 | 23
F E A T U R E |Y O U N G F U R N I T U R E M A K E R S
Ninety pieces of furniture and lighting from students were on display Congratulations from everyone here at Cabinet Maker. Reflecting on his award win, Mac said: “I am really proud to have won. It was a massive surprise and I am really grateful for the opportunity to go out to Hong Kong with Charlie Oulton and the team. It was a great evening surrounded by lovely people, both new and established, in the furniture industry.” Even for the talented students who didn’t win an award, the exhibition provided a stage to showcase their designs to key members of the furnishing and design sector. One designer, Emaline Hamnett, a student at Queen Elizabeth School in Faversham, Kent, displayed her piece Cast in Time after winning a School Design Prize earlier this year. “I’ve been able to share my work with hundreds of people. I was lucky enough to help other students out who came to the exhibition purely out of interest for inspiration for their own projects,” Emaline said on the benefits of the exhibition, continuing: “Whether it’s a goal for your work to be exhibited, for inspiration or even a day out to meet new people, it’s an extremely inspiring and beneficial event that is extremely well
organised at an amazing venue.” This year’s exhibition, which was sponsored by Axminster Tools & Machinery, Harveys Furniture, Bensons for Beds and The Furniture Ombudsman, also included a special feature of six chairs from the Frederick Parker Collection, an educational resource owned by The Furniture Makers’ Company that includes over 200 chairs and archive material spanning 300 years of history. Commenting on the success, Master Hayden Davies said: “The Young Furniture Makers exhibition continues to go from strength to strength and the 2018 event showed that there is a lot of exceptional, up and coming talent out there. The Young Furniture Makers exhibition brings together all elements of The Furniture Makers’ Company’s wide education output, the culmination being a tremendous celebration of incredibly gifted young designers who want to build long and successful careers in the industry. “I would like to thank exhibition sponsors Axminster Tools & Machinery, Harveys Furniture, Bensons for Beds and The Furniture
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“THE YOUNG FURNITURE MAKERS EXHIBITION CONTINUES TO GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH AND THE 2018 EVENT SHOWED THAT THERE IS A LOT OF EXCEPTIONAL, UP AND COMING TALENT OUT THERE.” Ombudsman, as well as the awards sponsors and logistics sponsor, Celtheath, for helping make the exhibition possible.” Sponsors Lynda Stretton, head of brand at Harveys and Bensons for Beds, and Alan Styles, managing director of sponsor Axminster Tools & Machinery, were quick to praise the success of the event, with Lynda saying: “Our relationship with The Furniture Makers’ Company, and the Young Furniture Makers exhibition in particular, is an important one for us as we believe in nurturing new talent and helping to grow the furnishings industry within the UK. The array of young talent on show at this year’s exhibition was incredibly inspiring, and we’re proud to have been a part of this important showcase for future generations of designers.” Alan added: “Axminster is proud to support the Young Furniture Makers exhibition for the fourth year in a row. The event is a great way for students, education and industry to network, which, with the work by The Furniture Makers’ Company and the many individuals who give their time, is notably making a difference. Axminster is focused on developing products and service to suit its many customers. The association with the Young Furniture Makers and The Furniture Makers’ Company gives us a great insight in which to develop what we do, and so we feel privileged to give back.” As 2018 draws to a close, the Young Furniture Makers exhibition provided the ideal platform to promote and inspire the next wave of budding designers wanting to make their mark on the furniture industry. Once again, congratulations to all the talent involved.
Visitors explore the designs on show 23rd November 2018 | 24
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SALES AGENT REQUIRED AREA: EAST ANGLIA
Heritage Furniture is on the lookout for a results-driven Sales Agent with a sense of passion and pride to join its UK Sales Team.
ABOUT HERITAGE FURNITURE Heritage Furniture is an established, reputable design-led company serving independent furniture retailers with well designed, value driven product portfolio for the Bedroom, Living and Dining room, operating from a 100,000sq ft distribution centre in Blackburn, Lancashire. For us it’s all about being different and unique in the way we do business, from our products to our service, it is all about the customer. With phenomenal growth since the inception of new ranges this year, there is now an exciting opportunity for the right candidate who is fired up for success.
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TRADE ASSOCIATION REPRESENTING THE INDUSTRY
British Furniture Manufacturers British Furniture Manufacturers British Furniture Manufacturers
THE ROLE REQUIREMENTS - Actively seeking out new opportunities - Managing exisiting accounts - Building relationships and continuing growth with existing customers The Company will provide support with product training, show van, active marketing, including participation in key industry exhibitions. YOUR PROFILE You are a people person with a positive work attitude who can maintain and build strong relationships with customers. You have a charismatic personality and are self motivated. You need to have flair for the current trends in furniture design, be good at structuring your work and time with a goal oriented focus in your approach to sales. Please email your CV and covering letter to Heritage UK Sales Manager: sid@heritagefurnitureuk.com or call 01254 660777 W W W. H E R I TA G E F U R N I T U R E U K . C O M
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Visit us at the January Furniture Show Hall 5 Stand B45 Entire Modular Range on Display
LAST WORD FLORA DAVIDSON, FOUNDER OF SUPPLYCOMPASS, HAS THE LAST WORD Five fabrics that will make the future of homewares more sustainable
“A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE MEANS RECONSIDERING THE FABRICS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FURNITURE.“
Moving the industry towards a more sustainable future means reconsidering the fabrics used in the manufacture of furniture are both socially and environmentally kind. Here are five fabrics to look out for if you want to help protect the environment: 1. Organic cotton Organic cotton is better for people and the environment than its non-organic counterpart. No pesticides are used in the production of organic cotton, which is important as not only are pesticides bad for soil and the environment, but they are extremely harmful to the health of those working with them. They can be deadly and cause a multitude of chronic illnesses. Organic cotton replenishes and maintains soil fertility rather than depleting it. Crop rotation is required with organic farming, which helps lock in C02. 2. Econyl Econyl is a form of nylon that is made entirely from waste products. It is made from a range of post-consumer waste, including abandoned fishing nets, carpets and rigid textiles, and aims to be a green alternative to the original product that is made from a derivative of oil.
4. Spider silk Despite the name, spiders are not used in the production of this material. The company that invented spider silk, Bolt Threads, studied spiders and their DNA to learn how the fibre was produced and work out a way to develop their own version. No spider DNA is used in its manufacture and the end product is completely synthetic. The great thing about this material is that it is made from renewable resources, so the environmental impact is also lower.
Sorrento Fabric
5. Eco Leather This is a relatively recent development. The ‘Eco’ variant still uses genuine animal hides (i.e. it is not vegan), but the manufacturing process sidesteps the more environmentally damaging impact of mainstream tanning. Rather than using abrasive chemicals, this far more ethical approach utilises natural, plantbased products such as tannin, extracted from the bark and leaves of trees, to create the same preservative effect. By working with fabric manufacturers who use sustainable materials you can ensure your furniture brand is looking to the future of both the planet and its people.
3. Tencel Tencel is the registered brand name of a revolutionary sustainable fibre of botanical origin, produced by the Lenzing Group. The fibre, also known by the generic name lyocell, is a variety of rayon. It is made entirely from regenerated cellulose, and as such it is exceptionally environmentally friendly. The source material used in the manufacturing process is dissolved wood pulp.
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