interiors monthly october 2008

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

Bensons BedsBrand values

National Floor ShowFull review

Tel +44 (0) 208 209 0108 • Fax +44 (0) 208 209 0100 • Email [email protected]

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

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The Easy Clean CollectionFrom Cormar Carpets

Made in Great Britain

Primo PlusPrimo TweedsPrimo Saxony

CoverSpread_IM_1008 1/10/08 14:41

Whisper – Soft, silky and sophisticated. As featuredin the new Textured rug collection brochure.

Asiatic Carpets Oriental Carpet Centre, 105 Eade Road, London N4 1TJ, UK Tel: +44 (0)20 8800 [email protected] www.asiatic.co.uk

IFC_IM_1008 29/9/08 14:56 Page IFC1

www.interiorsmonthly.co.uk 3

Andrew KiddEditor

OPPORTUNITIES GALOREAmid the understandable despondency in high streetsand retail parks across the country, one vital messageseems to have been missed: one company’s downfall isanother’s opportunity.

While the administration of Rosebys and MFI’s‘rescue’ will send worrying messages to consumers thatthey cannot trust even the largest and well-knownretailers to be in business, it does create opportunitiesfor everyone else. After all people still need to buysheets, curtains, bedroom furniture and kitchens.Established retailers who are well-known and respectedin their local communities because they have a history ofcustomer service seem perfectly placed to gain the mostfrom others’ troubles. Now seems a very good time forthem to remind shoppers of their qualities and heritage.

Manufacturers have also suffered with Willis &Gambier, Intenational Furniture Direct and Dunlop LatexFoam among those falling into administration.

Opportunities are also being created amongEuropean flooring suppliers. Finally facing up to the factthat all sectors have massive over-capacity, Domo isclosing its vinyl operation in Ghent and Condor’s Ralosbrand is closing. The industry has been expectingconsolidation for a few years now, but expect the paceto accelerate in the coming months. Creating viablecompanies that have a better chance of surviving, andprospering, in the long term has to be the way forward.

Reality is different from perception. If people thinkeverything is doom and gloom, they will act so, even ifthe true situation is otherwise. Such was the situationbefore the doors to the National Floor Show opened.No-one would turn up, said the soothsayers. Butretailers did turn up – and placed orders. Those thatstayed away were those who would have looked andthen walked away – stands were busy with seriousretailers. They understood the opportunities on offer.Capitalise on yours.

The Primo Easy Clean Collection from Cormarhas now been updated to include PrimoPlus, Primo Saxony and new Primo Tweeds.Tel : 01204 881200 or [email protected]

Interiors MonthlyEditor: Andrew KiddT: 01732 766 333 E: [email protected]

Furniture advertising (South): Tim BodenT: 01732 367 757 E: [email protected]

Furniture advertising (North): Jarrod BirdT: 01565 659 414 E: [email protected]

Carpet and flooring advertising: Joanne MillerT: 01732 766 344 E: [email protected]

Subscriptions: T: 01732 766 344 E: [email protected]

Published by Interiors Media Limited124 Pembury Road Tonbridge Kent TN9 2JJ T: 01732 367757 F: 01732 352063E: [email protected]

Registered in England no. 6397722

Printed by St Ives Westerham Press Design by Icon Colour Ltd © Interiors Media Ltd

Editor’s comment


Bensons BedsBrand valuesNational Floor Show

Full review


Oct

ober

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6 MFI saved in MBORosebys in administration

7 Headlam expects growthUpholstery cut-backs

10 PwC seeks buyer for W&GDLF closes after pension blow

12 Bensons Beds: brand values

29 Rugs supplement: the best display method, key trends,show launches and awards

40 Leather upholstery: trade up

42 Beds supplement: vital statistics,technology and anniversary celebrations

55 Wholesalers: changing times

67 Exhibtions supplement: NFS review, 100% Design review, Furniture China review and events diary

3 Comment

22 New products

91 Entertainment

92 Marketing

94 Final polish

Contents

News

Features

Regulars

Best of British

Transport: on time, every time

Living room: investing in presentation

Next issueU N C O M P R O M I S I N G I N T E G R I T Y.. U N P A R A L L E L E D R E S U LT S .

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MFI has avoided going intoadministration by hours after amanagement buyout led byGary Favell, chief executive,was agreed.

There has been months ofspeculation over the future ofthe chain, including appealsfor three months without rent, refinancing and failedmerger talks with rivals suchas Sharps and ScS parent SunEuropean Partner, and Magnetand Poggenpohl ownerNobia.

Since being bought for £1by venture capital firmMerchant Equity Partners in2006, the chain had sought toreinvent its distribution chainwhile cutting the size ofstores, which ranged from upto 60,000sqft, to under15,000sqft. With quarterlyrent due on 29 September, thelack of a deal would haveseen it fall into administration,

for which accountant Kroll hadbeen approached.

Options for the 196-storechain had included a pre-packdeal where the companycould have been put intoadministration and theprofitable stores, thought tobe around 100, immediatelybought back.

Pavell says that MEP has

provided a cash dowry for thechain, thought to be about£25m. This should have beenenough to pay MFI’s £19mquarterly rent bill, and leavecash in the bank once existingorders are fulfilled

‘Fundamentally, it isbusiness as usual for MFI, itsemployees and customers. Infact, sales in recent weeks

have been ahead of plan. MFI is a great retail brand,’ he says.

For years the chain hasbeen beset by losses, causedby an on-sale message,confusion over products,delivery network and ITproblems, but since Favell’sappointment a moveupmarket seemed to havebrought benefits.

The new store format whichhas seen sales increase andstore sizes cut – begun underprevious management – islikely to be the future of thechain. Sales topped at about£1m before its troubles began.

MEP revealed that it hadinvested £95m in MFI since itstakeover and had sold thechain at a profit.

Details of any deal withlandlords were unavailable as Interiors Monthly went to press.

6 Interiors Monthly October 2008

News

Parent buys Rosebys brand

The move upmarket has brought benefits

Room to view: Ryalux demonstrated how to combine bolder colours

with its revamped V&A Twist collection during the National Floor Show

with four striking roomsets at the nearby Old Swan Hotel.

MFI dodges administration withFavell deal as MEP reveals profit

The parent company of failedtextiles chain Rosebys hasbought the brand fromadministrator KPMG.

The chain’s 280 stores weretrading under licence fromIndian textile firm GHCL asInteriors Monthly went topress.

‘In common with manyretailers, the group hasexperienced difficult tradingconditions, leading tocontinuing losses,’ saysHoward Smith, jointadministrator. ‘Rosebys hasrecently sought to refinance,but this did not prove possiblein the current economicclimate. We are looking for

offers for the whole or anypart of the business.’

Any purchasers will be ableto licence the brand on termsto be agreed with theadministrators. Stores havebegun holding closing downsales.

In the year to 31 March,Rosebys lost £6m from salesof £100m and has remainedin the red since. It has debtsof about £30m.

GHCL bought the chain inJuly 2006 and had plannedopening stores in India inSeptember. David Barrett,Rosebys chief executive joinedthe company, which has2,000 staff, in June.

6news_IMoct.qxt 30/9/08 14:12

Falling orders have forcedupholstery manufacturerLebus to make some 45employees, about 15% of itsworkforce, redundant.

Earlier in the year Lebus wasconsidering expansion as itwas operating at full capacityafter two years of growth.

A company statement says:‘High street sales are underpressure due to the effects ofrising consumer prices,interest rates and theuncertainties in the housingmarket. Upholstery sales aresensitive to changes inconsumer spending andorders for Lebus have not keptup with our manufacturingcapacity. The directors havedecided the current economicclimate is not likely to improve

for some time and actionneeds to be taken to reduceour costs and focus our effortseven more on improvingcustomer service.

Meanwhile, a drop in saleshas prompted Tetrad toimpose a four-day week forstaff rather than opt forredundancies.

Martin Griffin, md, says thereduction in working hourshad been delayed in the hopeof an upturn in orders.‘Regrettably, tradingconditions continue to beextremely challenging.’

Tetrad laid off staff in March,many of whom weretemporary. The group alsoowns sofabed firm Flame andleather upholstery makerContrast.

News


Redundancies at Lebuswhile Tetrad cuts hours

Flooring distributor Headlamsays while it may not achieveits objectives for the year, itwill continue to grow itsmarket share.

Most of the group’s UKdivisions increased sales in thefirst half of the year, helping tolift pre-tax profits 1.7% to£20.9m. Turnover rose 6.6%to £276.1m in the six monthsto 30 June.

Tony Brewer, chiefexecutive, says: ‘During thefirst six months, the group hasproduced a solid result.Traditionally, the final fourmonths of the year representthe highest sales volume andsubsequently, are the mostprofitable.

‘However, in the four

months to the end of August,the markets have proved to beincreasingly demanding,particularly in the UK. Due tothe unpredictable nature of

the current marketplace, theboard believes we face achallenge to meet our originaltrading objectives for 2008.Notwithstanding these difficult

Headlam looks to increase marketshare gains despite trading challenges

Bolton’s largest independentfurniture retailer has closed,less than two years afteropening.

Rivington Taylor, openedin November 2006 by Markand Alison Haslam after a£2m investment, closed inmid-September. The storehad 13 staff.

A notice at the store says: ‘It is with regret thatdue to financial difficultiesthe business has nowclosed. Deliveries forcustomers who have already made arrangementswill still receive their goodsas agreed.’

Last Christmas Haslam

was confident the storewould carry on, saying: ‘It isno secret that in 2008 retailmay struggle. However, weare feeling very positive,going by the growth wehave experienced over thepast year, to the extent thatwe will be carrying out TVadvertising in 2008.’

According to the managerof the neighbouringCarpetright store, Haslamhad been trying to ensureorders were delivered in theface of a drop-off in sales.‘With high ticket prices,people don’t want to partwith their cash,’ saysMaqsood Adam.

Rivington Taylorcloses after two years

market conditions, we believe[we] will continueoutperforming thefloorcovering market andincrease our market share.’

UK domestic flooring salesrose by 1.6% to £158m. Itsregional multi-productdivision, its largest, ‘was ableto maintain sales levelscomparable with the previousyear, which in a challengingmarketplace will haveincreased market share.’Mercado saw sales rise by 4%,while the 13 businesses in theresidential specialist divisionenjoyed sales growth of17.5%. Commercial sales roseby 11.2%.

Some 2,496 products werelaunched during the period.

Headlam says it will outperform the flooring market

7news_IMoct.qxt 28/9/08 16:44

The Morris Group is delighted toannounce the opening of their newwarehouse and transport facilities– at last!

NEW WAREHOUSE,NEW SYSTEMS ANDNEW STOCK...AND EXCITING NEW RANGES

New productsShorter delivery timesNew after-sales servicesystemsNew transport

Morris profile

THE MORRIS FURNITURE GROUP • MORRIS FURNITURE • G PLAN CABINETS • ZONE DESIGNS • RELAXATEEZE

The new Morris Group facilitiesare both modern and functional.The release of a further 200,000 sq ftmoves their warehousing up to amassive 350,000 sq ft and it is nowfully stocked.

Additional purchasing of trailersand tractor units is bringing the fleetup to strength, promising betterservice from all Morris groupcompanies. “This project has beenessential to bring a better service toall our customers” said joint MDGeorge McGraw.

With the new M74 motorwayproject now well under way,transport links look set to becomesecond to none.

G Plan launch newdining and bedroomcollections

Already making a differencewith their 10 year guarantee,G Plan have expanded the Seville

collection into the bedroom –cabinets feature beveled drawerfronts and chamfered cornice detailcomplimented by a stunningslatted bed frame.

Adding a brand new look withstone inlays into stunning antiquedoak, the Village collection offers awide range of pieces including threedining table options, large audiobench and a beautiful console tablealong with usual lounge furniture.Add to this ladder-back or loom-backed leather chairs and with largeextending tables, G Plan Cabinetsoffer the perfect answer for thediscerning purchaser.

“This project hasbeen essential tobring a betterservice all ourcustomers”

Inside Morris’s new warehouse

08-09_IM_1008 29/9/08 15:38

NERO & NUVO newthis autumn fromZONE Designs

Setting the trends in popular andaffordable furniture has always beenthe hallmark of Zone and the newNero and Nuvo collections are noexception.

The Nero range bringscontemporary pieces in black ash tothe forefront of fashion, retainingthe style of the already popular Loftnatural range. Nuvo (above) offers ahigh fashion high gloss whitepolyester range of bedroom chestsand new two and four door robes,both with full length mirrors.

E 24 Rosyth Road, Glasgow G5 0YD t: 0141 300 7200 f: 0141 300 7277 www.morrisfurniture.co.uk

Bold new move intofabrics with reclinersand club ranges

New fabrics and new models addto Relaxateeze’s already popularportfolio. More crushed velvet inblack and burgundy plus a stunningarray of patterned fabric ottomansare a great new addition to theircasual collection.

With new models in boucle fabric– Supra in brown, rust or gold – anda raft of new leather colours for allswivel recliners, plus the SorrentoE Motion suite with contemporarywood frame, they are sure to be indemand through the autumnseason.

Morris expand rangewith Regency andGrange Bedroom

In rich dark tones, Regency fromMorris offers a full collection of livingand dining room furniture with finedetail. Crafted in solid timber in awarm sequoia finish, the collectionhas novel pieces like the small drinkssideboard and a console table givingcharacter and style for the discerningbuyer.

Following the success of the

Grange collection Morris now offersadditional pieces for the bedroom,with all the chest and wardrobecombinations needed for a useful andstylish solution thoughout the home.

These beautiful collections willbecome available over the next fewweeks.

The new G Plan Village range

Nuvo Bedroom in white acrylic finishThe Regency Dining Collection from Morris Furniture

The new Supra swivelrecliner from Relaxateeze

08-09_IM_1008 29/9/08 15:39

Latex pillow and blockmanufacturer Dunlop LatexFoam is to close afteradministrators failed to find abuyer for the Harrogate firm.

KPMG was appointedadministrator on 2 Septemberafter a restructuring plan fellthrough.

DLF made an operatingprofit of about £400,000 inthe first seven months of2008, compared to a loss of

£100,000 in 2007 and hadsecured funding to relocateparts of the business overseas.

But, this was dependent onresolving the firm’s pensionfund deficit, which it wasunable to do.

Despite ‘Dunlopillo [being]one of the few trulyworldwide brands in thesector that is immediatelyrecognisable to the customer,’according to Howard Smith,

joint administrator, rawmaterial cost increases andeconomic uncertainties forcedthe administration.

Some 100 staff have beenmade redundant with theremaining 55 due to leave asthe business is wound down.

DLF sold its pillows underthe Dunlopillo brand.However, Hilding Andersbought the Dunlopillo bedbrand in 2007.

News

Administrator PwC seeks abuyer for Willis & Gambier

Pension fund was the final blow for DLF

Credit crunch fuels branch closures


Alstons Cabinets

Jessica Alston is the fifthgeneration of the Alstonfamily – and the first female –to join the company asassistant designer. She studiedat the Charles Cecil fine artsacademy in Florence.

FIRA

Phil Wilson (left) has beennamed FIRA’s environmentalconsultant while Terry Woods(right) has been recruited ascommercial executive.

Edel Telenzo

Jim Osborne is Edel TelenzoCarpets’ first full-time salesrepresentative covering theEast Midlands.

HÅG Jo Bjerke, former Ekornes UKmd is office seating firmHÅG‘s new md.

Julian BowenPaul Owen has become SouthWest agent for Julian Bowenand Ian Crowther joins asNorth East agent.

Retail chain Mark Elliot hasclosed its Edinburgh andGlasgow branches after lessthan two years of operationblaming the economicdownturn and high fuel costs.

‘We made a decision thatour Scottish showrooms werenot cost-effective. The credit

crunch has affected thebusiness. Fuel costs haveescalated over the past yearand we had to take intoconsideration the fact wewere transporting furniturelarge distances, from EastAnglia up to Scotland,’ saysLucy Coote, spokeswoman.

‘It had been more difficultto sustain the showrooms inthe current climate andGlasgow has not proved to beas vibrant or as lucrative aswe thought.’

The 13-store chain openedthe Glasgow branch in 2006and Edinburgh’s in 2007.

Willis & Gambier had moved to more upmarket ranges

Accountants were trying tofind a buyer for cabinet firmWillis & Gambier as InteriorsMonthly went to press.

PricewaterhouseCooperswas named as administratorlate last month, ending weeksof speculation about the

importer. PwC says it hasreceived several expressions of interest.

‘We have achievedcontinuity of trading and theintention is to seek a sale ofthe business as a goingconcern,’ says a PwC

spokesman. ‘At this earlystage, we are pleased withthe level of support given bycustomers.’

W&G had enjoyed rapidgrowth in the past few years,increasing sales from £8m in2000 to £38m last year as itmoved away from pine bedsto more upmarket cabinetranges.

In May it moved from threewarehouses in Essex to a500,000sqft unit inPeterborough.

Prior to the administrationthe company had been put upfor sale, less than two yearsafter a management buyout,financed by HBOS, when co-founder Barney Willisretired.

10news_IMoct.qxp 28/9/08 16:51

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11_IM_1008 29/9/08 15:41


Furniture profile

BENSONS BEDSBRAND NEW PHILOSOPHYThe bed chain has taken models off the floor to create improved POS, highlighting brand values

Picture the average bed store. Rows ofwhite rectangles are assembled acrossthe floor, providing little, if anything, inthe way of differentiation.

Bensons Beds’ latest store format hastackled this issue by taking product offof the floor and emphasising the brands.

The chain has taken its inspirationfrom electrical retailing and implementedthe format after 10 months’ work, withthree main aspects.

‘It’s about the brands,’ says BillCarrahar, Bensons md. ‘Our research

showed that unprompted knowledge ofbed brands was really low. Consumersknew nothing of anything associatedwith the brands. Secondly, across theindustry there has been a lack ofinvestment in the in-store experience.Lots of stores lack theatre. We want toevaluate the value of the brands andexplain the brand values.

‘It’s a similar situation to the vacuumcleaner and TV markets. Consumersknow the name of the manufacturersbut the technical specifications mean

nothing and they don’t understand whythe prices vary so much.

‘And less is more. We now have fourbeds in the space where there were six.’

Carrahar demonstrates his point withphotographs of flatscreen TVs andvacuum cleaners at some electricalretailers. The TV display has dozens ofidentikit screens with little obviousdifference between them and the shelfof cleaners has no obvious indication asto why one is better than another.

He contrasts this with LG and

Details about the beds and the manufacturer are printed on panels

Furniture_p12_16IMoct.qxt 29/9/08 23:40

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‘The process of buying a bed shouldn’tbe like walking around an army barracks’

Furniture profile

Dyson displays, where information isprovided on the products in a simple,clutter-free way. This is the approachBensons has adopted.

For Carrahar, giving the consumerinformation without them having to talkto sales staff is central to the newformat. Consumers have a healthydegree of scepticism about sales talk, hesays, but they believe something writtendown as they know a national retailerwouldn’t deliberately put something inwriting that was wrong.

‘Consumers are buying into the largestbrands in the country. They are able toassimilate information without dealingwith the salesman. This then transformsthe relationship as the consumer isinformed. Consumers are interested inknowledge and into brands. Consumerscan almost self-select.

‘For far too often a sales approach hasbeen one thing only: spec, spec, spec.The salesman should be able to answerspec questions but it is massivelyoverdone – spring counts mean nothingto shoppers. We have been guilty ofovercomplicating the process.Consumers are used to it when buyingin other sectors, for example Sainsbury’sTaste The Difference or Tesco’s Finest –they know it’s an upmarket range. Theydon’t stop and ask staff “Does it tastebetter. Why is it more?”

‘The industry is guilty of cramming inproducts, mistakenly believing moreproducts means more sales. The process

of buying a bed shouldn’t be likewalking around an army barracks. Noother industry expects to sell high-ticketitems without display support.’

Bensons format comprises fiveexclusive ranges from Silentnight, Sealy,Reactaform (own label from Relyon),Relyon and Kingsdown. In between themodels on display are informationpanels telling the customer about thebrands. The Sealy panels tell shoppersthat it is the largest bed manufacturer inthe world, has the largest researchfacility and it sells a bed every threeseconds across the globe.

On the second panel you move on tothe more traditional ways of selling:talking about fabric and the energeticlatex. But Carrahar thinks a lot of peoplewill see enough from the first facts towant to try the bed.

Other panels provide similarinformation, for example, Silentnight’sindustry awards and testing facilities.

‘Frankly you don’t need a salesman –I’m 90% of the way there. It’s all therefor the customer. It’s more than POS.Because it’s integral to the whole displayit takes on more authority, a bit like theLG and Dyson displays.

‘Previous POS would have been an A4card on a bedside cabinet next to it thatbecomes dog-eared. This takes it to adifferent level that is a bit more scientific.

‘This looks more like a bed specialistrather than rows and rows of beds. Icould go to a store that has that and if itlooks the same here it doesn’t give usthe standout authority. We’ve taken outthe barracks environment and almostcreated a showroom within ashowroom. We’re sort of saying how itcould look in your home with thecushions and headboards.

‘Having six or seven memory beds in arow just says it’s a lucky dip, take yourpick. This says we are experts and one ofthese three is all you need. Less is

Fewer beds will be on display

Carrahar: ‘taken out the barracks environment’


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15_IM_1008 29/9/08 15:44

more, we have a fantastic range youdon’t need more. If you’re buying a car,they don’t try to show you all the seriesin the showroom, they just show you thekey model,’ he says.

Another part of the decluttering islimiting ceiling banners to four, each witha simple message covering choice, credit,delivery and the price guarantee.

While the rollout of the models andPOS was due to be completed by the endof September, at a cost of almost £1m,the second phase of the plan will not bein-store until next spring.

Digital photography will be used toproduce lifesize images of bedroomfurniture positioned next to bedsteads,reducing product on the floor andeliminating displays against walls.

‘For example, I can have ornaments,windows and I can display some items offurniture physically and others in pictorialrepresentation,’ says Carrahar.

‘I think it is relatively easy to order achest of drawers seen in the image whenyou have a bedside cabinet next to thebed. I might not like to order it just fromthe picture or a catalogue, but I can getmy hands on it and see it properly. This isto give an idea of what a roomset willlook like.

‘It helps people visualise what it willlike in their own room. In most cases it’llbe about the size of their room,’ he says.

It will also improve the look ofconcessions, where the retailer has less


Furniture profile

Less is more for displays

control of the space’s decor. ‘The keything is, particularly with concessions, Idon’t control the colour of the walls.They will usually be magnolia or a grey,the carpets will be whatever colour. Sothe display will not look as good as it willin a store. It doesn’t give off the look ofbeing the leader in our sector.’

Carrahar believes that ‘the displays arenow in a different league [to what storesused to look like] and critically itdifferentiates us from any other bedstore.’

The combined investment, likely to bearound £1.6m is proof, he says, of parentSteinhoff’s willingness to invest in thechain and its UK operations generally. Italso owns Harveys and Cargo and bedmanufacturer Relyon.

‘Times may be tough in our economy,but other parts of the group are doingvery well so there is cash for investment.For some cash is in short supply. Theywon’t invest lightly, they want to seeresults and this investment at this time isevidence of its confidence in the progressthe brand is making and its commitmentto UK retail activity,’ he says.

The POS panels are reminiscent ofpresentation techniques you might seeon a major stand at an exhibition, andwhile the digital imagery has had to waitfor advances in technology, the ideaseems so simple you question why no-one has thought of it before. Then youwonder how long will it be before otherscopy the idea.

Bensons only has four ceiling banners


Come and check out all our collections in our showroom in Boom, near Antwerp in Belgium

For more information:ETHNICRAFT NV - Alf Martin

Scheldeweg 5 - 2850 Boom - BelgiumT +32 3 443 01 26 - F +32 3 443 01 27

[email protected]

www.Ethnicraft.com

Oak - Teak - WalnutSolid wood furniture - Contemporary design

17_IM_1008 30/9/08 14:34

18_IM_1008 30/9/08 14:31

19_IM_1008 30/9/08 08:40

Gaskell Wool RichSales Tel: 01827 831525 Fax: 01827 831508

www.gaskellwoolrich.co.uk

Visit our new website!

www.gaskellwoolrich.co.uk

...and view all our products.

NEW!

20_IM_1008 30/9/08 16:40

WIN aFREE FLOOR!

with

Throughout OCTOBER 2008, we will be

running a weekly draw for all our customers.

At the end of each week, all customers who

have placed an order in that week will be

entered into a FREE DRAW.

The lucky winner will receive a

FREE GASKELL FLOOR of their choice

up to a maximum of 20m2.

Contact your local rep for more details. Tel: 01827 831525www.gaskellwoolrich.co.uk

21_IM_1008 30/9/08 16:51


New products

1

1 Serenity from DreamOn is a 10in mattress with a 3.5inmemory foam top incorporating the Coolfresh system. It isavailable in 4ft 6in, 5ft and 6ft sizes, with a 5in high-densityfoam middle layer and 1.5in ultra high-density foam base layer.Tel: 0845 678 1155.

2 Stikatak’s Flooring Adhesives and Floor Preparationcatalogue details more than 30 products listed under eightsections – adhesives, double stick adhesives, moisturesuppression, primers, smoothing compounds, spray adhesives,adhesive cartridges and tools. Tel: 020 8839 4405.

3 Reef One’s new hand-made range of designer aquariums,biOrb Life, comes in three colours and sizes finished with aseamless gloss acrylic wrap. Incorporating biOrb’s advancedfiltration system means that water keeps cleaner and clearer forlonger. Tel: 01603 710 339.

4 Dimplex’s cast-iron style free-standing Stockbridge electricstove is now available with a contemporary high gloss blackfinish. It has a remote control for armchair selection of 1kW or 2kW heat settings, flame effect light levels and on/offfunctions. Tel: 01489 773 336.

5 To support stockists and ensure maximum impact for newand existing underlays in the Hyper portfolio, Floorwise has arange of in-store and consumer focused marketing materials to underline the key benefits of Hyper’s recycled polyurethanefoam construction, including the stand. Tel: 01509 673 974.

6 Cool tones of oak and a contemporary stance mark outCPW Furniture’s Tuscany collection. There are 15 piecesdesigned to bring a modern attitude to living and dining while retaining CPW’s distinct hallmarks of quality and finish.Tel: 01797 225 014.

6

2 3

4

5

products_IM_Oct_p22.qxp 28/9/08 15:19

Bentinck House, Park Lane Business Park, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Notts NG17 9LETel: (01623) 727374 Fax: (01623) 754555 e-mail: [email protected] www.julian-bowen.co.uk

Julian Bowen Limited

We are proud to introduce the Lyndhurst Bedroom in a combination of solidand veneered American White Oak. Of superlative quality, this new additionto the range is priced to sell in volume. All items, with the exception of thewardrobes and beds, will be supplied fully assembled and securely boxed.The full range of Lyndhurst products will be available later this year and willbe displayed at the NEC in January.

The Lyndhurst Bedroom

23_IM_1008 1/10/08 14:58


New products

7 Specialist acoustic flooring, woodeffect sheet vinyl and decorative, lowmaintenance heavy duty and safetysheet vinyl flooring from Polyflor,including Forest FX (pictured), havebeen installed at Ty Coryton, a newresidential school for children withautism at Whitchurch, Cardiff. Tel: 0161 767 1111.

8 The arresting stripes of Cabo DelSol from Mohawk‘s Karastan brandare inspired by decorative awnings.Made from pure New Zealand woolin seven colourways, each carpet usestwo or three accent tones, soconsumers can opt for a bold or moreneutral approach. Tel: 01480 479830.

9 Pownall Carpets’ Fenland collection– Berber, Twist and Textures – targetsthe growing demand for wool-rich

quality and comfort in multiple tonesand styles, but is kind to the pocket.Berber comes with with Scotchgardstain protection. Tel: 0845 652 8811.

10 Offering consumers convenienceand retailers competitive pricing,Cavalier Carpets has lifted the lid onStain-less Luxury, combining a longcut pile Saxony texture with 100%polypropylene fibre stain resistance. Itis available in 10 shades and 4m or5m widths. Tel: 01254 268 053.

11 Gaskell Mackay Carpets has fittedits Infinity Axminster range in theMillennium Copthorne Hotel, Slough.Victor Meldrum, hotel maintenancemanager says he was impressed bythe firm’s design options and wasconfident it would meet a tightschedule. Tel: 01429 892 525.

8

10

11

7

9

products_p24_IMoct.qxp 28/9/08 15:24

homesweethome

Wool Chicago

Chocolate CH705

Wool Sumptuous

Taupe SU123

Wool Olympus

Minerva OL1657

Wool Ribble

Satin Slipper WR11301

Wool Gallery

Charcoal WG207

For samples of our new and existing ranges,

a copy of our new brochure or to become a

Crucial Trading retailer call 01562 743 747or visit us at crucial-trading.com

New: Wool Chicago Chocolate CH705

newrangesnowavailable

25_IM_1008 1/10/08 14:56


New products

14

1516

12 Wiemann UK has targeted the risingsingle-person market with the Kirunapackage of single or 120cm bed, chest ofdrawers, bedside table and three-doorwardrobe. Tel: 01482 635 283.

13 Whether you want pattern andtexture or a simple border, the LuxaflexExpressions Roller blind collection isavailable in some 900 coordinatingshades, allowing bespoke windowtreatments. Tel: 0161 442 9500.

14 Hafele’s 17inch Urban digital flat-screen TV fits flush with a 500mmcabinet fascia panel and meets UKFreeview standards. It can be viewedcomfortably from all over the roomwithout opening, and therefore angling,the door. Tel: 01788 542 020.

15 Hypnos’ Sandringham, part of theRegency Collection, features a multi-layered, pocket-sprung sleep system thatincludes a top layer of heat treatedmemory button springs with layers ofnatural fillings. Also available are a variety of headboard designs and a

storage option. Tel: 01844 348 200.

16 Vogue Beds’ hand-tufted Pocket1500 is aimed at the contract market,with a 12.5 gauge spring unit and ninegauge frame. The mattress has four flagstitched handles with a three tier,stitched border. Tel: 01455 841 257.

17 Vita Life’s Essential collection offersfoam mattresses in 3cm, 5cm, 7cm and10cm depths with plain, quilted Coolmaxor Silver lined covers. Next day directhome delivery service is offered. Tel: 0121 328 8866.

12

13

17

products_p26_IMoct.qxp 28/9/08 15:28

�� Containers

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27_IM_1008 30/9/08 08:42


18 Brighten up any room and create a talking point with theHoney steel radiator from The Radiator Company. It has ahexagonal design, shown in red with cylinder valves. Tel: 08707 30 22 50.

19 Futuressence has launched The Future Tool, a trendpublication for product, packaging, furniture and interiordesigners. It translates the results of analysis of emotive trends

into visual inspiration withphysical material samples. TheFuture Tool is publishedannually. Tel: 020 8960 0116.

20 Balterio’s Magnitude displaystand has lights to highlight thechrome effect. The stand forTraditional Sapphire ranges(pictured) displays a laminatesample with a correspondingphotograph showing theflooring in an interior setting.Tel: 00 32 56 628 081.

21 In support of Energy SavingWeek, starting 20 October,Micromark has cut prices on itsEnergy Saving Recommendedlighting products by up to 25%on selected lines. Products areavailable in a selection offinishes and styles from walllights to security lighting. Tel:020 8829 6354.

22 Stroolmount’s Hide Aidfurniture sliders protect carpet,vinyl and hard flooring whenmoving furniture. Available fordelivery teams and in-store. Tel: 08454 706 670.

19

New products

18

20

21

22

products_p28_IMoct.qxt 28/9/08 15:30


RUGS


Infinite Damask

29_IM_1009 30/9/08 14:35


Rugs

Flair’s Infinite Damask

DISPLAY RULESSWINGING ALONGHow you show rugs in-store makes a vital difference to sales success

For a market worth an estimated £85m ayear (at MSP), according to AMAResearch, having the right rug designs in-store isn’t enough for successful sales.Displaying the rugs properly is vital.

Jeremy Nichols, Asiatic Carpets salesand marketing director thinks swing-armracks are the best method.

‘I am sure the solution to rug displayhas yet to be found, but in this day andage where retail space is at such apremium we believe that the swing-armaffords the best solution in the space vsales equation,’ he says.

‘Obviously where space is not theissue, a mixture of all types of fixturesincluding sliding rails, rug baskets,plinths, swing-arms and ladder racksshould be used to create focal points andencourage the customer to explore. Mostof the major retailers we deal with havemoved to a swing-arm based display.’

Manisha Verma, Jaipur Rugs assistantmanager also advocates hanging rugs,but on the store walls. ‘The mostbeneficial way to display rugs is to hangthem. Obviously, the size of the rug thatwill be hung depends largely on theamount of available space and thegeneral ceiling height. Not many retailersrealise the fact that keeping a stack ofrugs for display is only good for keepinginventory.’

She says shoppers may not be easilyconvinced to buy when presented with astack of rugs. They need to be displayedso that the consumer can visualise thedécor of their room or office. Hangingother sizes of rugs on the walls providesa better visual effect and allowsfloorspace to be used efficiently. Thepurpose of hanging rugs is to keep amoderate stock and have few piles to flipthrough.

‘The sales benefit of showcasing ruggallery on walls outweighs the initial cost

savings of not hanging rugs on a rack.Many times stores fail to realise that theold inventory is overlooked and put on the bottom of large piles.These are then never to be seen again,’says Verma.

Crucial Trading’s rugs are custommade, so having a computer in-storewould allow shoppers to use the firm’sdesign facility on its website.

‘They can also touch and see samplesin-store to truly get a feel for whatthey’re specifying. Our brochure alsogives a few examples of how to combineour broadlooms and borders that shouldhelp to kickstart their imaginations,’ saysInga Morris, Crucial Trading marketingmanager.

‘Retailers can also display rug squareswhich are, in effect, mini rugs. Ouradvice on actually displaying or sellingrugs is to make it as easy as possible forcustomers to browse through thecollection by themselves, for example, byhaving hanging rugs on rails that areeasy for anyone to move.

‘Having rugs scattered over the floorsends out a negative message – lessconfident customers will not want towalk over the rugs and it will become abarrier to browsing.’

Neel Shah, Rugs with Flair director, sayshaving brands consumers trust isimportant, along with the right designs.

‘The Rugs with Flair trademark is nowhighly recognisable and trusted

RUGS_P30_32IMoct 30/9/08 14:20

31_IM_1008 30/9/08 16:47


Rugs

Kersaint’s Dominoes

Bodie and Fou’s StellaAsiatic’s Maya

have used the Internet for research. Iwould still want to feel the texture andquality rather than buy online after justlooking at a picture. With the stand theconsumer can handle it, see the fullimage with the swing ticket and for theretailer it has a very small footprint,displaying 44 rugs.’

With next day delivery to most

among all rug retailers and consumers,’she says.

Last month it added a black, grey andlime damask rug to its Infinite range. ‘Thenew damask is bound to become abestseller due to the design already beingthe most popular hand-tufted modernacrylic within our extensive ranges.’

Mike Richardson, Kersaint Cobb generalmanager thinks he has developed theperfect display solution with its first rugcollection.

Its revolving stand holds the 19 designsin the range and shows the 44 colouroptions. Swing tickets show the fullimage of the rugs with a footprint of50sqcm. It also launched anaccompanying brochure at the NationalFloor Show.

‘It is geared for the independentretailer, be they flooring or furniture, whowants to do something with rugs butmay have issues with not having enoughspace for swing-arm racks and havingstock, or who doesn’t want to have themin a pile, which isn’t very consumerfriendly in terms of browsing,’ he says.

‘The consumer doesn’t go in a storeand walk out with a rug under their arm.They are more discerning and are likely to

locations, there is no need for the retailerto hold stock, he says, and the consumerdoesn’t have to wait long. ‘I think mostpeople would be happy if the retailer toldthem they would deliver it within twodays or ordering it. Our stock holdingand distribution is a big advantage forthe retailer.’ The rugs are only available inthe bestselling 120cm x 180cm size.

RUGS_P30_32IMoct 30/9/08 14:20

A DOUBLE HITWITH STAINSHIELD

Stainshield Ltd have combined with the internationallyacclaimed allergy and hygiene product Actigard®.Stainshield's established range of wool friendly stainprotection treatments can now be offered with thisallergyshield protection at no extra cost.

Condensing of prices enables retailers to offer bothadvantages with one application at highly competitive rates.Products are available in aqueous or solvent based solutionsand are available as individual products or in a combinationformat.

A dedicated 'Help' line for your customers

Products ideally suited to all fibres and guaranteed notto change their colour, feel or characteristics. (Wool,wool/mix, sisal, jute, nylon, acrylic, polyester, etc.).

Quality and safety assured:- qualifies for ÖKO-TEX 100Class IV and in compliance with BS EN24940.

Low retail over heads with costs between 50p-60p persquare metre.

New hard hitting range of P.O.S. available with in houseapplication (refresher) training.

Note:- Group and distributor discounts by arrangement.

•

•

•

•

•

Tel: Fax:Email:01372 841467 01372 841465

[email protected]

33_IM_1008 1/10/08 15:10


Rugs

TRENDSFIVE ALIVEFive key trends will dominate rug design in 2009, ranging from arts and crafts to new romantics

Rich

ard

Pow

ers,

Elle

Dec

orat

ion

Sept

embe

r 20

08

Ksenia, Movafagh for 2 Form

Feliz, ManonJuliette

Irene, UrbaMatador ICE

BLACK DRAMADramaticLeatherUrethaneBlack-on-blacksSexyWovenBraidedAsymmetric

DESERTDREAMS Imitating drysoilUnevenOrganicsurfacesPebble-madeCrackedSandy huesHand-tuftedSquare feltthreads

ARTS AND CRAFTS

Trend forecaster Futuressence hasidentified five major trends for rugs in2009 in The Future Tool.

‘The first edition, (Safe) Haven 2011+,investigates one of the strongest emotivetrends today: our need to feel safe in anincreasingly uncertain world,’ says StineBrahm Lauritsen, Futuressence director.

‘We are currently witnessing growingfinancial insecurity, frog-leapdevelopments in the medical and

scientific fields mean that we have toreset our moral parameters on a regularbasis and meanwhile the impact of theclimate change is spreading, just tomention a few of the uncertain factors inour daily lives.

‘(Safe) Haven 2011+ explores how ourrequirement for establishing comfortzones manifest itself in the productproperties we feel attracted to. Thisinsight is presented in a trend book and

visualised in moods, detailing references,concept examples, colours and texturecharts.

‘A corresponding box containing arange of tangible samples of the mostrecent material developments furthersupports the trend theme, providing thedesigner with a holistic tool to addressthis emotive need through the designlanguage, the usage of specific tactileexperiences and the choice of materials.’

Nature referencesSimple shapesSubdued huesFerns and leavesGraphical

Arts and craftsDramaticSwirlingmovements

Fredrikson Stallard

Bella, Urba

Arik Levy for Tai Pin

Fran

s va

n de

r H

ayde

n, E

lle D

ecor

atio

n, O

ctob

er 2

008

TrendsRu_p34_35IMoct 30/9/08 13:03


Rugs

Maze, Asha Hamar, ICE

Sand, 2 FormGnawa, Tai Pin

Futuressence

NEW ROMANTICSLace patternsTone-in-toneMetal yarns mixed inMovement combosOrnamentalFeminineRefinedWool/silk blends

ECLECTIC TRIBALStrong huesTribal patternsGeometric shapesKelims reinventedFeltedRusticColourfulHand-woven

Femke Goossens for ICE

Botanica, FortyThieves

Biology of cells,Forty Thieves

Orchid, JocelynWarner

Leaf, JocelynWarner

Fu III, Tai Ping Tozan, Asha Zhou, Tai Ping 118, Feldt

Embrasse, ICE Lace, ICE Romantic, ICE Angel, ICE Ornament, ICE

Mar

tin M

orre

ll, E

lle D

ecor

atio

n, O

ctob

er 2

008

Richard Hutton

Dan

Duc

hars

, The

Sun

day

Tim

es, S

epte

mbe

r 20

08

TrendsRu_p34_35IMoct 30/9/08 13:04


Rugs

Otumpa’s Santiagueno

Felt’s Shyrdak

Many manufacturers went back tonature with their designs and dyesincluding Otumpa which sources rugs,furniture and accessories from fiveindigenous communities in SouthAmerica. Rugs from the ArgentinianQuichua Santiagueno community areinfluenced by mountains, jungle andcost, and all are hand-woven andnaturally dyed.

Felt imports shrydaks made bynomads in Kyrgyzstan in central Asia.Shapes are cut through two differentcoloured layers of felt so a pair of rugs iscreated in opposite colour combinations.

Forty Thieves took flower heads as itstheme, with Hydrangea by fashiondesigner Sarah Arnett and textiledesigner Sam Pickard’s Dahlia combining

greys and brick red for summer colour.Emery & Cie offered eight wool or

wool and silk designs in 42 colours forits Chrysantheme.

Bold colours are Chichi Cavalcanti’strademark and the latest designs are noexception combining viridian blues,emerald greens and corals.

So Far So Near collaborated with O Ecotextiles to produce the Ghurkacollection using undyed wools.

Loophouse debuted the Woodlandand Hidden ranges. Woodland hasabstract silhouettes of flora, fauna andwoodland birds while Hidden’s Rowenahas the qualities of a vintage eiderdownwith deep carved quilted textures. Elizais a simple design with interwoven loosethreads and ribbons.

Studio Lawrence’s Save The Date wildorchid design began life as a weddingcard. It is available in domestic (hand-tufted wool) or contract (machine-madesynthetic) specifications.

Better known for wallpaper, JocelynWarner trebled her rug collection withOrchid and Leaf. Orchard features acircular view of an orchid stem whileLeaf has stripes of branches and leaves.

SHOW STOPPERSEXPRESSIONSThere were rugs galore at 100% Design and Decorex – here are some of the best

So Far So Near’s Gurkha and Emery & Cie’s Chrysantheme (top)

rugs_Dec_p36_37IMoct.qxp 28/9/08 15:38


Rugs

Loophouse’s Poison Ivy and Forty Thieves’ Hydrangea (centre)

Chichi Cavalcanti’s Flow Studio Lawrence’s Save The Date

Jocelyn Warner’s Leaf

rugs_Dec_p36_37IMoct.qxp 28/9/08 15:39


Rugs

AWARDS DOUBLEA POWERFUL COMBINATIONInteriors Monthly readers and a judging panel both chose Roshi Goyal as the worthy winner for their individual awards

Ruchi Goyal, Nottingham Trent UniversityMA Textile and Innovation student scoredan awards double in the RugMark/Interiors Monthly Young Designerscompetition. Goyal won both the Judges’award and the Interiors Monthly Readers’award, voted on by visitors at theNational Floor Show.

Students from 14 design courses acrossthe UK and Republic of Ireland enteredthe competition.

Runner-up in the Judges’ award wasSamantha Doe, a third year student atColchester School of Art and Design (BAArt & Design), while Fiona Wilson, asecond year student at Bradford College(Contemporary Surface Design & Textiles)was third.

The judges – Chris Sharp, The RugCompany owner; Nicola Gidlow, JohnLewis rug buyer; Rosemary Crill, V&AMuseum Asia department senior curator;Ruth Ayahudin of 100% Design andAndrew Kidd, Interiors Monthly editor –

Goyal’s winning design Doe: runner-up

Wilson: third place

hailed the winning design as ‘a powerfulcombination of geometric and floraldesign. Doe’s rug was ‘strikingly boldand different,’ while Wilson’s was‘commercial and vibrant.’

All three designs were shown at 100%Design. Goyal travelled to Kathmandu tosee her rug being made, and the workdone by RugMark to tackle child labour.

‘The best thing about my trip toKathmandu was when I entered theworkshop and saw my rug on the loom’she says. ‘The most important andwonderful thing that RugMark does is totake children out of the rug factories andgive them the safe and healthyenvironment that a child needs. It helpsthem with their schooling anddevelopment when their families can’tafford it. The competition and trip hasprovided me with a great insight into therug making industry, and has given meexposure not only on the professionalfront but also on the humane level.’

‘The trip providedme with a great

insight into the rugmaking industry’

AwardsRug_p38IMoct.qxp 28/9/08 15:44

MAX DIVANI UK / IRELAND Matthew Kutas Furniture Agency Torp House, Rothersthorpe, Northampton NN7 3JB

Office T. +44 (0) 1604 832955 F. +44 (0) 1604 832965 [email protected]

MAX DIVANI S.p.A Via Ceraso, 1 70022 Altamura (BA) Italy T. +39 080 3165511 F. +39 080 3105005 [email protected] www.maxdivani.it

39_IM_1008 30/9/08 08:46

Selling up is one of the basic principles ofretailing I learned when I started in theindustry, 30 years ago. Quality, choiceand style should not be underplayed.Value rather than price should be the partof the message to the public.

Too many retailers and manufacturers’have suffered from down trading in theleather upholstery market. The effects area sea of uninspiring cheap importedproducts where the only selling point isprice. This seems to be a particularlyBritish trait, as other European marketssuch as Germany and Italy seem to beable to persuade the public to spendmore on their interiors.

Although it is well known that thegrowth of imports from Asia has had amassive impact on British and otherEuropean manufacturers, there is a stillan important place for producers fromEurope, particularly the Italians.

Sourcing from Italy provides manybenefits. The quality is invariably higher,delivery flexible and orders can be madeon a one by one basis without


Leather upholstery

Max Divani’s Antea

SELL UPQUALITY COUNTSOffering quality allows retailers to demonstrate why they are different

restrictions. Consumers want a widechoice of colours and finishes andcoordinating accent pieces, that cannotbe offered from a container supplier from China.

With a little investment in displayingand marketing the product correctly,retailers have the opportunity to take anorder at a higher price.

It is important that the retailer is armedwith the selling tools to persuade theconsumer it is worth their while to spenda little more. To do this, they need thesupport of a supplier that works withskilled designers, invests in high qualityleathers and produces valuable POSmaterial, such as lifestyle images andexplanations of each leather type within adetailed care leaflet. This allows thecustomer to understand what they arebuying, and why they should pay morefor it.

This is now even more important asmore and more powerful players such asthe supermarkets enter the furnituremarket, and the independent stores have

to demonstrate why they are different.One such company is Max Divani,

based in Altamura in south Italy for morethan 50 years. The company uses ‘Hand-made in Italy’ in all its marketing, and isgrowing its UK and Irish market with itsoffer of distinctive leather sofas aimed atthe medium/high market.

It is important that the manufacturerworks closely with the retailer, and takesresponsibility to make sure salespeoplereally understand the products and arenot afraid to sell up.

Training the salespeople should be partof the work of the manufacturer, andsomething that in the case of Max Divani,is done enthusiastically. The companywelcomes sales staff to its productionfacilities to see how much work goes into producing a leather sofa, as well as thechance to see the latest designs andleathers and, of course, to embrace theItalian culture.

Matthew Kutas is the UK agent for MaxDivani

leather_p40IMoct.qxt 29/9/08 23:32

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

BEDS


BedCov_p41_Imoct.qxt 30/9/08 11:21


Beds

Since 2002 the value of the UK bedmarket has grown by more than aquarter. According to Mintel, bed salesgrew from £1.247bn to £1.692 in 2007.

Of this, the market is still dominatedby divans, which account for almost halfthe market. According to AMA Research,73% of divan sales are doubles. Mintelestimates that bedsteads account for22% of the market with two-thirds beingdoubles, according to AMA. Woodenbedsteads make up half of sales, thebalance being metal or upholstered.

Stand alone sales of mattressesaccount for a fifth of the value of themarket while mattress protectors, bedlinen and pillows account for 12% ofsales.

The market is dominated by furniturechains, according to Mintel, with theseretailers making up more than half themarket in 2006.

Bed and mattress specialists, such asBensons, Sleepmasters and Dreams, arethe second largest sector, accounting foralmost a fifth of sales.

Mail order and catalogue operators,including Argos, have 13% of themarket, followed by department storesand independent furniture retailers.Online sales are included in the othercategory, but this is thought to havegrown significantly in the past two years.

VITAL STATISTICSMARKET SHAREIn the past six years the bed market has enjoyed strong growth, approaching a value of £1.7bn

Furnituremultiples

54%

Bed andmattress

specialists19%

Mail ordercatalogue

13%

Department stores9%

Furniture independents4%

Other1%

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

£bn

1.3471.540

1.659 1.587 1.643 1.692

The growth of the sector (£bn) Source: Mintel

The leading players in 2006Source: Mintel

Divans46%

Mattresses20%

Bedsteads22%

Other (linens, pillows, mattress protectors)

12%

The bed market was worth £1.692bn in 2007Source: Mintel

42-48_IM_1008 30/9/08 17:02

Enquiries Telephone 07917 415274 / 07917 415374

I N N O V A T I O N • P R O D U C T I O N • D E L I V E RMADE IN UK.

Outstanding Salus Bed Collection from Breasley

The Salus bed collection offers high quality, comtempory style divan

beds with a wide choice of mattresses and covers at costs to suit an ever changing market.

A range of colours, finishes and styles are available to complete this superb bed collection.

Design

Quality

Excellence

43_IM_1008 30/9/08 08:47

�Penny White• A new launch, after the

success of Penny Pink,

in a glossy white finish

• Sprung slatted to give

additional support

• Bedstead available in 3'(90cm)

�Penny Pink• A contemporary design

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additional support

• Bedstead available in 3' (90cm)

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• Bedstead available in

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• Sprung slatted to give additional

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• Bedstead available in

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4'6" (140cm) Ivory & Black

5' (155cm) Ivory & Black

�Isabelle• The bed is produced to high

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• Rich coating of glossy white,

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T: 0870 766 9147F: 0870 766 9148

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T: 0870 766 9147www.serenefurnishings.co.uk

44-45_IM_1008 30/9/08 08:49

• A classic traditional design in glossy white finish

• Sprung slatted to give additional support

• Bedstead available in 4'6" (140cm) and 5' (155cm)

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Providing Quality Productsat an exceptional Value

Collections offered direct from thedistribution centre, which is convenientlylocated just off Junction 1 on the M5.

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44-45_IM_1008 30/9/08 08:50


Beds

‘Visco-elastic memory foam goes fromstrength to strength; in all sorts ofcombinations, from open coil to pocketwith all types of foam,’ says StuartHibbert, Breasley md.

‘This fantastic product has helpedbreathe new life into what was a verystagnant market; it helps to give a greatfeel and overcomes the old issues ofsettlement. With the introduction of newfabrics such as Coolmax, Aloe Vera andmore recently Outlast it has overcomethe main reason not to buy a memoryfoam mattress: ‘’It makes me too hot”.

‘The Outlast story has certainly madethe difference at Breasley; with its uniqueclaim that it helps reduce your bodiestemperature fluctuations to plus or minus2deg C, creating a constant microclimate,ensuring you are not too hot, not toocold, just right.

‘With the increase in bed frame salesthe divan base has reduced in popularity,but by introducing better upholsteryfabrics with matching headboards to thefloor there is still a market for the humbledrawer divan,’ he says.

‘Thinking back to when the drawerdivan was first launched many decades

ago, it created asmuch interest asvisco elasticmemory foamdoes now, so itwould be ashame not to tryand give them anew lease of life.’

The SleepSpaAir Therapyadjustable fromKaymed hasmore than 4,200settings, making it the world’s mosttechnologoically advanced adjustablebed, according to the company. Thesleeper can choose the exact firmnesslevel in three areas under their body.

‘It is all possible thanks to newtechnology with three separate airchambers on each side of the bed - underthe lumbar region, head and feet,’ saysRosemary Turley, Kaymed director.

‘These are inflated and deflated by acomputerised control system built intothe mattress and topped with memoryfoam for maximum comfort. The controlsare extremely precise with more than

4,200combinations oneach side of thedouble bedensuring maximumcomfort for bothpartners, whatevertheir individualpreferences.’

‘For sitting up toread or getting inand out of bed, anauto-fill buttonreturns the bed toa firm, flat surface,but the exactpersonal settingsare remembered

by the computer to re-adjust the comfortlevel of the mattress each night.

‘It’s the first time that such advancedtechnology has been available in the UK,developed thanks to Kaymed’s researchand development laboratory.’

Vita Life’s Essential range is‘comprehensive, uncomplicated andstraightforward. We manufacturemattresses in a variety of memory foamdepths of 3cm, 5cm, 7cm and 10cm,’says Mario Albertini, Vita Life director. Thecollection also incorporates covertechnology, offering plain, quilted,Coolmax or silver lined covers. Pricesbegin at £99 with next-day delivery.

Royal Coil mattresses, distributed in theUK by TCS combine high-density memoryfoam with pocket springs to providesupport across the surface.

TECHNOLOGYFOAMMemory foam continues to offer new options for bed manufacturers

Breasley’s 1500 memory pocket

Kaymed’s Sleep Spa Air Therapy

TCS’s Spinal Max

42-48_IM_1008 30/9/08 17:02

...you should be in thekomfizone.

For more information or to enquire on becoming astockist, please call the stockist helpline number orcontact: [email protected]

Stockists Helpline: 0870 626 0606www.komfi.com

47_IM_1008 30/9/08 15:01


Beds

‘The consumer is that little bit morecircumspect about signing on the dottedline, the value aspect of your offer ismore critical than ever. You really have tobe able to show they are getting the bestpossible value. There is probably moreshopping around going on,’ says BillCarrahar, Bensons Beds md.

‘Choice is a big consideration as well.Our Relyon display has sprung differentlyon each side of the king size beds, with asprung base, with a platform base with amedium side and slightly firmer side.

‘From these three beds there is a 12different configurations feeding into thatmodern day feeling that consumers musthave choice. It’s about them being incontrol of the process. It the customersays its too hard, you simply say “Noproblem, try the other side,”.’

For Carrahar information is vital ifshoppers are to understand the latestproducts – especially if they are owners ofprevious generations of foam mattresses.‘There is a bit of a change coming withmemory foam, and possibly it haspeaked. There is some evidence, thatsecond time buyers are coming in saying“I want a new bed but not that memoryfoam because it makes me sweat,”.’

Carrahar says he expects foam andlatex combinations to become popularand explaining this will be important.

‘Our information from within the groupand manufacturers is that latex is makinga comeback, on the basis that with theslow-recovery foam you sink in so it hasthe great story about posture support butwhat no-one has discussed before iswhen you go to turn over, it doesn’t giveany push back properties. So you’ve madea deep groove, 86% of people sleep ontheir side, the capiliary constriction startsand your brain tells you to turn over butwhen you go to turn over you are gettingno assistance from the bed. So there ismore interest in latex and products like

Embrace which combines latex and foamto give you a slow downward action butwith some pushback.’

For Sweet Dreams, increasing theamount of product literature it providesretailers is paying benefits.

As well as its annual catalogue, itintroduced leaflets for its bedroom rangesand has now added leaflets for itspromotional models. ‘This informsretailers and helps to sell to consumers,’says Jackie McGarvey, Sweet Dreamssales manager. ‘We are finding extraliterature increasingly valuable in this verycompetitive market. It gives salespeoplepositive facts to go on, and it highlightsthe benefits of an individual bed to thebuying public. The more informationthere is readily available about a bed, theeasier the salesperson finds it to make agood pitch, and the more likely it is toresult in a sale. It’s an essential part ofour marketing.’

For Harrison Beds, spring count andnatural fillings are a vital part of its salesmessage. Its Somnus and Harrison brandshave developed their own techniqueswith their own spring technology –Revolution and Sensa Pocket respectively

– to increase the number of springswithin their beds.

‘This also is a growing trend within theindustry, as high spring counts canincrease the luxurious nature of bed,making it more appealing to consumers,’says Alan Scott, Somnus sales andmarketing director.

‘The Harrison Bed Tailor Diamondmodel boasts 6,500 pocket springs with4,500 in the mattress and a double depth2,000 in the base. Two layers of Posturfil,a small pocket spring sheet, is insertedinto the mattress to give additionallumber support and to improve the loftof the upholstery. Imperial, the top of therange Somnus model has 6,000 SensaPocket Springs in the handmade mattressand 1,800 in the sprung edge base.

‘Using materials such as pure lambswool, horsehair and Egyptian cotton is a growing trend amongst consumers.

‘These natural fillings can have greatbenefit to the consumer as horsehair is integral in regulating the airflow in the mattress and therefore helps tocontrol moisture levels and lambs wool is renowned for it’s superb softnessand comfort,’ he says.

SALES PITCHINFORMATION MATTERSWith such a variety of products available, providing information to shoppers is vital

Brochures have helped Sweet Dreams

42-48_IM_1008 30/9/08 17:03

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Beds

Good rest nourishes the mind and body

An independent family company,General Traders is the exclusivedistributor of Italian Magniflex vacuum-packed premium mattresses throughoutthe UK and Republic of Ireland.

‘With the average person spendingaround a third of their life sleeping, andneeding their rest more than ever asstress levels rise with today’s hecticlifestyle, choosing the right mattress has never been so important to ensure a quality night’s sleep,’ says Bob Badman, General Traders head ofRelaxsan sales.

The inventors of Relaxsan orthopaedicmattresses invest heavily in research anddevelopment, working closely withorthopaedists and technicians toimprove and refine the range, he says.

Products are developed with the

philosophy that in the same way a gooddiet nourishes the body, good restnourishes the mind as well as the body,according to Badman.

‘Since the Relaxsan Original wasintroduced to the UK market in 1997, ithas earned us a reputation for excellentcomfort and high quality at a very fairprice, and is the most frequentlyrecommended mattress for consumersand retailers looking for a firm yetsupportive mattress,’ he says.

Consumer loyalty has brought manyreferrals and repeat business for thosespecialist retailers who stock Relaxsan.Despite a wide choice of morefashionable models and innovations, he reckons the Waterlattex mattress isthe preferred sleep surface in their own homes of the 900-plus retailers

stocking the Relaxsan collection.So what makes the Waterlattex

mattress different?According to Badman, the blend of

latex and polyurethane foams ensuresthe spinal column is always in its correctposition, whatever the body weight, andprovides a degree of support andnaturally elastic comfort the firm has notseen replicated in any other mattress.

To celebrate its 10th anniversary thefirm has launched the WaterlattexAnniversary model. This features aremovable zip cover with a ‘stay cool’fabric to offer maximum sleepingcomfort. In common with the rest of therange, it is inherently anti-allergenic andodour-free.

A PR and advertising campaign isbeing launched to support the brand.

GENERAL TRADERSCOOL COMFORTGeneral Traders is celebrating 10 yearsof its bestselling Waterlattex mattress

relaxan_p50IMoct.qxt 28/9/08 14:15

UK: 00353 42 9 351 351 Ireland: 042 9 351 351

Maximise your profits with TCS

www.tcsimports.comor contact your local representative:

London and South East - Peter Morris: 07831 558616North West, North East, Lincolnshire & Yorkshire - Gavin Boden: 07720 074906

South West & South Wales - Paul Clifford on 07886 642086East & West Midlands - Peter Bellis: 07860 418168

London North Thames to Northamptonshire - Trevor Cassell: 07710 727895Scotland - Donald Coltart on 07831 188844

The quality and comfort of this range has proven itself among all leading brands on the shop floor.

This range offers a high end product at a price point to rival all similar quality products.

The opportunity to prove this would be welcomed by TCS.

The UK’sSole Supplier of Royal Coil

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52_IM_1008 30/9/08 15:06


Protection

MARGIN BOOSTSAFE AND SOUNDWith a high conversion rate and healthy margins, protection products can boost the bottom line

Since the brand was launched in 1987,Guardsman Furniture Solutions Grouphas maintained its position as thenumber one supplier of protectionprogrammes and products.

By offering a range of programmesthat cover products against stains,accidental damage and structural faultsfor five years, consumers are given peaceof mind and retailers a welcome boostto the bottom line. Products coveredinclude soft cover and leather upholsteryand cabinet. Guardsman also offers arange of care and repair kits which canbe sold to consumers.

According to Simon Harrison,Guardsman sales and marketing director,programmes generally fall into threecategories: stains only; stains, rips, tearsand burns; and stains, structure, rips,tears and burns.

‘Most of our top 30 retailers promotethe second option, he says. ‘This isbecause most retailers feel the premium

for the programme gives them thegreatest conversion rate and bestmargin. Programmes start at under £6 aseat and a retailer would retail it at £30a seat.’

And consumers, it seems, are keen toprotect their new purchase. ‘The average

conversion rate with our key accounts is65%, so in the current climate we areable to offer another USP that canprovide improved customer service forthe consumer and a healthy margin. Thisalong with cost saving associated withservicing their customer’s furniture.’

Servicing is carried out by some 80technicians in the UK and Republic of

Ireland. This is backed up by a team ofclaim handlers to speed up theresolution of claims. ‘We have recentlyenhanced our service options andGuardsman Home Services is the fastestgrowing furniture repair network in theUK,’ he says.

As well as providing training toretailers, Guardsman’s website allowsretailers to track the progress of claimsand view completed reports andphotographs.

Marketing is critical in building thepartnership, so the company offersincentive programmes and POS material.Items such as bespoke leaflets and hangtags are supplied free of charge.

‘We also offer promotional materials tobe used in stores to help in the selling ofGuardsman for example hanging boardsand seat cushion covers. We listen toour retailers and this helps us to comeup with innovative marketing ideas,’says Harrison.

‘The averageconversion rate

with our keyaccounts is 65%’

Guardsman POS

warranties_p53IMoct 28/9/08 17:10

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54_IM_1008 1/10/08 15:01


Wholesalers

Kettle Containers’ Hampshire collection

CASH AND CARRYSTOCK MARKETSImporters have had to adapt as sales slowed,with more emphasis on wholesaling

As retail sales have slowed, many retailershave become reluctant to commit to fullcontainers of products or add towarehouses already heavily stocked withprevious purchases. Instead they prefer toorder products as and when they sellthem, relying on the importer to holdstock and carry out frequent deliveries.

Interiors Monthly spoke to leadingplayers to find out how they haveresponded to the changes.

‘We’ve seen quite a marked trendtowards people ordering things in onesand twos,’ says Julian Bowen, md of theeponymous importer and wholesaler.‘There has also been a tendency, certainlyin the past three months for people toconcentrate on cheaper products. That isquite marked.

‘For example we’re selling 3,000 pinespindle beds a month. Times are hard sothey’ve gone back to the good oldfaithfuls. If you want volume in thismarket at the moment you have to begoing back to price. To that end we aredoing promotional offers every month.

‘We’ve always been prepared to take a£5 mirror to Thurso and we’ve alwaysdone it. People come to us because theyknow we will do that. We are the biggestsupplier of furniture to the Shetland Isles,Orkney and the Hebrides, for example.People know we are reliable. Forexample, we keep spares on productsgoing back 10 years, it’s another part ofthe service.

‘We try to keep about eight weeksstock, and you have to bear in mind thatall that furniture is paid for. We havemoved to a situation where everycontainer we are shipping from the FarEast is being inspected as it is loaded,which is where I want to be. Goingforward we know there are factorieswhere we won’t need so manyinspections as the relationship develops.’

Bowen says he has no financialinterests in any of the factories. ‘Iwouldn’t be able to control it from hereand I can’t be in two places at once.’

Traditionally regarded for the supply ofcontainers to large retailers, KettleContainers’ recent move to a 31,500sqftfacility in Corby, Northamptonshire withmore than 20,000sqft of warehousinghas allowed it to expand its wholesaleservice.

Retailers can now access each item inthe range via two different wholesaledelivery methods to ensure consumerorders can be met within 72 hours.

Adopting the same mixed itemapproach as with its containers, Kettlewill supply any quantity of items from 15 ranges, via pallets or van-loads.Providing minimum order values are met,

retailers can select what they require. ‘Whether choosing traditional,

contemporary or painted furniture,retailers can now plug into the flexibilityof our wholesale service and keep stocklevels tightly controlled. This will come asgood news for those retailers who havebeen keeping an eye on our expandingproduct range but have not had thecapacity to benefit from our containersupply,’ says Simon Ainge, KettleContainers general manager.

‘Our furniture has built a reputation forpossessing all the hallmarks of quality,such as dovetail drawers, solid timberand hand-finishing, but we havemaintained a name for value. We retainthis reputation on all fronts with ourwholesale service and it is set to becomea major part of our repertoire.’

wholesalers_p54_65IMoct.qxp 30/9/08 14:10

Contact our sales team on: 02476 632148Email us at: [email protected] our website: www.directforless.comVisit our showroom: Ringway House, Hill St, Coventry CV1 4AN

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Wholesalers

After a career in the army that includedperiods in the Far East, Steve Mosley,Direct For Less md started a retailbusiness that sourced products from theregion.

He started off importing mainly fromChina but also Indonesia, Malaysia andVietnam and selling direct to consumersfrom a van, before developing into abricks and mortar retailer.

In 2006 he decided to concentrate onimporting containers of oak furniturefrom Vietnam – a decision that is helpingMosley fulfil his ambition of becomingthe UK’s largest supplier of oak furniture.

‘About two years ago we startedconcentrating on importing containersof solid oak furniture from factories inVietnam. It was hugely successful veryquickly and we soon realised we neededto provide a wholesale solution alongwith the containers,’ he says.

Last year DFL did just that. ‘Thecontainer business is still growing and sothe new wholesale operation is to helpservice our customers in between theircontainer deliveries while also targeting

a new market of customers who can nottake containers,’ explains Mosley.

In June the company opened13,000sqft of showrooms over five floorsat its central Coventry premises. And itswarehousing has been substantiallyincreased with the acquisition of a50,000sqft warehouse close to theshowroom that can hold £2m of stock.This allows retailers to easily see andcollect the products.

At any one time DFL has £3m worthof products in stock or on the water, ‘aswell as holding the largest UK wholesalestock,’ he says.

‘While other suppliers are increasingtheir prices, not only are weguaranteeing our current prices until2009 but we are also offering discountson our prices, for both container andwholesale ordering.’

With its production centred onVietnam, DFL has invested in fourproduction facilities, in which it is apartner in two and exclusive customersin the others. It has quality controlmanagers at each facility.

In response to the demand for fasterdelivery, DFL has reduced lead times bytwo weeks to 10 weeks (from paymentof deposit to delivery to customers’warehouse) thanks to ‘continualinvestment and improvements. And ofcourse for immediate deliveries wealways have around 50 containers onthe water or in the docks for quickdelivery.’

Wholesale customers can collect fromits premises or have products deliveredwithin the week. Container deliveries arethree days.

DFL introduces at least threecollections a year and has recentlyexpanded its offer to include solid oakkitchens and bathrooms.

‘This is a very highly perceived valuebusiness and we have turned it intoaffordable quality for everyone,’ saysMosley. ‘

‘Our ambition is to be the biggest and the best supplier of oak furniture inthe UK. We aim to continue as we areand be a one-stop oak shop foreveryone’s needs.’

DFL has showrooms with warehousing nearby

DIRECT FOR LESS ‘We aim to be a one-stop oak shop’


Faro Dining by ForteContact UK office on 0845 351 0355 or fax 0845 351 0360email [email protected]

All this Forte Furniture for£379.78Available separately

61_IM_1008 30/9/08 15:13

62-63_IM_1008 30/9/08 15:11

62-63_IM_1008 30/9/08 15:12


Wholesalers

Cathedral bedroom range

EARTH IMPORTS

‘We aim to be the indispensable wholesaler’

Gordon McAteer, Earth Imports directorrealised some months ago that some ofits customers were moving away fromcontainer purchasing and switchingexclusively to its 72-hour delivery service.

This made him wonder if there was awider market for this level of service, sohe looked at margins, transportationcosts, and the implications of sending outlarger loads regularly. He found thecompany could reduce margins and offera 10% discount on larger orders.

McAteer says turnover is alreadydouble what it was last year, withFlexiload’s iconic Milano range remainingthe bestseller.

‘We are expecting things to really kickon once the new ranges come into play.In addition to the Oakland and Cathedralranges which were launched at TheManchester Furniture Show, all the Flexi7products will shortly be available throughEarth Imports,’ he says.

‘The new ranges have really helped.

Chelsea, which is well established in themarketplace has really taken off for usand we offer a greater range of piecesthan other wholesalers, keener prices anda 72-hour delivery service. So it was nosurprise at the show to see customerswalking back on to the stand withorders, despite seeing the same furnitureon four other stands.’

The Oakland range has a country oakstyle, a skirted plinth and a choice of anantique finish metal or turned solid oakhandles. Despite the market conditions,he says sales have been good.

‘The range is well made and fantasticvalue, the 1.8m table, for instance, is asteal at £121, under the bulk orderingservice.’

He reckons the elegant Cathedral rangewill be a huge seller and is quite differentfrom other ranges carried. It has shakerfeet and a gently arched bottom rail,complementing the curves of thebrushed metal handle and deep moulded

top. ‘I’m really looking forward to seeingit on shopfloors to see how the publictake to it. The Oakland’s unassumingsimplicity almost guarantees it will sell,whereas the Cathedral’s style could reallysee it take off.’

And McAteer’s plans for the future? ‘We are currently designing a rustic oak

bedroom range, which we will be hopingto launch in January at InteriorsBirmingham. We are looking to bring in anew Fair Trade range from Segusinousing reclaimed pine and South Americanhardwoods. We have just launched twonew fully upholstered bi-cast leather andash chairs.

‘We aim to be the indispensablewholesaler, offering more than 20 solidtimber furniture ranges, from stock fordelivery in 72 hours across the UK,including all Flexiload and Segusinoranges. We have no minimum delivery, abulk order service and offer direct homedelivery,’ says McAteer.


Wholesalers

Flexiload is having a busy year. ‘While the market could not be called“buoyant”, we have increased salesduring 2008,’ says Simon Bonham,Flexiload md.

‘Sales are up 12% on last year, andwhile that is not the kind of growth weare used to, it’s still very healthyconsidering the state of the market.’

According to Bonham the reason forthe growth is simple. ‘We offer more thanour competitors, so every time animporter fails or has a fire, we take upsome of the slack.

‘We work harder at the source, forinstance we have our own sourcingcompany in Asia and an in-house trainingprogramme for quality controllers and

FLEXILOAD

‘We offer morethan ourcompetitors…We work harderat the source’

Evesham dining range

Lyon sideboard

technicians based at all our mainsuppliers. As a result, we sell productsthat our stockists know will be of aquality their customers desire.’

Bonham says that many of itscustomers are prospering.

‘They all have one thing in common,they hold stock for immediate delivery.Quick delivery is what the consumerwants.’

Flexiload’s policy of holding stock inChina for a mixed product containerdelivery within 35 days is more relevantthan it has ever been, he says.

‘With our new Flexi 7 brand, we cannow deliver 20ft containers in seven daysfrom our bonded warehouse.

‘By taking advantage of Asian prices,

retailers can increase their margins. Bymixing any of our six popular ranges ontheir container from £3,750 delivered –with a full money back guarantee – eventhe smallest of retailers can join in on oursuccess.’

Bonham reckons that there are stillmany opportunities, even in the currentmarket.

‘For instance, we have just purchased15,000sqft of prime warehousing with itsown secure yard originally built for a bluechip company.

‘We were able buy at a good price. It’s a stone’s throw from junction 1 of the M6. Now distribution warehousingdoes not come any more central thanthat.’



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

EXHIBITIONS


EXPOCOV_P67_IMoct.qxt 28/9/08 14:38


Review

NATIONAL FLOOR SHOWHAPPY HARROGATEExpectations of poor footfall proved unfounded as serious retailers found plenty to interest them

Five minutes before the doors opened atthe National Floor Show (2-4 September),exhibitors would have been forgiven forfearing the worst. However, anytrepidation was soon dispelled as orderbooks started coming out.

While footfall was almost certainlydown on 2007 (the figures are beingaudited), the retailers who stayed awayfrom Harrogate would probably havegone to look rather than commit to buy.This left exhibitors free to deal with theretailers they really wanted to talk to,especially on the first two days.

So what did the absentees miss? Thebig trend was the re-emergence ofcolour. Most stands had something brightand cheerful to lift the sea of beiges andcreams. This is not to say companies hadthrown reason out of the window, andabandoned their bestselling shades.Colours played a small part among theusual tones, say four out of 18, and weredesigned to attract the shopper’s eye.

Kingsmead was a typical example. Itsmain launch, the 80/20 twist VitronicTraditions had a strong colour palette.Martin West, general manager, says he‘expects the colour pendulum to swing,but how far?’ It also introduced a sevento 15 year guarantee, depending onweight, for its Triple Twist Berber.

Brockway firmly joined the colour partywith Vogue, comprising four colourpalettes each with a carpet with tonalstripes in varying widths along with plaincarpet to pick out colours in the home.

Developed with Joanna Ramsden,Wools of New Zealand forecaster, theplains are in 4m and 5m widths and thestripes in 4m and a 26in runner. ‘Colourpalettes have been tried in the US but theUK is still hooked on neutrals,’ she says.

Alternative Flooring combined colourwith stripes with its Rock ‘n’ Rollcollection of three bold designs: Wild Asiatic’s PC49 Kaleidoscope Garden Gaskell’s Rustica in mint

Panaget’s Salvigo

NFS_p68_73IMoct.qxp 30/9/08 17:13


Review

Cormar’s Primo Tweed

Axminster’s Simply Natural

Kingsmead’s Bubbly Bucks Fizz

Alternative Flooring’s Rock ‘n’ Roll

NFS_p68_73IMoct.qxp 28/9/08 16:04


Review

Thing in greens and damson, Roxanne inbold reds and golds and the monotoneBack in Black. It had three more muteddesigns of greys and golds, smokey blueand naturals and greens with dove grey.

Victoria Carpets’ looped City Living,originally for the contract market, comesin 12 colourways from wheat to charcoalvia olive green, in a 4m width. The tuftedKelso also had a dozen shades, while theRegal Twist offered four more.

Lime, shocking pink, blue, chocolate,plum and amber coloured KersaintCobb’s Designer Sisal Collection. Alsoavailable are combined colourways withblack, grey and white woven into‘humbug’ stripes, while a brown warp ismixed with an accent colour weft in lime,russet, plum, blue, amber and white.

Colour was also central to its Moroccorunners, El Jadida can be plum, lime orblue while Agadir has shades of lime,brown, natural and cream.

Cormar launched the Heavenlypolyester bedroom carpet offering pastelsand beige, to retail at £15per sqm. Primowas revamped to create Primo Plus, withnine new shades, including green, purpleand blue, and increased pile weight andheight. Primo Tweeds is a flecked naturalrange in a dozen colours.

Georgian added Hathaway Berbers tothe collection while Shaw introduced thetextured Denver and Colorado, bothavailable in 12 colours.

Clarendon offered eight shades withthe 100% wool berber Sky while Crofterhas three designs and six colours.

Edel Telenzo added 14 shades, mainlyin earthy tones, for the updated Brisbanetwist with the 30oz Brisbane Extra and40oz Deluxe. Rembrandt is a texturedloop carpet, with seven new colourways.

Condor’s San Antonio Saxony includedred and other dark shades in its palettewhile its Sacramento and Rumba hadmore muted tones.

Bajong returned to woven designswith patterned Villandry and Avingnonand flecked Cascassonne and Marguerite.

Ulster Carpets’ Country Housecollection is a woven axminster withthree designs: Beaumont, Melrose andKazan, while Ferndale featured retropatterns and coordinating plains.

Abingdon re-engineered ranges to hitprice points. Destiny is a budget twist, Ulster’s Country House runner

Georgian added to its berbers

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Kersaint Cobb’s El Jadida runnerBMK’s Sorrento

Mohawk’s French Check Pergo’s Sense

Review


Victoria Carpets’ City Living

NFS_p68_73IMoct.qxp 28/9/08 16:06


Review

Stainfree Sovereign has a felt back, andExcellence is a 50oz textured Saxony. Italso added four laminate designs for theindependent market.

Lano enhanced its Ultimo range withbolder colours and a POS stand while itsPure Indulgence axminster collectionincludes stripes, fauna patterns, checksand black and white designs. Wooltouchis a 100% wool design in 11 colours.

Axminster Carpets’ Simply NaturalStripe contrasts pinstripes with a naturalbackdrop in six colourways.

Associated Weavers’s Stainaway Royalehas a two-tone look in 14 shades,including eggshell, while Place Garden isan 80/20 twist with a printed pattern.

Visible saw marks were a feature ofPanaget’s Salvagio parquet, which tooktwo years to develop.

Balterio doubled the colours in itsTraditional Sapphire and Magnituderanges to eight with four oak shades ineach, along with two POS units.

Lamington Cedar and Ghost Wood aretwo of six new designs for Karndean’sVan Gogh.

Beacons added 250 Energy to itsAcoustalay laminate and wood underlay,claiming it halves the number of heatingcycles of ribbon or surface electricalunderfloor heating compared with theprevious 250 product. To cut installationtimes for wood or engineered floors is250 Adhesive+ that combines its self-adhesive cross-linked foam underlay withan integral overlapping vapour barrier.

Prado showed off a rug collection inbright pink, lime, pale blue and green,plus metallics along with herringboneand viscose designs.

Asiatic Carpets’ Matrix hand-tuftedwool collection has more than 50 designswhile Ports of Call by Jeff Banks sawbright and bold additions. Fashioncolours were added to Sparkle, Glamourand Whisper, while launches in polyesterincluded the multi-textured Dumroo,Metallica and Maya showing designswith texture. Asiatic also launched itsTextured Rug Collection brochurefeaturing more than 100 new ranges,designs or colours.

Stroolmount introduced Hide Aidfurniture sliders to protect carpet, vinyland hard flooring when moving furniture,for use by delivery teams and retail.

Mr Tompkinson added to its berbers

Mohawk’s Karastan

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Review

Karndean’s Van Gogh in Smoked Oak Manx’s Heather twist

Brockway’s Vogue

Lano’s Ultimo POS stand

Beacon’s 250m Energy

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Advertising feature


celebrates itself. In Cologne, peopleget together to do business – asdemonstrated by the 107,000 visitorsfrom 130 countries. But it isn’t onlyquantity that counts: the IMM Colognesets itself apart thanks to the highquality of its visitors as well. More than70% of those who attend the event aredirectly involved in their company’sdecision-making process.

Innovations and trendsWith IMM Cologne, the cathedral cityis also the forum where the globalfurniture industry presents its newproducts and ideas for the comingseason. Green design, durability,reliability and quality are the keywordsthat epitomise the innovations at thenext IMM Cologne.

In addition, IMM Cologne has ahugely important function as a placefor dynamic trend developments. It is afocal point for creative forces andinnovative endeavours, a place wherestandards are set and a multitude ofimpulses triggered. For the fifth year insuccession, IMM Cologne’s TrendBook shows which developments ininterior design will determine thecoming season. The publicationpresents a vivid, practice-orientated

With IMM Cologne and the more than150 top-class shows by internationaldesigners and manufacturers who areparticipating in the Passagenprogramme, the municipal area ofCologne will be turned into a veritablewho’s who of the design scene.

What makes IMM Cologne sodifferent from the other major furnitureshows?

An international offering The unique variety in the breadth anddepth of its offering is not only thehallmark of IMM Cologne, it is one ofthe standards we judge our quality by,and we believe is unparalleledanywhere else in the world. IMMCologne shows what is probably thebiggest range of upholstery anywhere.Under the IMM smart label, the eventis also the most global internationalmeeting point for cash and carry andflatpack furniture, attracting exhibitorsfrom more than 20 countries. In total,about 1,200 exhibitors from more than50 countries present their innovationsin Cologne.

IMM Cologne also showcases themost comprehensive selection ofEuropean furniture. Italy is the biggestEuropean contributor, followed byDenmark, Switzerland, theNetherlands, France, Belgium andAustria. Participants from outsideEurope include Turkey, the USA, China(including Hong Kong), Japan, Brazil,Morocco and Thailand. Quality is alsothe keyword for several new exhibitors:Swiss company Team by Wellis, forinstance, or the now by Hülsta brand.

BusinessIn Cologne, the industry encountersboth German and international dealerswho, in contrast to comparable events,are extremely interested in completingconcrete order transactions. At otherfairs, the sector gets together and

and lavishly illustrated summary of theinterior trends identified by theTrendboard. An international panel, theTrendboard, is responsible forproducing the Trend Book. This year’sline-up included Stephen Burks, EeroKoivisto, Marcus Fairs, Arik Lévy andGiulio Ridolfo. Besides reading aboutthe results in our Trend Book, you cansee them for yourself at Informed byCologne located on the show’s centralboulevard.

Apart from these core aspects ofinternationality, business, innovationsand trends, what else sets the eventapart?

The first thing that springs to mind isdefinitely design. It is a leitmotif thatruns through every single segment,expressed in its most perfect form inIMM Pure platform. It is here that wepresent an impressive ideas show oftop class international design inconcentrated form, featuring suchprominent, highly emotional brands asCassina, Minotti, COR, Interlübke,Ligne Roset and Walter Knoll. On48,000sqm of jury-curated space,around 200 exhibitors will present aunique body of work representing themost important interior design trendsfrom across the world.

IMM COLOGNEIMM COLOGNE

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www.imm-cologne.com

Koelnmesse Ltd.

4th Floor, 205/207 City Road, London EC1V 1JN

Tel. +44 20 7566 6340, Fax +44 20 7566 6341

[email protected]

091 9 – 2 5 . 1 . 2 0 0 9 FA S C I N AT I N G T R E N D S F O R I N T E R I O R L I V I N G

T H E F U T U R E O F I N T E R I O R L I V I N GT H E F U T U R E O F I N T E R I O R L I V I N G

E U R O P E A N

I N S P I R I N GI N S P I R I N G

I N T E R N A T I O N A LI N T E R N A T I O N A L

The international furnishing show

As a business event, turnover generator and source of creative ideas imm cologne provides

the ideal way for launching the year 2009 for the world’s furniture industry.

It’s where you will experience the exciting world of furnishings and an endless variety of

international design trends. At Cologne you will able to make those key contacts for

successful business and enjoy a unique experience.

You can find all the latest information at www.imm-cologne.com

Register on-line and buy your tickets today ! You’ll save both time and money

210x297-H_InteriorsMonthly.indd 1 23.09.2008 15:42:57 Uhr

75_IM_1008 30/9/08 15:14


Review

London’s Earl’s Court and Milan’s Rhoexhibition grounds both have curvedroofs, but there is little to connect themotherwise – except for 100% Design, theUK’s innovation showground.

Celebrating design and commerciality,the recent London show offered aplethora of interiors products, fromupholstery to rugs, wooden floors tobathrooms and homewares to carpets.

Most of the products offered flooring,furniture and lighting buyers a multitudeof contemporary designs to consider.

FlooringJunckers previewed Rich wood flooring,promising ‘all the colours of therainbow’. The finish allows the grain tobe seen but is opaque enough to form auniform colour. Each floor is individually

Velieris’ broadloom carpet

Junckers’ Soul+ in Spicy pepper

made, with six week delivery. Soul+offers a wide range of colours alsoavailable as oils and lacquers to treatuntreated or existing floors.

After seeing its navy beaten by Britainin 1801, Denmark ordered large-scaleplanting of oak trees to provide timber torebuild the navy’s vessels. These trees arenow being used by Dinesen for its oakfloors, in planks up to 5m long and 30cmwide.

Velieris uses a blend of Australian andPeruvian alpaca fleece for its broadloomcarpet collection, available in five stylesand six colours from white to charcoal.

Schotten & Hansen showed off its Sohowood flooring.

Forbo launched Touch, describing it as‘the next generation of linoleum’,combining linoleum and cork. It is

100% DESIGNTRIPLE DELIGHTFurniture, flooring and lighting vied for prominence at the UK’s design event

available in two styles: Duet and Solo.Depending on the direction the floor islooked at, Duet has a matt and glosssurface in 12 colours. Solo has six earthycolours with a matt surface.

FurnitureMatthew Hilton’s Fracture was one offour launches, along with the Tapas andManta dining chairs and Hepburn sofa.Displaying Hilton’s characteristic style andunderstated elegance, Fracture is formedof three tables used individually ortogether.

Deesawat was among several firmstargeting the outdoor market, with a

Forbo’s Touch

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Review

Deesawat’s Stick Up

wide range of products, including theStick Up designed by Zero First.Hitchmylius’ 55 takes a simple outline tocreate a flexible upholstery range.Designed by architectural practice MuellerKneer, it includes seating units with orwithout arms, pouffe and mini side-table.

Megaron built on its reputation forusing steel with a collection by Defne Kozincluding chairs, tables, armchairs,ottomans, benches and chaise longuesthat can be used inside and outside.

A lamp table is a table that you put alamp on. Not for Korean designer KwonJaemin, who combined both elementswith Table-Pot.

Hitchmylius’ 55

Kwon Jaemin’s Table-Pot

Matthew Hilton’s Fracture

Megaron’s X chaise longue

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Review

Modiss’ Clasica

Anglepoise’s Fifty chandelier Innermost’s Flick

LightingAmong Innermost’s launches wasFlick, which diffuses light and isavailable in finishes from darkmirror to champagne aluminium.

Anglepoise has taken either sixor 12 of its 50 Lamps andtransformed them into the FiftyChandelier, available in red, orangeor frosted finishes.

Modiss introduced severalmodels including the transitional

Clasica collection of two hanging,two table and two floor lamps. Itproduces a uniform light thanks toits double lampshade.

Laser-cut birch plywood is usedfor 4d Designs’ Koivu outdoorlighting designed to look like trees.

Mathmos’ Babushka is thelighting version of Russian dolls,with the ‘dolls’ revealed in asequence of different light coloursand effects.

4d Designs’ Koivu

Mathmos’ Babushka

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Review

FURNITURE CHINAGLOBAL FOCUSDespite challenging global markets, the event attracted crowds of buyers to a vastly improved show

Furniture China 2008 had the potentialto be a damp squib, considering thecurrent global market. But it defied thiswith a bumper turnout of both Asian andoverseas visitors. Attendance was positiveand exhibitors pulled out all the stops toattract attention in a difficult market.

The show (10-13 September) itself wasmuch easier to navigate than in the pastas each exhibition hall had a clear focus,showcasing furniture for the office,kitchen, upholstery, beds, furniture parts,outdoor furniture and furniturewoodworking machinery. And as thelevel of stands had improved, so theoverall feel of the show has progressed tothat of a truly international show.

An addition this year was the ExpoStore concept that showcased the majorChinese retailers and distributors. Theorganiser said it was addressing theincreased competition and salesopportunities in the Chinese domesticfurniture market by targeting anincreasingly demanding consumerenvironment.

Asiades

Zense of Living

United Best Company’s Chelsea

sino_p79_81IMoct 30/9/08 11:47

AsiadesHaleywood

Unique Furniture Violino


Review

Known for its eclectic mix of styles,Asiades has always been strong on itsrange of chairs. And this show was noexception. All upholstered in whiteleather, the range covered looks fromcomfy battered armchairs tosophisticated button-back repro classics.Launched at the show was its collectionof shiny stainless steel furniture and alighting range of decadent chandeliersand lamps.

Already well established with theindependent retailers in the UK, Dovetail

Furniture’s previous successes place itfirmly in the transitional market withclean-cut looks and attention to detail.Monardo featured on the stand with acombination of oak and maple woods,while the new Dahlia range offered ametal and oak combo, with an ovaltable and leather upholstered chairs.

Known for its promotional upholsteryranges, Lifestyle is trading up with itsVivendo offering, progressing thiscollection to the next price point.

Unique Furniture’s main markets are

the UK and Germany, offeringtransitional looks of solid oak dining andliving room furniture to the middle toupper price point. The Lucca diningrange emphasises the solidity of thefurniture with its block effect.

Chinese upholstery manufacturer andretailer Kuka grows and grows. While itsChinese retail business has increased to600 stores, it is now also focusing onincreasing its European business with anew management team in place toensure this happens smoothly.

sino_p79_81IMoct 30/9/08 11:48

Violino’s new models all had adistinctive look that focused on comfort.The arms were well-padded and seatsdeep and soft for lounging.

Although oak is still Haleywood’shottest look, it has developed a walnutrange. Also working with aluminium andoak combinations, it used structureddetailing on the joints and legs, as wellas beaten tin to fill the wood knots.

Targeting the retail market for the firsttime, United Best Company’s initialrange of leather and fabric upholstery

was launched at Shanghai. UBC isknown for its leather and fabric sourcingfor its own production and othermanufacturers, but now it has teamedup with UK designers to produceupholstery ranges for the retail marketthat focus on quality and design.

Halo Asia’s very large stand outsidethe actual exhibition hall attracted plentyof attention, not least because itappeared to be a giant trunk. While itunveiled a number of ranges, the mostattention was drawn from a quirky

velvet patchwork sofa, the distressedSmashed Ali trunk collection, and newshelving systems in the Salvage range.

Incanto and its sister brand GiovanniSforza, showed together at the show,although each concept was clearlyaimed at different customers. WhileIncanto concentrates on the middlemarket, Giovanni Sforza offers a moreprestigious luxury product. However,both brands offer a complete andcoordinated lifestyle concept package forthe retailer and consumer.


Review

United Best Company Kuka chair

Dovetail Kuka sofa

sino_p79_81IMoct 30/9/08 11:49

Advertising feature


their newest products in July and totalattendance was up 7% withregistrations exceeding the historicaverage of 50,000. The market featured

Records were broken, premieres wereheld and milestones were marked atthe Summer 2008 Las Vegas Market,the first show to be held entirely onWorld Market Center Las Vegas’ ultra-modern 57acre campus since theMarket’s July 2005 launch.

World Market Center Las Vegas isthe world’s fastest-growing integratedhome and hospitality contractfurnishings showroom and tradecomplex. The opening of the iconicBuilding C – a 16-storey, 2.1millionsqftstructure – created the most efficientMarket to date, allowingmanufacturers, buyers and designersfrom around the world to convene in asingle location. Las Vegas Market isheld twice a year - the next market isfrom 9 – 13 February 2009. Look outfor dates of the second 2009 marketon the Las Vegas Market websitewww.lasvegasmarket.com.

In addition, Las Vegas Design Centreis open all year round with 70showrooms providing an uniqueresource for interior designers andspecifiers.

More than 1,500 exhibitors showed

more than 200 international exhibitorsfrom 20 countries; further reinforcingWorld Market Center’s standing as theindustry’s new global hub.

This included the fabulous DesignItaliano Exhibition, an exclusivefurniture and photography exhibitdeveloped in partnership with FieraMilano, and showcasing the best ofItalian furniture design from 1957-2007.

Las Vegas is an ever-changing citythat has seen unbelievable expansionsince it emerged from the desert 100years ago. Some 37m visitors enjoy thesights and sounds of Las Vegas everyyear. They stay in some of the mostglamorous, unique hotels in the world.They eat at five-star restaurants andexpansive buffets. They play atcasinos, pools, health spas and golfcourses. Sometimes (many times,actually) they even marry each other.What a great place for a furnituremarket!

VIVVIVA LAS A LAS VEGAS!VEGAS!

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Advertising feature


have never been to the city before.There is plenty of parking on site, thepeople are welcoming and friendly andbeing so centrally positioned there isplenty to do in the evenings includingthe widest choice of eating out fromfine dining to the famous “curry mile”.

‘For us, the real bonus is the fact thatso many chief executives andprinciples seem to favour Manchesterwhich gives us the chance to speak to

the people that matter and do businessin pleasant surroundings. We lookforward to Manchester next year – andexpect to spend tens of thousands ofpounds, just as we did this year – andbest of all, we look forward to enjoyingourselves!’

The 2009 Manchester Furniture Showtakes place from 19–22 July. Contact 01923 670997 or visitwww.manchesterfurnitureshow.com.

Manchester has played host to thefurniture trade for many years now butregardless of the prevailing economictrend, the venue and the city haveplayed an important part in rewardingexhibitors and visitors with a greatopportunity to do business.

For four days in July you will find adiverse mix of manufacturers andagents displaying everything for thehome, from sofas to wardrobes, diningtables to beds, plus an eclectic array ofdecorative accessories that can drawconsumers into stores.

The Manchester Furniture Show isrenowned for being the friendliestexhibition on the calendar, and itsarchitecturally iconic hall being locatedin the heart of a much renovated citycentre. It’s surrounded by cafes, bars,restaurants and shops which enablesbuyers and suppliers to combinebusiness with pleasure while inside thehalls, the atmosphere is relaxed andconducive to nurturing good businessrelationships – a fact that visitorsfrequently comment on.

Malcolm and Gill Davey, directors of Giant Furniture Store, Newton Abbot, Devon had this to say about the 2008 show:

‘Anyone who has been to one ofthose furniture shows in the past yearwhere if you take a look behind thescenes, perhaps to go to the toilet orjust to be nosey, and you find acres andacres of unused space where inprevious years busy exhibitors hadjostled for position it’s quite depressing.But you know, Manchester just wasn’tlike that this year – every inch availablewas taken up by exhibitors’ stands – inthe current economic downturn theobvious vibrancy was very refreshing.

‘And the show is enjoyable –Manchester Central is well signpostedand easy to find – even for those who

MANCHESTER FURNITUREMANCHESTER FURNITURESHOW:SHOW: THE FRIENDLTHE FRIENDLYY

EXHIBITIONEXHIBITION

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competitive rates supported by acommitment to provide second tonone customer service.

There are some nice additionalinitiatives such as providing a luxuriousVIP lounge for exhibitors’ specialguests, as well as a chauffeur serviceto and from London mainline stationsand London City Airport. The LondonFurniture Show will also besubstantially supported and promotedthrough advertising and PR.

Insight Exhibitions has invited asteering committee of industrynotables whose input will ensure thatthe show maintains its aspirationaldirection. These include four keyfurniture manufacturers, a senior buyerfrom John Lewis and a renownedinterior designer.

David Wilkins, Insight Exhibitions md says: ‘From its timing to itslocation and its overall design-ledstyle, every aspect of the new TheLondon Furniture Show has been

Insight Exhibitions’ new event, TheLondon Furniture Show makes itsdebut next year from Tuesday 19 toThursday 21 May. A design-led eventwith a difference, The LondonFurniture Show will provide a uniquemix of medium, high end and luxuryfurniture and furnishing accessories, allunder one roof.

The show will be held at Excel as itis ideally sited on the outskirts ofLondon making access for visitors andexhibitors alike simple and stress free.It also offers all the amenities anyonecould wish for inside and out and isonly 20 minutes from the heart ofLondon.

The timing of the show has beencarefully considered, May being theperfect time to ensure autumn delivery,as has the cost to exhibitors,straightforward terms and no hiddenextras. Insight Exhibitions understandsthat any show is a big investment andis therefore offering extremely

carefully considered to ensure that theneeds and wants of visitors andexhibitors alike will be more than met.

‘By talking to people in the industry,listening and acting on what they say,we believe we can provide anexhibition that really delivers whatpeople want.’

THE LONDONTHE LONDONFURNITURE SHOWFURNITURE SHOW

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The London Furniture Show is anexciting and stylish Londonshowcase for the furniture industry.

As the only buying event in the UKto focus on medium to high-end andluxury furniture and furnishingaccessories, the show is perfectlytimed to facilitate autumn delivery.

www.insightexhibitions.com

FIND OUT MORE...T. +44 (0) 1707 663 000www.londonfurnitureshow.com

ExCeL LONDONTUESDAY 19 MAY 09WEDNESDAY 20 MAY 09THURSDAY 21 MAY 09

A unique newbuying opportunity!

THE LONDONFURNITURE SHOW

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Las Vegas, February

Exhibitions

SHOW CALENDARPORTS OF CALLWith so many interiors exhibitions acrossthe globe, planning ahead is essential

January 200910-13 TCHFM The Canadian HomeFurnishing Market, Toronto, Canada 14-17 Heimtextil Home textiles,Frankfurt, Germany 17-20 Domotex carpets and floorcoverings, Hannover, Germany 18-21 Interiors Birmingham 22-26 Meuble, Paris, France 22-29 New York Home Textiles MarketWeek, High-end and cutting edgedesigned home fashions, New York, US 23-27 Maison Objet, Paris, France

February1-4 Intirio Home decoration andhousehold linen, Gent, Belgium1-5 Spring Fair Outdoor living products,home accessories, Birmingham, UK3-5 Surfaces Floorcoverings show, LasVegas, US 4-6 AIFF Australian InternationalFurniture Fair, Sydney, Australia4-8 Northern Light Fair, Stockholm,Sweden4-8 Stockholm Furniture Fair, Stockholm,Sweden8-11 Decoforce & Europacado, Brussels,Belgium9-13 Las Vegas Market, US13-17 Ambiente Homewares, Frankfurt,Germany13-22 MUBA Wohnsinn Home InteriorsFair, Basel, Switzerland

March3-5 FurniFab Furniture Fabrics Show,Poznan, Poland3-6 Lighting Fair, Tokyo 3-7 MIFF, Kuala Lumpur9-12 IFFS/ASEAN, Singapore9-13 Movelpar furniture, Arapongas,Brazil28-5 Apr Casa Furniture, interiordecoration and furnishings, Rome, Italy29-1 Apr The Furniture and Home

Accessories Fair, Dublin, Ireland

April21-24 Coverings Ceramic tile, naturalstone and flooring, Chicago, US 22-27 Salone Internazionale del

Mobile, Milan, Italy 22-27 Euroluce Lighting, Milan, Italy24-28 Decorex, Cape Town, South Africa29-10 May Foire de Paris Interior design,Paris, France 30-3 May HIA, Sydney, Australia

Domotex, January

expo_p88_90IMoct 30/9/08 12:58


Advertising feature

Domotex is not only the leadinginternational showcase for the flooringsector – it is also the most importantindicator of trends and developmentsworldwide. When it takes place again atits traditional Hannover venue from 17-20 January, it will once more providethe entire industry with anincomparable platform for business.

Organiser Deutsche Messe Hannover,expects some 1,350 exhibitors on a netdisplay area of 92,500sqm, comparedwith 1,336 exhibitors on 91,757sqm in2007.

As Stephan Kühne, Deutsche Messeboard member says: ‘The number ofregistered exhibitors is very

encouraging, despite the currentdifficulties being experienced by theflooring industry.

‘Particularly during periods of marketweakness and volatility, companiesneed to seek new business leads,follow new initiatives and improve theirimage vis-à-vis the competition. Thereis no better place to do this than atDomotex. Anyone wanting to dobusiness, or find out about the latesttrends and designs, should head forHannover in January.’

Visitors will find an impressivesupporting programme. Designer UlfMoritz will again be offering installationsincorporating the carpet as an artwork,

the winners of the Carpet DesignAwards 2009 will be presented andcelebrities from the worlds ofarchitecture and the skilled crafts willlecture on topical issues of relevance tothe world of flooring.

Trade show visitors will appreciatethe high quality and diversity of theexhibits. The Domotex displaycategories are as follows: carpets/rugs(hand-made), woven carpets/area rugs(machine-made), textile and resilientfloor coverings, fibres, yarns andtextiles, wood and parquet flooring,laminated coverings, natural stone,ceramic tiles and laying skills, cleaningand application technologies.

DOMOTEX HANNOVERDOMOTEX HANNOVER

The World of F loor ing

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Exhibitions

May5-7 LFI Lightfair, Las Vegas, US 6-9 Proposte Fabrics, Cernobbio, Italy12-15 Movexpo Furniture, Olinda, Brazil13-16 Interzum materials and supplierparts for the production of cupboards,kitchen and upholstered furniture,mattresses, parquet, laminate, Cologne,Germany 16-19 ICFF International ContemporaryFurniture Fair, New York, US 17-19 KBB kitchen and bathroomfurniture, London, UK19-21 The London Furniture Show, UK21-23 SIDIM Montreal InternationalInterior Design Show, Montreal, Canada

June2-5 ZOW Madrid exhibition ofcomponents, semi-finished products andaccessories for the furniture industry,Madrid, Spain 3-5 Interior Lifestyle Tokyo Ambiente,Heimtextile, HomeDesign, Tokyo, Japan3-6 Kuchnia Kitchen Furniture andFurnishing, Poznan, Poland3-6 Domexpo Textiles, table and kitchenand interior design, Poznan, Poland 3-6 Meble Furniture, Poznan, Poland 3-6 Luminexpo Lighting, Poznan, Poland 3-6 Home Décor, Poznan, Poland

July4-8 Tendence Lifestyle, Frankfurt,Germany16-19 Furnitex Melbourne, Australia19-22 The Manchester Furniture Show,UK

August27-30 CODE International Furniture Fair,Copenhagen, Denmark

September5-9 The Autumn Furniture Fair.

Birmingham, UK8-10 National Floor Show, Harrogate, UK8-11 Decosit, Brussels, Belgium9-13 Habitare Furniture and InteriorDecoration Fair, Helsinki, Finland 16-19 Macef Autumn household and giftitems, Milan, Italy24-27 100% Design London, UK27-30 Decorex, London, UK

October14-17 Interiors and Lighting Indonesia,Jakarta

Tendence, July IMM Cologne, January

ISalone, April

expo_p88_90IMoct 30/9/08 13:32

Entertainment

For answers turn to page 94

Across1 Matures5 Rhythmic swing9 Strong Australian horse14 Cab15 General Bradley16 Similar17 Designer Cassini18 Capital city of Western Samoa19 Bed down20 Insensitive23 Nailed obliquely24 After taxes25 Touch lightly28 Clad31 ‘___ and hers’34 Get the lead out?36 Large cask37 Dynamic beginning38 Adding vitamins, say42 Comply43 Fish eggs44 Hindu social class45 KLM rival46 Go back over49 Georgia, once: Abbr50 Brief instant51 Low quality diamond53 Star groups60 Trio61 Fluff egg whites62 Shucks!63 Shrivel64 Soak leather in base solution65 Relaxation66 To the left, at sea67 Raced68 Strip of wood

Down1 On2 Festive occasion3 Corp VIP, briefly4 Vision5 Stevedore6 Retard in movement7 Den of wild animals and dragons8 Streetcar9 Useless10 Dole out11 Stead12 Supplements, with ‘out’13 Agent, briefly21 Warble22 Concerning25 Mexican money26 Island off Venezuela27 Ribbons29 Guide30 Sky light31 They’ve got something coming32 Golf clubs33 Echolocation35 Engage in espionage37 One time link39 Upright40 Witty remark41 Turn away46 Take as an affront47 Remove by melting48 Painted50 Villain’s look52 They get high twice a day53 Small piece of wood54 Rice-like grains of pasta55 Recedes56 Jump57 Word that can precede hygiene, tradition and agreement58 Mission control gp59 Let it stand60 Defunct airline

Suduko Crossword

Easy

Difficult

Medium


EntertainmentP91_IMoct.qxp 28/9/08 15:50


Marketing

TALK UP YOUR BUSINESSWITHOUT BLOWING THE BUDGETWhen shoppers think about reducing spending it is the time to make them aware of what you are offering

Just when it feels like we need to pressthe panic button – and cuts need to bemade – many businesses take the drasticaction of trimming the marketing andadvertising spend first.

Though many people see this as anunderstandable from an overheadsperspective, it is usually the wrongchoice.

Marketing is the ‘thought process’ tocreate the desire, to understand themarketplace and communicate the offerto the consumer. Identify newmarketplaces and explore brandextension opportunities.

The discipline thrives in understandingthe consumer of the product – whatmakes them tick and what would make them sign up to the purchase orservice.

Without marketing on your side, itseems that there is a possibility ofshutting yourself off to the most vitalinformation you need to win the war.

It is the responsibility of the marketersto rise to the challenge and providestrategies that can demonstrate results.

Marketing can be achieved withoutblowing the budget. A person with theright knowledge and experience cansteer your marketing campaign into onethat costs little and delivers.

Using techniques that date backhundreds of years, marketing plans canbe switched to more cash-efficient toolsto ride out a difficult period. It is farbetter to switch marketing tools than toswitch marketing off.

Word of mouth marketing is the hotnew topic for debate in marketingcircles, yet you and I know that this hasbeen happening for many, many years.But what should you be doing?

� Challenge your team. What can youdo to get your business talked about in

the right way and in the right places. It isone of the most effective techniques.

� Technology has a place in this arenaalso. Are you sure you are not alreadybeing discussed in a chat roomsomewhere? And is it all positive?

You don’t have to be an IT guru to logon to the right chat sites and find out –you can certainly have anythingunfriendly or untrue removed.

� If you have a friendly customer, whynot ask them to make it known? Askthem to write a recommendation foryour business. This could be used online,and in-store.

Coast fashion stores ask everycustomer to write something in acomments book in every store (even infranchises) – and I regularly see newcustomers flicking through them.

� Make a fuss. It’s hard enough to getthe customer across the threshold of thestore – so embrace the opportunitywhen they are in there. Simplequestionnaires and surveys demonstratea willingness to improve as well asproviding vital customer data.

� An enjoyable store experience is oneyou will talk about for days and weeks. Ireally believe this is where many areas ofthe US have it sewn up – I’ve foundcustomer engagement is key to in storestrategies.

� Brand partnerships with localbusinesses, home grown PR and eventsare all marketing tools that you can alsouse at a low cost and high benefit.

The main commitment will be time –and while the stores are quieter – maybethis is something we can all spare. Makeit work for you.

Kate Hardcastle is a multi-award winningmarketer and consultant of PassionMarketing, www.passionmarketing.co.uk

‘It is far betterto switchmarketing toolsthan to switchmarketing off’

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Advertising feature

One of the UK’s best-known financialnames has sparked a green revolution –exploring every avenue to reduce theimpact its business has on the planet.

Black Horse Personal Finance isleading the way with a wide-rangingpackage of measures aimed at reducingwaste and acting environmentallyresponsibly.

In the latest, and perhaps most novelinitiative, staff have been given shinyblack mugs to use when they go tovending machines for a tea or coffee,reducing the usage of plastic cups at itsoffices across the UK by hundreds ofthousands every year.

Executives at Black Horse – part ofthe Lloyds TSB Group – reckon thateach worker using the mug – with itsemblazoned slogan ‘I’m no mug, I’vegone green’ on the side – will save, onaverage, 1,000 plastic vending machinecups every year.

The new mugs, made from plastic off-cuts, have proved popular among staff,some of who use them at home as wellas in the office.

Paul Twiggs, head of marketing says:‘We looked at just how many plasticcups were being used in the buildingand worked out that with an average of

four or five drinks a day, each memberof staff probably used about 1,000 overthe year. That is a huge amount witharound 1000 staff working here, plushundreds more in our finance centrenetwork.’

These, and other green initiatives,were inspired by members of BlackHorse’s team at Cardiff who wereworking through their final levelqualification from the Chartered Instituteof Marketing. They became acutelyaware of the growing global desire ofcompanies and consumers for greaterinterest in the environment and theimpact on business on it.

Twiggs stresses: ‘It is not just abouteconomic profit but what impact does abusiness have on the environment andthe people that work for it and thecommunity in which it serves.’

Black Horse’s initiative fits nicely witha much wider effort to drivesustainability and links in with LloydsTSB’s own pledge to reduce its carbonfootprint by 30 per cent by 2012. BlackHorse introduced a three-phaseenvironmental plan starting last year withthe aim of reducing its impact on theenvironment.

This included insisting that all material

used to produce direct mail activity forproducts and services – up to 20 millionpacks every year – was totallysustainable with no paper or cardcoming from virgin sources. It insists thatany trees sourced for the manufacture ofpaper are replaced by three new trees.

In total 427 tonnes of material throughsustainable sources is now used toproduce the direct mail activity andBlack Horse’s policy ensures they onlytarget customers if it is believed wouldbe appropriate for an offer, furtherreducing waste.

Inks used on materials have to beaqueous, made from environmentallyfriendly vegetable oil, or recycled ratherthan solvent based ink.

The second phase involved ensuringthe entire envelope manufacturingprocess was environmentally friendly.Black Horse has become the firstcompany in the UK to receive officialRoyal Mail accreditation to use 100%recyclable materials in its envelopes.Even the window is now made fromwood, which looks and feels like plasticbut takes just 60 days to decompose.

The marketing team only work withbusiness suppliers who themselves havegreen accreditation.

Frances Stevens, marketing campaign manager, and Carole Williams, marketing database manager

GREEN IS THE NEWBLACK

GREEN IS THE NEWBLACK

93_IM_1008 30/9/08 16:22


Final polishA million thanksMore than 160 people turnedout for the Carpet FoundationRed Carpet Awards, includingthe editors of GoodHousekeeping, Ideal Home,House Beautiful, BBC Homes& Antiques, Living Etc, 25Beautiful Homes and PeriodHouse. The awards recognisethe editorial coverage given tocarpet in the past year.

‘A turnout on this scale fromthe media is unheard of bothin terms of numbers andquality – such is the statureand prestige of the awards,’says Rupert Anton, CarpetFoundation marketingdirector.

‘I just wish we could bottlethe feeling and camaraderie inthe room and disseminate itto our members because thenthey would realise whatrelationships we have with

Country Living MagazineChristmas Fair at the BusinessDesign Centre in London from12-16 November and theSECC, Glasgow from 20-23November. Whether you wantto visit the events yourself oroffer them to customers, thechoice is yours.

To get the tickets, worth£15 each, simply fax 01732352063 indicating whichshow you want to go to andhow many tickets (maximumof five pairs). The first faxes wereceive get the tickets.

No ban hereIt appears that the smokingban has yet to reach SirTerence Conran’s office.During a recent interview hecontinued to puff away at acigar – a Hoyo de MonterreyEpicure No 2, for thoseinterested.

If the cab of a tractor (evenif you are the only person init) and a fishing boat at seacount as places of work, canSir Terence expect a visit fromthe authorities?

Somehow we doubt it.

Parking spotParked outside the NationalFloor Show in the customerparking spaces of CartridgeWorld was a car bearing theregistration R1 FLR.

Was it a retailer who had

given up on trying to find aparking space in centralHarrogate, despite the risk ofa £60 clamping release fee?

the media and how the media tide has turned firmlyback in our direction Last yearwe were responsible for over£1m worth of free publicityfor carpet.’

The winners were: Bestarticle/feature: BBC GoodHomes and Homes &Gardens; Best nationalcoverage: Sunday Mirror; BestMakeover: Your Home; Bestuse of carpet in an interior/decorating scheme: CountryHomes & Interiors; Best TVProgramme: 60 MinuteMakeover; Best online article:idealhomemagazine.co.uk;Best shopping item: 25Beautiful Homes; BissellCleaning & Maintenanceaward: Your Home.

Get your ticketsInteriors Monthly has 10 pairsof tickets to give away for The

Entertainment answers

Easy DifficultMedium

Axminster Carpets’ Steve Upperton with

the 60 Minute Makeover team

Brintons’ Carl Johnson with

Sara Bird, Country Homes &

Interiors deputy editor

The good Doctors Next time you place an orderwith Ercol or pass its PrincesRisborough factory, rememberto give one’s forelock a tug.

Edward and Vicky Tadros(pictured) received anhonorary doctorate fromBuckinghamshire NewUniversity, along with TomDean, former chief executive.

The firm has been workingwith the university’s MAFurniture and Technology andBA Contemporary FurnitureDesign students for threeyears, while Dean has servedon the governing body.

final_p94IMoct.qxp 28/9/08 16:40

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