Cabinet Maker articles from August 2007

Cabinet Maker archives from August 2007

Argos set to introduce upmarket furniture.
August 3, 2007... Winter catalogue is likely to see retail chain take on department stores Argos has earmarked furniture as the next prong in its strategy to take on department stores in the mid-market. The launch of the Inspire range of homewares in...

Jobs risk after production move proposal.(Pocket Spring Bed Company)(Brief article)
August 3, 2007... Silentnight Group has begun consultations with 39 Pocket Spring Bed Company staff who may lose their jobs. The company is proposing the closure of Pocket Spring's manufacturing site in Skipton, North Yorkshire and transfer of production to its...

WMC wants overseas firms.(World Market Center)(Brief article)
August 3, 2007... Las Vegas market set to ease rules for European exhibitors UK manufacturers could find it easier to have permanent showrooms in the US as the World Market Center (WMC) opens its doors to European companies. At the launch of the fifth...

Supermarket challenge.
August 3, 2007... Furniture specialists are set to lose an increasing number of sales to supermarkets Tesco and Asda. That's the stark claim from Verdict Research whose latest grocers report shows that #1 in every #10 spent on non-food items is spent at...

Accessible components.
August 3, 2007... Manufacturer Hettich UK has launched an online shop where customers can browse via its virtual catalogue and purchase from its range of kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and office furniture components as well as lighting. Hettich.com/uk/online has a...

IN BRIEF: Ercol in Tent.
August 3, 2007... Furniture manufacturer Ercol is to show at the inaugural Tent London exhibition which takes place from 20-23 September. The Buckinghamshire firm will unveil ranges from designers including Matthew Hilton, Sean Dare and James Ryan as well as...

IN BRIEF: Name change.
August 3, 2007... Glen Dimplex UK has reverted to Dimplex UK to avoid confusion with parent company, Glen Dimplex Group. `We feel the change gives the famous name the emphasis it deserves,' said Stuart Mackenzie, md. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

IN BRIEF: Scottish excellence.
August 3, 2007... Scottish furniture retailers are being urged to enter the Scottish Retail Excellence Awards, which will be announced at the Glasgow Hilton hotel in October. Organised by the Scottish Retail Consortium, awards open to furniture retailers include...

IN BRIEF: Italian link.(appointment of Matthew Kutas at Idealsedia)(Brief article)
August 3, 2007... Idealsedia has appointed Matthew Kutas as UK agent. The Italian table and chair manufacturer is looking to grow UK business with products launched at the April iSaloni exhibition in Milan. Kutas, who also looks after Maxdivani in the UK, said:...

IN BRIEF: Distribution deal.
August 3, 2007... Silentnight Ireland is to become the sole distributor of Kingstown Furniture in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It will handle all sales, distribution and customer service. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Rain boosts July's furniture sales.
August 3, 2007... Consumers were spending in the bad weather while retailers say sales volumes were weak Furniture and carpet sales enjoyed a resurgence in July as poor weather drove consumers into shopping centres. A CBI survey showed sales volumes...

First day record at John Lewis.
August 3, 2007... Tills were ringing at John Lewis in June on its strongest ever day of trading. Sales on the first day of the department store's summer clearance sale on Saturday 30 June hit #18.8m, which was up by a third on last year and an all-time...

City: Market forces take their toll on retail.(market trend on retail trade )(Brief article)
August 3, 2007... Beales results make grim reading Beales lost 4p to 61p on revealing the triple-whammy of a significant fall in first-half profits, nil interim dividend for shareholders, and the near-certainty of a full-year loss. The Ealing store will...

Another record year for Ikea.
August 3, 2007... Swedish giant embarks on new store concept as turnover rises Ikea has beaten its record turnover, cranking up sales to #1.3bn for the 12 months to 31 August 2006. The figure adds 30% to the 2005 total when it reached #1bn for the first...

Gloomy outlook for loss-making Ilva UK.
August 3, 2007... The future of embattled furniture retailer Ilva has been thrown into doubt by its auditors, who have questioned the company's `ability to continue as a going concern'. Accounts filed at Companies House revealed that the company's UK...

US puts pressure on FTSE.(Brief article)
August 3, 2007... The FTSE 100 Index plummeted in July to the year's starting level, unable to resist pressures generated in the US. The problems began several months ago, when `sub-prime' lenders in the US property market suffered a first wave of defaults among...

Letter: Test leather before making a sale.(Letter to the editor)
August 3, 2007... We were interested to read What Retailers Need to Know on leather upholstery (CM, 13 Jul, p21) but would like to add our own voice to this article. After years of teaching Leather ID we have found it much more beneficial to technicians and...

Not the first to pocket the pillows.
August 3, 2007... I am writing in reference to Offcuts' Pocket the difference (CM, 27 Jul, p51, ) on pocket-sprung pillows. Harrogate retailer To Catch A Dream claimed `it is the first in Europe' to stock these pillows. It might be worth knowing that I have...

Views by Fiona Macdiarmid.(internet effecting retail trade)(Viewpoint essay)
August 3, 2007... While the high street is experiencing an unprecedented shift in the way consumers shop, we retailers can still lead that change and not be resigned to just keeping pace. For too long we have been preoccupied with the threat posed by the...

Talk: How is the 'green' issue seen in the US?(interview of Danny Olivas)(Jim Martin)(Jeane Shurtliff)(Interview)
August 3, 2007... Cabinet Maker asked a selection of manufacturers and visitors at the Las Vegas market: In the UK the `green' issue is becoming increasingly important. How is it seen in the US and how can we work together to make things better? `We need to...

CM COMMENT: Leader - Why independents need to take a good look at Argos.
August 3, 2007... Furniture is next in line as Argos looks to broaden its product offer to take in more upmarket and pricier ranges (see p3). The firm has already introduced premium brands into some of its homewares lines, such as Gaggia, the coffee machine...

ANALYSIS: Chop illegal timber imports.
August 3, 2007... EIA calls for ban on UK sales of illegal timber products, says Deven Pamben The first four months of 2007 saw the value of illegal timber imports from Indonesia to the UK almost match the figure for the whole of 2006. In response the...

ANALYSIS: Logging facts.
August 3, 2007... * The scale of illegal logging has artificially suppressed global timber prices by up to 16%, reducing potential revenues for producer countries. * In Indonesia, up to 2.8m hectares of forest are destroyed annually. * Tropical...

MARKET: DATA - Creating the buying mood.(lighting equipment industry market watch)
August 3, 2007... Retail Intelligence: lighting In the increasingly crowded lighting market, eye catching displays and keen pricing are the best ways for retailers to tempt consumers into an impulse buy, explains Alexa Nightingale Today, lighting no...

STATISTICS: COMPLAINTS - It's all about performance.(Statistics on upholstered furniture and upholstery)(Statistical data)
August 3, 2007... Premature wear is the main complaint for upholstery, says Peter Bonsall The most common complaints about upholstery involve covers - fabric and leather. Covers are generally carefully selected and tested before they are used but a...

STORE MANAGER: Plugging in to offsets.(offset printing)
August 3, 2007... As part of moves to cut their carbon footprint, companies can opt to offset emissions, as The Carbon Trust reports in its second article on climate change Reasons for buying offsets Organisations might want to offset their emissions:...

SHOP WINDOW: Recliners - Rolf Benz.
August 3, 2007... The backrest and footrest of Rolf Benz's 572 recliner can be adjusted independently with one handle. It is available in standard and large size for people 180cm or taller. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW: Recliners - FurnArt.
August 3, 2007... FurnArt has reissued Sigurd Resell's 1971 Falcon, where the seat hangs on the external frame. Original producer Vatne Lenestolfabrikk doubled its turnover in two years after introducing the design. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW: Recliners - Leolux.
August 3, 2007... Leolux's Trabacalo switches effortlessly from a minimalist, low back design to one with raised backs and folded out footstools. Available as an armchair, two and a half and three-seater sofa, pressing on the back cushion activates a gas spring...

INTERVIEW: PETER HOGSTED - The way it really is.(IKEA International A/S)(Interview)(Company overview)
August 3, 2007... Ikea's chief executive tells Mark Lewis about the recent redundancies, planning permissions and its online plans Between the cheap blinds of a warm room in north London, a smattering of cars dot the top floor of a multi-storey car park. A...

DINING: MERCHANDISING - Who's got the edge?
August 3, 2007... The dining room is said to be going out of fashion, so how are retailers keeping up sales and who does it best, department stores or the specialists? Cabinet Maker visited six London flagship stores to draw some comparisons Department...

CM OFFCUTS: Dedicated to boosting brands.(Orchard Retail furniture agency)(Interview)(Brief article)
August 3, 2007... Simon Orchard is md of Orchard Retail furniture agency for UK and Italian manufacturers How and why did you get into the industry? After years in the fashion industry I fancied a change, and Shaun Davies at Media Lounge convinced me to...

CM OFFCUTS: Master craftsman.(Mike Stringer)(Viewpoint essay)
August 3, 2007... However improbable it seems, people in the industry have interests other than furniture. I know, shocking. One of them is Mike Stringer, kitchen and bathroom designer and showroom manager in the Cheam, Surrey In-toto showroom, who in his...

CM OFFCUTS: Action pack.(Brief article)
August 3, 2007... We are always happy to hear of the industry's charitable work, so imagine our smiles when we heard that West Yorkshire's Vale Bridgecraft has donated #200,000 to local schools in the past 10 years enabling 380 students to go to the Outward...

Hilding Anders buys Myer's.(Hilding Anders AB)
August 10, 2007... UK bed manufacturer aids Swedish firm's growth in the premium bed sector Bed and mattress supplier Hilding Anders has bought 130 year-old Cambridge manufacturer Myer's in a move that reinforces the Swedish company's position in the UK. ...

Verdict says Ilva has potential.
August 10, 2007... A leading retail analyst has urged Ilva's new Icelandic owner to concentrate on the struggling retailer over rival The Pier. Last week, Icelandic company Rumfatalagerinn, which owns The Pier and parts of European furniture retailer Jysk,...

4 Living goes green.(4 Living Furniture )(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Green power has been embraced by 4 Living Furniture with ecotricity, a 100% renewable source of energy generated solely by wind. Ecotricity will power the company's offices in Lewes, East Sussex, in the first of a range of sweeping measures...

Battle for Dobbies.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Tesco and Sir Tom Hunter are rivals for Scottish garden centre Tesco and entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter are battling it out for ownership of Scottish garden centre retailer Dobbies. James Barnes, Dobbies chief executive sold all his shares...

DFS did not breach advertising standards.
August 10, 2007... DFS has been found not guilty of breaching advertising regulations but has apologised for any distress it caused a viewer who complained about the firm's TV commercial. The advertisement showed various scenes of people reading, chatting,...

Seasons greeting.
August 10, 2007... Online furniture retailer Furniture123 has launched its Christmas products. Dining sets to seat the extended family include the Horizon, with chairs available in a range of styles, including slatted, microfibre and leather. Sofabeds and beds...

IN BRIEF: Rotational update.(Website overview)
August 10, 2007... Kitchen specialist In-toto has updated its website, www.intoto.co.uk. The website now features large rotating images from the extensive range of contemporary and classic kitchens. It also includes details of all In-toto's UK showrooms. ...

IN BRIEF: Extra tax bill.
August 10, 2007... Industry trade bodies have warned that UK companies could face an extra tax bill of #1.5bn if councils are allowed to levy a supplementary local business tax of up to 10%. The Communities and Local Government Committee said local authorities...

IN BRIEF: Raising profiles.
August 10, 2007... Employers at furniture and furnishings firms will benefit from improved support following the industry joining Proskills, the employer-led Sector Skills Council for the Process and Manufacturing sector. Jackie Bazeley, FFINTO chief executive,...

IN BRIEF: Togetherness.(Clement Joscelyne)(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Clement Joscelyne will exclusively retail Hulsta and Rolf Benz products at its new store in Baker Street, London, due to open in October. It will be the first time Hulsta and Rolf Benz, both part of the Huls group, will be exhibited together in...

Fabric copying dispute settled.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... South African retailer agrees to destroy disputed stock and pay damages to Prestigious Textiles UK fabric converter Prestigious Textiles has secured an out of court settlement against a South African retailer it alleged had copied its...

Discounts kick in after slow July sales.
August 10, 2007... Furniture and homewares were heavily discounted in July as sales slowed. The British Retail Consortium Retail Sales Monitor for July also found that the wet weather hit the DIY and gardening sector. Growth in furniture and homewares...

Legals: Liquidators appointments.
August 10, 2007... Hothouse Trading Co Ltd, retailer. Co no: 03514727. Liquidator: John Titley, DTE Leonard Curtis, DTE House, Bury. Tel: 0161 835 1900. Appointed: 27 July. Mill Field (UK) Ltd, supplier and designer. Co no: 04991152. Liquidator: Michael...

Legals: Final Meetings.
August 10, 2007... Hertford House Furniture Ltd, Tonbridge. Co no: 04965752. Venue: Vantiss Business Recovery, Judd House, East Street, Tonbridge, Kent, 31 August, 10am. Tel: 01732 378 680. Information provided by the London Gazette. Full list available on...

LoL steams ahead with new stores.(Land of Leather)
August 10, 2007... Sales are up and sites are available said retailer Despite tough market conditions Land of Leather will continue with its aggressive store opening programme after reporting a boost in sales figures. For the year to 29 July,...

ScS reaps benefits as rain drives customers to spend.
August 10, 2007... Wet weather halted the sliding sales at retailer ScS Upholstery as it announced a 12% sales order increase for the 43 weeks to 28 July. But, according to its trading update, like-for-like sales order intake was down by 7%. ScS said:...

People: Gavin Abel.
August 10, 2007... Fitted furniture manufacturer William Ball has promoted Gavin Abel to financial director. Abel has been with the Grays, Essex company for one year, during which time he has held the position of financial controller. His responsibilities will...

People: Howard Bennett.(appointment of Howard Bennett at Sturtons & Tappers )(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Retailer Sturtons & Tappers has appointed Howard Bennett as furniture buyer and operations manager. Based at Winton in Bournemouth, his remit covers all three of the family-owned company's stores in Bournemouth and Wimborne in Dorset and...

People: Eunice Cinnamon.
August 10, 2007... UKfirst, which works with the furniture and timber related manufacturing industries to help them perform efficiently, has appointed Eunice Cinnamon as master engineer. Cinnamon has 12 years of manufacturing and operational improvement...

People: Mick Miles.
August 10, 2007... Rye, East Sussex-based supplier CPW furniture has appointed Mick Miles as agent for the South-Central region. Miles, who has more than 20 years experience in sales support for some of the leading names in the furniture industry, will team up...

Big boys to aid flood hit firms.
August 10, 2007... Initiative to help small retailers UK furniture retailers hit by the recent floods are set to receive aid from an unlikely source - rival traders. Marks & Spencer, Asda and Tesco - now firmly established in the furniture retailing...

Views by Phil Reynolds.
August 10, 2007... Many retailers are reporting that it's a difficult trading picture on the high street with higher interest rates and variable weather both having an impact. Under these conditions customer service excellence and consumer satisfaction are...

Talk: Are you worried?
August 10, 2007... Argos has earmarked furniture as the next prong in its strategy to take on department stores in the mid-market (CM, 3 Aug, p3). Are you worried? `I don't feel threatened by anybody else. We still make proper furniture and we make a lot of...

CM COMMENT: Leader - Be passionate about furniture and score on price.
August 10, 2007... Two years ago I bought a new sofa for #800. It's comfy, warm, inviting and is my sanctuary most evenings for at least a few hours. In fact, if you assume I've sat in it two hours a day every day since I bought it - it works out at about 50p per...

NEWS ANALYSIS: Terms and relationships.
August 10, 2007... With Flex Group buying And So To Bed, Wesley Yin-Poole asked how the move affects rival retailers' stocking its products, but replies were cautious The news that veteran furniture retailer Keith Barnett had sold And So To Bed (ASTB) to the...

STORE MANAGER: Tax victory for couples in business.
August 10, 2007... After six years of legal argument, the House of Lords has ruled on the tax treatment of husband and wife owned companies. John Whiting explains Small businesses don't usually look towards the House of Lords for guidance on how they can...

SHOP WINDOW: Rugs - Felt.
August 10, 2007... Made by the nomadic peoples of the remote Tien Shan mountains in Kyrgyzstan, Shyrdak wool rugs have a tough flattened felt base handsewn with geometric surface patterns in coloured felts. Felt has established a Kyrgyz government approved fair...

SHOP WINDOW: Rugs - Sofar Sonear.
August 10, 2007... The Stardust rug from Sofar Sonear uses hand-knotted and hand-weaved 100% wool with Swarovski crystals. The collection is available in any size and colour specification. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

INTERVIEW: ANDREW PETHERICK - Extreme cuisine.(dialogue with Andrew Petherick of Artichoke )(Interview)
August 10, 2007... No matter how far-fetched, kitchen and cabinet specialist Artichoke serves up what the billionaire market wants, Andrew Petherick tells Rachel Calton The billionaire market is niche, but prosperous. And kitchen and cabinet specialist...

RETAIL: HOME COUTURE - Contracts with style.
August 10, 2007... With only six months under its belt, Dublin store Home Couture demonstrates a confident approach to retailing. Director Kevin McKernan explains to Ruth Pringle why the future also lies in the contract sector For a company that features...

NEW DESIGNERS: AWARDS - Bursting with ideals.
August 10, 2007... The creations of this year's crop of graduate designers tackled concepts including renewability and flexible living, as Rachel Calton reports Renewable resources, product longevity, flexible living, and transportability were issues...

LOGISTICS: WAREHOUSING - Seamless service.
August 10, 2007... Relocating gave Heal's the chance to review its operations, as Paul Forster explains, while Alex Mills discusses the increasing role of technology Heal's decided to review its materials handling and lift truck provision when it relocated...

CM OFFCUTS: People person who values service.
August 10, 2007... David Wood is md and owner of retailer Gloucester and Worcester Furniture Exhibition Centre How and when did you get into retail industry? By accident! When I left school I joined the local newspaper as an office boy. I worked my way...

CM OFFCUTS: Hallam tunes in to strange coincidences.
August 10, 2007... John Lewis in Cambridge has been getting into the swing of things with local young musicians. The department store is supporting Cambridgeshire Music, which funds music teachers and instruments for more than 13,000 schoolchildren across...

CM OFFCUTS: Musical chairs.
August 10, 2007... Halo auctioned three chairs with designs inspired by performers at the recent Live Earth concert on eBay in July, raising #655 for the climate change charity. The Madonna chair takes inspiration from her recent music video, Hung up, where she...

Haskers could face DTI probe.(Department of Trade and Industry)(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... Failed Portsmouth independent retailer Haskers could be reported to the DTI after the administrators revealed it collapsed under a #1.4m mountain of debt. Portland Business Recovery is to `consider the conduct of the company's management...

Furniture discounts prompt inflation fall.
August 17, 2007... Hopes raised for interest rate to remain at current level Record furniture price cuts in July have led to a drop in inflation, new Government statistics show. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) annual inflation - Government's target...

Did you have bigger price cuts in July?(Quotation)
August 17, 2007... Tony Richardson, Broadway Furniture Centre director, Woking, Surrey: `We haven't discounted right across the board. Some old lines were discounted and they have been cleared. It's been quite busy, perhaps down to the weather. Footfall has...

Willis & Gambier gears up for Europe.
August 17, 2007... Willis & Gambier has boosted its management team as it enters the international hotel and contracts market and extends its offering in Europe. The expansion comes after the company's #55m management buy-out at the end of 2006. The...

Upmarket M-Scheme.
August 17, 2007... Designer/manufacturer set to open its first store in Manchester A British manufacturer and designer hopes to plug a gap in the market by opening its first standalone store. M-Scheme, which began as a bespoke furniture manufacturing and...

Green warehouse.(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... Lucas World of Furniture has stepped up its expansion programme with the completion of an environmentally friendly warehouse. The warehouse in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire provides 7,000sqft of storage space including a mezzanine floor. It...

Seconique sales leap.(Financial report)(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... Sales at importer Seconique have risen by 10% in the year to 30 June 2007. The figure marks a #3m sales uplift for the West Midlands firm, and puts total transactions for the year at around #30.5m. Sean Quinn, Seconique director said...

IN BRIEF: Late payment threat.
August 17, 2007... Almost three quarters of smaller businesses said late payments severely affected cashflow and posed a `considerable threat' to their viability, according to a Forum of Private Business survey. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

IN BRIEF: Rate doubts.(Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors)(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors doubts that interest rates will rise above 5.75%, after new data shows that manufacturers' price pressures have dropped and housing market activity fell. The RIC said the number of people looking to...

IN BRIEF: Tough red tape.
August 17, 2007... Tory plans for #14bn a year cuts in red tape will be hard to achieve and could strain relations with Europe, warned the CBI. The strongly pro-business proposals, spearheaded by former cabinet minister John Redwood, include cuts to employment,...

IN BRIEF: Retail Intelligence.(Survey)(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... We are happy to clarify that all sales figures quoted in Retail Intelligence are based on a quarterly GfK consumer survey, not information from retailers. The survey panel consists of 16,000 households who monitor all household purchases during...

Glass echoes.
August 17, 2007... Greenapple's latest collection, Pezzini, is described as `a bold geometric theme with echoes of an earlier era'. The range features a console, side and coffee tables and will be launched at the Decorex International show at the Royal Hospital...

Traders will have a say in local rates.
August 17, 2007... CLG committee said traders should be consulted on local rate rises, but BCC has concerns over SBR Furniture businesses have been assured that they will have a say in whether their local authority can increase business rates. ...

City: Winners among a troubled City.(capital markets of furniture industry)(Brief article)
August 17, 2007... The Cabinet Maker Index suffered less than the FTSE 100 The FTSE 100 Index lost 177 points to 6,038 in two weeks, close to fulfilling analysts' late-July predictions of a dip below 6,000. The Cabinet Maker Index lost only 28 points,...

Capital target for Bensons.
August 17, 2007... To boost its brand, retailer sponsors ITV weekend weather As part of its #6m advertising campaign announced in July, Bensons for Beds has begun targeting the London market with sponsorship of ITV's weekend weather. There will be eight...