Interiors magazine august

F U R N I T U R E F L O O R I N G B E D S C A R P E T R U G S A C C E S S O R I E S

Interiorsmonthly

f i r s t f o r f u r n i t u r e , f l o o r i n g a n d a c c e s s o r i e s

Aug

ust2

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Awards 2014The winners revealed

The Flooring ShowPreview

UK: 00353 42 9 351 351 Ireland: 042 9 351 351 SERVICE QUALITY VALUE

CLASSIC BEAUTYCONTEMPORARY DESIGN

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Upholstery Dining Bedroom

AWARDS 2011

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

www.interiorsmonthly.co.uk 3

Encouraging signs

Andrew KiddEDITOR

Sealy: the world’s number onebed brand.Visit: www.sealy.co.uk

Editor: Andrew KiddT: 01273 930 029 E: [email protected] advertising (South): Tim BodenT: 01732 441 130 E: [email protected] advertising (North): Jarrod BirdT: 01565 631 397 E: [email protected], flooring, lighting and accessories advertising:Joanne PaullT: 01732 441 130 E: [email protected]

Published by Interiors Media LimitedMinerva House, Kinnings Row, Bordyke, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1NPT: 01732 441 130 F: 01732 362 919E: [email protected] in England no. 6397722Print: Knockout Print Design by TSS DIGITAL © Interiors Media Limited ISSN 1756-2236

F U R N I T U R E F L O O R I N G B E D S C A R P E T R U G S A C C E S S O R I E S

Interiorsmonthly

f i r s t f o r f u r n i t u r e , f l o o r i n g a n d a c c e s s o r i e s

Aug

ust 2

014

Awards 2014The winners revealed

The Flooring ShowPreview

There have been some encouraging salesfigures from major retailers recently whichsuggest that consumers are once againspending on their homes.

Admittedly, some of the figures are againstweak comparisons because last summer’sweather saw people heading to the beach orlake rather than the retail park, but it’s stillencouraging – even if consumers do need apromotion of some sort to convince them.

While GfK's UK Consumer ConfidenceIndex dropped back into negative territory inJuly, after being positive for the first time inalmost a decade in June, it too offeredencouragement. The survey of more than2,000 people found that those thinking it

was a good time to make a big ticketpurchase such as furniture or white goodswas 18 points higher than a year ago.

As consumers and voters we hear mixedmessages on how far economic recovery hasspread and a worry is that 2013 will repeatitself, albeit a little later in the summer, if therecent fine weather that most of us haveenjoyed recently continues into August.

Will it deter people from following throughon those purchase plans? After all, a trip tothe seaside or park is a lot cheaper. Anyonefor some rain?

Congratulations to the winners of theInteriors Monthly Awards 2014. Their detailsare revealed from page 25 onwards. Theseretailers, manufacturers, suppliers, buyinggroups and others are your winners (with a few new awards this year chosen by me).My thanks again to everyone who voted.

Well done to all of those involved insupporting the 58th Kidderminster CarpetManufacturers National Golf Tournament,sponsored by Mr Tomkinson for the first time.The event raised £8,000 for charity, whichwas split evenly between The FurnitureMakers’ Company and Macmillan CancerSupport.

While there are indicationsthat consumers have beenreturning to stores, thesummer sunshine may yet play a role in the overall performance

CONTENTS


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INSIDE THIS ISSUENEWS

6 Corndell bought but WBH seeks buyer

8 United Carpets sees sales soften after growth

12 Cavendish production move

FEATURES

22 Retail

Why online isn’t the route to a fast buck

25 Interiors Monthly Awards 2014

The winners are revealed

98 Rugs

The global influences on Limited Edition

104 Beds and bedroom

A different look for iron and a new brand

112 Protection

Why service matters

120 Preview

The Flooring Show

129 Review

Manchester Furniture Show

REGULARS

15 Warranties

16 New products

NEXT ISSUE

Bed Show preview

The Flooring Show guide

Living and dining focus

INTERIORS MONTHLY AUGUST 2014

NEWS

6 Interiors Monthly August 2014

The search for a buyer for failedcabinet company WoodberryBrothers & Haines is continuingwhile rival Corndell Furniture has been bought out ofadministration.

Corndell has been bought byCorndell Quality Furniture, acompany backed by two ofCorndell’s largest suppliers andformed six days before Corndellentered administration. TheWitney, Oxfordshire, company hadrun out of cash and credit.

Administrators FRP Advisorymade 31 of Corndell’s 115 staffredundant but was able to retainthe rest of the employees as ittraded the firm during the saleprocess. It was approached by 30interested parties and sent information to a dozen of them.

‘We proceeded with an offer from Corndell Quality whichis backed by two of the largest suppliers to Corndell. Whilethe suppliers in question suffered their own losses due tothe failure of Corndell Furniture, they recognise theunderlying value in the business and were keen to invest totake the ongoing business forward. We are aware that keycustomers and suppliers are supportive of the acquisitionwhich sees the long-term future of Corndell secured,’ saysGeoff Rowley, FRP Advisory partner.

Steve Jackson, Corndell Quality director, says: ‘The pastweeks have been challenging but thanks to our loyal staffand supportive retail partners we continue to trade asnormal, fulfilling our strong order book. Under newownership we now have the financial strength and stabilityto build a stronger and more profitable business.’

Corndell Quality’s board is made up of Jackson and CyrilFogel, both former directors of Corndell Furniture, andDavid Hudson.

Administrators for WoodberryBrothers & Haines say they havereceived ‘numerous’ expressions ofinterest but had yet to secure abuyer for the cabinet company.The owner of the Caxton, BathCabinets and WoodberryBathrooms brands appointedPricewaterhouseCoopers asadministrator on 2 July after failingto find a buyer or secureinvestment.

WBH made a pre-tax loss of£986,385 from sales of £12.18m inthe year to 31 December 2012,according to its most recentaccounts. This compares with a lossof £1.66m from sales of £13m theprevious year. It finished 2012 withjust £267 in the bank and bank

loans and overdrafts of more than £2.18m.All but 12 of its 175 employees were made redundant. ‘Since appointment the administrators have worked hard

with the support of certain key customers and suppliers tofulfil some outstanding orders from finished goods stockusing the few remaining employees. This has been done toenable discussions to take place with parties who haveexpressed an interest in acquiring the business and assets,which have been numerous. So far, despite interest shown,no investment into, or sale of the business, has beenconcluded,’ says a PricewaterhouseCoopers spokesman.

Meanwhile, the administrator of Paul Simon has hiredMetis Partners to sell the failed chain’s brand and otherintellectual property after being unable to find a buyer.Metis has previously been involved with the IP assets ofAllders, Ortak, Land of Leather, Johnson & Johnson and MFI.IP assets in the Paul Simon sale include a broad range ofdomain names, goodwill in the brand and reputation andthe ecommerce website content.

Caxton’s London bedroom

G Plan Upholsteryhas recruitedStephanie Hildonas its first branddirector.

Hildon has spent her careermainly in the fast movingconsumer goods industry,

working on brands includingJohnson & Johnson, Cadbury,Colgate, Allianz and Bupa.

Ian Oliver, G Plan andParker Knoll chief executive,says: ‘Stephanie has a wealthof experience that G Plan willbenefit from immensely.’

Carpetright saw ‘small butsteady improvements’ in UKsales growth in May and June,‘with this trend acceleratingsignificantly during July,assisted by weak comparativesin 2013,’ says the company.

Like for like sales were up

6.1% and total sales rose by5.2% in the 13 weeks to 26July. ‘Implementing market-beating promotions’ meantgross profit margins fell by2.6%. This will see full yearmargins drop by between0.5% and 1%.

Upswing for CarpetrightBrand new director

Corndell saved but searchgoes on for WBH buyer

NEWS


United optimistic despiteseeing spring sales softenSales have softened in the past quarter for United Carpetsfollowing a major increase in profits.

The chain saw like for like flooring sales fall by 2.2% in the16 weeks to 17 July and bed sales by 3.6%, with an overalldrop of 2.3%. This compares with a rise of 2.2% in the yearto 31 March. During that year pre-tax profits were £940,000,compared to £250,000 in the six months to 31 March 2013because of United’s change of year end. Sales were £55.7m.

United continued to close weak branches during theperiod, with numbers reducing from 64 to 59. Two morehave closed since March and a further five which areunderperforming or where agreement cannot be reachedwith the landlord, are likely to close within nine months.

Peter Cowgill, chairman, says the chain ‘is no longer held

back by a significant tail of weaker stores which historicallyhave impacted heavily on profit margins and demanded adisproportionate amount of management time.’

Lease renegotiations saw rent reductions, improved breakclauses or the elimination of significant, potential, historicdilapidation commitments, or from a combination of all ofthese on 52 of the stores. The chain is also looking to trial asmaller store format.

‘Our base is stronger. We have removed the majority ofthe weaker stores from our portfolio, we have no debt andan improving balance sheet. Trading has been a little patchybut we believe the overall picture is generally movingforward, underpinned by higher levels of employment and amore active housing market,’ Cowgill adds.

Mix and matchrange for ArgosArgos has a new interiors brand – Heartof Home – launched with its latestseasonal catalogue. It offers more than1,200 products so shoppers cancoordinate across the home.

The exclusive ColourMatch rangeoffers more than 700 products availablefor all rooms in the house in a choice of16 shades across pastels, neutrals andbrights, plus spots and stripes.

Habitat remains a major brand for thechain in its 50th anniversary year, with1,300 products.

Some 10,000 prices have been reducedor held in the latest catalogue.

ColourMatch bentwood chair

Five for January Furniture ShowThe January Furniture Show will have afifth hall, the organiser has confirmed,after the event sold out halls 1, 2, 3 and3A at the NEC.

As Interiors Monthly reported in March,organiser Furniture Fairs will expand the13-15 January show into the Pavilion hallto accommodate manufacturers andsuppliers on the show’s waiting list. Halls4 and 5 of the NEC are unavailable.

The show is to be officially opened byStephen McPartland MP, chairman of theAll-Party Parliamentary Furniture IndustryGroup.

The 2016 event will revert to aweekend opening, with the possibility ofThe Lighting Show returning.

Sister event, the Manchester FurnitureShow, is to opt for a three-day schedulenext year, running from Sunday toTuesday. The intention is to concentratevisitor footfall across the three daysrather than the current four, which has

low visitor numbers on the final day.Meanwhile, buying group AIS has

confirmed that its January furnitureevent will overlap the January FurnitureShow next year.

There had been rumours circulatingthat the NEC event’s decision to move toa mid-week schedule to avoid clashingwith IMM Cologne meant that AIS’sCranmore Park exhibition venue wasalready booked.

But, David Standing, AIS commercialdirector told Interiors Monthly that TheFurniture Show would run alongside theNEC event, as it has done in previousyears.

‘It is sensible for us to overlap as manyvisitors will want to do the shows at thesame time and ours has some exclusiveexhibitors,’ he says.

Monday 12 January will be for AISmembers only and 13-14 January formembers and non-members.

Flooring distributor Green TreeDistribution has launched a tradecommerce website, as part of itsexpansion plans.

www.greentreedistribution.co.uk willallow customers to access exclusiveproducts and prices.

‘The launch of the new trade website is another development in reaching outto our customers, providing them with24/7 access to our products and services,as well as company news anddevelopments ’ says Kevin Lapthorn,Green Tree md.

Trade website for Green Tree

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NEWS


Cavendish in production moveCavendish Upholstery is movingproduction of its independent sectormodels to sister company Collins andHayes.

The switch is part of a plan forCavendish to concentrate on itsmultiple and online markets.

Production of some of thecompany’s bestselling models, such as Pandora and Carlo, has alreadyswitched from Chorley, Lancashire toSt Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, withthe aim of all of the independents’models coming from the Collins andHayes factory by September.

The products will retain theCavendish name and will cater toexactly the same area of the market ascurrently. Collins and Hayes’ offer willremain unchanged.

Martin Huggins, Collins and Hayesmd, says the move signifies a renewedfocus on design, delivery and service.

‘Collins and Hayes has a reputationfor the highest quality and servicewhich we are delighted to bring to the

Cavendish brand. Over the comingmonths Cavendish customers will seeexciting new designs developed andwe hope they will be impressed by ourcommitment to outstanding deliveryand service,’ he says.

Mark McCann, Cavendish md, says:‘We are delighted that Collins andHayes has taken on our long-standingindependent customers and willcontinue to provide the level ofquality and service required in thisimportant sector.’

He says the move has freed upresources in design and development,production capacity and relationshipmanagement within Cavendish toensure the digital and multiplecustomers it supplies are providedwith the highest levels of service andquality they have come to expect.

‘This strategic move will giveCavendish the platform to help secureits long term future and strengthenthe growth of UK upholsterymanufacture,’ he adds.

Cavendish’s Amethyst

Young talentTwo young furniture designers have wonawards at this year’s New Designersshow.

Kit Shadbalt from Bucks NewUniversity’s contemporary furnituredesign course, won the John Lewis awardfor Design Excellence and Innovation forhis Ease Trestle, a table designed to bechanged and adapted to save space.

It was praised by the judges as ‘abeautiful and innovative interpretation ofa traditional trestle design, well-resolvedand ready to manufacture. Kit is a clearlyvery talented designer.’ He won £1,000and a meeting with John Lewis.

Douglas Pulman, from PlymouthUniversity’s 3D design course, won the100% Design award for his Bracefurniture range.

‘The focus for this range is in the use ofdesign engineering to create the bracketmechanism. We also felt that the use ofcontrasting materials led this product tobe visually appealing and commerciallycompelling,’ said the judges.

‘I use a design process that starts withthe development of the bracket or bracebefore naturally developing the furniturepiece from there. I use the properties ofthe materials to their full and am pleasedthat people can appreciate my approachand relate to the work despite itssimplistic style, says Pulman.

He won stand space at 100% Design’sEmerging Brands section.

Kit Shadbalt with hisEase design

Douglas Pulman withhis Brace design

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Natural shades & pinstripe is a refined tailored low level loop withan elegant understated appearance with colourations inspired by

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WARRANTIES


QOne of my best customers is distraught at the damagethat has been done to her home while she was away.The family was on a six week holiday and had

arranged for what they thought were trustworthy people tohouse sit for them. However, when they arrived back homethey found that the house had been trashed. It’s obvious thatthe house-sitters had a very large party and there are winestains, beer stains,cigarette burns,paint, food stains,excrement stains,broken glass, andscratches on thecarpets, upholstery,beds, curtains andfurniture. Accordingto the neighbours,who complainedabout the noise, the party was held soon after the familywent away and they think the house-sitters left after that.Based on this, and the dates of the post, we think the stainshave been untreated for about five weeks. My customer iscovered by household insurance but some of the items havesentimental value. Is there anything that can be done afterthis length of time?

AOh dear, this really does sound like your worstnightmare. The key issue in these situations is not thelength of time that has elapsed, but whether any

attempt has already been made by the householders to try todeal with the damage themselves. This is particularly the casewith staining as general cleaning solutions might mix with thestains or spread them around further and people often rub thefabric rather than blotting which can damage the fibres.

Left in the hands of experts such as the Guardsman FurnitureTechnicians and Safeclean Cleaning Specialists this should be aredeemable situation. This is achieved either by individual stainremoval, expert overall cleaning, smart cosmetic repairs,replacement parts or workshop repairs.

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“I would like to thank you and your team for the superb job that you did in managing our closing down sale. The sale achieved results

substantially above my expectations and it was “mission accomplished”. This success was largely

due to the endeavors of your sale co-ordinator, Kevin Boast.”

Alex WyllieWyllie & Mar, 29th May 2014

Contact us for details and receive a special, 100th anniversary commemorative gift. Plus, if

you hold a Lynch Sale during 2014 you’ll become eligible for our Grand Prize of a trip for two

to Ireland!

100 Years of Results and Profits!

y , y

NEW PRODUCTS


11 12

11 Axil’s Mythos bed combines round lines of the

headboard and the simplicity of the base. The

padded headboard and frame give a soft and visual

use. Leg finishes include ash, wenge, grey, white or

beige open-pore stained.

Visit: www.axil.it

12 Emporium’s polypropylene Drum floorlamp is

pearly white with a choice of red or blue decoration.

Visit: www.emporium.it

13 Softhouse’s wide Tobia sofa has enveloping and

seductive lines covered with dove-grey velvet, with

the shaped back increasing the feeling of welcome

and comfort.

Visit: www.softhouse.pisa.it

14 Seams is a collection of five large ceramic

containers designed by Benjamin Hubert for Bitossi

Ceramiche. Slip casting allows it to create mass-

produced products with one-off details without a

secondary decorating process.

Visit: www.bitossiceramiche.it

15 Influenced by the 1950s, Munna’s Sophia

sofa has a wingback design and cone-shaped feet

available in brass, nickel or copper. In fabric or

leather, the collection includes a coordinating

armchair.

Visit: www.munnadesign.com

13

14

15

Perfect performers and famous for bringing pure luxury,warmth and comfort to the home, Tredaire underlays are designed

to keep carpets looking good and feeling fabulous for longer.

The Tredaire range features outstanding levels of comfort and performance so every carpet gives that ‘on air’ feeling. That’s why Tredaire

is the UK’s biggest selling underlay brand - the market leader!

@interfloor101706 238 810 interfloor.com

RETAIL


NofastbuckOnline retailing requiressignificant investment

‘There is a common misconception thatonline selling is an easy way to make afast buck, but the reality is quitedifferent. Retailing online is full ofcomplexities, regulations and difficultiesthat mean entering it must be seriouslyconsidered, weighed up and analysed,’says Josh Ashby, UK Flooring Directcommercial director.

The first thing to consider is thewebsite itself. The complex nature offlooring, where there are many differentselling options for one SKU, means thatpopular template-driven platforms aren’treally useful and so a bespokeecommerce environment needs to becreated. This requires significantinvestment, developing a platform and

systems to deliver the experience thecustomer requires is hugely expensive.

Ashby says one of the biggestobstacles to overcome is the tactility offlooring as purchase. Consumers like tobe able to see, touch and explore theactual product. Photographs are notadequate as a decision maker for mostpurchasers. Therefore, sampling is anecessity. The per unit cost of this issurprisingly high, particularly given thatfree sampling is part of the serviceconsumers expect and that squares ofwood or vinyl are not that cheap to post.

‘At UK Flooring Direct we offer eachcustomer three free samples, multiplythat by several thousand requests amonth and it becomes a sizeableoperational overhead, but a completelynecessary one to the success of thewebsite,’ he explains.

The Internet is a highly competitivemarketplace and it is becomingincreasingly difficult to maintain aprominent position on search results.Google is now too powerful for thesimple tag workarounds of old andsignificant investment is required to keepwebsites towards the top of the rankings,says Ashby.

Search Engine Optimisation nowinvolves multi-media, social media,blogging, working with other websitesand more. It requires full-time staffingand a dedicated strategy with firm goalsin mind. Plus, there are the costs ofonline advertising and digital marketing.There is no natural pull from a high street

Above: UK Furniture Direct sends outthousands of samples a monthLeft: Country Oak

RETAIL


or out of town retail development location: each customer has to be earnedand hard fought.

‘Delivery too is fraught withcomplexities and with our straight fromstock business model, which facilitatesfast UK-wide delivery, we hold hugeamounts of flooring at our Coventrywarehouse and headquarters. It isabsolutely necessary for us to hold ourflooring in stock, where a high streetretailer can still give a good customerexperience with very little, if any, stock atall,’ he says.

He stresses that delivery partners mustbe reliable. Unlike smaller packages,which can be left with a neighbour orredelivered, flooring requires someone to

be in. A purchaser may well take a day offwork, so a failed delivery must beavoided.

‘Working closely with delivery partnersand looking at areas that can beimproved is a continual part of ourbusiness strategy,’ says Ashby.

He reckons that regulations for onlineretailing are far tougher than for itsphysical counterpart.

The Distance Selling Regulationsenforce a minimum seven-day cooling-off period for any purchaser. The goodsdo not have to be faulty to be returned,consumers can just change their mindand the company is obliged to take theflooring back and refund them the costof their purchase.

‘How often does this happen in a highstreet or out of town store?’ he asks. ‘Weare also closely monitored in terms ofhow we present and advertise pricing,sales and more. In short, we have to bevery aware of how we present to andtreat our customers throughout theentire purchase process.

‘While we have become one of theUK’s fastest growing companies, it hasnot been just because we entered onlineretailing and have ridden the wave. It isbecause, like any successful business, wehave invested heavily in our operationsand are committed to reinvestment anddevelopment to keep us at the forefrontof Internet flooring retailing,’ adds Ashby.Visit: www.ukflooringdirect.co.uk

‘We have to bevery aware of how we presentto and treat ourcustomersthroughout theentire purchaseprocess’

Above: Holding stock is vital for the retailerRight: Galleria Heritage

Axminster Carpets™

feel for any interior décor.

SealyHybrid PocketUltima 2800

AWARDS


Best Furniture Retailer (1-2 stores): PonsfordBest Flooring Retailer (1-2 stores): MilnersBest Furniture Retailer (3 plus stores): GlasswellsBest Flooring Retailer (3 plus stores): Martin Phillips Best Online Retailer: LoafBest UK Furniture Manufacturer: Westbridge Furniture Best UK Flooring Manufacturer: Furlong Flooring Best Overseas Furniture Manufacturer: WiemannBest Overseas Flooring Manufacturer: Balta BroadloomBest Customer Service (Furniture): TCS ImportsBest Customer Service (Flooring): Ulster CarpetsBest Carpet Manufacturer: Cormar Carpets Best Leather Upholstery Manufacturer: NatuzziBest Laminate Manufacturer: Quick-StepBest Fabric Upholstery Manufacturer: Ashley Manor Best Rug Supplier: Think RugsBest Recliner Manufacturer: EkornesBest Underlay Manufacturer: Ball & Young Best Bed Manufacturer: Sealy UKBest Solid/Engineered Wood Manufacturer: Kährs (UK) Best Luxury Vinyl Supplier: Karndean Designflooring Best Children’s Furniture: Gautier UK Best Vinyl Manufacturer: IVCBest Accessory Supplier: Gallery DirectBest Accessory Supplier (Flooring): InterfloorBest Fabric/Soft Furnishings Manufacturer: PrestigiousTextiles Best Bedroom Manufacturer: RauchBest Home Entertainment: Jual Furnishings

Best Living Room Manufacturer: G Plan Cabinets Best Dining Room Manufacturer: Willis & Gambier Best Furniture Buying Group: AISBest Flooring Buying Group: SMGBest Furniture Wholesaler: Julian BowenBest Flooring Wholesaler: Floorwise Group Best Marketing Support (Furniture): SilentnightBest Marketing Support (Flooring): Wools of New Zealand(UK) Best Furniture Exhibition: IMM Cologne Best Flooring Exhibition: The Flooring Show Best Furniture Website: SilentnightBest Flooring Website: BalterioBest Software Supplier: RetailSystem.com Best Finance Provider: CreationBest Supply Chain/Logistics Company: CEVA Logistics Best Business Support (Furniture): Vale-BridgecraftBest Business Support (Flooring): Flooring One Best New Supplier: ArkanaInnovation of the Year: Wool Owners WarrantyEDITOR’S CHOICEInnovation In Furniture: Re-Vive Recliner, Natuzzi Innovation In Flooring: iSense, Associated Weavers Flooring Brand 2014: BrintonsFurniture Brand 2014: Ercol Furniture Sustainability (Flooring): ModuleoSustainability (Furniture): HypnosOutstanding Performance: Adam Carpets Best Furniture Export Support: Polish Foreign Trade

After months of voting, the winners of the Interiors Monthly Awards 2014 have been decided.The companies listed below are among the finest retailers, manufacturers and suppliers in theinteriors industry. Over the following pages you can read more about the category winnerschosen by you, and some new Editor’s Choice awards. Covering all aspects of the industry, theyare united by their desire for excellence. Congratulations to all the 2014 winners.

AWARDS


Since Harry Ponsford opened a shop inthe front room of his house in theSheffield suburb of Heeley in 1893, thecompany has been family-owned.

‘Business is going from strength tostrength – the days of furniture stores arenot numbered in the face of onlinecompetition,’ saysAdrian Ponsford,Ponsford md andHarry’s grandson.

‘We own ourpremises and arefinancially sound.’

Ponsford covers60,000sqft and hastens of thousands ofproducts on display.

Adrian isparticularly proud of the care takenwith deliveries. All

products are unpacked and inspected –regardless of how good the packagingis – and then repacked in Ponsford’s ownpackaging. ‘I don’t want any complaints. I want customers to come away with agood feeling,’ he says.Visit: www.ponsford.co.uk

PonsfordBest FurnitureRetailer (1-2 stores)

GlasswellsBest FurnitureRetailer (3 plus stores)

Since Jerry Glasswell and his son Leslieopened the first Glasswells store in BurySt Edmunds in 1946, the Glasswells’philosophy has been to provide qualityfurniture through an amazing service, aservice that stands out from the crowdand one that is true and trusted.

Its flagship 100,000sqft Bury StEdmunds store is the largest homefurnishings store in East Anglia and it hasa large store in Ipswich and smallerstores in Haverhill and Saffron Walden.

Glasswells’ brands read like a Who’sWho of the furniture, flooring andhomewares sectors and the companyremains at the heart of the communitiesit serves by supporting local charitiessuch as East Anglian Air Ambulance andSt Nicholas Hospice.

The company has installed almost1,000 solar panels on the roof of the Bury

St Edmunds store in one of the largestrooftop solar PV installations in EastAnglia. ‘The panels should significantlyreduce the amount of electricity weconsume from the national grid. We haveanother large store in Ipswich and a76,000sqft warehouse on the east side oftown, which could both be consideredfor the same sort of thing in the future,’says Paul Glasswell, Glasswells md.

‘This is a large investment for thecompany, however, the long termbenefits to the environment and thereduction in our carbon footprint overthe next 30 years are certainly worth theinitial outlay. This venture identifiesGlasswells as a forward thinking,progressive and environmentallyresponsible organisation within EastAnglia,’ he adds.Visit: www.glasswells.co.uk

Glasswells through the ages

Ponsford covers 60,000sqft in two buildings

AWARDS


Milners began selling from a van in 1991before opening a small store in theaffluent village of Ashtead, Surrey. Thecompany now sells curtains from thatstore with flooring and waterbeds soldfrom the larger premises across the road.

Last year the company marked the10th anniversary of it joining theGreendale buying group, and GarryMilner, Milners md, remains as convincedof the benefits of membership as he waswhen he joined.

‘All the staff are geared up to sellGreendale. You can’t go wrong really, it’sa debranded buying group and we’veonly got one other member close to usso it makes sense as we get a bettermargin. We choose to have quite a lot ofGreendale products but there are a lot

Martin PhillipsBest FlooringRetailer (3 plus stores)

LoafBest OnlineRetailer

In 1981 the lateMartin Phillipsopened his firstcarpet store inNewtownards,County Down.

There are now seven Martin Phillipsstores making it the largest independentflooring retailer in Northern Ireland.

In 2007 it opened a dedicated woodflooring and rug store in Newtownards tocomplement the carpets and vinylsalready sold there and also increased thewood flooring products in the other sixstores, which now also stock rugs.

Although Phillipspassed away in2006, his vision and commitment to customer service

continues. ‘Thanks to our staff we were still

able to implement the processes hecreated. We have been able to grow and develop the brand year-on-yearbecause we have recognised what our customers want and have reacted to it,’ says Donald Mercer, Martin Phillips md.Visit: www.martinphillipscarpets.co.uk

we don’t take if we don’t think it fits with the store. We are a mid to top endretailer, we’re not budget end. We start at£12.99 for our carpets and sell lots atover £50 a sqm.

‘Greendale is our largest supplier. Wedo well over £100,000 a year withGreendale, it’s grown every year since wejoined,’ he adds.Visit: www.milners.com

‘Following on from our enormoussuccess in the online market, we nowwant to establish a physical presence tocomplement our etail offer. While Loafhas experienced rapid sales growth yearon year since our 2008 start-up, we wantour customers to be able to interact withour growing range of products, whileretaining our unique approach toretailing,’ says Charlie Marshall, Loaffounder.

Online furniture and homewaresretailer Loaf is to target showrooms of4,000sqft – 12,000sqft as it looks for 10outlets in London and the South East.

The retailer wants to open fivebranches in ‘prominent south-west

London locations’ in the next three yearsand five more in the South East by theend of 2017.

It wants to uphold its reputation fornon-conformist retailing by setting upLoaf Shacks, breaking from thetraditional formal setting by launchinglarge, informal showrooms. ‘The LoafShacks will operate in a manner thatreflects our products: relaxed and easy-going, but without ever compromisingon the high quality standards that defineLoaf as a brand,’ he adds.

Marshall sold a minority stake in Loafto Monsoon founder Peter Simon inJanuary.Visit: www.loaf.com

Value is the central message in Martin Phillips’marketing

Milners’ Ashtead store

Souffle sofa

MilnersBest FlooringRetailer (1-2 stores)

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