SMG News - Spring 2014 by SMG Group

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CONTENTS SMG NEWS | SpRiNg 2014 | ISSUE 175

NEWS 6

AXMINSTER LAUNCH RUGS

14 ULSTER CELEBRATES 75 YEARS 26 NEW HOME COUNTIES 31 THE ‘GREAT BRITISH SLIDER’

REgULARS 11 AT THE SHARP END Simon Harrison from Victoria Carpets

36 QUESTION TIME Eamonn Prescott from Adam Carpets

70 MEMBER FOCUS Wessex Carpets in Dorset

FEATURES 29 NEW ONLINE INITIATIVE 54 MEMBER SAVES WITH CRUK 62 WORKING TOGETHER 64 BECOME A DEEPER SLEEPER

ON THE COVER Cormar Carpets Sensation Twist

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Adam Carpets Fine Worcester Twist

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BUYING GROUPS’ NATIONAL

FLOORINGMAYSHOW 2014 13 & 14 th

“What a fantastic show! A great centrally located venue and the best suppliers all under one roof!” Stephen Pearce, Choice Homes

“The show continues to grow every year and is a great event for the carpet industry!”

Jonathan Davies, Sales Director of Associated weavers

DAtes & tIMes LOCAtION

Tuesday 13th May, 9:00 - 19:00 Wednesday 14th May, 9:00 - 17:00 Cranmore park, Solihull, West Midlands, B90 4LF

Available exclusively to Members of affiliated Buying Groups.

Please visit www.bgnfs.co.uk to register! Proudly supported by

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SMG NewS | Spring 2014

Dear Members,

elcome to the new look Spring issue of SMG News, another excellent edition and my thanks go to everyone who has contributed to this issue. The change in style has been prompted by the new SMG logo, introduced in January, which is a contemporary representation of the original. It is modern and sharp and takes SMG into the future whilst remembering that the founding principle of bringing Suppliers and Members together is still the driving force of the Group. The distribution of SMG News continues to expand both in hard copy and online and we are pleased to add Members of the Minerva Furnishers Guild to the list. Interestingly one Approved Supplier cited SMG News as one of the favourite industry reads following its market research into publications, praise indeed. The year appears to have started very well for SMG Members and there seems to be much more positivity all round. The Membership

package has improved yet again with better offers from Suppliers in both flooring and business support. I know it’s an old chestnut but I would urge every Member to take stock of their business and concentrate on Suppliers aligned to the Group, the more you spend with these Suppliers the greater your margin will be. Your customers look to you for service, advice and recommendations, sell them the products that provide your business with the value it requires. I would also encourage anyone looking at buying branded products from wholesale to consider using SMG Orderlink in the future. The price you pay is the price we pay for the products so that you can retain profit on your sale, please talk to us if you need more information. we have seen many new product developments since the last SMG News, some of which have not yet been launched but should have a significant impact on sales this year, shame that we can’t say anything more about them. Those that we can talk about are as follows; Kingstown has launched the ‘Great British

Slider’ into its range of wardrobes. Axminster Carpets is using the key elements of its bespoke capability to launch a new range of children’s rugs. Cormar has revolutionised its Home Counties collection, wool is on its way back. Associated weavers launch the new Sensuality range of products featuring iSense yarn. Ball & Young are raising the bar again with the launch of the Caviar & Champagne range of Cloud 9 underlays. I look forward to seeing you all at Solihull again for the Buying Groups’ National Flooring Show from Tuesday 13th May to wednesday 14th May. This year it is a two day event with a 7pm finish on the Tuesday and I hope that this provides you with enough flexibility to attend. Like last year, we will have an exclusive SMG room at the show and would like to encourage you to visit the team to see the latest developments. Please visit www.bgnfs.co.uk and register your place now or call SMG and we will register for you - see you all there.

Best regards,

Mike Symonds Head of group Operations

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SMg The national Furnishing group 9 The Markham Centre, Station Road, Theale, Reading, Berkshire RG7 4Pe Telephone 0118 932 3832 Fax 0118 930 4515 Email info@smg-group.co.uk Web www.smg-group.co.uk Published by: SMG The National Furnishing Group. Printed by: Lamport Gilbert Limited 3 Darwin Close, Reading, Berkshire RG2 0TB.

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NEWS UPDATE AxMInSTEr CArPETS LAUnCHES PrEMIUM CHILDrEn’S rUgS rAngE A new range of high quality, British made 100% wool rugs, with the option to be personalised with a name or special date (a first for a woven rug) is being launched by Axminster Carpets. Woven in the same style as the quality carpets the business is known for on an 8 pitch traditional loom, the initial designs in the range have been developed by Axminster Carpets’ own design team. The beautiful, eye catching portfolio is designed to reflect childhood imagination. Each design conjures up a story or theme which will create many hours of playtime fun to spark memories which will be held long into the future. Inspiration for the designs has been taken from current trends in interiors and incorporates nature and wildlife themes with imagery reflecting owls, sheep, woodland and natural themes. Colour palettes used range from contemporary pastel combinations with rich cream and grey backdrops as well as stronger deep primary hues perfect to combine with current interiors trends to make a real feature of any children’s room.

The portfolio includes rugs perfect for baby and toddler rooms such as the ‘Baby Bunting’ in soft hues of grey and calming tones of blue, pink, purple and cream; the ‘Woolly Warmers’ style featuring lambs with an array of different woolly scarf designs; the ‘Whooo’s There? ’ with lots of little, cute owls replicating the leaves of a tree; ‘Sticky Prints’ is a design made up of children’s hand painted prints in an array of colours; ‘Tepee Tents’ features rows fun patterned tents; ‘By the Seaside’

is a picturesque beach scene showing a row of brightly coloured beach huts as a plane overhead flies a sign with the child’s name on it. recommended retail prices start from £250 for standard rugs and £299 for personalisation. rug dimensions are 0.91m x 1.37m and all rugs will be hand finished with a quality canvas bound edging in a colour to complement each rug design.

To add a personalised touch, bespoke options are also available and rugs can be made to include children’s names and dates of birth which can be woven into the chosen design.

ADAM CArPETS Joy WITH SUCCESS AT HoUSE BEAUTIfUL AWArDS Adam Carpets are delighted to have won at the recent House Beautiful Awards. Popular range Artistry scooped the Silver Award for ‘Best Carpet’. The prestigious awards were held at the Science Museum in Central London with celebrities such as Mary Berry, Alan Titchmarsh and Tommy Walsh in attendance. Sales Director Eamonn Prescott collected the award from designer Lisa Levis. “It was great to win the award and it is pleasing to know that this category is based on quality, style and value for money.”

Above: Eamonn Prescott receiving the award from Lisa Levis. right: Artistry

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InnovatIon SkIllS RecognISed at domotex Wools of new Zealand are constantly seeking to ‘push the boundaries’ in carpet innovation. So, it is not surprising that at this year’s domotex, europe’s largest flooring show, their talent was recognised. ‘Innovation’ was the organiser’s challenge for exhibitors this year – across all floorcoverings. Wools of new Zealand worked with its partners to ‘showcase’ the creative and technical capabilities of new Zealand wool. three ‘concepts’ were recognised by the judges: mirage, inspired by designer handbag collections, combines wool with silk to produce a lustrous optical texture on the carpet face. Bond Street, a Savile Row inspired suiting twill in four grey neutral colours, is a classic Wilton with both feminine and masculine appeal.

Highland tweed made of wool chenille with accents of bamboo and gold lame is a stunning carpet cloth in line with fashionable rustic elegance. as david Hammond says: “at Wools of new Zealand, we have a lot of creative skills to offer the industry, be it in product styling or colour trends. We prove that modern technology can complement traditional skills and crafts to produce eye catching, desirable, and uniquely different products. We work with the Uk’s leading manufacturers including Westex, Brockway, cormar, Flock, crucial trading and cavalier, all of whom recognise the ‘icing on the cake’ that we can give to products distinguishing them from others in the market.

domotex is, for us, an integral part of our marketing activity. It is our ‘flagship’ event and we work closely with partners to ensure they derive maximum benefit from the Wools of new Zealand partnership. Provenance is becoming ever more important to consumers and the transparency of laneve as a wool brand is very much ‘in tune’ with modern consumer sentiment.” For further information please contact Wools of New Zealand on 01943 603 888 or email info@woolsnz.co.uk

neW SHoW van SetS oFF! kingstown Furniture’s brand new show van has set off on its long expedition across the Uk. the van will cover both the north and the south of the country and will showcase their latest and greatest ranges of furniture. It offers a great opportunity for retailers who unfortunately missed us at the Interiors Show to see kingstown products including ‘the great British Slider.’ the slider is the latest design in elegant and stylish bedroom furniture from kingstown and features a stunning textured detailing to the doors and is available in a variety of sizes and colour options plus it has matching chests. lynda Johnson, territory manager, will be the first to hit the road in the new van. She will be covering the north West and the north Wales area. design director at kingstown Furniture, dave Frampton comments “It’s an exciting prospect to be able to take our furniture straight to our customers and potential customers. We are constantly looking at ways to be innovative and this provides us with the opportunity to show off our fantastic products. It also offers

customers a convenient way to really see our products.”

lynda Johnson, territory manager for the north West collecting the keys from design director dave Frampton.

If you’d like the kingstown show van to stop by you, contact your territory manager today. Smg news | Spring 2014 | 7

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NEWS UPDATe TOP PeRFORMANCe AT ARSeNAL Arsenal’s Training Centre in Colney, Hertfordshire boasts ten full size pitches, an indoor facility and a medical & rehabilitation centre. The Training Centre has to withstand the onslaught of testosterone fuelled youngsters eager to prove their footballing prowess. Over 225m² of robust eco-friendly safety flooring was called for to improve facilities in the indoor venue. Nick Bunyard, who is now heading up Jaymart’s new Sports & Leisure division, asserted that “Jaymart’s heavy duty performance rubber flooring Blade-Runner in Black/Red was chosen for this project because it performs in all the key areas”. Blade-Runner has been designed to be non-reflecting, sound absorbent and slip resistant, thus improving lighting conditions, lessening background noise and improving safety. It is manufactured using up to 100% recycled granulate or crumb rubber and is incredibly resilient, safe, flexible and available in a variety of colours. Blade-Runner is able easily to withstand heavy equipment and high impact shocks such as dropped weights, golf spikes or ice skate blades. Jaymart’s Blade-Runner is also currently being used in the Black/Orange version for easyGym nationwide.

CORMAR DOCKS AT NORTHAMPTON To support growth in retail sales Cormar Carpets has introduced a new cross-dock distribution centre in Northampton. The centre was opened in time to help cope with increased demand over the autumn, the new cross-dock centre is already proving to be a success, having handled over 18,000 cuts and rolls, in the last three months of 2013. The distribution centre sits alongside the company’s existing outbase depots, providing additional support to current facilities in the loading bay and cut lengths department at Cormar’s Brookhouse Mill site in Greenmount, Bury. The Northampton site is operated in conjunction with Cormar’s existing logistics partners. The depot now operates 11 vehicles each day. Customer orders are loaded in bulk on 44ft trailers in Bury to then trunk to Northampton overnight, unload and finally reload onto individual local delivery routes as normal.

Jaymart are also pleased to introduce Paul Farrell, a new member to the sports and leisure team who will be using his expertise to help bring top performance quality sports and leisure products to an expanded market. For more information on the Sports & Leisure range from Jaymart please telephone 01373 864926 or email sales@jaymart.co.uk

ReGISTeR NOW FOR THe BGNFS 2014 The feedback from Members and Suppliers who attended last year’s Buying Groups’ National Flooring Show was incredible and there is no doubt that there is no other show that offers the same number of quality manufacturers at such a convenient location.

BUYING GROUPS’ NATIONAL

This year for the first time, SMG Members have the choice of attending both days 13th & 14th MAY 2014 and with late opening on the Tuesday there is plenty of time to see your favourite suppliers. It’s fast becoming THe flooring show and Members should make sure they visit to see the very latest in carpets, rugs, laminates, woods, LVT’s, underlays and accessories.

FLOORING SHOW

To register your place at the event visit www.bgnfs.co.uk

Said Craig Marshall, head of order channels and logistics at Cormar Carpets: “We pride ourselves on our on-time delivery performance, so wanted to make sure we had as seamless a transition as possible, with no disruption to our customers during the peak delivery period of the year. We are now looking forward to volumes rising further and providing an even greater service to our customers.” All Cormar ranges are produced in the UK on site at its Lancashire mills and distributed throughout Britain and Ireland via its own delivery fleet.

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nEW

Long IsLand collection

A beautiful collection of attractive, antique white painted finished furniture with a tasteful contrast of oak finished tops.

Contact your local agent or our sales team to become a ZonE stockist today!

Call 0141 613 7373 SMG News - Spring 2014_NEW.indd 10

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www.zonefurniture.co.uk 25/03/2014 12:03:27

AT THE sHarp END eacH issue smg puts ten questions to a sales representative to Hear tHeir tHougHts from ‘tHe sHarp end’.

Earlier this month SMG caught up with Simon Harrison from Victoria Carpets. Simon started work at 15 with independent retailer Wades Furnishing, shortly afterwards he moved to a small independent carpet store which he subsequently bought and ran with his wife Wendy for about five years. Having found out the grass is not always greener Simon then took an opportunity to manage Waring and Gillow and in 1985 the position at Victoria was advertised and the rest is history as they say!

How did you get into tHe trade? “My Dad, who was a successful salesman, always said I could talk the hind leg off a donkey and sell ice to the Eskimos so it seemed logical to give it a go.” outside of work, wHat are your interests? “It used to be clay pigeon shooting. I reached a high standard and it culminated in winning several Yorkshire events and finishing third in the British championships. That stopped with marriage and two boys as funds ran out. In 1999 golf grabbed me and is now my passion, “he plays two days a week and two at the weekend when he can” commented my Sales Director Shaun.” wHat Have you seen cHange tHe most in last five years? “The surge in polypropylene, the sales on the internet and companies such as SCS selling carpets in a different way to most people. SCS are selling credit first and foremost; the carpet is not as important as finance. Consumers don’t have a clue how much the product is or often the quality (similar to DFS) but they know they can pay X amount per month. The internet is still growing and all of you who are now saying carpet is touchy feely I agree, but it will often be in your shop they touch and feel it before going on line! Ignore it at your peril! Polypropylene now accounts for

a huge slice of most retailers’ turnover, who would have thought Victoria would ever make PP product but we do now and, in my opinion, Heartland is one of the nicest in the market at present.” wHat’s your favourite product at tHe moment? “I don’t think anyone could argue that Tudor Twist set the bench mark that led the industry all those years ago so Options (its latest format) has to be my choice with four weights and thirty six colours in two widths backed by our endorsement why look anywhere else.” as a representative wHat are your biggest cHallenges? “Time management; when I started out I had to find a working phone box ( I know I sound ancient) to ring in twice a day. Now I have a smart phone, laptop, and tablet so it is a constant flow of calls, emails and messages as well as driving around 35,000 miles a year and actually visiting retailers.” of all tHe retailers you visit wHat common denominator contributes to tHem being successful? “Doing what they say they will on time and in budget having gained the trust and confidence of the consumer. Plus working from a well presented pleasant showroom.”

wHat do you see as tHe key market cHallenge for retailers at tHe moment? “Carpet has dropped so far down the wish list for consumers getting people to think about carpet let alone quality carpet is very difficult. Somehow we need to see carpet climb the ranks as a plush comfortable affordable feel good aspirational purchase.” if you could ask retailers to cHange one tHing wHat would it be? “To be more professional by reinvesting in their own business. By this I mean quality displays, adopting the less is more approach, giving the consumer fewer options but better choice in a more convivial environment.” if you didn’t work in tHis industry wHat would you be doing now? “Cars have always been an interest of mine so I guess I might have been selling cars.” wHat’s tHe best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? “Be honest, I hope people who know me would say they can trust me as I am a man of my word.”

Established in 1895 Victoria Carpets has grown to become one of Britain’s best-known and well respected carpet brands. Manufacturing all types and qualities of tufted products, produced in wool, wool mix and man-made fibres which cover a wide selection of styles and price points, Victoria Carpets are also one of a few companies who still produce woven Wilton carpets. SMG News | spring 2014 | 11

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NEWS uPDATE TWiST AnD SHOuT SEnSATiOn has been dominated for years by wool and polypropylene twists. But now the Sensation ranges with their use of the soft luxurious Luxelle fibre, bring a new dimension to the market. Both Sensation and Sensation Heathers have had a great reaction. So it made sense to bring out another variation, using the same winning formula. All the Sensation A sister range to Sensation (Original and carpets look and feel fantastic, they new Feeling) and Sensation Heathers, it is are easy to live with and are great also made with the same easy clean fibre, value-for-money.” Luxelle, that makes it dirt and stain All Cormar’s stain resistant polypropylene resistant and bleach cleanable. it is carpets, wool twists, wool loop carpets ideal for all around the home, including are produced on site at its Lancashire bedrooms, and comes in a choice of 16 mills and distributed in the uK and Eire plain colours, available in four and five via its own delivery fleet. metre widths. Cormar Carpets added a new collection to its Sensation portfolio of luxurious easy clean carpets last november, and it has been a huge success within the membership. it is crafted from the same two-fold specialised yarn to create a lustrous handle but with a finer twist definition.

Says Cormar’s marketing director, David Cormack: “The retail carpet market

For further information please contact Cormar Carpets on 01204 881200.

WOODPECKER FLOORinG’S nEW WEBSiTE OFFERS FREE PiCK OF WOOD SAmPLES Kenton Floors’ flagship brand Woodpecker has launched its new website following the debut of new ranges of laminate and engineered wood floors. The re-branded site was built to attract end users by investing in a refreshed, user-friendly design. Launched in January, the website integrated with Kenton’s postal sampling system, enabling the end-user to order up to three floor samples at a time. Sample orders from the website contributed a significant 40.6% over a two week period following the launch. Total postal sampling increased by 34.3% in comparison to the same time frame in 2013. Popular engineered floors are at the forefront of the free sample orders, with the Raglan range leading just ahead of the oak and walnut of Harlech. “Launching the website provided the opportunity to re-haul sampling and streamline it on a product-by-product basis. Sampling is the first step to a considerable investment by a homeowner or professional, which is

why we see it as a vital part of our offering to final customers” commented Darwyn Ker, Sales Director. “As a manufacturer, we don’t supply our floors directly to the public, but digital platforms allow us to spark a relationship and speak to consumers in a way that used to be almost impossible. Each floor

comes with a 25 year warranty, so it makes perfect sense to start that relationship with something free. After all, Great Oaks from little acorns grow.” For further information please contact Luke Berry on 02920 760792 or email luke@kentonfloors.co.uk SmG news | Spring 2014 | 13

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nEWS UPDATe CeLeBRATING 75 YeARS OF HIGH QUALITY MANUFACTURING Ulster Carpets are proud to be celebrating their 75th year in business in 2014. The landmark year, provides cause not only to reflect on the company’s achievements but also to look forward, ensuring success long into the future. The company hosted 550 guests at a Gala Dinner on Saturday 22nd February to mark the occasion and pay a special thanks to all who have played a part in Ulster Carpets’ long history. Past and present employees from around the world, local dignitaries and representatives from the many organisations the company supports, enjoyed a drinks reception, a delicious four course meal and dancing long into the night. Since their foundation, Ulster Carpets have been dedicated to quality, service and the pursuit of excellence. Through the generations, hundreds of skilled employees have worked to ensure only the highest quality carpets bear the Ulster name. To achieve this all wilton and axminster manufacturing remains within the UK, right down to sourcing and processing the wool. This level of quality control and Ulster Carpet’s dedication to innovation, have contributed to the company’s success not only in the residential market, but also the booming contract market. Fine

bespoke axminster, designed and woven by Ulster Carpets, graces the floors of some of the world’s finest hotels, casinos, cruise ships and venues. The prestigious client list which includes the Burj al Arab, the George V Paris and the Tower of London, led to the company being awarded ‘exporter of the Year’ at the PwC Private Business Awards in 2013. Ulster Carpets are committed to maintaining the company’s success for many years to come and to this end remain committed to local manufacturing, innovation and quality design. This spring/summer Ulster

Carpets will launch a number of exciting new ranges in response to current trends and consumer demands. This includes a range of luxurious contemporary plaids and also a stylish ‘two level’ tufted range which will join the best selling Open Spaces Collection. Above: From left, Nick Coburn, (Managing Director), walter wilson and edward wilson (Chairman) cut the cake to celebrate the 75th anniversary Left: From left, Calvin Pope (Designer at Ulster Carpets) and his wife Georgina enjoy a drinks reception at the 75th Gala Dinner alongside Claire Jenkinson (Designer) and her husband, Stephen. Both Claire and Calvin are currently putting the final touches to the brand new ranges launching into the residential market this Spring/Summer.

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Ulster Carpets Heritage Twist Ulster Carpetsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Heritage Twist is a luxurious product that has been engineered to stand the test of time. It is available in 24 modern colourways, in 5m, 4m, 3m, 2m and 1m colour-matching widths enabling a reduction in waste and cost by using Ulsterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s multi-width offering. Please contact Ulster Carpets on 028 3833 4433 or your local representative for more information.

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Heritage Twist - Chesil

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nEWS UPDATe wORLD CLASS BARBICAN CeNTRe eNLISTS AXMINSTeR CARPeTS FOR INTeRIORS world-class London based arts and learning organisation the Barbican has picked Axminster Carpets to supply the historic building. The Barbican has used Axminster Carpets since 2008 and the woven 8-pitch loom carpet in Bespoke ‘Barbican blue’ recently laid on the stairs, stalls and foyer is an exact match for quality, style and colour as the Axminster carpet which was originally laid in the auditorium. The Barbican welcomes over 1.77 million people every year and Axminster Carpets’ luxurious carpet will be durable enough to withstand this footfall for years to come. Yvette Chin, project manager at the Barbican, said: “we are really pleased to continue our relationship with Axminster Carpets, maintaining high quality interiors within our iconic building. we aim to give audiences a great experience from the moment they step through our doors and using Axminster Carpets helps to deliver this.”

Above and Right: Bespoke ‘Barbican Blue’ in the foyer and auditorium of the historic Barbican.

MR TOMKINSON SPONSORS NATIONAL GOLF TOURNAMeNT Mr Tomkinson will sponsor the 2014 Kidderminster Carpet Manufacturers’ National Golf Tournament in aid of the Furnishing Industry Trust (FIT) and Macmillan Cancer Support. The iconic industry brand takes over from sister company Georgian Carpets who had been the sponsor since 2004. This year is the 58th year of this extraordinary event that has stood the test of time with the undiminished support of the UK carpet industry. It has raised over £1.2 million since its inception and it remains one of the biggest individual contributing events to FIT and is greatly appreciated by Macmillan.

This year’s event takes place on Tuesday 20th and wednesday 21st May at Kidderminster Golf Club. Day One is a four ball team event while Day Two is a 2 ball team event. Commenting on his hopes for the event, Tournament Chairman Shaun Lewis of Victoria Carpets said: “we are indebted to Mr Tomkinson for stepping in to support this wonderful event. even when the industry was on its knees it has continued to muster up support for those less advantaged and it speaks volumes for our industry and its generosity.” Mike Dobson of new sponsors Mr Tomkinson said: “we are delighted to take on the sponsorship of this popular event that is pivotal to the welfare of our industry charity. I hope now that things are beginning to pick up on the business front that we can welcome back some old friends, as well as welcome new ones, in May. It is such a worthy cause.” For tickets and further information, please contact Shaun Lewis on 01562 749 300.

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BRoCkway aRE CELEBRatIng 50 yEaRs of BRItIsh CaRpEt manUfaCtURIng Thank you to all of our customers for your continued support!

Brockway carpets Limited kIddERmInstER tRadIng EstatE, spEnnELLs VaLLEy Road, kIddERmInstER, woRCEstERshIRE dy10 1Xs, Uk teLephone 01562 828200 emaiL saLEs@BRoCkway.Co.Uk Brockway.co.uk

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FOUnDATiOn FOCUS New INITIATIVe FROM CARPeT FOUNDATION... Be ‘SeeN, FOUND AND VISITeD’ The Carpet Foundation has launched a new marketing campaign that will demonstrably prove what members get for their membership. The ‘Be Seen, Be Found, Be Visited’ initiative is all about promoting your shops, in your town, to your customers by unlocking the power of the internet. It is not promoting, or encouraging, selling online but it is designed to ensure that your websites are a business building tool and add benefit. The CF argues that a good website is a ‘must’ in today’s world and is a tool that should help your business, not merely be an online brochure or presence. Too many retailers continue to manage their digital and non-digital channels separately. You move things around in your shops to ‘freshen things up’ on a regular basis but why is it that so many retailers leave their biggest shop window, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, static for the year? There are 3 million searches every month for ‘carpet’ on the internet and nearly 200,000 for ‘carpet shops’. It is quite a large ‘window of opportunity’ to turn one’s back on. Indeed, not having an effective online presence is like shutting one’s shop for a day.

“There are 3 million searches every month for ‘carpet’ on the internet and nearly 200,000 for ‘carpet shops’. it is quite a large ‘window of opportunity’ to turn one’s back on” its benefits. Representatives from the Carpet Foundation manufacturers are rolling it out now. while the TSI backed Code of Practice is seen as a ‘deal clincher’, it is hoped that this will be the ‘deal opener’ – and also lead to new retailers coming on board.

Andrew Stanbridge, Carpet Foundation Chief executive said: “The biggest criticism the Foundation has always faced is ‘what am I getting for my The idea was piloted on 2 retailers at the money’? This will prove conclusively what we are delivering for £35 a month, back end of 2013 with very encouraging right to your shop, in your town. what is results. Before the intervention of the Foundation, when it came to Google and more, they will almost certainly be new online searches, both retailers were losing customers. out to the competition in their area. There is no escaping the fact that more Today, the story is very different – and it and more of us do our ‘due diligence’ has led to new business for both retailers. online these days before we purchase. we, as consumers, want an ‘always on’, A three minute film has been 24-7 service mentality. That is all the more produced showcasing the offer and true of the younger generation – the customers of tomorrow. what is more, they are doing it from phones and tablets.

customers. By working with us, as impartial and ‘honest brokers’, our retail members will get increased footfall at no extra expense. we will give you a ‘health check’ on your current website and make sure your website is ‘working for you’ and enhancing your business. embrace the digital age and it will bring you new business.”

For further information about the ‘Be Seen, Be Found, Be Visited’ campaign please contact the Carpet Foundation on 01562 755 568.

A lot of retailers complain about the ‘man in a van’ taking business from them, well the internet is where he gets his

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nEWS UPDATe CARPeT ReCYCLING UK BeATS LANDFILL DIVeRSION TARGeT TwO YeARS eARLY Latest figures released by Carpet Recycling UK reveal a record-breaking 107,000 tonnes of waste carpet were reused, recycled and recovered in the UK during 2013 – up 21% (22,000 tonnes) on the previous year. This landfill diversion rate of 27% means that CRUK has exceeded its original target of 25% by 2015 two years early. This target was set in 2008 when the industry’s award-winning not-for-profit organisation was launched to tackle the 400,000 tonnes of waste carpet arising annually in the UK. Increased volumes have been helped by a three-fold rise – from 15 to 45 - in the number of local authorities providing dedicated carpet collection facilities, as well as the creation of new outlets and innovative end uses for recycled carpet waste encouraged by CRUK. with the support of important UK manufacturers and distributors keen to demonstrate producer responsibility for their products, CRUK has been instrumental in changing the perception of carpet waste for the better; from uplifted materials to post-production and installation off-cuts. Reuse and recycling of waste carpet increased 19% or by 7,000 tonnes and energy recovery rose 31% or by 15,000 tonnes in 2013 compared to 2012. CRUK’s new ambitious landfill diversion target is 60% by 2020. CRUK Director Laurance Bird said: “we are confident that this can be reached given the progress rate over the past five years as the demand for carpets as a material stream has increased steadily. Carpet is now regarded as a beneficial resource from which valuable raw materials can be extracted for reuse in a second life. Possibilities are growing all the time as entrepreneurs from a complete cross-section of manufacturing and commercial enterprises continue to push the boundaries of what can be achieved.”

Domestic households are the main source of carpets, which are recovered at end-of-life via local authority recycling centres and bulky waste collections. Over the past 18 months, more unitary and disposal-based local authorities in the UK that are now collecting carpets at HwRC sites means that around 25% of local authorities in the UK are now separating carpets and avoiding landfill.

recovery rates and saves raw materials for re-use or primary fuel replacement.”

According to CRUK research, more than 200 Household waste Recycling Centre (HwRC) sites are now involved in segregating carpets, giving more than seven million households the opportunity to recycle their carpets.

“Scotland has introduced compulsory material segregation for commercial businesses from January 1st 2014 to stop loss of valuable materials going to landfill,” added Laurance. “This has to be welcomed and other UK regions will be watching this closely.”

The average household carpet disposal rate is 6.7 kgs per year, with a range from 3.8 to 9.6 kgs dependent on catchment area size, plus length of time collections have been established. Collection levels are higher in the more densely populated areas.

Enquiries are welcomed from all types of organisations interested in recycling their waste carpet. For further information please telephone Carpet recycling Uk on 0161 440 8325 or visit www.carpetrecyclinguk.com

Carpets from commercial sources such as flooring contractors and retailers are increasingly being segregated so that disposal costs can be reduced and materials recovered rather than being mixed with other wastes to end up in landfill.

Laurance said: “Councils continue to be an important focus for us as we encourage more to engage in collecting carpets, which increases their site

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AdAm cArpets Kidderminster LibrAry When the council wanted to refurbish the library they were looking for a local carpet manufacturer who could supply carpet tiles. it was also desirable that this product be made locally in Kidderminster. Adam carpets were the only company who could ensure that was possible.

“there was a groundswell of opinion within the local council that the carpet tiles be made by a Kidderminster company.” said eamonn prescott, sales director. “it stands to reason as this is the home of carpet making in the UK. i was delighted that Adam carpets could meet all the criteria set down by the council.

it also gave us an ideal showcase for our new commercial offer.”

AngeLA WrigHt - Artist in WOOL curtis Wool direct have been working with Angela Wright, an artist in wool, for several years now and her installations have travelled the world in celebration of the campaign for Wool. Her latest installation, called 40 days is currently at southwark cathedral during Lent. it was made from wool that was grown in 40 different countries and was processed at Haworth scouring company in bradford under the constant supervision of the environmental consultants, enco, who ensure that the planet is protected at all times! curtis Wool direct pride themselves on being imaginative and innovative and when this opportunity from Angela arose they were instantly on board and are thrilled by her work. the list of 40 countries where the wool originated from includes yarn from the campaign for Wool’s major contributors; the United Kingdom, Australia, new

Zealand, south Africa, the UsA, Viking Wool from norway and of course the world famous real shetland Wool that is grown exclusively in the shetland islands. not many people know this, but wool grown by different sheep breeds in different countries is totally different. One has the super fine merino types which make wonderful fashion clothing through to the scottish blackface wool which goes into some of the very best carpets in the world. in between we have hundreds of different wool types and grades and blending them together can be an extremely difficult task. When presented with these challenges the teams at curtis and Haworth formulated a strategy that helped to produce this beautiful work of art. Angela has accompanied the installation on its travels and has been spreading the wonderful story of wool wherever she has been.

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NEWS uPdaTE ForBo’S BaCk To ThE Floor aNNouNCES lowEr BaG ThrEShold Forbo’s Back to the Floor recycling scheme has lowered its collection threshold from two bulk bags to just one bag giving greater flexibility on collections of installation off-cuts of its flooring products. The new threshold of one bag – around 70m² of Forbo flooring off-cuts is needed to fill it – has been introduced in response to feedback and requests from participants in the scheme, which recycles Forbo’s clean installation off-cuts back into new flooring products. Given that there is an estimated 10% wastage arising from each new flooring installation, each bag can hold enough off-cuts from a 700m² floor area. This calculation enables contractors to allow for sufficient bags to recycle off-cuts from any project – and especially helps those who could collect this amount over a number of smaller jobs.

Back to the Floor Scheme Co-ordinator, Michelle Brewer said: “By lowering the threshold to one bag, we are facilitating greater take-up of the Back to the Floor scheme across the flooring supply chain, especially for smaller installers and retail outlets. Volumes collected from smaller projects can all go together in one bag, contributing towards their overall sustainable goals. “The lower threshold has been warmly welcomed by collectors, particularly by those with limited storage space at their premises and who may have struggled to store more bags. It also encourages greater participation, by retailers for example, as this is ideal for their requirements.” Since its launch in November 2012, virtually the whole flooring portfolio supplied by Forbo can now be collected through its recycling initiative, thus closing the recycling loop.

Back to the Floor also collects and reprocesses smooth vinyl, cushioned vinyl flooring, plus Marmoleum and Flotex installation off-cuts for recycling back into new Forbo products. Michelle added: “Enabling collections from just one bag means even more flooring companies can join Back to the Floor, making it easier and more accessible for all. Collections are backhauled using the existing transport network.” Scheme members are provided with colour-coded polythene bags and bulk bags, which can be collected from site or dropped off at participating distributors when filled with the specified materials. For more information please contact Forbo on 0161 355 7618 or email backtothefloor@forbo.com

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nEWS UPDATe IN A CLASS OF ITS OwN Jaymart’s prestige Alligator-Raincheck high performance entrance matting system was recently the matting system of choice for the Millennium Point, Birmingham’s flagship Millennium project in the eastside which celebrates and encourages science, technology and education. Alligator Raincheck effectively prevents foot-borne ingress of dirt and moisture, and its aluminium mat ribs scrape dirt from shoe soles whilst the nylon-on-vinyl strips absorb moisture. Jaymart’s Alligator system aluminium entrance mattings are quality protection mats that are more colourfully and texturally decorative, and scientifically more effective than the conventional old fashioned metal and rubber footscrapers, coconut mats etc. we live in an increasingly competitive world and first impressions are now even more vitally important in persuading potential customers to favour any particular organisation with their purchasing presence! The Alligator-Raincheck entrance matting system is available in two options: open or closed constructions both 17.5mm thick approx. It is recommended for use in internal or sheltered entrance matwells, and is an ideal solution for busy locations with high volume foot traffic.

Alligator-Raincheck is setting the standard at the following venues: • Parkway Shopping Centre, Newbury • William Booth College, London • The Lizard RNLI, Cornwall • The Wellcome Trust, London For further information please contact the Jaymart Sales Team on 01373 864926 or email sales@jaymart.co.uk

DYNAMIC New LOOK FOR CAMPAIGN FOR wOOL AT SURFACeS 2014 fabulous wool House virtually and then see some of ONewOOL nominations from the industry.

A stunning designer booth has been created for the Campaign for wool to celebrate the launch of its major wool promotional programme. Focusing on the new Green Sheep brand and the ONewOOL platform, which encourages wool manufacturers and designers to collaborate in promoting beautiful wool products, the booth showcases fabulous and iconic wool product from across the wool industry. Bridgette Kelly, Campaign for wool Interiors Director said, ‘we have designed and styled a booth that shows the true dynamics of wool and embraces the whole interior opportunity, which is what this campaign is all about. Our aim is to show this fabulous fibre as the superior choice for interiors and we are delighted with the result.” wool Salon - shows the iconic womb chair by Knoll in the archival Cato Collection fabric set on a beautiful

Carpets and rugs on the Booth are supplied from leading wool manufacturers: Tai Ping, Brintons, JMish, Godfrey Hirst, Delos Rugs, Hibernia woolen Mills, Nourison, Stark, Carter International, westex and Roger Oates.

flatweave flooring - Masai in emerald by Roger Oates Floors and Fabrics with a natural shearling ottoman by edelman. wool Studio - features fabrics, finishings and floor samples to show the integration of wool flooring in to interiors for the designer and high-end showroom. wool wisdom - A space dedicated to wool knowledge - with a new green Sheep app which looks at different aspects of the Green Sheep activity, the Campaign for wool, the benefits of the fibre, production of wool and its many uses. Visit the

Fabrics and Furnishings from: Knoll Textiles, Sahco, Sequana, Kirkby Design, edelman, Mulberry, J. Robert Scott, Brentano, HBF Textiles, Barbara Barry for HBF Textiles, Brochier, Pollack.

Above: The Campaign for wool stand at Surfaces (Las Vegas) 2014.

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y l u r t A

’ E E R ‘F y t n a r r wa

The Stain Control System’s FrEE warranty is exactly that... Completely FrEE, with no hidden conditions!

10 7 5 YEAR FREE

WARRANTY

YEAR FREE

WARRANTY

YEAR FREE

WARRANTY

ALWAyS rEAD THE SMALL prinT The industry standard is to insist on the consumer having their carpet professionally cleaned every 2 years, including keeping receipts. The chart opposite can show how much consumers can actually pay in real terms over the life of a carpet. This can result in the consumer spending up to a £1000, if not the warranty will be voided. This Stain Control System FrEE warranty covers the consumer against all household stains, not just food and drink stains. In fact the only stain that is not covered is gloss paint.

Compare the Stain Control System warranty against other warranties available on the market today and you will see a marked difference! SMG News - Spring 2014_NEW.indd 25

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Cormar welcomes in the year with wool After two years focusing on polypropylene range launches, Cormar Carpets has switched emphasis, with the re-launch of its popular wool twist Home Counties Plains range and the addition of a twin complementary collection, Home Counties Heathers. Made from 80% pure new wool, 10% tuftbond and 10% polypropylene, Home Counties Plains and Heathers are premier quality tenth gauge carpets in two pile weights (42oz and 50oz), making them ideal for high traffic areas such as stairways and hallways. Cormar’s Home Counties Plains hits the right note with its 18 strong palette including 12 new plain colours, branded under the Wools of New Zealand banner. And while contemporary neutrals remain at the heart of the collection, those who want to opt for a splash of colour can choose from shades such as Cardinal Red and deep Espresso Brown.

Home Counties Heathers offers a selection of 14 classic heather hues such as Rutland Elm and Kirkstone, in British Wool, providing the perfect canvas to work alongside any interior décor schemes. Available in both four and five metre widths to avoid joins and both ranges will retail from £29 per square metre. Says Cormar’s marketing director, David Cormack: “Wool twist has always been big business for Cormar and UK retailers in general, and with the economy appearing to have turned a corner, we feel that now is the right time to re-launch Home Counties. Both the

Plains and the Heathers are top quality wool twist that we believe will stand out from the rest of the market. More recently new colour trends have started to emerge and the two new Home Counties collections capture the essence of this new trend perfectly.” All Cormar’s wool twists, wool loop carpets and stain resistant polypropylene carpets are produced on site as its Lancashire mills and distributed in the UK and Eire via its own delivery fleet. For further information on the Home Counties collections or any other Cormar range please contact your local representative.

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NOW

FREE AND EXCLUSIVE FOR SMG MEMBERS

New online initiative exclusive to SMG Members! SMG Members will receive even more added value to their membership package this year as the online flooring website is now exclusively available to SMG Members and is FREE of charge! The pioneers behind the site, Richard and Jamie Price, are independent retailers and SMG Members so they knew exactly how to design the website to meet the Members’ needs. Mike Symonds comments “The retail environment has changed and we don’t think that we can ‘cage’ the internet; technology is a part of our daily lives and we want to try and embrace it. In order to do this effectively we wanted a partner who was committed to traditional retailing too. With two stores already and a third to be opened in the next few months, QCD are proving that a combined ‘clicks and bricks’ approach can work successfully.” The SMG team has worked closely with Richard and Jamie over the past year and have learnt a lot from their experience since the scheme’s inception. They believe QCD has customers who use the internet in two distinct ways. Type 1 These are people who use the internet to simply find a carpet store, often new customers who don’t know where to shop locally and don’t realise that smaller

independents offer low prices and guaranteed service. Many will, by default end up in ‘Carpetright’. Type 2 The old fashioned ‘price comparers’ who would have previously phoned every carpet shop in town playing shops off against one another to get the lowest price. The internet now simply makes this quicker and easier to get comparable quotes, but in most cases internet companies do not offer a full fitted service. The QCD website is structured to reflect these differences and offers Type 2 customers a supply only service with keen pricing. Type 1 customers are serviced with a Partner store postcode finder, with Partner stores now being the exclusive domain of SMG Members. Mike continues “This new initiative is designed to bring fantastic value from the internet straight into our Members’ stores from the two types of consumer. The value in Type 2 customers is a delivery fee and commission plus the opportunity to charge for fitting, underlay and accessories. Type 1

customers are looking for a complete service and are 100% aware that this will cost more. The postcode search puts them in contact with an SMG Member who can provide this service and make a traditional margin.” SMG is keen to point out that this is an optional scheme. Mike adds “We fully understand that some Members will not want to participate in this scheme but wanted to provide an option to the growing number of Members who are interested in taking new opportunities. Those Members that are Partnering with QCD are already receiving leads and enquiries from the website. Many are treating this scheme as they would insurance work, which has interested me greatly. Also having no subscription fee and being exclusive to Members of SMG is a huge advantage!” This issue’s Member Focus features Wessex Carpets, early adopters of the QCD scheme, read their views about the initiative on pages 70-71. If you have any questions or would like to sign up to Quality Carpets Direct please contact SMG on 0118 932 3832. SMG News | Spring 2014 | 29

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‘The Great British Slider’ Kingstown Furniture is proud to announce it is home to ‘The Great British Slider’. The sliding wardrobe is aptly named because not only is it great but it is also designed and produced entirely here in Britain. The wardrobe is the latest design in elegant and stylish bedroom furniture. It features a stunning textured detailing to the doors and is available in a variety of sizes and colour options plus it has matching chests available. Since its launch in January, the collection has been a huge success and as a further added benefit the range has a unique delivery proposition on offer. with their partner, Probuild, Kingstown will take full care of the installation process, therefore providing an efficient and hassle free service to the customer. The wardrobe is available in three sizes; 1.5m, 2.0m and 2.5m, and can be finished in a variety of colours, including white, black oak and warm natural oak. Furthermore, there is a choice of either a coloured glass or mirrored centre panel on the doors. There is also the added option of lighting surrounds, which adds a serene, ambient glow to the bedroom.

Design Director at Kingstown Furniture, Dave Frampton, comments “From as early as the end of the 2013 Interiors exhibition we talked about developing a range of sliding door wardrobes and we felt that this would be a good time to develop our own design. “we wanted our design to feature a high quality track and runner system with the ability to add the soft closing doors. we also felt that the carcase should be assembled easily and that the doors should be hung simply and have adjustment to help alignment. with this level of quality teamed with a truly stunning design, the range will transform any bedroom space.” He continued “Sliding wardrobes are so versatile and we are able to offer the customer many storage options. Internal chests, single and double hanging arrangements and the option of ‘add to’ shelf packs are available.” SMG News | Spring 2014 | 31

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everybody has a soft side Associated weavers’ latest collection targets the super soft sector. Sensuality is Associated weavers’ latest collection of super soft carpet using the exclusive iSense yarn. A typical feature of the Sensuality collection is its extremely soft polyamide yarn that allows the carpet to be strong, resilient and soft at the same time, says Steve elliott, Associated weavers UK md. ‘Fibre used in carpets is becoming softer and softer to meet consumer demands and iSense will recover faster and quicker from traffic wear than any other carpet.’ There are six ranges in the Sensuality collection. ‘Seduction has everything to seduce, with irresistible softness in combination with a strong resilience. Splendour is a light frise yarn and Serenity is pure luxury for all the senses allowing consumers to surround themselves in high performance luxury. L’Amour’s silky shades offer sheer tactile delight, while Illusions is frivolous and graceful at the same time. Adoration is full of softness, comfort and luxury and is a magnificently versatile carpet. Sensuality adds another dimension to broadloom carpet,’ he explains. All come in 14 colours, apart from L’Amour which has 12. The Sensuality iSense branded carpets come in 4m and 5m widths with the new Fusion Bac backing. This is easy to fit, keeps in the heat better than other backings and is compatible with underfloor heating. Sensuality iSense display stands are being introduced to retailers and a video promoting the range is available online. For more information visit: www.carpetyourlife.com Top: Seduction Above: Serenity. SMG News | Spring 2014 | 35

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Question time EAMOnn prESCOTT SaleS & MarkeTing DirecTor aT aDaM carpeTS

You’ve been with AdAm cArpets for 3 YeArs now, how hAs the compAnY chAnged?

how would You describe the vAlues thAt hAve mAde AdAm cArpets successful?

“Inside the factory most changes have been small and subtle. The carpets are still made to the highest, exacting standards and all of our carpets are made at our factory in Kidderminster.

“Adam Carpets have been a success because of an ethos that has never changed. when I joined the family explained that they don’t set a price point and then make the carpet, they make the carpet that they want to make and then price it.

Outside has been a different story. I have always felt that Adam Carpets hid its light under a bushel if you like. They have always shunned limelight and just want to make the best carpets. However, by raising our profile, we have been able to reach new customers. In my three years, we have redesigned the website, introduced a new logo and corporate colour. we have launched seven new ranges, produced stunning new wall units, had our products featured in House Beautiful, Homes & Gardens, Homes & Interiors to name a few. we have also established a working relationship with Farrow & Ball paints. Our in-store display has increased with the addition of sales aid boards, posters and stair units. I also started a monthly e-newsletter, committed the company to supporting the Harrogate Show once again and have started regular factory tours. even with all this, I feel that we are only just starting to scratch the surface of what this great company and family are all about.”

every single carpet we produce and put to market is done using that method, so that the end user and retailer know that we will not compromise on raw materials or manufacture. we are also a true family business as a lot of our customers are. Having that in common with them helps us understand their business that little bit better. we are here for the long term and are always looking at things we can do to support our customers, staff and suppliers.” whAt chAllenges Are You currentlY fAcing As A mAnufActurer?

“One of the main challenges for us is the rise of man-made fibres. This happened at the same time as a spike in the wool price and I think it affected a lot of the wool houses. Their marketing has been very slick with the stain-free statement and maybe some of us haven’t been quick enough to take up the challenge. That is changing now though and I am more confident than I have been for a

while that we will see growth continuing and that the growth will accelerate.” independent retAilers Are Also fAcing chAllenges, whAt Advice would You offer them?

“In visiting many retailers, the ones that seem to be doing better at the moment are the ones who have made their premises a pleasant area to shop. They also provide a quality service and work hard at getting customers into their stores and selling up to make the most of every opportunity.” if You could Ask retAilers to chAnge one thing whAt would it be?

“I would ask retailers to remember the qualities of wool including cleaning. Many retailers sell man-made fibres on the back of them being ‘bleachcleanable’. Please don’t forget how resilient wool is and how easy it is to clean. After all 99% of all stains, treated correctly will come out. A wool carpet will keep its appearance a lot longer than most man-mades as well. we have been making wool carpets for centuries and we have never had a cleaning problem. However, the man-made marketing seems to imply that there is. It is simply not true and I am positive more end users given the choice prefer wool.” ...continued

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Far Left: Fine Worcester Twist. Left: New Adam Carpets Unitary. Right: Eamonn Prescott.

How would you like to see tHe industry cHange in tHe future?

“I would love to see more colour and a swing back to wool. In my opinion programmes like ‘Changing Rooms’ in the mid-nineties changed the public’s perception of carpets. From a desired, premium product suddenly you could revamp your room for less than £500. Good carpet was being ripped up and replaced with either painted floorboards or cheap laminate! Higher and higher discounts then appeared across certain retailers and the quality aspect was lost. Thankfully there are still some end users and retailers who believe in quality carpets and the benefit of a wool carpet. It is my goal to make sure that in the coming years there are many more of them.” wHat are your career HigHligHts?

“That’s a really tough question. At Carpets of Worth/Bond Worth, I managed some great contract projects including the Sikh Temple in Gravesend which was one of the largest outside of India and the six star Wellesley Hotel on Hyde Park. At Adam Carpets, I think the highlight so far would be receiving the recent award from House Beautiful. It was a real honour to represent a company and a family with such a great history.” wHat is your favourite adam carpets product?

“You won’t be surprised to hear that it is Fine Worcester Twist. I knew a lot about

it before I got here, but the attention to detail that we put into it during the manufacturing process is incredible. It is simply the best twist on the market and I am very proud every time a retailer tells me they have it fitted in their own home. You cannot get a better recommendation than that!” outside of work, wHat are your passions?

“Sport! I love playing and watching. I am a keen skier and love spending time with my family on the slopes. Our two children were six and four when they started and now ten years on are leaving my wife and I miles behind! I also love football and follow Birmingham City with a real passion. I must have done something wrong in a previous life! I also enjoy cycling and did my first sportive last year. I am hoping to do a few more this year, although I am not in the same bracket as our Scottish Rep, Jonathan Hunter, who did Lands End to John O’Groats in 2013.” in your wHole life, wHat makes you most proud?

“When I was twelve, I lived with my Mum and Dad in a small terraced house in Somerset. One evening my Mum answered the door to a young Austrian girl. How she had got here, we were unsure, but she had nowhere to go. My mother took here in and she stayed with us for three months, until we could contact her parents and fund her trip home. She still keeps in touch with my Mum to this day. That experience taught

me a lot about life, generosity and most of all my parents. I will never be prouder.” do you Have any regrets?

“None. I know that may sound clichéd, but it is true. I have been blessed to have had the life I have led and to be in the position I am now. I have a great family, a great job and great friends.” aside from adam carpets wHicH otHer manufacturer do you most admire and wHy?

“There are quite a few actually especially at the higher end of the market. Bronte for their quality and innovation. Brintons because of their constant evolving of pattern and design. Cormar for their speed of service and product development. If I had to pick one though, it would be Ulster Carpets. It is great to see another family business doing so well.” wHat’s tHe best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

“Probably when my good friend and previous boss Mark Oakes told me to ‘go for it’ when I discussed the Adam Carpets position with him. Mark is a great guy and doing an amazing job, so his opinion and advice is something I value.”

We would like to thank Eamonn for taking the time to answer our questions. If you are interested in any Adam Carpets products please contact 01562 829966.

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Investing for Tomorrow In the spring issue of 2013, Adam Carpets highlighted a list of achievements and investments the company had made during the year. Now 2013 has ended and we are in the spring of 2014, we can once again look back at how Adam Carpets has continued to push forward as a company by investment and support for their retail customers:

and ‘graphics’ designs are specifically aimed at contractors, architects and specifiers.

new ranges • ‘La Dolce Vita’ was launched in the autumn to high praise. This stunning new scroll design in ten colours encapsulates everything that Adam Carpets stand for – Colour, Quality and Style. • Adam Commercial Carpet was also launched. This new package of ‘overtuft’

Achievements • ‘Artistry’ won the Silver award for ‘Best Carpet’ at the 2013 House Beautiful Awards in November. • ‘Artistry’ was also included in the House Beautiful top 100 Best Buys of the year.

Media Activity • Advertisements have appeared regularly across a number of ‘glossy’ magazines including Homes & Interiors Scotland, Homes & Living Ireland and House Beautiful. • Farrow & Ball are an iconic cool brand at the moment and Adam have been able to work with them to produce exclusive colour schemes for the Fine worcester Twist range. A brochure showing all the colour schemes has been made available to all Fine worcester Twist standholders. • In April, Adam Carpets launched a monthly e-newsletter. This has proved extremely popular with an open rate three times the industry average. retailer Support • In 2013 Adam Carpets increased their number of Sales Representatives to improve the service to customers • Introduced unique sales aid boards to help show customers why Adam carpets are of a high quality. • More room set images were produced including new Inspirations, Sylvan Shadows and Fine worcester Twist. • Introduced regular factory tours that have proved so popular that they are constantly oversubscribed. • Maintained their ISO9001 quality standard, which measures their levels of quality and customer service. For 2014 Adam Carpets are already committed to appearing at the National Buying Group Show and also returning to the Flooring Show at Harrogate in September. On top of this they will be launching new ranges such as ‘Revelation’ and introducing new in-store displays showing Fine worcester Twist and Farrow & Ball paints.

Left: La Dolce Vita SMG News | Spring 2014 | 39

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It’s spring - time to be social Alternative Flooring is a pioneering brand with a passion for floors and a desire to be different. It is also making a difference in the way it communicates and engages with its audience through social media and digital marketing. The social network creates a real buzz about the brand. If it’s done well-tailored social media really does result in sales, really does drive business growth and really does help build your brand’s reputation. Alternative’s social media drives its website traffic with followers who interact with the brand from repining images, re-tweeting, commenting and entering our competitions. It’s the first place to hear Alternative news, read about what’s happening with monthly expert guest bloggers and subscribe to the newsletter via the web or on Facebook. Creative e-shots to target databases are working wonders too and along with social media advertising and PR are driving customers to the retailers.

Alternative social media content is engaging and informed, people love images and here photography is king, while the tone of voice always reflects the company’s brand values: fun, quirky, innovative, creative, natural, ethical, inspiring, unique and always Alternative. Get all this right and friends will follow. This is something Alternative believes and invests in. Facebook competitions which link with like-minded CoolBrands are a great way to attract quality new followers and rub shoulders with the likes of Apple and award-winning companies such as The Little Greene Paint Company. Alternative always encourage retailers to join in the fun and share these competitions on their social platforms as shareability is key for promotions and trend watch posts and easy to do. It’s spring and there may be something is in the air as we are now falling in love with Google+ and Houzz.

Be Social and join the growing ‘alternative’ community... www.facebook.com/alternativeflooring www.twitter.com/alternativeflr www.pinterest.com/altrntvflooring

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Introducing Royal Victoria The new range from Victoria is the perfect combination of quintessential, stylish, inspiring and timeless. Victoria Carpets proudly present the ultimate in luxury carpet with the launch of Royal Victoria. with a palette of eighteen sophisticated shades from the subtle almond hints of Clarence, to the warm and inviting tone of smooth gold in St James. At the other end of the spectrum they have the pizazz of westminster a regal rich red - the carpet which graced the Abbey for the wedding of william and Kate - through to the hottest, elegant and crisp shades of grey with brown undertones from Kensington, Chelsea and Oatlands. Available in two great qualities Premium and Platinum, this luxurious tufted velvet blends the durability of man-made fibres with the resilience, beauty and comfort of premium wool. But those are not the only benefits. Thanks to Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s environmentally friendly LOC-weave backing, Royal Victoria is easy to handle,

highly durable and guaranteed against pile reversal. As a British manufacturer Victoria Carpets strive to provide the very best in high quality and performance led carpets, Royal Victoria is no exception to the rule. Designed with their customers in mind, the range offers affordable luxury, wide appeal and is suitable for any interior.

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Sleek and stylish, Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new look POS, has not only uplifted their presentation but also re-energised retail environments. Retailers who have already bought into the new concept are reporting an upturn in customer footfall as their stores look new and feel different.

For further information please contact your local representative or telephone Victoria Carpets direct on 01562 749600.

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25/03/2014 12:04:48

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25/03/2014 12:04:50

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25/03/2014 12:04:52

Axminster Carpets unveils third ‘Ready To weave’ Commercial Range Premium British carpet manufacturer Axminster Carpets has updated its ‘Ready to weave’ range to reflect the latest trends in design encompassing geometrics, damasks and textures using the company’s unique 8 pitch process. The new Axminster Carpets business will offer an industry leading level of customisation for the new ranges, intended to build on the success of the two previous Ready to weave collections. A commitment to rapid production turnaround of just four weeks will be part of a personal, bespoke design service. Clients will be able to choose from a wide selection of high impact, beautiful designs which can be produced to a personal choice of extensive colour combinations. This Ready to weave portfolio is designed to create impact together with outstanding performance at a competitive price point perfect for a range of commercial environments particularly suited to the hotel, leisure and hospitality sectors. The unique weaving process at Axminster Carpets’ manufacturing site in Devon, Great Britain, produces unrivalled design clarity and long term durability in the finished carpet.

Ready to weave clients will have access to a specification service which includes:

Design Director at Axminster Carpets, Gary Bridge comments;

•

Unique eight pitch weaving process (six pitch also available)

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Full and open consultation access to our design team

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Single contact point for a truly personalised service

“The designs have been selected to reflect current trends in interiors to meet the needs of hospitality and leisure specifiers who are always pushing the boundaries in design and looking to set, not follow, trends.

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Five base design ranges with 32 colour options

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Fast track CAD design imaging service

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Fast track Kibby pegboard sample service

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Fast track manufacturing; four weeks from receipt of order

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Seven product options to suit various durability needs

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Available in 3.66m and 0.91m widths

“To achieve such a customised service in the contract sector often takes a lot longer. we know businesses can’t afford to waste time waiting for production of their orders and that’s why we have launched the Ready to weave portfolio. “with an impressive range of 108 designs available in a choice of 32 colour combinations clients can ensure their order is exactly right for their environment.” For further information please contact the Axminster Carpets’ project team on 01297 630 630.

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25/03/2014 12:04:55

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25/03/2014 12:04:56

Product update from Abingdon The springtime sees Abingdon refine some of their best selling ranges. One of Abingdon’s best selling ranges has just got even better! Stainfree Berber Deluxe has six brand new, exciting colour shades and is now available in 20 fashionable colourways. The range is available in a variety of sampling formats with the ultimate showroom display being a 24” x 27” lectern. Plus Abingdon are pleased to introduce their proven collection of best selling Stainfree products in a fully fledged contract format. The Stainfree Contract Collection is a versatile collection of stripes and co-ordinating colourways available in both secondary and impervious gel foam backing. The range comes complete with both a fire retardant and anti-microbacterial sanitised component in the gel backed version, ensuring a top quality contract performance product. Alternatively it can still be sold as a co-ordinating secondary back range for the domestic consumer. please contact your Abingdon representative for sampling of this most ubiquitous of ranges! Above: The Stainfree Contract Collection Folder. Below: Stainfree Berber Deluxe lectern.

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25/03/2014 12:05:00

Morris Furniture’s great history going forward... The Morris Furniture Group is proud to be celebrating 130 years of founder Harris Morris. Today, The Morris Group is in the advantageous position of having a wealth of experience within the furniture industry; experience that is shared with their many customers. Not only do they have the experience to lead their partners forward in the future, but also have the facilities. The Morris Group has a massive 700,000sqft facility and can hold up to £10,000,000 worth of stock meaning that they can get their best selling products to you quickly and efficiently when it matters most. After 130 years, the Morris Furniture Group has played its part in our nation’s history; after two world wars, many recessions, the rise and fall of empires and the ever changing tastes of today’s fast-paced environment. They have come through all of these challenges stronger and more equipped to deal with the challenges that will come before them in the future. Today, the company is still a strong player within the industry and a key partner to its many retailers.

They may be in a different time and place 130 years on, but their desire to offer furniture to retailers and ensure their business is prosperous has never changed. They have a continued commitment to invest in the business and also to offer in 2014 and going forward; higher stock levels, faster deliveries on key items and to offer even more flexible services for home and store delivery. Morris Furniture looks forward to continuing their story and another chapter with their many friends in the furniture trade and hope they can take great solace from working with a company with such longevity, who has the relevant experience in building a business for the future and will continue to do so in the years to come. The History Harris Morris established cabinet workshops to supply wooden furniture on board trade, export and commercial ships sailing around the world to the likes of New York, India, Japan, South America and Australia.

within ten years, the enviable reputation of the Harris Morris name for quality and style had made him the supplier of choice to furnish the opulent ocean liners that were being built on the River Clyde in Scotland. This relationship with the nautical construction industry would thrive and grow for years to come, culminating in some truly landmark projects. By the 1920’s Morris Furniture was fast becoming as much a part of people’s social life as their working lives. when the first talking film ‘The Jazz Singer’ finally brought sound to the world of cinema, amazed audiences found themselves on the edge of seats produced by Morris Furniture. Morris Furniture produced chairs for movie theatres and iconic hotels such as Gleneagles and Turnberry. In the 1930’s Morris furniture provided first-class cabins for the Queen Mary ocean liner and the Qe2, with the appropriate level of elegance and craftsmanship

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Winston Churchill inspects the Enfield Rifle during World War II. The mechanisms for the Enfield Rifle were manufactured by Morris Furniture during the war effort.

In 1938, the company saw founder Harris Morris’ son Neil join the company, who fast became an innovator in wood technology and design. Neil was gifted with a natural eye for design and an entrepreneurial mind for business and wasted no time in demonstrating this, especially in pioneering laminated wood to shape chairs and tables; including the famous cloud table.

Morris Furniture enjoyed success in the 1950s manufacturing Wurlitzer jukeboxes to supply the USA and support a boom in the market for music boxes.

Philip as a royal wedding gift on behalf of the people of Scotland. The furniture was made from Scot’s Oak within the balmoral estate and was exhibited at the company’s showrooms in a public setting so that the people of Scotland could see the gift that was being sent to the Royal Couple.

In 1947 Morris became the favoured supplier of Royalty and were commissioned to design and fit a special bedroom suite for the Queen and Prince

The Royal Bedroom in Clarence House

The Queen Mary Ocean Liner

The Innovative Cloud Table

The QE2 SMG News | Spring 2014 | 49

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26/03/2014 15:15:22

The Morris Group moving forward During the second half of the twentieth century The Morris Furniture Group experienced steady growth within the furniture sector. Introducing new products and ranges, The Morris Furniture Group saw themselves expand into new market sectors serving leisure, commercial, educational and domestic sectors with high end luxury goods to quality goods at budget prices. In 1973 Robert Morris (present joint MD) joined the business to follow his father; Neil and his grandfather Harris Morris with plans to not only continue the family heritage and contracts but to focus on expanding into the domestic market. The company redirected its ambitions and strived to become a serious player in the furniture market. Instead of seeing their furniture in public places they wanted to see their furniture in retail stores.

George McGraw (present joint MD) joined the business in 1980 and working closely with Robert Morris, took the company forward and expanded the business to furniture stores throughout the UK and Ireland. By 1990, Robert and George had driven the business forward to the point where the company had to relocate its premises to a bigger factory in Castlemilk. Soon after, in 1996; the Morris Group purchased the licence to supply G Plan Cabinets, a decision that propelled the company further forward in the years to come. In 1999, The Morris Furniture Group took a significant step towards the 21st century with the introduction of Beautility (now Zone Furniture), a brand that would embody the modern ethos of affordable, contemporary furniture.

By the turn of the Millenium, The Morris Group was offering retailers the freedom to cater to a wide range of customers from a single supplier, offering G Plan Cabinets, Morris and Zone. This in turn, facilitated another move to an even larger, purpose built facility in Rutherglen with a fleet of 114 lorries delivering throughout the UK every week In 2014, nothing has changed for The Morris furniture Group. It is still the primary mandate of the company that their main asset is supported with the exact same commitment but equally they understand that they must continue to offer the customer not only good value, good price and good quality but in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market, also to ensure fast supply and excellent service to its many customers.

The New Brooklyn Collection from ZONe Furniture is an oak range that offers soft lines, curved fronts and natural warm tones, complimented by contemporary satin brushed aluminium handles.

Quattro, Grappa and Prosecco - Top grain leather swivel recliners from Relaxateeze

The New Lucerne Collection from Morris Furniture signifies a new design trend with the use of acacia wood timbers and veneers, giving an overall impression of a dark, rich, luxurious dining collection.

The New Tivoli Collection from G Plan Cabinets crafted with natural oak, features a minimalist style that each piece of wood flawlessly fits into, creating an expertly finished piece of furniture

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Now you can p ro customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wo tect you ol from lifes little carpet disasters with WOW!

Supported by the following SMG Approved Suppliers

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25/03/2014 12:05:25

SMG Member ‘thrilled’ to have won £8000 Vusta display JC williams and Sons, furniture and flooring store in Helston, Cornwall, have been announced as the winners of the SMG exclusive competition held by Vusta Design Flooring last autumn; their new showroom was installed in February. The comprehensive Vusta display is worth £8000 to SMG Members, with take away samples and full planks or tiles to put out on the table, it encourages an interactive approach to selling and engaging with the customer.

product and reliably deliver within 48 hours. You can speak with any of the sales staff in the office and they all seem to know their products well and will always know the answer to technical questions”.

Robert williams, Managing Director, said they were absolutely thrilled! “New point of sale material is a significant investment for us as an independent retailer. winning this level of display is a tremendous boost to our sales effort and has upgraded our showroom to one of the best in the region. we are expecting the new showroom to help us achieve significant sales growth in our flooring department this year.”

Daniel Roy went on to say that one of the other big advantages of dealing with the Vusta Design Floors from Kenton is that they are very selective as to who they sell their products through and do not offer Vusta to every other flooring shop in the area as some of the other players do.

“we had been looking at Vusta Design Floors for some time, in what is a crowded segment of the market. we were very impressed with both the

quality, the range of colours and the reports of excellent customer service from other SMG Members.” Daniel Roy, Sales Manager, was asked what he likes best about Vusta: “Vusta comes with a 25 year domestic warranty which gives our customers peace of mind and the prices are very reasonable; they give us the room to make both a very healthy profit and at the same time remain competitive. Kenton Floors always have large reserve stock of the

To find out more about Vusta please contact 02920 888223.

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25/03/2014 12:05:32

Oxbridge make great savings by recycling carpet Forward thinking approach by the Hertfordshire based SMG Member will pay dividends. Oxbridge Flooring were faced with increasing skip disposal costs for their waste mainly carpet installation offcuts. They were concerned that valuable raw materials were being lost in landfills. They approached Carpet Recycling UK and their member Abingdon Flooring for advice on recycling and according to Frank Harwood were delighted with the advice given regarding the use of baling and reverse logistics to recover carpet offcuts. Frank then contacted Kenburn in nearby St Albans who offered a baling solution with a 30 tonne press force Bramidan X 30 baler. This type of baler is ideal for fitting into tight spaces as it has a low height. As the attached shot shows this has fitted neatly into the warehouse racking at Oxbridge so that no valuable storage space is lost. Kenburn can supply balers for either single or three phase electricity supply with the 30 tonne force needed to bale carpets into mill size bales. They can visit retailers and flooring contractors anywhere in UK to offer free impartial advice on handling waste including the best machine for the types and volume of waste for disposal. To arrange a waste survey contact Kenburn Waste Management on 01727 844988. Carpet offcuts are collected at plan cutting or from site and sorted by the fitters into ‘polypropylene‘ or ‘wool blend’. Oxbridge advise the fitters on fibre content and fitters keep the carpet dry to store at Oxbridge each morning in designated stillages. Fitters have readily accepted this new system and take great care to ensure that no contamination like underlay, gripper, blades or other materials go into the stillages. Bales are wrapped to keep them dry and placed on pallets for ease of handling and storage. They are collected regularly by Abingdon Flooring when they deliver new materials. Recycling of the wool blends into new carpet underlay completes the material reuse circle, whilst polypropylene is recycled into plastic parts.

Over the first two months since installing the baler Oxbridge have collected and diverted from landfill more than 15 tonnes of carpet offcuts. Frank Harwood says that the baler investment should pay back within 6 to 12 months, and with landfill tax rising again by 10% to £80 per tonne from April 2014 future savings will be even higher. Total disposal cost from April onwards based on skip usage in Hertfordshire will be more than £120 per tonne including landfill tax.

The re-use of valuable fibres from clean identified carpet offcuts is welcomed by the construction industry who are embracing the resource recovery principles. Oxbridge are using their enhanced green credentials and membership of Carpet Recycling UK with construction industry customers who are impressed by their dedication to recycling and material recovery.

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26/03/2014 15:15:41

Kingstown Furniture receives rave reviews The Interiors Show 2014 was the perfect platform for Kingstown to unveil their latest ranges and they did just that in January with the launch of six stunning new collections. The new ranges, which feature mainly bedroom furniture, include: •

Estelle, a range of super stylish sliding wardrobes, which also include matching chests in the collection.

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Helena, this is bang on the distressed vintage trend and features cup handles and a creamy painted finish.

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Ocean, a range of elegant bi-fold door wardrobes and matching chests, with a wavy membrane pressed effect and is available in a variety of colours.

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Hinckley, encompassing a traditional style with a truly modern edge. Featuring a painted finish and chrome knob handles.

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Aylesbury, a traditional and timeless classic white collection.

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Heritage, featuring a rustic pine foil with pewter inset handles.

The show also proved popular for our KT branded range of furniture. The concept, which was launched last year due to an increased demand for good quality, value for money furniture, has been a resounding success. The various bedroom collections and the variety of colour options means there is a range to suit all tastes and budgets and to add to the variety of pieces on offer, this year Kingstown introduced sliding wardrobes into the ranges.

If retailers missed the opportunity to view the new collections there is still the chance to check out the ranges when Kingstown show vans are in your area.

For further information please telephone Kingstown Furniture on 01482 701173 or contact your Territory Manager. Above: KT Furniture has been a resounding success since it was launched. Below: New Heritage range featuring a rustic pine foil with pewter inset handles.

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26/03/2014 15:15:58

Ryalux launches its new luxury velvet Ryalux, synonymous with making fine quality velvet carpet, launches Ryafine Velvet, a 2 ply 80% New Zealand wool and 20% nylon fine velvet, available in 12 stylish, contemporary shades. Ryafine Velvet, a broadloom 1/10th gauge velvet, is offered in two weights the Luxury 48oz and elegance 36oz. The Luxury weight is dense and sumptuous, whilst elegance offers a more refined, tailored look, both offering luxurious beauty to any home. Darren Longden, Ryalux’s Commercial Director explains. “we wanted to create the perfect velvet, and in Ryafine Velvet, we have done so. By combining the very best two ply New Zealand wool, with our strong tradition of making the finest velvet carpets, I can honestly say that Ryafine Velvet is the finest carpet range we have ever made”.

Ryaguard stain protected for extra peace of mind, Ryafine Velvet’s beauty is matched only by its performance, as its extra heavy domestic/general contract rating ensures its suitability for use in both domestic and contract situations.

For more information about ryafine Velvet please contact your local representative, telephone 01617623030 or visit www.ryalux.com

Ryafine Velvet is available in both 4 metre and 5 metre widths, and in 12 contemporary colours, designed by Ryalux’s in-house design team, headed by Gàelle Merlin. “There has been a significant move in carpet colour fashion towards greige, and grey, and it was important to reflect this, whilst still including timeless beige tones (with a slight twist to bring them up to date!). we also needed to consider trends in fabric, furnishings, and wallpaper/paint, in order to develop shades which enabled customers to co-ordinate their carpet with their other interior finishes. By working closely with interior designers and colourists we have been able to develop a beautiful collection of contemporary yet classic shades”. 56

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25/03/2014 12:05:42

Making an entrance entrance flooring systems have a critical safety role to play. Slips, trips and falls made up more than half of all reported major injuries in 2010/2011* causing suffering and financial loss for individuals and companies. wet and dry soiling can both create slip hazards but by taking sensible decisions over flooring surfaces and installing effective entrance matting, the potential for slipping can be dramatically reduced. A well designed entrance flooring system will prevent dirt and moisture from being tracked in and thereby prolong the life of interior flooring and reduce cleaning, repair and overall maintenance costs. Forbo’s high performance Coral entrance system has been helping to provide clean and safe environments in every type of public and commercial building for decades which is why they’re the UK market leader. entrance matting systems incorporating a Coral clean-off zone are very effective. By stopping up to 94% of walked in dirt and moisture it can reduce cleaning bills by up to 65% and prolong the life of interior floor finishes and coverings. Coral Classic is the ultimate moisture absorber and research shows that taking just two steps on Coral Classic’s moisture absorbing yarns is enough to absorb half

The ultimate moisture absorber •

Maximum moisture absorption and effective dirt removal

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Choice of practical colourways

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Ideal for interior entrances and circulation areas

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Available in sheet and 50cm x 50cm tiles

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Complies with the highest fire class standard for a textile product

*source: RIDDOR

of the foot-borne moisture that would otherwise be carried inside on the soles of people’s shoes.

Coral Classic is also available in tile format for increased flexibility and tiles can be laid broadloom or tessellated.

A few steps more and your feet are as dry as possible, meaning interior floor coverings stay cleaner for longer and resilient floors such as vinyl and linoleum are less likely to become slippery and dangerous.

please contact Forbo on 0800 0935 846 or your local representative for more information.

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25/03/2014 12:05:45

Ford commercial vehicle range has record awards year Ford’s commercial vehicle range has collected more than 25 top awards in the last 12 months, more awards than in any other year. The all-new Ford Transit Custom led the plaudits, winning 13 awards, including International Van of the Year 2013 as well as ‘van of the year’ accolades from ‘Auto express’ and ‘what Van?’ titles. The Ford Ranger continues to impress, winning three ‘best pick-up’ awards and overall International Pick-up of the Year in 2013, while the latest Ford Fiesta Van – which accounts for nearly 60 per cent of its segment sales – was awarded two ‘best small van’ accolades.

The new Transit Centres will provide a cutting-edge environment for Ford to showcase its next generation of commercial vehicles to customers, and will enable the launch of Ford’s Transit24 aftersales programme, which is aimed at minimising vehicle downtime and reducing whole life costs for commercial vehicle operators.

recommended retail price of Ford vehicles. This exclusive fleet arrangement between SMG and Ford means Members can obtain these discounted prices by simply quoting the SMG Fleet Number at their Ford main dealer. For more information on how you can take advantage of this exclusive offer contact SMg on 0118 932 3832.

Don’t forget SMG Members have access to some significant discounts off the

Ford also claimed two awards for the overall ‘van manufacturer of the year’ from ‘Fleet Van’ and ‘Van Fleet world’ publications. Mark Ovenden, Ford Britain chairman and managing director, said: “Ford customers have the best-looking, most technologically advanced, fuel-efficient and fit-for-purpose CV range ever to choose from, and this is reflected in our outstanding awards success. “On top of the launch investment committed for these new class-leading Transit models, Ford of Britain is investing heavily in its CV sales and aftercare infrastructure in the UK, launching 100 dedicated Transit Centres over the next 12 months.” 58

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The stripe is here to stay! Says Vince Holden the UK Sales Director of the whitestone weavers Group. “The stripe is here to stay. It’s a staple flooring option that has worked its way into design conscious homes and hospitality venues, offering a welcome contrast to the neutral plains that have dominated floorcoverings for so long. Once relegated to stairways, halls and other feature areas it’s now becoming a popular choice in lounges and living areas – especially broader stripes that can create a real style statement. elaborate wallpapers, curtains, cushions and other accessories have traditionally been relied on to ‘lift’ neutral backgrounds. But striped carpets are shifting that balance by giving consumers alternate ways to achieve stand-out in their interiors. “At whitestone we experimented with the stripe for a while but quickly saw that our portfolio needed to reflect its enduring popularity. That led us to being one of the first manufacturers to introduce striped options in 1m widths to accommodate the trend for ‘feature’ staircases and carpet runs. Now almost every range – from our twist piles through to our loops – includes multiple striped designs, as well as plains, catering for all customer tastes. Our latest collections - Valencia, Durham Lumley Loop and Hassle Free Luxury - offer 17 stripes in total, from the bold through to subtler designs in-keeping with the mass appeal of neutral palettes. “Valencia is indiscernible, even to the knowing eye as a pure wool product, but actually comprises 90% PeT. Bridging the gap between pure wools at one end of the spectrum and polyprop at the other, we’re especially excited about bringing this line to market as a more affordable ‘luxury feel’ option that also boasts a strong environmental selling point. Durham Lumley Loop presents a finer texture to the existing Durham County Loop; and Hassle Free Luxury, is our easy maintenance offering that leverages the unique benefits that polypropylene brings busy households. Notably, our broad stripe in the Hassle Free Luxury range is proving an especially popular choice for living areas, rather than walkways.” All three of these collections started rolling out to retailers in early 2014.

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25/03/2014 12:05:53

Sealy Solo... Bigger single beds for deeper sleepers Our children are definitely getting bigger, so it stands to reason they now need a bigger bed to sleep in. However, we don’t all have room for double beds in our kids’ bedrooms. The clever people at Sealy Beds, on a mission to make everyone deeper sleepers, have a solution to offer. Sealy have just launched the new Solo range of single mattresses and beds which are a full six inches bigger than a standard single. It may not sound much, but the extra 17% of sleeping surface gives more room to stretch out and relax. This is particularly useful for those growing teenagers who are now bigger than mum or dad, or indeed anyone that feels a little constricted in a standard single. The beds come with Sealy Edge Guard too, which means there is support for the sleeper right up to the edge of the mattress. Every inch of the bed is utilised to give you deeper sleep. If you enjoy deeper sleep, your body is much healthier and, more importantly, happier. If your quality of sleep is bad this is known to hinder mental sharpness, productivity, emotional balance, creativity and problem solving as well as many other brain and physical functions. Getting quality sleep is often overlooked for its wide reaching health and wellbeing benefits, but it can be had with so little effort – deeper sleep is a necessity we all need, not a luxury!

Another benefit of these great new Solo beds is the enormous storage drawer that sits underneath the mattress in the divan base. Perfect for all that clutter today’s teenagers manage to collect. Also, the beds come with the famous Sealy Smart Fibres as standard, approved by Allergy UK to keep house dust mites at bay so perfect for anyone suffering from asthma and allergies.

vitamins and minerals. It’s also possible that the decline in women smoking during pregnancy, which may stunt a baby’s growth, has also contributed.

Did you know that the average child’s height has increased by between 1cm to 3cm every decade over the past 50 years, according to Professor Mitch Blair, Officer for Health Promotion at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. So children today are on average between 5cm and 15cm taller. The main reason is improved nutrition, particularly during pregnancy, and a better intake of

So if you customers are looking to give their kid’s bedroom a bit of a makeover this spring and spruce it up…why not introduce them to a new bigger Solo bed and make them Sealy deeper sleepers.

As children have got taller, they’ve also got heavier, because they have more muscle bulk, says Professor Blair. However, many are heavier than they should be because of inactivity.

The new Solo bed range is available in sizes 90x190, 90x200 and 105x200 – they come with or without the giant drawer or just as a mattress.

Introducing Sealy bedding boxes... The ideal bedroom extra storage solution Some stuff just takes up so much room. Where do you keep that spare blanket or throw, your out of season duvet, your pyjamas or your onesie…or a spare pillow? If you’re a teenager, you just have so much ‘stuff’! Your sports kit, Playstation or x-box paraphernalia, school books and gear, DVDs, but now Sealy offer a tidy solution.

whatever you customers need or wish. In three stylish neutral colours that will fit in with any colour scheme, they measure 120cm(l) x 52cm(w) x 55cm (h) and the drawers roll in and out on their runners with ease.

They have just launched a new range of Bed Boxes, designed to sit at the end of a Sealy bed and colour co-ordinate with the headboard and base. They offer two giant storage drawers in which to put all those bulky items, or even lots of little things, SMG News | Spring 2014 | 61

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WORKING toGetHer tHis issue we tHouGHt it would be interestinG to speak to a Minerva MeMber and learn How tHe new collaboration witH sMG is workinG to His advantaGe For over 60 years the Bryant name has been associated with Furniture and Flooring retailing in south Manchester, Cheshire and Derbyshire. Started by George Bryant in 1951 the Company has always been a family affair with all four of his sons joining him in the business in the following years. Today those family values are continued and the company is successfully run by Simon Bryant and his brother Kevin. How does Minerva MeMbersHip work for you? “Very well, there are a number of benefits not least of which is knowing that we get a good deal from the Approved Suppliers. Obviously there is no guarantee Suppliers will open an account but if they do I can be confident that Minerva has worked hard to ensure that the quality of the products and supply is good. Beyond that we manage the Supplier relationship ourselves and take advantage of any further opportunities that arise.” wHat about tHe Minerva sHow? “I do find that I have to go. The Birmingham show is not the same and it hasn’t been for a couple of years, the Minerva Shows are well attended by good Suppliers that I want to do business with.” in respect of sMG, wHat were tHe key reasons for joininG? “The link to Minerva was a key consideration as was the cost of Membership. We have previously been Members of ACG and found that we were paying more than we were receiving. Flooring is an important part of the business but we are not looking at massive turnover, Membership of SMG will bring good value with those suppliers that we deal with.” i noticed tHat you Have used orderlink, sMG’s central buyinG facility, on a nuMber of occasions... “We don’t deal with every Supplier but often our customers want us to try and source products for them because they trust us, Orderlink makes this dead easy. We can probably get the products from

Bryants are Members of Minerva Furnishers Guild and since November, they are also Members of SMG. We wanted to find out a little more about their reasons for joining the Groups and their view on what is required to be a successful independent retailer, so we sat down with Simon and asked him a few questions.

somewhere else but with Orderlink I just need to make one call. The price is good, the product is delivered to us and issues, if they arise, are handled by SMG.” wHat are tHe Most coMMon questions you Have froM your custoMers? “There are probably a couple of which the most popular is ‘what is your best price?’. As independent retailers we successfully differentiate ourselves from the competition by offering a comprehensive service but occasionally we go the extra mile to secure a sale.” “Customers do want to know how quickly the delivery will be, mostly when they are buying an item of furniture. The lead times are typically 8-10 weeks unless we have stock and most customers are prepared to wait. Flooring is much quicker and suppliers, particularly Cormar, have worked hard to make this change. Business is good and typically we have a two week delivery lead time on flooring sales.” you are predoMinantly a furniture business, wHat advantaGes does a floorinG departMent Give you? “The two areas have always worked hand in hand with our customers and quite often upholstery sales will lead to a carpet sale and a nice value package. In respect of Rauch sales, changing the bedroom furniture generally means that we will encourage our customers to give thought to their floors and other decorations; this enables us to gain some valuable extra margin. Diversity is good and we now see that our larger competitors are starting to do the same.”

Above: Bryants store in Cheadle Hulme. Right: Simon Bryant.

if you could ask your suppliers to cHanGe one tHinG, wHat would it be? “To help more with the collection and removal of waste for recycling. This is true for both industries and we have tried to investigate how we can recycle ourselves but there never appears to be an easy or cost effective solution. As independent retailers our customers expect the best products and the best service and this means bringing back waste packaging and the removal of unwanted carpet. I would like to see Suppliers take the lead in helping us to overcome this” wHat advice would you Give to non-aliGned retailers? “Being part of a Group has made my business life much easier and put good opportunities my way.”

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Minerva Spring Exhibition

20 & 21 May 2014 th

The International Centre, Telford, Shropshire

All SMG Members are invited to this exclusive event. To register your place please contact SMG on 0118 932 3832.

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Helping everyone become a deeper sleeper! “Sealy is on a mission to make everyone a deeper sleeper” says Neil Robinson, the Company’s UK Marketing Director, “and our new, amazing Hybrid bed range is taking the country by storm.” He continues, ”Everywhere from the north of Scotland down to the Channel Islands, feedback from retailers is that customers are coming in to sample the beds in their local furniture store or Sealy Sleep Studio, and are being bowled over by their different look as well as the amazing comfort and support. No wonder…they truly are the ultimate sleep solution. Plus with the addition of revolutionary Adaptive fibres in the new type of flexible, stretchy soft mattress wrap, these beds are truly leading the way in sleep technology of the future.” Bedrooms are no longer the preserve for just sleeping, as they used to be. We spend more and more time there and do everything in or on the bed that we used to do in the sitting room on the sofa... eating, working and reading, watching TV and gaming, or checking our social media on phones and laptops. So as well as the bedroom décor, this means people are more and more interested now in the comfort and quality of their bed or mattress. Restless Night Syndrome and Aches and Pains? Do you suffer from restless nights? Those long dark hours, tossing and turning, alternately throwing off the sheets and duvet, only to pull them back on a while after because you’re hot and sweaty one minute, then chilly the next? Do you wake up tired, maybe with an ache in your neck or back? Do you then struggle through the day, as if running on a flat battery and yearn to fall asleep in the afternoon? Do you wish there was a way to sleep cool and dry…at the perfect temperature all night and then wake refreshed, recharged and raring to go? There are so many sleep problems that people complain of. For instance, some new research by Sealy and the British Chiropractic Association has just revealed that a staggering 61% of people say they didn’t realise their mattress was a possible cause of neck or back pain... and even more mind boggling, that 35% of them didn’t consider this an issue

when they last bought a new mattress! But at least 65% of us do, and now thanks to Sealy, there’s a simple solution to deal with most of these problems. The Benefits of Geltex® Sealy’s new Hybrid range, a fusion of a new, highly elasticised gel and breathable foam, merged with the latest, specially designed innovative springs, ticks everyone’s box for what they may require in a new bed. Unlike older fashioned memory foam, which some people find makes them hot and sweaty during the night, the revolutionary deep Geltex® layer in Hybrids offers unparalleled breathability, perfect pressure relief and the optimal body support which memory foam offers people. However, the innovative elasticity of Geltex® ensures immediate ‘springback’ for ultimate support and comfort, so important to ensure a good night of truly deeper sleeping. And all this is based on top of the most famous and reliable bed spring system in the world - Posturepedic Springs... there are none better. Amazing Adaptive The addition of Adaptive also brings a new dimension to this advanced sleep technology. Adaptive is a treatment that changes passive textiles to textiles that respond dynamically to temperature changes. On an Adaptive treated mattress, the heat of your body literally works magic. The Adaptive polymer changes shape and boosts humidity,

evaporation and improves cooling. Simply put, your body’s temperature is regulated by evaporation so when your body wants to cool down, it pushes heat to your skin and your skin produces sweat. Adaptive helps your mattress to make this sweat evaporate efficiently, even through your bed sheets. And Adaptive works for both sleepers in a bed individually – keeping them individually cool and dry in summer and warm in winter, ensuring the ideal sleeping climate for every season, and therefore improving the quality of their sleep. Finally, in addition to all this, ensuring the sleepers are cool and dry means the bed stays hygienic and this extends the life of the mattress. Spreading the Word So, with Sealy now investing in an aggressive promotional campaign to raise consumer awareness of these new Hybrid beds with the benefit of Adaptive and Geltex®, retailers can happily expect to see even more customers coming through their doors, wanting to experience the new, bouncy memory foam for themselves. As Neil says “Sealy is going from strength to strength in the UK bed market. We have such a great range of beds, there truly is something for everyone, and we are leading the way with bringing 21st century sleep technology to the nation’s bedrooms... small wonder we’re leaving the competition behind!”

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NEW

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SMG News - Spring 2014_NEW.indd 65

89 Southcroft Road, Glasgow G73 1UG

www.morrisfurniture.biz

26/03/2014 15:17:42

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New 2014 brochure for Brintons Spring sees the launch of the newly redesigned Brintons 2014 brochure. with a fresh, fashion led format, it features trend moodboards for the season, stunning photography of both new products and existing favourites including award winning rugs, as well as an insight into the process of creating, manufacturing and promoting new carpet designs. Look out for details of a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;behind the scenesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; video featured on www.brintons.co.uk. The first of the portfolio additions from Brintons are 12 colours to the ever popular Bell Twist range. A firm favourite of both consumers and retailers alike, the inclusion of new season colours, including a selection of soft pastels, will only add to its appeal. Next to arrive instore are the latest developments to the Laura Ashley Collection. This successful range has

become a benchmark for axminster activity. Based on existing Laura Ashley designs, both teams work closely to develop ideas that translate beautifully into carpet. New for this year are three delicate florals, a paisley inspired design and two new broadloom stripes. All feature trademark, Laura Ashley accent colours and there are also a further six Laura Ashley Bell Twist colours created to coordinate seamlessly with the Collection.

The launch of the brochure will be supported by updates to the Brintons website, eblasts to approved retailers and a host of activity within the home interest press. Look out for your copy arriving in store soon. For more information please contact your local representative or visit the website at www.brintons.co.uk

The 2014 Brochure also gives an exciting preview of two forthcoming Brintons ranges which will be available in store from May; Padstow a collection of 18 modern, geometric designs in a palette of pastels and the latest collaboration with design house Timorous Beasties, who are well known for their bold and adventurous creations. Above: Brintons new 2014 Brochures.

Above: Bell Twist in Dusky Rose. Left: Laura Ashley epsom Stripe in Duck egg. SMG News | Spring 2014 | 67

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25/03/2014 12:06:46

Tessera carpet tiles taken by Back to the Floor scheme Tessera carpet tile installation off-cuts can now be collected through Forbo’s Back to the Floor recycling scheme following significant investment in new processing equipment. This further widens the sustainable disposal options for flooring companies, enabling 100% of Tessera carpet trim to be reused in the UK. Virtually the whole flooring portfolio supplied by Forbo can now be collected through its recycling initiative, thus closing the recycling loop. Tessera Carpet Tile off-cuts can now be reprocessed for use in new carpet tile backing. Forbo has invested more than £1 million in a new extruder at its Bamber Bridge plant in Lancashire as part of its on-going mission to increase the recycled content of its products. Launched in November 2012, Back to the Floor also collects and reprocesses smooth vinyl, cushioned vinyl flooring, plus Marmoleum and Flotex installation off-cuts for recycling back into new Forbo products. Back to the Floor Scheme Co-ordinator, Michelle Brewer said: “The ability to recycle Tessera Carpet Tile off-cuts in the UK is a much-welcomed move following the introduction of new processes to handle this material stream. All Tessera carpet tiles made in the UK have more than 50% recycled content. “Back to the Floor has now been running successfully for two years and is collecting flooring off-cuts from a wide range of different sites. It continues to gather momentum as more installers, flooring contractors and distributors recognise the economic and environmental benefits of diverting this waste from landfill by recycling through the scheme,” she added.

Bridge plant near Preston, while the Flotex and vinyl flooring goes back into flooring at the Ripley site. For more information please contact 0161 355 7618 alternatively email backtothefloor@forbo.com

Scheme members are provided with colour-coded polythene bags and bulk bags, which can be collected from site or dropped off at participating distributors when filled with the specified materials. Marmoleum is recycled into new flooring at Forbo’s plant in Kirkcaldy, Tessera off-cuts are processed at the Bamber

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MEMBER focus each issue sMg puts a MeMBer in the spotlight to learn More aBout their Business and their vieWs aBout the industry. At the beginning of March SMG visited Wessex Carpets in the delightful market town of Blanford Forum in Dorset. The team at Wessex consists of the founder Alan Rogers, Mike Newbury and Brian Johnson. Between them they boast 117 years of experience in the carpet industry which is difficult to beat - what they don’t know about the carpet and flooring retail industry isn’t worth knowing! The business was founded in 1981 by Alan Rogers and his business partner at the time Ray Hughes. In 1985 they moved to their current premises which has an enviable position providing good footfall from the surrounding high street shops. Wessex Carpets has a diverse customer base encompassing young families, second home owners, The Crown Estate and The National Trust.

What do you feel is the independent retailer’s strength? “Without a shadow of a doubt it’s the flexibility and honest advice an independent retailer can offer. We can complete measures at 7am or 7pm if it fits in with our customer’s needs - there’s not many multiples who could offer this! We speak to several customers who have a second home in the area and are only visiting at the weekend, when we tell them we’re happy to measure on a Sunday - they can’t believe it! Also many independents have a great deal of experience in the industry and are able to offer constructive and practical advice which is unparalleled. In our particular business we put a great deal of importance on being personable and genuinely enjoy talking to and helping our customers - this certainly has a positive effect as recently we completed a sale with the third generation of a family.”

In 1988 Ray decided to follow an opportunity which saw him emigrate and consequently leave the business. Mike soon joined the company alongside Alan and Brian, having known Alan and Mike for over 30 years joined them 18 months ago. SMG met with Alan and Brian who were pleased to advise that February was their best for years and were extremely optimistic about the year ahead. Having spent a day in their busy store, it’s not difficult to understand why it’s such a successful business. The team genuinely enjoy what they are doing and their enthusiasm and knowledge is abundant, on top of that they are committed to providing a quality service to guarantee satisfied customers. It is clear they have built a great reputation in the area - and deservedly so - that will continue to furnish them with loyal customers for many years to come.

sMg has a strong policy of supporting British Manufacturers, is this soMething you support? “Definitely. What’s interesting is that at the moment we’re often asked for a British Carpet, it’s very much ‘en vogue’. Companies such as Victoria and Cormar have recognised this value and have the Union Jack prominently displayed on their sampling. There’s certainly an uplift in perceptions about buying British, however these customers are quite demanding and it’s not enough just to be British it still has to be suitable for their requirements and obviously, competitively priced. Ultimately, we will try to promote British Manufacturers but as a retailer we have to face the fact that most of the time the customers budget takes priority.” What are the Most coMMon questions froM custoMers? “Strangely enough a common question we have is “Do you offer a fitting service?” Obviously we do, infact we offer several levels depending on the customers requirements. Our top level of fitting service has been named ‘the full monty’. Customers who take this option will return to their homes and find everything the same except the carpet. We pride ourselves on the level of this service and take photos of the room before the fitting, so we can replace everything to it’s original position. Our customers notice the attention to detail and it makes a difference. It’s important to us that our customer walks in and is wowed! As I say, quite often in a market town such as this good news spreads quick but bad news spreads quicker, so it’s vital we get it right.”

What is the key Market challenge today? “I suppose it’s the internet - however for us it hasn’t had a hugely detrimental effect but does present a challenge. The consequence of the internet is that customers visit the store with more knowledge - or believe to have more knowledge! After they’ve researched online they think they know exactly the product they need, the challenge is taking the knowledge they have and helping them translate it into a solution that meets their needs. Another challenge is the change in buying habits. When I first started in the industry buying a carpet was a big expense and seen as number three in top purchases - now you can buy it with a week’s pay and the situation now is that customers change their carpet with their wallpaper; the value of something lasting a long time is no longer of interest and this drives the sales of products with

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Left: Wessex Carpets is situated in the market town of Blandford Forum, Dorset. Above: Alan Rogers and Brian Johnson.

less margin for us. However, to sell the more expensive products we are competing with PC World, Thomas Cook etc for the limited amount of disposable income.” I notIced you sIgned up to QualIty carpets dIrect... That’s right, after seeing it in the SMG Members’ room at The Buying Group show last May, we thought it had tremendous potential and had to have a look at it in more depth. Admittedly, having seen other industry attempts to use the internet not succeed we were a little sceptical. We spoke with the team at Quality Carpets Direct and were inspired by the enthusiasm and commitment to making it work for all parties and decided to give it a go. We have delivered a few cuts to customers who have purchased online and it has definitely generated a lot more phone calls. The phone calls are very often not from locals, but from customers further afield who have found our details as a partner on the Quality Carpets Direct website but don’t want to purchase online and would rather come into a store - for example last month a customer travelled over 20 miles to visit us. We’ve also had customers contact us who are just about to order online with Quality Carpets Direct and want to ask a few questions. The discussion then turns into whether they could order directly from us. We do charge a higher price than the one

displayed online but explain the reasons why - the online price is supply only whereas we will provide a more comprehensive service - once they understand that they are happy to pay a higher price. What has changed most durIng your tIme In the Industry? “Pace! The pace has certainly changed and everything seems to move a lot quicker. As retailers we are used to receiving deliveries next day or, as is the case with Cormar, the ability of collecting it from a distribution hub. It is our customers and society as a whole which is driving this change in pace; when someone has made their mind up on making a purchase nowadays they want it immediately - no one is happy to wait anymore.” If you could ask supplIers to change one thIng, What Would It be? “That’s a difficult question and rather than being too political, I think it warrants an answer. I must firstly say that we are very happy with the way we are treated by suppliers. However, manufacturers as a whole could maybe help more to improve the options available to recycle waste carpet. We were really keen to develop a process and currently recycle what we can, we discussed our options with Carpet Recycling UK but our nearest collection point is too far away.”

What Was the maIn reason for joInIng smg? “As you know we’ve been Members for 30 years and I did look at other buying groups, however with SMG the membership fee is low when compared to the obvious benefits that are unlocked immediately and we couldn’t ignore that. What has impressed me the most with SMG is that you’ve widened your umbrella to increase opportunities to support Members even more. The business support services offered for example; credit card rates, waste disposal options, preferential rates on vehicles and business and legal advice with the fantastic business support helpline. Actually in answer to your question... Support, this was the major factor.” fInally, What Is your top sellIng product at the moment? “To be honest we don’t have one stand out product, but a manufacturer whose products we sell a lot of is Cormar. Interestingly it is across their whole portfolio and it would be difficult to highlight one as there’s not a clear winner. Currently we are selling more synthetic products such as Primo Choice and Primo Saxony but are still selling a good percentage of Home Counties and Oaklands. Penthouse is another strong manufacturer for us, we were delighted when they joined the Group as it has brought even more value to our membership.”

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