Cabinet Maker articles from February 2004

Cabinet Maker archives from February 2004

Higher sales surprise for last year.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Furniture sales last year may not have been as bad as retailers claimed at the time. New figures from National Statistics show that sales of furniture and furnishings were worth #3.132bn in the third quarter of last year. This was a...

Peddar resigns after Furnitureland sale.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Chris Peddar has resigned as md of Furnitureland following its takeover by a venture capital firm. Peddar resigned on Monday night (2 February) and will leave at the end of the month after a hand-over with Peter Dickson, incoming executive...

COMMENT: Positioning is the question.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... US retail group Schottenstein and financier George Soros have finally clinched the deal to buy the `undervalued retail assets and brands...' of Furnitureland. It is a move that will have many competitors wondering where it will be headed now...

Nine months jail for Courts' manager.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... A Courts store manager who stole #20,000 from the chain has been jailed for nine months. Stuart Kinsey credited himself with 30 fraudulent refunds between 23 January and 4 August last year. He admitted four charges of theft for...

Owner vows to carry on despite fire.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... A furniture retailer whose warehouse was destroyed by fire has vowed to continue trading despite what he considers was an arson attack. `We'll carry on,' said Barry Gorst, The Bargain Corner owner in Rhyl. `I've been here 30 years, and they...

Design firmly on the agenda.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... The importance of design is the centrepiece of a series of seminars to be launched by SATRA on 25 February. Design Matters will focus on what design is, why companies need design and how design can add value to furniture. `In the...

Double move.(Fakenham)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... The Furniture Store of Norwich Street, Fakenham, Norfolk is to double in size after buying the next door shop. It will use the increased floorspace to create a dedicated bed section. The conversion should be complete in about a fortnight. ...

Payment increase.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Payments for unfair dismissal and redundancy have increased by 2.8%. The maximum award for unfair dismissal is now #55,000 and #270 has been set as the maximum week's salary when calculating redundancy payments. Copyright: CMP Information...

Distribution deals.(stores contract)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Glasgow firm The Store has been appointed as Scottish distributor for Charltons. Oakleaf Interiors, Kilkeel, County Down has become distributor for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Credit deal.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... French consumer credit firm Cetelem is to buy the 50% of Halifax Cetelem Credit it does not own from HBoS. Four years after the joint venture was formed, the bank said POS credit was no longer a key area for it. Copyright: CMP Information...

Winter sale blamed for DFS profits warning.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... DFS has warned that a fall in orders over the winter sale will lead to a drop in pre-tax profits. Like for like orders in the nine weeks to 31 January were down 3.2%. This followed a 3.9% decline in the nine weeks to 4 October and a...

Owen Marriner.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Owen Marriner, former chairman of Crosbie, Marriner died on 30 January, aged 93. He joined the family firm in 1929 as an apprentice, progressing to salesman and chairman in 1951 on the death of his father, Herbert. Copyright: CMP...

Dreams Supplier of the Year award.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Keith Foulstone, Nestledown md receives the Dreams Supplier of the Year award from Mike Clare, Dreams md after being voted for by the bed chain's head office staff and branch managers. The award was decided on product design, value for money,...

Four reasons given for husband's death.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Carol Croydon offered four reasons for the death of her husband, CSC Upholstery owner Philip Croydon, Nottingham Crown Court has been told. She denies murdering Croydon at the Hilton East Midlands Hotel, Kegworth between 24 and 27 April...

Habitat defends its higher Irish prices.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Habitat has defended charging higher prices in the Republic of Ireland than in the UK for the same products. A survey by opposition political party Fine Gael found that Habitat was charging 25% more than in the UK for a selected five...

Retailers see sales growth bounce back.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Furniture and floorcoverings retailers enjoyed a bumper January. A balance of 60% of stores said sales volumes were higher than in January 2003. This compares with a balance of -3% in December 2003 and +2% in January 2002, according to the...

Furniture Link sniffs out site and staff expansion.(Furniture Link )(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Shropshire importer Furniture Link will treble its assembly and warehousing capacity in a relocation from its Prees site to one in Brades Road 2.5miles away. The firm, which imports flatpack furniture and imports and assembles flatpack...

Store fears more flooding.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Devon furniture retailer The Pine Store, which was flooded after torrential rain, is braced for worse to come. The Environment Agency has issued flood alerts for the rivers Axe, Otter, Clyst, Culm and Exe. The store, on Silver Street,...

City: Courts' shares fall as Next reaches a high.(furniture and department stores profit loss)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Courts lost 38p on a profits warning. Vigorous trading in the UK is offset by weaknesses elsewhere in the Courts empire as exchange-rate losses deepen and borrowing costs rise. Kingfisher lost 9p despite support from analysts at CSFB, who...

Deadline looms for design prize.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... The deadline for entries for the DuPontSA Furniture Awards is 5 March. There are four categories for upholstery using Quallofil, Quallofil ExtraLife or Comforel fillings: Contemporary, Compact, Classic and Contract. Winners and...

Share Update on 2 February 2004.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
February 6, 2004... Share Update on 2 February 2004 Bold=new High/Low Now Change Change 03/04 03/04 over since High Low 2 weeks 1 Jan...

Supermarket closure hits retailer's trade.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... A Birmingham retailer faces an uncertain future after the closure of the supermarket next door. The Co-op closed its branch on Washwood Heath Road in the rundown Ward End area of Birmingham on 24 January and Euro Discount Furniture has...

Letter: Alarm over catalogue sales.(Letter to the Editor)
February 6, 2004... The news story (cm, 30 Jan, p4) that B&Q is to sell Silentnight beds through in-store catalogues, will ring an alarm bell with full service furniture retailers. Fair competition is good for business and leads to innovation and value for...

Letter: Challenges of fashion.(Letter to the Editor)
February 6, 2004... Just reading the poignant editorials in Cabinet Maker over the past couple of years shows how this industry has to face up to change. I believe that we British furniture manufacturers have to embrace that change, its threats and its...

Letter: Marketing pays off.(Letter to the Editor)
February 6, 2004... I was very interested to read your Comment about marketing for The Furniture Show (cm, 30 Jan, p3). This was the first year that Corndell has done any pre-show marketing - we produced an invitation showing exactly what we were launching,...

SHOP WINDOW: DOUBLE XX.(DOUBLE XX.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2004... Double xx is a new company from Switzerland which unites sculpture with functionality. The Cremaillere incorporates a mini-fridge. Contact Double xx on 00 41 227 341 351 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Store manager - leases: Don't fall for bad rent deals.
February 6, 2004... Stuart Darlington explains what to watch out for when negotiating a new lease The problem Apart from employment costs, rent is my biggest expense. How can I cut this fixed overhead? Expert advice Prevention is better than...

SPACE-SAVING DESIGNS: Space invaders.
February 6, 2004... Multifunction, flexibility and style rule, discovers Stephanie Baum as she delves into the space-saving furniture secrets of design gurus We think space-saving furniture is that which suits small residences and/or can perform more than one...

LOGISTICS: Global control.(Scott Thomson )
February 6, 2004... Logistics masters of the universe such as Scott Thomson of PBL move product around the world, with a little help from technology, but it is not an easy task, as Mark Lewis found out The original definition of logistics was the movement and...

LOGISTICS: Getting real on delivery times.(technology application)
February 6, 2004... Technology can aid the more specific need of making road deliveries quicker, and haulage companies are embracing real-time technology to save money and use drivers more effectively. Real-time is a phrase bandied about in most industries...

PROFILE - NICK TUCK: Marketing man.
February 6, 2004... Everything must change, and for Nick Tuck that meant a new challenge where he can bring a different approach to marketing at Volume Furniture Tall, rosy-cheeked, avuncular Nick Tuck takes a long swig of water and reclines on chairs...

FIRST PERSON - CHRIS EVERIST: Healthy interests.(Interview)
February 6, 2004... CHRIS EVERIST How did you get started in business? I was a management trainee for House of Fraser, working at Army & Navy, Guildford as furniture manager. Who do you most admire in the furniture industry and why? John Payne,...

Sale success for ScS but Beere goes.
February 13, 2004... ScS saw sales rise during its winter sale, in contrast to market leader DFS. Like for like sales rose by 6% in the 18 weeks to 4 February, shareholders were told at its AGM this week. Growth in the nine weeks to the end of November had...

Simmons leaves after Brock takes residence.
February 13, 2004... Carolyn Simmons, Homestyle group md has been ousted from the group, just 20 days after the arrival of David Brock as executive chairman. Simmons is seen to have paid the price of Harveys slump into the red last year. When former MFI...

COMMENT: Losers don't enter.
February 13, 2004... Launching a brand into a competitive market takes every trick in the book to get it seen and appreciated by both the retailer and their customers. No matter how good, beautiful or unusual it is, if nobody knows about it, it won't be a success....

Parker Knoll to move production to Far East.
February 13, 2004... More than 130 years of UK manufacturing heritage finishes at the end of the year when Parker Knoll's upholstery production is moved to the Far East. Some 134 years after Frederick Parker founded what was to become Parker Knoll, its parent...

Clarkes loses out on lease.
February 13, 2004... Clarkes Interiors in Wimbledon, south London, has been forced to look for new premises after losing out on the freehold. The company had been on a short lease at its Wimbledon Hill site, and had hoped to buy the 5,000sqft property, but was...

No to EU mark.
February 13, 2004... The Government has rejected a suggestion by the European Commission that products made in the EU should carry a `Made in EU' mark. `We strongly believe that "Made in Britain" is good for business and there is no need to introduce a new system,'...

Turn a light out.
February 13, 2004... Homestyle is aiming to save up to 10% of its energy bill through a partnership with the Carbon Trust. This could save it #250,000. The company said it had successfully reduced energy buying costs but hadn't really tackled the issue of reducing...

London theft.
February 13, 2004... Some #30,000 worth of furniture was stolen from Walthamstow, east London retailer Fu-nicha. Burglars forced their way in through the back door, and took 11 leather sofas, three armchairs, coffee tables, lamps, and #2,000 cash on 19 January. ...

Qualitas duo.
February 13, 2004... Upholstery and flooring retailer Glen Mills Carpets, Accrington and furniture retailer Leslies Home Furnishings, Stonehaven, have joined Qualitas. It has set up a hotline for members allowing them instant access to conciliation officers. ...

Mezzanine loophole riles minister and FoE.
February 13, 2004... Out of town retailers installing mezzanine floors have been labeled `spivs' by a Government minister. Lord Rooker, the minister for housing and planning, made the comment during a Lords debate on a planning bill. It followed a report...

The real cost of `price fixation'.
February 13, 2004... A fixation on price has led furniture retailers to miss out on out of town growth - the most dynamic retail sector in the past decade. Out of town stores saw sales jump by 118% to #74.6bn between 1993 and 2003, according to Verdict on...

Furniture sales still lagging.
February 13, 2004... Furniture sales were weak last month while other retailers enjoyed bumper sales growth. Sales rose by 6.8% - the largest rise since last April - and by 3.8% on a like for like basis, according to the BRC/KPMG Retail Sales Monitor. But,...

Letter: Take beds seriously and do not alienate the customer base.(Letter to the Editor)
February 13, 2004... John Harding's letter (cm, 6 Feb, p8) about Silentnight bed sales in B&Q through in-store catalogues, made some excellent points regarding the support given to brands by retailer customers. With the exception of frames, the bed market has...

Selfridges - Appointment.
February 13, 2004... Paul Kelly, md of Dublin department store Brown Thomas has become Selfridges chief executive following the resignation of Peter Williams. Kelly will continue to be responsible for Brown Thomas. Allan Leighton has become deputy chairman. ...

Furniture Village - Appointments.
February 13, 2004... Eamon Wynne has been promoted from financial controller to finance director at Furniture Village. Meanwhile, Jack Clark, finance and commercial director has switched to a part-time role as commercial director. Copyright: CMP Information...

Airsprung sales are off target.
February 13, 2004... Airsprung Furniture has again warned that it has missed its targets. The beds and upholstery group said recent trading had been disappointing and forecasts for the year to the end of March had been revised downwards. `Significantly...

Money in chairs.
February 13, 2004... Prizes worth #2,740 are up for grabs in this year's Caiazza Memorial Challenge, organised by Italian chair exhibition Promosedia. The contest is open to European designers aged under 40 in September, for indoor chairs for contract or...

Ideal Home Show dips in.
February 13, 2004... Waterside living will be the theme of next month's Ideal Home Show. Four showhomes will be surrounded by water, including a full-size weir, a floating apartment and a climate controlled house. Seasons will form the inspiration for the Ideal...

Design talent recognised.
February 13, 2004... Young designers will get the chance to design a range for Boras Cotton, win #1,000 and a trip to Estonia and Sweden, at Showroom at the G-Mex Centre, Manchester on 25-17April. If the design goes into production, the winner of the British...

UK furniture sales easing into a world of opportunity.
February 13, 2004... The global furniture market is set to grow by 9% this year. Andrew Kidd looks at the latest figures and what they mean to the UK industry The UK furniture market will grow by 2% in real terms this year - less than a quarter of predicted...

SHOP WINDOW: CALLIGARIS.
February 13, 2004... The Nest chair combines a metal frame with a satin finish and a woven polypropylene seat. It is available in a natural or coffee colour. Contact Calligaris on 00 39 0432748211 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW: WARWICK.
February 13, 2004... The Anchorage range encompasses the Cape Cod damask, shown in terracotta on this sofa. It is a dual purpose fabric which is useful for both upholstery and drapes. Contact Warwick Fabrics on 01451 822 383 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd....

SHOP WINDOW: ZAP LIMITED.
February 13, 2004... The Euro 2004 Football Tournament inspires this striking England Players range of bedlinen, towels and curtains, with the unmistakable three lions badge. Contact Zap Limited on 01257 230 044 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW: MATHIAS.
February 13, 2004... The classic organic shape of the Nest chair makes use of a minimalist metal base with the warm texture of a wool upholstered seat. Contact Mathias on 0039 0432 229 127 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Undercover in Tunbridge Wells.
February 13, 2004... Every two weeks Cabinet Maker will send its spies to report on sales techniques in furniture stores. This week we were looking for a comfortable chair WELLS INTERIORS, High Street Fighting against wind-driven rains, I arrived at a...

Instyle in step.
February 13, 2004... Sandy McRobbie loves furniture, a passion that's moving the family business up a few notches, as Mark Lewis discovered It was just myself and the architect who designed it,' says Sandy McRobbie, bursting with pride at the store his company,...

INSTYLE: McRobbie's 5 top tips for rebranding.
February 13, 2004... * Butter up the bank manager `The bank likes us at the moment. We have a good relationship, and the company has got the assets to cross guarantee everything, and we had a lot of capital ourselves.' * Find the right site `The old...

SALON DU MEUBLE: Ooh la la.
February 13, 2004... The Metropole pavilion was the highlight of the Paris event where innovation and a penchant for colour and low slung designs were evident, says Alison Gay Salon du Meuble takes great pride in being the first furniture show of the year....

SALON DU MEUBLE: Have your say.
February 13, 2004... Nicholas Hayes, Collins and Hayes md `In general we were slightly disappointed with the show and the number of visitors attending. `It needs to be on at the same time as Maison & Objet to draw the crowds. I'm doubtful if we would...

WEBWATCH: Virtual browsing.
February 13, 2004... Be prepared for a worthwhile visit to Housing Units, says Stephanie Baum Most of the time, I look at my computer and see a very advanced typewriter. It can change cases with a press of a button, tab across a screen like lightning and...

FIRST PERSON - GREG SUTHERN: Getting personal.
February 13, 2004... GREG SUTHERN How did you get started in business? I joined DFS as a salesman after graduating. It wasn't planned as a career move, but I really enjoyed the buzz. Who do you most admire in the industry and why? It has to be...

Natuzzi UK plans could see standalone stores.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Natuzzi is close to finalising decisions that could see a radical departure for the Italian manufacturer's marketing in the UK. It is in talks with independent retailers to open standalone franchise stores while Kingdom of Leather will be...

Top performing salesman.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Steve Adams, Kingdom of Leather md rewards Aaron Johnson, 18, with a Ford Focus for being the chain's top performing salesman during the sale. Johnson, assistant manager at the Edmonton, north London branch, generated orders of #250,000. He is...

Home Design UK to pay damages.(Home Design UK )(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Home Design UK has been ordered to pay #9,000 in damages and court fees after it tried to sell copies of Highgrove Upholstery sofas. The High Court found that photographs of sofa ranges in Home Design UK's brochure was a copyright...

COMMENT: A question of distribution.(appointments and exits)(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Who would be a senior manager at a furniture multiple? Last week Carolyn Simmons made a rapid exit from Homestyle and was followed this week by Peter Sheffield at Reid Furniture (see p4). Not forgetting Chris Peddar leaving Furnitureland at the...

Change of direction for family firm Evans.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Upholstery manufacturer Evans Furniture International Sales has been put into administration after the owning Evans family decided to concentrate on its retail operation. A dozen staff have been made redundant at EFIS but the remaining 20...

Traffic problems accelerate.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... HIgh Wycombe retailer Period Living Furniture has seen footfall tumble further since signs were put up warning drivers to avoid the area. Business had already suffered after roadworks reduced the busy A40 to a single lane (cm, 26 Sep, p7)...

Faster deliveries.(Prospector Denmark )(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Furniture producer Prospector Denmark is to open a 1,400sqft warehouse in Ilkestone, Derby on 1 April in an effort to cut its delivery times from five to six weeks to 10 days. `The demand in the market is such that people don't want to...

Planning rejection may force move.(drop the contract)(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Stewart Linford has threatened to quit High Wycombe after it was refused planning permission for expansion. Proposals to link two existing workshops on Kitchener Road were rejected by the council which has long term plans to build houses on...

London showroom.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... French fabric firm LeLievre has installed Greenapple's glass furniture at its Chelsea Harbour, London, showroom. The products will be displayed as part of the fabric roomsets and on their own. Greenapple said the deal would create a...

Fire safety course.(Furniture Industry Research Association (UK))(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... FIRA is holding a course on the fire safety of upholstery on 21 April and 21 May and understanding fabrics for upholstery on 29 April. Courses cost #175 plus VAT each for members and #225 plus VAT for non- members. Copyright: CMP...

Regency reshuffle.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Kerry Michael has become non-executive chairman at warranty and repair firm Regency Group as part of a major management reshuffle. Directors Michelle Michael and Mike Moizer will leave at the end of the month. Martin Napper has been named...

Manager training.(bssa)(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... The bssa has a training course for new retail managers on 25-26 March, designed to increase their understanding of the role and its demands. A course to improve range planning and buying will be held on 30-31 March. Both courses take place in...

Marnie steps up after Sheffield leaves Reid.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Peter Sheffield, Reid Furniture deputy chief executive left the group suddenly last week. His departure came after two days of meetings at the 29-store chain. Alan Marnie, retail operations director has been promoted to md after 14...

Malaysia and Indonesia at loggerheads.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... UK retailers could face losing products from Malaysia after the Indonesian government called for a ban on Malaysian furniture exports. The row centres on the rare timber ramin, found only in the marshlands of the two south east Asian...

Kitchens attract sales.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Magnet and Gower parent Nobia saw UK sales of bedrooms and kitchens jump 11% last year. Total sales increased by 6% to #304.4m, helped by strong flatpack kitchen sales through Homebase. Nobia estimated that the UK market grew by 2%...

Letter: New pricing needed.(Letter to the Editor)
February 20, 2004... Responding to the Comment (cm, 30 Jan, p3) regarding attendance at The Furniture Show. Those of us in the Arena paid the same amount of money per sqm for space as those exhibitors in Halls 4 & 5 which have become the focal point of the show....

Letter: A question of attitude.(Letter to the Editor)
February 20, 2004... I was quite surprised by your comments (cm, 30 Jan, p3 and p27) talking of exhibitors who blame the organisers for lack of business written. If I can be their advocate, I think it is more dishonesty and lack of support that is the main concern...

Letter: A good send off.(Letter to the Editor)
February 20, 2004... Those who have spent a lifetime working in the furniture industry will be `shocked' that the best known company of Parker Knoll and its brand names is to move production to the Far East. Neither would one accept that this was inevitable, even...

Letter: Keep the UK flag flying.(Letter to the Editor)
February 20, 2004... Although a competitor with some of its product ranges it was nevertheless sad (but not too surprising) to read that Parker Knoll is to move all its remaining UK production overseas (cm, 13 Feb, p4). It will feel strange at first to have...

Croydon must serve 16 years.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... Carol Croydon, who was found guilty of murdering her husband CLC Upholstery owner Philip Croydon, must serve at least 16 years in prison before being considered for parole. A jury at Nottingham Crown Court took just two hours and 50 minutes...

City: Next reaches a high as other retailers gain.(Brief Article)
February 20, 2004... MFI gained 14p on expectations that next week's figures will show a 25% leap in profits. Merrill Lynch has an 180p price target for the shares. Next added 52p, setting a new high as investors anticipated record figures for the year to 31...