Cabinet Maker articles from April 2007

Cabinet Maker archives from April 2007

Space to spare in retail parks as rents increase.
April 6, 2007... Only large retailers can afford rents in prime out-of-town locations Out-of-town retail parks are experiencing a downturn in occupancy as one in five are now classed as prime locations, charging more than #25 per sqft. Retailers pay...

Imrie retires from FV.(David Imrie and Jack Clark retires from Furniture Village )(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... Furniture Village is reshuffling its management team following the retirement of David Imrie, buying and merchandising director. Imrie, who co-founded the company with Peter Harrison, md, 20 years ago, said: `It was a very difficult...

Working model.
April 6, 2007... German manufacturer Cosiflor Pleated Blinds has launched its 2007 brochure for the UK and Irish markets. It has supplied the UK for seven years aiming at the mid-to-upper market. The brochure details new products and shows the operational...

Case calls time on unsafe sofas.(prosecution against Martin Jourdan )(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... Year long battle ends in fines for importer Martin Jourdan, British Furniture Confederation chairman, has welcomed the prosecution of the Furniture Store in Basildon, Essex after it sold unsafe sofas. Jourdan hoped further prosecutions...

New head leads Guild cause.
April 6, 2007... Clive Kenyon-Brown, Duresta md, has been appointed chairman of the Long Eaton Guild of Furniture Manufacturers. He took over the chair in March replacing Andrew Mitchell, Artistic Upholstery md. Kenyon-Brown said that he hoped the...

Tough times force closure.(Johnson's Furniture Galleries )(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... Johnson's Furniture Galleries is to close in two weeks due to increasingly tough trade. The six employees of the Lewisham, south east London store will be made redundant. Paul Stanton, owner, said: `We hopefully leave a respected name...

IN BRIEF: High street HoF.(House of Fraser PLC plans to open departmental stores)(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... House of Fraser (HoF) plans to open smaller high street shops #n areas which cannot accommodate large department stores. The move follows that of Debenhams, which opened smaller outlets last year, #amed Desire. HoF said smaller stores were `in...

IN BRIEF: Manufacturing help.(United Kingdom. Department of Trade and Industry)(Manufacturing Advisory Service)(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... Small and medium sized manufacturers will be able to receive up to four free days of advice from the DTI's Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS). From April 2008, MAS will offer help in strategic planning and skills development, sourcing...

IN BRIEF: Kingfisher sales up.(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... Kingfisher increased sales by 7.4% to #8.7bn for the year to # February on the back of a strengthening UK home improvement market. The group, whose UK subsidiaries include B&Q and Screwfix Direct, also reported a positive like-for-like...

IN BRIEF: TFT expands.(The Tropical Forest Trust )(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... The Tropical Forest Trust (TFT), an independent non-profit group, has opened an office in Beijing, China and will soon expand in to Shanghai. The move is to help the group exclude illegal tropical woods from commercial supply chains. The TFT,...

Cornering closets.(The Closet Company designed closets with maximum storage space)(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... Designer and manufacturer The Closet Company has developed a system that allows full access to corner space in its made-to-measure closets. Interior corner shelves are made to suit all angles and the system can be fitted from floor to ceiling...

Waste campaign was ineffective.
April 6, 2007... Lee Longlands said it was unaware of packaging recycling laws until told by Environment Agency Birmingham retailer Lee Longlands claimed it has been made an example of after being fined more than #15,000 for failing to meet packaging...

Legals - Liquidator appointments.(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... Nationwide Kitchens Ltd, retailer. Co no: 04280293. Liquidator: David Cockshott and Gary Blackburn, BWC Solutions, Leeds. Tel: 0113 243 3434. Appointed: 16 March. CKS Kitchens, manufacturer. Co no: 04975582. Liquidator: Roderick Jones,...

Legals - Creditors' winding up by petitions.
April 6, 2007... Glamorgan Furniture Ltd, Heol Y Llfrau, Aberkenfig. Co no: 5493770. Venue: Birmingham District Registry, 33 Bull Street, Birmingham B4 6DS; 16 April 2007, 10am. Tel: 0121 455 2117. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Legals - Final meetings.
April 6, 2007... Thyme Furniture Company, Stockton on Tees, manufacturer. Co no: 4378872. Venue: Taylor Rowlands, Stockton on Tees; 20 April, 10.30am. Tel: 01642 790 790. Interiors of Greenwich. Co no: 03968170. Venue: Moore Stephens LLP, Victory House,...

`Wood' kitchens adverts blocked.
April 6, 2007... ASA rules that retailer's claims were misleading Oldham retailer, Kitchens, has agreed to amend its advertisements after misleading the public. In a national press advertisement, it claimed `Kitchens: Made from real wood (no chipboard...

DIY the winner in Easter spend up.
April 6, 2007... An estimated #3.5bn will be spent over the Easter weekend with DIY and outdoor furniture set to benefit. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), Easter will be worth #7.8bn to UK retailers - a 4% rise from 2006. Of this #4.3bn...

People: Andrew Munns.(Andrew Munns, Richard Turner and Austin Simmons appointed at SATRA)(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... Andrew Munns has transferred from a research role at SATRA to manage the furniture flammability testing team, working with customers from the UK, Eastern Europe and the Far East. Richard Turner, will take over as chief executive in June...

People: Cheryl Woods.
April 6, 2007... Cheryl Woods has been made manager of Hettich's new Clerkenwell Road Design Centre, the first of its kind in the capital. She will be supported by London area sales managers Nick Varley and William Lewis. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

People: John Wright.
April 6, 2007... John Wright was elected chairman of The Federation of Small Businesses at its national conference and AGM in Belfast. The North East management and training consultant and current national vice chairman, replaces Carol Undy. Copyright: CMP...

Best results for 10 years at LA.
April 6, 2007... Fewer promotions prompt a margins rise for Laura Ashley but sales fall back Laura Ashley's (LA) pre-tax profits doubled to #12.2m for the year to 27 January 2007 - its strongest performance in a decade. While furniture sales also rose, on...

Views by Mike Clare.(Brief article)(Column)
April 6, 2007... Is the Cabinet Maker cup half full or half empty? The Dreams cup has always been half full; actually it's usually brimming over... I'm a firm believer in always celebrating the positives in life while recognising and addressing the...

Talk.
April 6, 2007... What are your promotional plans for the Easter weekend? `We just have a sale on. There will be a basic 20% off all stock over the Easter weekend. It is a very important weekend for us and it compares well to other sales we have at other...

CM COMMENT - Leader: Think sofas, think specialists?(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... Did you see the DFS advertisement in The Sunday Times Magazine last week? It featured a photograph of a store fascia, which read: `Chemist and Sofas' and featured the headline - `You wouldn't buy a sofa from a chemist would you?' This is a...

CM COMMENT - The good, the bad, and the ugly.(Brief article)(Column)
April 6, 2007... Some things are not simple to answer. For example, Mike Clare poses the question on the opposite page, `Is the Cabinet Maker cup half full or half empty?' Anyone reading this column over the past couple of years, whoever may have written...

ANALYSIS - When the going gets tough.
April 6, 2007... Furniture123 expects a difficult few months ahead for the furniture sector, but is it just the small online operators suffering, asks Deven Pamben The decision to make six staff redundant at online retailer Furniture123 because of a dip in...

STATISTICS - COMPLAINTS: Knowledge gap.
April 6, 2007... The number of furniture complaints where no fault was found suggests retailers are failing to convey product information, as our analysis reveals Upholstery continued to dominate customer complaints during February, representing some 64.5%...

STORE MANAGER - Keep safe under the law's influence.
April 6, 2007... With so much detail in health and safety laws, Poppy Williams looks at the principles governing misuse of substances and accident reporting at work Employers have a general duty under Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to...

STORE MANAGER - Injured parties.
April 6, 2007... The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) compel employers and other responsible persons who have control over employees and work premises to notify and report to the appropriate enforcing...

SHOP WINDOW: Kitchens - SieMatic.
April 6, 2007... SieMatic's BeauxArts collection combines traditional and modern elements in a kitchen that draws its inspiration from the 19th century movement that inspired the design of the Chicago Art Institute and New York Stock Exchange. Copyright:...

SHOP WINDOW: Kitchens - Neptune Classics.
April 6, 2007... Each unit of Neptune Classic's Chichester kitchen, finished in limestone with solid marble worktops, is fully framed. Each unit is locked together top and bottom and both sides using adhesive, mortise and tenon joints and then locked with...

SHOP WINDOW: Kitchens - Burbidge.
April 6, 2007... Burbidge has added Odessa #o its American black oak collection. A horizontal centre panel on the frontals #ccentuates its distinctive grain and colour variations while an unusual frame with slim #prights and deep rails adds to its visual...

SHOP WINDOW: Kitchens - Woodberry PD.
April 6, 2007... Woodberry PD's Nevada bridges ultra contemporary and traditional styling, featuring high gloss slab frontals available in vanilla, white, ivory and coffee. Adjustable legs and soft-close hinges and drawers are standard. Copyright: CMP...

SHOP WINDOW: iSaloni - Italsofa.
April 6, 2007... Italsofa's launches will range from simple lined modern designs with square forms to informal welcoming sofas. Pictured is the I205 with piping detailing on the cushions. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW: iSaloni - Maxdivani.
April 6, 2007... Maxdivani is upping its #roduct offer to move away #rom the bottom end price wars. The show will see new models and a number of vegetable tanned designs. iSaloni takes place in Milan from 18-23 April. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

INTERVIEW - MICHAEL WALKER: Doing the right thing.
April 6, 2007... A determined policy of retaining UK production has not held back Lloyd Loom of Spalding #n recent years, as Richard de Melim reports For each of the past three years, Lloyd Loom of Spalding has recorded sales increases of more than 15%...

ACCESSORIES - VASES: Curvy casks.(summer vase collections exhibitions)(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... Andrew Kidd looks at the key shapes in the spring/summer vase collections Forget straight lines and geometric shapes, organic and curves are the key look for vases in many retailer's spring/summer collections. While glass is often married...

REVIEW - LONDON DESIGN WEEK: Roll models.
April 6, 2007... For an exclusive preview of the latest fabrics and wallcoverings, Chelsea Harbour Design Centre was the place to be at, as Rachel Calton reports Inside the renovated Chelsea Harbour Design Centre in west London, the glass domes, curved...

DIARY - MAY: May blossoms.
April 6, 2007... There is just enough time to recover from iSaloni in Milan before the exhibition schedule gets into full swing again for May, reports Andrew Kidd May's busy show schedule begins in Istanbul with IMOB where 300 mainly Turkish companies will...

MARKETING - INTERNET: A very warm welcome.(www.oldginger.co.uk)
April 6, 2007... Old Ginger not only invites visitors to browse its easily accessible website, but also encourages making a trip to its London store, says Rachel Calton Old Ginger's new online store (www.oldginger.co.uk) pitches a tone that is formal...

CM OFFCUTS - Sing the praises of art and honesty.(dialogue with Kristian Eriksson at G.A.D)(Interview)
April 6, 2007... Kristian Eriksson is director of Swedish manufacturer G.A.D What attracted you to the furniture industry? My initial attraction was to design and produce things that didn't yet exist. New designs. New concepts. I wanted to use real...

CM OFFCUTS - A shoot in the dark.
April 6, 2007... DFS needed a location to film a TV advertisement and its advertising agency found the perfect place - a 12,000sqft house in Canford Cliffs, Poole, Dorset. It was also the home of Peter Ling, Land of Leather retail director. Ling was...

CM OFFCUTS - Educational visit.
April 6, 2007... Mark Prisk, Conservative Party small business spokesman, recently visited FIRA's Stevenage, Hertfordshire offices to lend his support to the organisation. Prisk, pictured with Hayden Davies, md wanted to learn about the structure of the...

Impulse furniture buying warning.
April 13, 2007... Timing questioned on Government agency advice Government advice service Consumer Direct warned customers about buying furniture on impulse, ahead of the bank holiday. The advice, issued just days before the Easter weekend, stated that...

Danish move.
April 13, 2007... Danish home furnishings retailer Jysk plans to open 10 stores in the UK over the next year. The move comes hot on the heels of Danish furniture Ilva, which entered the UK market last year. Jysk has outlets in 20 mainly European...

Seeking a buyer.
April 13, 2007... * Last month, saw the departure of Martin Toogood, Ilva chief executive. Its private equity backer, Advent International, is seeking a buyer for the business. Ilva has been linked with German mail order firm Otto Versand and Icelandic bank,...

Sunshine kept consumers out of stores.
April 13, 2007... The hot weather did not help retailers as consumers favoured the sun rather than shopping. Figures from FootFall showed that year-on-year change for Good Friday was down 12.5%. Easter Saturday fell 15.1%. But, Holiday Monday was a welcome...

Big plans for Suite-World.
April 13, 2007... As new store opens, Kent retailer reveals it wants to go national Suite-World opened its second Kent store on Good Friday and plans to eventually become a national chain. Gary Johnson, owner, said the new store in Folkestone would be...

HomeForm sold.
April 13, 2007... US investment firm Sun Capital has acquired the UK's HomeForm Group, the owner of Moben kitchens, Dolphin bathrooms and Sharps bedrooms. Sun Capital will take over HomeForm Group's Manchester and Wolverhampton facilities along with 160...

People: Komfi.
April 13, 2007... Yorkshire-based luxury memory foam mattress manufacturer Komfi has appointed Jeff Davies as sales director. He will help develop the sales strategy as Komfi continues to grow as well as assisting with recruitment and a brand development...

People: Natuzzi.
April 13, 2007... Daniele Tranchini, Natuzzi chief sales and marketing director has resigned from the company and its board of directors. Based in Italy, Tranchini joined the business in 2004 to oversee sales and marketing initiatives worldwide. Copyright:...

Big show.(In-toto opens new facility in Cardiff)(Brief article)
April 13, 2007... Kitchens specialist In-toto has opened its largest UK showroom in Cardiff. The flagship 5,000sqft facility displays the contemporary Wellmann and GEBA ranges. Established in 1980, In-toto has a network of just under 50 franchised stores...

IN BRIEF: School shop for sale.
April 13, 2007... Dewsbury furniture store Hudson's is to be sold despite strong trading. Former owner, Derrick Hudson, left the shop to Batley Grammar School when he passed away in 2001. The 100 year-old West Yorkshire business is being sold to pay for urgent...

IN BRIEF: Sick days increase.(workplace false absences on the rise)(Survey)(Brief article)
April 13, 2007... Workplace absence increased in 2006 with employees taking an average of seven days off for sickness, losing 175 million working days. It cost the economy #13.4bn, according to a CBI/AXA survey. Short-term absences are a key concern. Employers...

IN BRIEF: Motion moves up.(upholstery market)(Brief article)
April 13, 2007... UK sales of motion upholstery are estimated to reach #241m this year. According to furniture information centre Aktrin, motion upholstery will account for 14.7% of the upholstery market in 2007. Aktrin expects this market will further increase...

IN BRIEF: Rebuild go ahead.(Cartoon Furniture got approval from Mayo County Council)(Brief article)
April 13, 2007... Cartoon Furniture has been given planning permission to rebuild its business by Mayo County Council. The Gallagher family-run firm in Killala, Republic of Ireland burnt down in December. The company said: `We serve a lot of loyal customers in...

IN BRIEF: Open day.
April 13, 2007... Visitors can view manufacturer Ercol's new ranges, brand development, concept designs and facilities at its Open House event (22 April-4 May), in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Small firms tied up with more red tape.
April 13, 2007... Business groups attack Government for adding to legislation rather than cutting back as promised Good Friday became Red Tape Friday as some 73 pieces of legislation were introduced last week. Business groups have hit out at the Government...

City: Kingfisher rumour mill still turning.
April 13, 2007... Speculation on takeover bids as pre-tax profits fall at DIY group Kingfisher lost 5p to 279p on figures showing pre-tax profits down by 11% to #397m in the year to 3 February. Gerry Murphy, chief executive dismissed rumours of cash...

Payout for kitchen copy.(Mark Wilkinson Furniture vs. Rance, Booth and Smith, and Steven Hirst)
April 13, 2007... Mark Wilkinson Furniture wins #26,000 in damages and costs Mark Wilkinson Furniture has agreed to accept #26,000 in damages and costs in an out of court settlement after its Mai kitchen was copied. The parties involved in the copying...

Home Retail ripe for a bid.
April 13, 2007... Home Retail has progressed since spinning out of the Great Universal Stores group, where it formed an odd couple with Experian, the international credit-checking agency. Since the split, Home Retail shares have gained 12%, double Experian's...

Easter gift from BoE.
April 13, 2007... Retailers were given an Easter bonus after the Bank of England left interest rates at 5.25%. Furniture retailers in particular will have been boosted by the decision, according to the British Retail Consortium. Kevin Hawkins BRC...

Letter: Supporting the case for specialists.(Letter to the editor)
April 13, 2007... I was interested by your leader article about DFS's latest advertisement (CM, 6 Apr, p9) . We are a micro solid wood furniture making business and have been using a similar approach ourselves for more than four years. The inspiration came...

Letter: Rethink sales to stay in business.(Letter to the editor)
April 13, 2007... It is no secret that the mid-to-upper-market sector of the furniture and department store industry is going through some turbulent times. Perhaps that is why we have been so busy helping retailers who are interested in staying in business. ...

Views by Rhianwen Roberts.(on customer service and goodwill)
April 13, 2007... No retailer wants an unhappy customer. Remember the marketing adage that one dissatisfied customer loses a business three customers. But retailers do not want to be giving refunds hand over fist when they don't need to - or indeed to be...

Talk: Should more help be given to retailers?
April 13, 2007... Should more help be given to retailers so they can meet and keep up with legal requirements? `More could be done and it is not difficult to point things out. New legislation comes in and then you get fined for not knowing about it. Some...

CM COMMENT - Leader: The message didn't fit.
April 13, 2007... What is Consumer Direct playing at? As the Bank Holiday weekend approached, the Government-funded body unhelpfully warned people off buying furniture on impulse (see p3). The reason it gave was that impulse buying would leave many consumers...

CM COMMENT - Take action against the copyists.(copyright infringement issues )(Brief article)
April 13, 2007... The settlement against the consumer in the Mark Wilkinson Furniture case (see p6 and p10) warrants the industry's attention, because it stresses the importance manufacturers should pay towards protecting their design rights. Not all firms...

ANALYSIS - What about design rights?(furniture industry)
April 13, 2007... The recent Mark Wilkinson case has highlighted the need for design rights to be brought in line with copyright. Deven Pamben looks at the facts In the growing global market a major issue affecting designers in the furniture industry is...

STORE MANAGER - Take control of safety.
April 13, 2007... Using contractors in your business can cause problems in relation to health and safety duties unless safeguards are in place, as Stuart Ponting explains The issue of contractors has long been a problem area for businesses in terms of...

STORE MANAGER - Mobile workers.
April 13, 2007... Businesses must ensure that if they have mobile workers (usually those working away from a fixed base) that any special or unusual aspects of the job they undertake (while mobile) are properly assessed and that measures are put in place to...

SHOP WINDOW: Motion upholstery.
April 13, 2007... As well as moving horizontally, Swopper moves vertically. Sitting evenly on the stool maintains the spine's natural double S-shape and eases pressure on the intervertebral disks. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

INTERVIEW - MARK KREAMER: Getting more sales in the pocket.(Mark Kreamer speaks )(Interview)
April 13, 2007... Investment and focusing on the middle to upper end of the market is the way forward for The Old English Bed Company, reports Richard de Melim Investment in UK manufacturing is a rare commodity in the increasingly service led British...

CHILDRENS - FURNITURE: Meet the parents.
April 13, 2007... Practical and safe designs have helped the Great Little Trading Company keep one step ahead on the growing online arena, reports Rachel Calton When it started out, 11 years ago, the Great Little Trading Company sold children's clothing but...

CHILDRENS - FURNITURE: Growing with the family.
April 13, 2007... The White Company set up The Little White Company to showcase the number and variety of kids products it stocked including nursery and bedroom furniture, high quality bedlinen, clothing, pyjamas and accessories. It now accounts for 22% of The...

REVIEW - FAR EAST: Thai challenge.
April 13, 2007... The furniture industry's attention switches east in March with major shows in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Jennifer Castoldi reports on the rise of eco-chic and the merging of technology and handicrafts in Bangkok Many people do not...

REVIEW - FAR EAST: Fair reflection.
April 13, 2007... Neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore are worlds apart in character as their respective furniture shows aptly demonstrated, reports Mark Lewis People accuse Singapore of being stale. That is a little unfair. It is simply not other worldly....

UNDERCOVER SHOPPER: Tottenham Court Road, London.
April 13, 2007... Five stores are visited every month to check service. This month we look at: Running south from Euston Road and intersecting with Charing Cross Road and Oxford Street at St Giles' Circus, Tottenham Court Road (TCR) is a renowned shopping...

CM OFFCUTS: Entry by accident and by design.
April 13, 2007... Penny Lakin is director of Juniper Trading, a furniture and interior design business in Hampshire What attracted you to the furniture industry? I fell into it by accident! I was planning on taking out a Colour Counsellors franchise...

CM OFFCUTS: Defoe's kitchen is in the premier league.(Jermain Defoe )(Brief article)
April 13, 2007... Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe and his model girlfriend Charlotte Meares have splashed out #200,000 on a Pedini kitchen. The 21 year-old glamour model insisted on filling the kitchen with gadgets, even though she can only `cook' a Pot...

CM OFFCUTS: Legal tangle for The Brando.
April 13, 2007... Marlon Brando's estate is suing a furniture maker after the iconic star's surname was allegedly used to sell a chair. Papers filed at a Los Angeles court allege two retailers are now selling the home cinema chair called The Brando, but the...

More sales capitalised.(furniture retailers makes profits)(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 20, 2007... London retailers are benefiting as consumers spent #510m more in March 2007 than the same period last year. The London Retail Consortium (LRC) said like-for-like retail sales in central London throughout March were 10.8% higher than 2006,...

Price establishing a key factor in inflation.
April 20, 2007... BoE points the finger at rising furniture pricing strategy Furniture price establishing is said to be a key contributor to inflation breaching 3% for the first time in more than 10 years - triggering a letter of explanation from Mervyn...

Profit warnings up.
April 20, 2007... The tough trading environment is set to continue with profit warnings on the increase. Research by Ernst & Young has revealed that in the first quarter of 2007, 103 profit warnings were issued by UK quoted companies - 21% up on quarter one...