Cabinet Maker articles from December 2005

Cabinet Maker archives from December 2005

Winner takes all of sale cash.
December 2, 2005... Furnitureland suppliers and Ernst & Young, the administrator were locked in furious arguments at a creditors meeting on 30 November, as Cabinet Maker went to press. The meeting followed the publication of the administrators' document...

Spring loaded.(catalogue collection )(Brief Article)
December 2, 2005... Habitat has released a catalogue for its spring/summer collection. The collection is themed into four segments reflecting different types of summer abodes: Guest House, Town House, Tree House and Beach House. The Guest House range features a...

Off To Bed store openings reflect strong UK trading.(united kingdom)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2005... Off To Bed has opened its fifth store in Scotland, with three more to follow before Christmas as part of an expansion plan to challenge the big multiples. The company launched in April and opened the latest 5,000sqft store in the Clyde...

Death of the refinancing deal.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2005... Ernst & Young has pointed the finger of blame for the collapse of Furnitureland for the first time. The administrator singled out the investors, in the shape of American Signature and SB Capital, and uncooperative suppliers for reneging on...

`Fake oak' use alleged.
December 2, 2005... Cabinet manufacturer and supplier Devonshire Pine has been accused of selling mixed-wood and ash furniture as oak. The Devon business, which is being investigated by Trading Standards, sells Oakleigh bedroom and dining products, describing...

Flexa builds brand with new store franchises.
December 2, 2005... Flexa has opened its third UK franchise, promising it won't threaten dealers by expanding heavily into stand-alone stores. The 110sqm store opened in Cambridge on 18 November, selling a range of modular children's furniture, designed and...

Kitchen maker at home.
December 2, 2005... Furniture maker Colin Johnson has set up RKC Design from his home in Darlington. Johnson, who has 40 years industry experience, decided to go it alone after becoming `fed up with working for other people and being made redundant'. The...

Retailer targets Ireland.
December 2, 2005... Australian retailer Harvey Norman plans to open nine shops in the Republic of Ireland next year. In an aggressive pursuit to become the leading outlet on the island, the firm may also open a store in Northern Ireland. Gerry Harvey,...

IN BRIEF: Plague of sofas.
December 2, 2005... Bradford has become the latest city to be plagued by rogue traders selling substandard sofas. Bradford Council, West Yorkshire Trading Standards and the fire service say that items, such as sofas, are being sold which do not meet health and...

IN BRIEF: Ian Alexander.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
December 2, 2005... Ian Alexander, John Lewis Partnership's finance director and deputy chairman died on 27 November. Sir Stuart Hampson, chairman said he was `terribly shocked and saddened' by the news. It is understood the 55 year-old died of natural causes...

IN BRIEF: Slower growth.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2005... Tesco reported its slowest growth in quarterly sales in the past two years, with non-fuel like-for-like UK sales growing by 5.5% for the 14 weeks ending 19 November. This compares to a 7.5% growth in the same period last year. Group sales saw...

IN BRIEF: Inside tickets.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2005... Tickets are selling fast for Inside, the Interiors Event's after-show party. It takes place in the Forum at the NEC in Birmingham on Tuesday 24 January 2006. Entertainment includes circus-style performers, music, a boys-toys section and...

UK urged to check timber sources.
December 2, 2005... The furniture industry is partially responsible for making the UK the biggest importer of illegally logged timber in Europe. According to a report by the WWF, the UK imported 2.2million cu m of illegally logged timber in 2004, some of which...

Ikea to fight Hillingdon rejection.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2005... Ikea is appealing a council decision rejecting plans for a 25,000sqft store. The London Borough of Hillingdon authority threw out proposals in October. The Swedish giant confirmed it is appealing, as it `believes the scheme relates...

Industry welcomes Government move to reverse business decline.
December 2, 2005... Chancellor Gordon Brown has attempted to cool the simmering row between the Government and business leaders with a pledge to slash red tape for small firms. His speech came at the same time as a damning report from Deloitte and Touche...

Investor takes stake in Walker Greenbank.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2005... The company behind the Sanderson, Morris & Co, Zoffany and Harlequin brands has seen 15% of its shares snapped up by a venture capitalist in an aggressive acquisition. Walker Greenbank, which manufactures, markets and distributes wall...

Retail dents warranty profit.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2005... Homeserve, the warranty company which services Debenhams, Harveys and Land of Leather, delivered excellent first half results, sending its share price rocketing nearly 12%. Homeserve's profit from operations increased 14.2% to #11.9m for...

Winning recipe.
December 2, 2005... Smallbone, the bespoke kitchen manufacturer, picked up Kitchen Designer of the Year at the Interior Design Awards for its Walnut and Silver collection. The award, for the most creative project that furthers the practice of kitchen design, was...

Foam prices are hiked again.
December 2, 2005... Foam manufacturer Carpenter will raise its prices for the second time in two months. The news will be a bitter blow for UK beds and upholstery manufacturers on the back of a horrendous year for furniture retailers. And Ian Leicester,...

Marais ranges set for UK show relaunch.(Brief Article)
December 2, 2005... Marais International will be returning to the UK and Irish markets after an absence of two years. The French manufacturer and distributor will be at The Furniture Show in January for the first time, targeting mid-to-upper retailers. ...

DFS runs up cinema bill.
December 2, 2005... DFS has entered the top 10 for cinema advertising, spending #2.8m between January and October 2005. The sofa company is joint ninth in the list of top advertising companies and sixth in the category for brands, behind names such as Orange...

Welsh family store bows to buyer's bid.
December 2, 2005... Welsh department store Dan Evans is closing its doors after 100 years in business. The outlet, which stocks lounge and kitchen furniture, beds and carpets, is shutting up shop at both its Barry and Penarth stores in January. ...

Leader: Moving on line with the times.(online trading)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2005... Paradoxically the one thing in life that remains constant is that nothing stands still. Not for a minute can retailers be complacent about what is around the corner - a fact that can be either exciting or daunting. An element of furniture...

Views By Mike Spencer.
December 2, 2005... Over the weekend, I found myself ploughing through months of overdue filing and to ease my boredom, I listened to a classic DVD Mr Smith Goes to Washington. During the film Claude Raines says to Jimmy Stewart: `The only causes worth fighting...

Talk: Are there enough women in the furniture industry?
December 2, 2005... `In one of our stores we have mostly female staff and that shop is enjoying a good time. The main factor is that one of the employees has a lovely bubbly personality. Our other store is male dominated and has not been doing as well. Women have...

ANALYSIS: Ports in a storm over freight.
December 2, 2005... The promise of cheaper import prices won from surplus supercarrier capacity is turning sour for retailers with a trade off in delivery delays, says Mark Lewis It was really only a matter of time. Container shipping out of China has been...

SHOP WINDOW - BEDROOM: Farrugia.
December 2, 2005... The Dune range from Farrugia, part of the Isos Collection, playfully mixes traditional furniture making techniques with up to date laminating technology to create furniture suitable for contemporary and classic settings. Tel 020 7320 3222...

SHOP WINDOW - BEDROOM: Zone.
December 2, 2005... Zone's Cafe collection is aimed at consumers seeking a European style look. It includes wardrobe, chests of drawers, bedside table, full- height floor standing mirror and faux leather upholstered bed. Tel 0141 300 7373 Copyright: CMP...

SHOP WINDOW - BEDROOM: Bernhardt Furniture.
December 2, 2005... Bernhardt Furniture's transitional Eden Park collection features intricate and delicate carvings, fancy scroll work, turned posts, and reeded and recessed moldings. A light and fresh Sandstone finish with a dusty wax hangup, applied to...

SHOP WINDOW - BEDROOM: Nomadic Collections.
December 2, 2005... Nomadic Collections' Camargue range is handcrafted from solid and veneer oak and combines the character of natural timber with contemporary design. Details include metal drawer runners, stainless steel handles and optional wardrobe insert for...

SHOP WINDOW - BEDROOM: Halo.
December 2, 2005... The Stockholm collection from Halo has solid, clean lines and is made from oak in light laquered or nuit finishes. It has finger-jointed detailing. Tel 0161 928 3233 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW - BEDROOM: Baker Furniture.
December 2, 2005... Baker Furniture's Flagstone range offers a variety of storage pieces, including a tall six-drawer chest, Century chest, 4 + 2 drawer chest, three-drawer chest and eight-drawer wide chest. Flagstone is made from mellow fruitwood with a stone...

SHOP WINDOW - BEDROOM: WBH.
December 2, 2005... Strata is a modern style collection from WBH's Caxton brand in a pear wood-look finish with an eye catching sculptured door handle. Fashionable, durable finishes have been created with sculptured door and drawer fascias. Tel 0870 0600 555...

STORE MANAGER: Don't colour your judgement.(workplace diversity management)
December 2, 2005... With an increasingly diverse workforce, managers must ensure racial equality Simply put, racial discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably on grounds of their colour, race, nationality or national or ethnic origin. It...

CAMPAIGN - TALK UP TRADE: Wanted: customers.(sales promotions)
December 2, 2005... Projecting a positive image is the target of Talk Up Trade's Marketing Clinic. In the first of the series, a new importer is looking to make the most of its budget Despite having 18 years experience in furniture retailing, Andy Beresford...

PROFILE - DWELL: Space travellers.
December 2, 2005... Opening its second store has brought Dwell to north London as it looks to build on its success south of the river. Andrew Kidd reports The first thing that strikes you about Dwell's new Islington, north London store is how understated and...

CABINET - LIVING AND DINING: Diversionary tactics.
December 2, 2005... Oak has been the living and dining room timber of choice in 2005. But will the stores be able to tempt customers with something else next year? Take a typical furniture store. Alongside the rows of brown leather and plain fabric...

CABINET - LIVING AND DINING: Rustic rediscovery.(Michael McCartney)(Brief Article)(Interview)
December 2, 2005... Michael McCartney, Discovery md, was the only retailer to avoid using the `o' word, identifying the Segusino MES16 dining table as the Northern Ireland retailer's bestseller. Of rustic design and solid proportions, the natural tan waxed...

RETAIL - HOME SHOPPING: Virtual takeover.
December 2, 2005... While the high street has been struggling to attract shoppers, the home shopping market has been growing apace. Andrew Kidd reports If you've been looking for your customers of late, the place to look could be their living room. In contrast...

RETAIL - HOME SHOPPING: The White Company.
December 2, 2005... Since it was founded in 1994, The White Company has grown to become a #40m turnover company, with sales jumping 39% in the year ended March 2005. It began with a 12 page brochure and now has 500,000 customers who receive 10 brochures a year....

RETAIL - HOME SHOPPING: Argos.
December 2, 2005... Since 1999 Argos has been allowing customers to order from its standard catalogue by telephone or online. Argos Direct accounts for 22% of the chain's sales and a further 8% are reserved for store pick-up by telephone, text message or...

RETAIL - HOME SHOPPING: Cheaper postage in the pipeline.
December 2, 2005... There is also one specific benefit which catalogue retailers - and others sending brochures to customers - can expect next year. From September 2006 the Royal Mail's Pricing in Proportion charging system will come into effect, increasing...

REVIEW - BRUSSELS: Ahead of the pack.
December 2, 2005... Positive responses from visitors and exhibitors at last month's Brussels Furniture Fair raised hopes for the depressed Belgian market and gave a first look at some of the trends to expect next year. Jessica Alexander reports It was just...

PREVIEW - ITALY: Arriving in style.
December 2, 2005... Next up in our previews of overseas exhibitors at The Furniture Show and Collection, Italy promises to show its usual flair, in cabinet and upholstery The Furniture Show has established a reputation for an eclectic mix of furniture designs...

TRAINING - WCFM: Pointing the way.
December 2, 2005... A managerial course geared specifically to the furniture industry offers the chance to learn from the experts how to run your business more efficiently Any organisation with a nomenclature beginning with `Worshipful Company' runs the risk...

SOFT FURNISHINGS: Tropical storm.
December 2, 2005... The jungle theme of Soft should unleash a rich and exotic selection of furnishings at the NEC from a growing number of international exhibitors Soft is the new name for the annual soft furnishings show at the NEC, Birmingham, in January....

Carnival time at Inside - Interiors Party and Awards.
December 2, 2005... Taking place in The Forum at the NEC on the evening of Tuesday 24 January, Inside is open to both visitors and exhibitors to The Interiors Event. Ticket price is just #50. Award categories will cover all interiors sectors and target both...

RETAIL INTELLIGENCE: October trading.
December 2, 2005... After showing small signs of life in September, October continued in a broadly similar vein. Sales were up on September 2005 (but not by as much as the monthly increase in September) but down on October 2004. The good news was that the decline...

TECHNOLOGY - VOIP: Redial for digital saving.
December 2, 2005... Using the Internet to carry your telephone calls can help save your firm money. Laura Ashley has become the latest retailer to make the switch Laura Ashley faced major logistical challenges at its Newton, Wales warehouse which receives...

What is VoIP?
December 2, 2005... Voice over Internet Protocol is a term used for a set of facilities for managing the delivery of voice information using the Internet Protocol. In general, this means sending voice information in digital form in discrete packets rather than in...

MARKET REVIEW: Make a positive impression.
December 2, 2005... In tough times, a good brochure is vital to help retailers attract shoppers. Shaun Davis takes a look at two of the latest, from Vale Furnishers and Ercol The past 18 months in furniture have, like our planet, been turbulent. Retailers...

Furniture in the genes.(interview of Stephan Andersson )(Interview)
December 2, 2005... Stephan Andersson is the chief executive of Content by Conran What does your job involve on a day-to-day basis? We're a small team so my day ranges from planning and developing, to answering the phone and serving coffee to visitors. ...

Watchdog on Dreams.
December 9, 2005... Dreams is the latest furniture retailer to be investigated by the BBC's Watchdog programme. On Tuesday night's programme (6 December) Watchdog revealed it had received more than 300 complaints about the beds retailer, primarily concerning...

Bank pulls the plug on Walmsley's stores.
December 9, 2005... Walmsley Furnishings has gone into administration, after the Royal Bank of Scotland pulled the plug on funding. The 1 December administration makes Walmsley's the fifth major furniture retailer to fail this year. The administrator, Deloitte...

Volume fails.(Volume Furniture )(Brief Article)
December 9, 2005... Volume Furniture, the design and import business, is in liquidation. The firm, which was set up to make sales to wholesalers, had latterly created a straight to retail division, which had racked up bad debts and affected cashflow. ...

Silentnight puts Ducal up for sale.
December 9, 2005... The Ducal brand has been put back on the market by Silentnight Group after the collapse of DP Furniture Express. The retailer was selling Ducal's Victoria bedroom range under licence from the manufacturer, with products being made by...

Radford revives Nathan.(Radford Furniture)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2005... Radford Furniture has brought Nathan products back on to the market. The first supplies of Nathan Classics have been delivered to The Worcester Furniture Exhibition Centre, which is one of 95 retailers that have so far placed orders. David...

People: Furniture Show, Furnishing Accessories and London Interiors.
December 9, 2005... Andrew Vaughan has been appointed event director of The Furniture Show, Furnishing Accessories and London Interiors. Prior to this he was the event manager for all the products, as well as Collection. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

People: Furniture Show, Furnishing Accessories and London Interiors.
December 9, 2005... Nick Coffey has been promoted to event manager on The Furniture Show, Furnishing Accessories and London Interiors, having worked as sales manager on these products. He will work closely with the events team and sales manager to develop the...

People: Noble House Collections.(Noble House Collections)(appointment of Doromie Davies )(Brief Article)
December 9, 2005... Doromie Davies has joined the administrative team at Noble House Collections in Silsden, West Yorkshire. She has worked for holding company Scan-Thor since May 2005 as a merchandiser and will be responsible for leading the administrative and...

Director to be laid off.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2005... Silentnight Group is to make one of its bed subsidiary's sales directors redundant as part of a company restructure. The group has five sales directors but there will only be four positions when the restructuring is complete. This will see...

IN BRIEF: Family reading.(new magazine )(Brief Article)
December 9, 2005... Ikea may launch a quarterly magazine in the UK next September. Ikea Family Live will be given free to Ikea Family club members unlike its last magazine, Room, which cost #10. Room was dropped last March and the new magazine is already...

IN BRIEF: Networking.(Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers )(Brief Article)
December 9, 2005... The Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers (AMUSF) is holding a networking meeting in Southampton to determine the needs of the industry in Hampshire. AMUSF wants to hear from people from schools and colleges who are interested...

IN BRIEF: Manufacturing fall.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2005... Manufacturing output in the UK fell by 0.3% for the three months to October. Eight out of 13 subsectors showed a drop with five seeing manufacturing increases. Between September and October, manufacturing dropped by 0.7%, with 10 subsectors...

IN BRIEF: Leaders in the picture.
December 9, 2005... Mike Clare, Dreams executive chairman will be among retail luminaries shown in a photographic exhibition at Harrods in Knightsbridge, London. He will feature alongside Stuart Rose, Marks & Spencer chief executive and Mohammed al Fayed, Harrods...

IN BRIEF: Scoring gold.
December 9, 2005... Noble House and Scan-Thor scooped a Gold Award at the annual AIS dinner for exceptional service and quality. Suppliers are marked on product quality, service and delivery. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Credit card setback.
December 9, 2005... John Marshall has suffered a setback in his attempt to rebuild a furniture chain following the administration of DP Furniture Express. The founder and erstwhile chairman of the firm had hoped to develop a new chain built on the shop freeholds...

Showing the best of British.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2005... The Y-Series, designed by Max Lamb and Tom Price is part of the isos collection of contemporary British designs which will feature in the Collection hall at The Furniture Show from 22-25 January. The designs are to be realised using state of...

Sales staff get TV break.
December 9, 2005... Staff at Furniture of Distinction and The Bed Expert took part in a reality TV show with the winner becoming the new boss. Peter Betteridge, md of the Devon businesses took on the role of The Apprentice's Alan Sugar in Living TV's Break...

City: LoL surprises with dividend payout.
December 9, 2005... Land of Leather gained 5p on satisfactory figures and the surprise announcement of a 2p interim dividend. However, analysts were not diverted by the handout, or by the 31% first-half sales increase. They wanted to know why Clive Hatchard, chief...

November sales warm up.(furniture sales in high)(Brief Article)
December 9, 2005... Furniture stores have seen a year-on-year boost in sales for the first time in eight months. British Retail Consortium (BRC) research shows that November was the second strongest month this year taking like-for-like sales back into...

Airsprung eyes profits.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2005... Airsprung is counting on a strong winter sales period to bring it back into profitability. The firm, which reported a pre-tax loss of #866,000 for the six months to September said it was gaining market share - albeit in a shrinking market....

Kingfisher flies high abroad.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2005... The chart shows how Kingfisher has moved from recent lows, adding around 10% in five weeks, boosted by third-quarter figures slightly ahead of expectations. Although profits at B&Q crashed by 60% compared to the same period last year, the group...

New tax could hit growth.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2005... Retailers could face extra tax when buying land to build on. The British Retail Consortium has accused the Government of not listening to industry experts after chancellor Gordon Brown announced a public consultation into the implementation...

Letter: `I refuse to be a victim'.(Letter to the Editor)
December 9, 2005... The founder of DP Furniture Express gives his view of the firm's problems and the latest developments regarding the MBO It is with some sadness and a feeling of disbelief that I write this communication. As you may be aware, the...

Leader: Make sure it's the real thing.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2005... Look around your store, specifically the cabinet offer. My guess is that a fair proportion of it is imported. But do you know what it is made from? Be honest, you probably don't, not for every range. You think it is oak, beech, rubberwood,...

Views By Mary Czulowski.(Brief Article)
December 9, 2005... Hello! Is there anybody there? Reading the pages of Cabinet Maker over the last quarter you would think that the entire population of the UK had deserted the high street. I'm so glad that Cabinet Maker, through its Talk Up Trade campaign, is...

Talk: Do you agree with CBI.
December 9, 2005... Do you agree with the CBI that high street confidence is at its lowest for more than 20 years and this could be one of the worst Decembers in that time? `December has never been one of our strongest months. It is an interesting comment...

ANALYSIS: China syndrome.
December 9, 2005... There is confusion over oak as we know it and Chinese or Asian oak. Mark Lewis looks at the growing problem which can result in mis- selling Visit a Chinese show and tell a manufacturer you want an oak cabinet. You'll probably be told, `no...

SHOP WINDOW - ACCESSORIES: Tord Bootje.
December 9, 2005... Tord Bootje has updated his tranSglass range of glassware with a Guatemalian collective after being unavailable for several years. Made from recycled wine and champagne bottles, the orginal organic shapes are juxtaposed with hard, sharp angles....

SHOP WINDOW - ACCESSORIES: Chesney.
December 9, 2005... Chesney's Mosaics range of fireplaces features a choice of six handcrafted mosaics in the mantel, or bespoke designs can be created from a painting. The mantels are made from Portuguese limestone. Tel 020 7627 1410 Copyright: CMP...

SHOP WINDOW - ACCESSORIES: Prestige Textiles.
December 9, 2005... Like the Popsy, all fabrics in Prestige Textiles' collection can be used in its roller blind range. Orders will be completed withing 28 days and a variety of accessories as such pulls, poles and finials are available. Tel 01274 688 448 ...

SHOP WINDOW - ACCESSORIES: Onebravo.
December 9, 2005... Onebravo's range of mirrors are designed by Arturo Gonzalez Bravo, Noel McManus and Grzegorz Mielianiec, working in London. The mirrors are made at its factory in Goleniow, Poland. Tel 020 7921 9298 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

STORE MANAGER: Guilty by association.
December 9, 2005... A group of companies can reduce your tax bill but the authorities are taking a far closer look at structures, as Jeffrey Webber reports Tax inspectors have been focusing on companies' claims to pay corporation tax at less than 30%. Why?...