Cabinet Maker articles from February 2007

Cabinet Maker archives from February 2007

Final offer on the table.
February 2, 2007... FX franchisees in last ditch effort to buy themselves out of their contracts Furniture Express (FX) franchisees have made a final offer to buy themselves out of their contracts, with Friday (2 February) as the deadline for franchisor Cobco...

Depot marks Asda's change of direction.
February 2, 2007... Asda is to open its first distribution centre dedicated to non-food merchandise, as the firm pushes further into the home furnishings market. The depot on the outskirts of Doncaster will have a 645,000sqft storage capacity, and support the...

New London site for Natuzzi.
February 2, 2007... Italian firm starts the UK rollout with a store on Finchley Road Natuzzi, Italy's largest furniture manufacturer, is opening its flagship UK store on Finchley Road, London in the spring. Last year, the business announced it would close...

Jay-Be founder dies.(death of Jeffrey Burrows)(Obituary)(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... Jeffrey Burrows, founder and former chairman of Jay-Be, died on 26 January after a short illness. He was 72. He spent his early years as a partner in a family business, JR Burrows, a supplier of fillings to the bedding industry. During this...

Home extension.(home catalogues from Argos Distributors Ltd.)(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... Three million new Home catalogues have been released in 230 Argos stores. The latest 348-page spring/summer Argos Home catalogue will have more than 100 additional exclusive lines, across lounge and dining, beds and bedroom cabinets. ...

In brief: Back in the family.
February 2, 2007... Harris Fine Furniture has relaunched into the bespoke and contemporary market. The traditional furniture manufacturer went into liquidation in January 2006 and after three years of being out of the Harris family hands, Leon Boydell, md - nephew...

In brief: CPW widens ranges.(catalogue from CPW Furniture Ltd.)(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... Supplier CPW Furniture has released a 130-page 2007 catalogue, adding new products to its 800 strong portfolio. The buyers guide for retailers and contractors comes on the back of its recently opened warehouse facility in East Sussex....

In brief: Recor adds sofabeds.
February 2, 2007... Belgian manufacturer Recor has moved into the sofabed market in the UK. The new pocket spring sofabeds, introduced at The Furniture Show, are intended for regular use and aimed the `smaller homes and young market'. Recor has been supplying...

In brief: BFM sets its stamp.
February 2, 2007... British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) has launched an `IT IS' campaign in an initiative to increase awareness of British furniture. The BFM said that in the past 12 months, even with growing imports, it has received calls from the public...

Manchester stores braced for charges.
February 2, 2007... Congestion cutting proposals will raise costs and drive shoppers out-of- town say city independents Manchester Council bosses have voted unanimously for a motorist congestion charge that could spell disaster for independent inner city...

City: Shares confound analyst caution.
February 2, 2007... Home Retail Group gained 7p to 424p on a generally reassuring update for the 14 weeks to 6 January. Argos marginally exceeded the previous year's comparable figures, but like-for-like sales at Homebase were down by 2.9%. Management expects...

Exports lift for UK firms.
February 2, 2007... Trade balance shifts as furniture cashes in on emerging markets Overseas demand for British furniture has increased by 10% as UK manufacturers learn to take advantage of growing foreign markets. The association for British Furniture...

Ikea tries again with Southampton city site.
February 2, 2007... More than 3,500 people responded to a public consultation on plans for a four-floor 366,000sqft Ikea store in Southampton city centre. This is the third attempt by the Scandinavian giant to set up in Southampton. It has now turned to the...

Aga bid bites back at profits.(Aga Foodservice Group PLC)(Financial report)(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... Aga's May high was above 400p, following chairman Vic Cocker's forecast of `topline momentum' at home and abroad. In June, the shares responded, first, to vague bid hopes, and then to Aga's audacious bid for the much larger Enodis. The recent...

Door opens.(Mainstream Commerce Ltd. opens a new factory )(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... A grand tour, tree planting and traditional Chinese lion dance were all part of the show as cabinet manufacturer BLP opened a new factory in Suzhou, China, 50 miles west of Shanghai. The 645,000sqft facility will produce 500,000 cabinet doors...

Letter: Solly remembered.(Letter to the editor)
February 2, 2007... I read with deepest regret of the death of Solly Woolfson (CM, 26 Jan, p6). Solly was a `world class' gentleman and an most astute businessman. His engaging personality and true `goodness' will be greatly missed. His legacy will be the...

Letter: Ikea overload on Southampton traffic.(Letter to the editor)
February 2, 2007... Ikea to come to Southampton - yes please! Ikea at West Quay - no thank you! Adrian Vinson, Southampton City Council leader states that the access issue regarding congestion, which increases pollution and reduces the quality of air we...

Letter: Join Club Green for waste updates.(Letter to the editor)
February 2, 2007... I read with interest your article regarding Dams International being fined for breach of the Packaging Waste Regulations (CM, 19 Jan, p5). On the one hand I can sympathise due to the plethora of legislation we are required to comply with, while...

Talk: How do you think the congestion charge will affect your business?
February 2, 2007... `I don't think it will happen. It would take a lot to bring that change in. We have just introduced a charge here - you now cannot park in Manchester for more than one hour, so there's obviously a big stink about that. We are just inside the...

COMMENT: Leader - Manufacturing's way to the top.
February 2, 2007... Demand for British made furniture is rising. The latest figures from the BFM (see p6) show that exports of British furniture rose by 10% last year, while the growth rate of imported furniture is falling. So what does this tell us? First,...

Views by Rhianwen Roberts.
February 2, 2007... Last week was an exciting week for me - my first visit to The Furniture Show and the launch of The Furniture Ombudsman (formerly Qualitas), the company I joined as head of service only two weeks ago. I was delighted to bump into many...

Analysis: Independents need protecting from clones.(small and medium sized business enterprises)
February 2, 2007... A new guide is intended to show consumers that there is more to choose from than just the multiple stores in London, reports Deven Pamben A guide to London's independent stores has been launched in an attempt to champion the smaller...

Store Manager: Call up a good mobile deal.(choice of mobile telephone services)
February 2, 2007... Choosing a mobile phone package for your company can be a long and complicated affair. Brian Collett makes his way through the maze of offers Choosing mobile phones for staff use can be a tricky decison for companies. The providers have...

SHOP WINDOW: Occasional/home office - 4Living.
February 2, 2007... 4Living's Beijing cube table with a glass top can be used as either a sofa-end or lamp table, alternatively four of the cubes can be used to create a large coffee table. It has a square brass inlay and is presented in a black antiqued finish....

SHOP WINDOW: Occasional/home office - Ligne Roset.
February 2, 2007... Ligne Roset's Translation low table has four top panels in ebony- stained oak or gloss white lacquer, which slide open to reveal four lower surfaces in gloss white, red or guava lacquer. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW: Occasional/home office - New Leaf Furniture Makers.
February 2, 2007... New Leaf Furniture Makers' filing cabinet is in American black walnut with decorative pinstripe grooves, housing two easy gliding drawers for foolscap hanging file storage. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

INTERVIEW - STUART BLYTH: Flying the flag.
February 2, 2007... The playing field may no longer be level, but that hasn't stopped top end manufacturers such as Art Forma succeeding, says Richard de Melim Most furniture manufacturers are forced to rely on their retail stockists for an insight into what...

Brand importance.(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... Exports are worth up to 40% of Art Forma's sales, and the company produces in the region of 100 to 125 pieces per week, although the actual number can depend on who the sofas are for. At the top end, says Stuart Blyth, own brand products...

Bedlinen-Trends: Cover to cover.
February 2, 2007... Luxurious textiles are the order of the day in the bedlinen sector. Rachel Calton looks at what is available The bedroom is increasingly becoming a place to escape from day-to-day life and bedlinen is adding to the sense of the exotic, as...

DESIGN - BCUC GRADUATES: Lateral thinking.
February 2, 2007... Furniture design graduates again provided thought proving design at their end of year show with innovative uses of steel tubing and coconuts wood Furniture design and technology graduates at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College...

CM OFFCUTS: Driving ambition in work and play.
February 2, 2007... David Joyce is lighting company Searchlight Electric md How did you get started in the lighting industry? I'm relatively new to the sector actually, I've spent the past 25 years developing and managing international branded businesses,...

CM Offcuts: A chorus of approval.(peculiar selection process)(Brief article)
February 2, 2007... B&Q loves to make a song and dance about its business, it seems. When job applicants in Norwich were made to perform as part of their selection process, it started as just a bit of fun. But now, managers at coaching seminars are also being...

Back in business.
February 9, 2007... The owner of a failed London furniture firm is back in business at the same site. Upmarket chain Ocean Furniture ceased trading on 4 October leaving many customers without items they had ordered and paid for. Ian Shefras, owner of...

Pine firm banking on deal to keep afloat.
February 9, 2007... Manufacturer says agreement is close to being finalised Manufacturer Sibex Furniture is making desperate attempts to finalise a deal so that it can keep supplying its UK and Irish customers with pine and oak furniture. The Czech...

DP franchisees set to debrand.
February 9, 2007... Furniture Express (FX) franchisees will debrand after franchisor Cobco 808 rejected their offer - allegedly wanting three times what was offered. Twelve franchisees feel they have no option but to debrand, removing Durham Pine FX signage...

Trade refutes illegal import claims.
February 9, 2007... Timber Trade Federation complains export assumptions are undermining UK efforts The Timber Trade Federation (TTF) has accused the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) of doing it a disservice in the UK's efforts to reduce the amount of illegal...

Firms save waste costs.
February 9, 2007... Members of a business resource efficiency club (REC) in the South East have made savings of more than #500,000 through waste reduction and improving their use of resources. The 10 companies include local furniture and woodworking firms,...

IN BRIEF: Furniture sales down.
February 9, 2007... Furniture and carpet sales declined in January to the worst level since mid-2006, according to the British Retail Consortium's monthly Retail Sales Monitor. Against a strong January 2006, beds, bedroom and dining furniture showed gains,...

IN BRIEF: TCS speeds up delivery.
February 9, 2007... Upholstery supplier TCS has seen a surge in demand after cutting lead times to a guaranteed six weeks. The delivery time reduction follows the opening of a Northern Ireland branch two months ago, which has allowed containers to arrive faster...

IN BRIEF: Divided on prospects.(Survey)(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... Britain's retailers are mixed in their view of the retail economy according to research from Barclaycard. Its study found that a third (32%) of retailers are optimistic of improvements for 2007 but 31% predict the economy will get worse. New...

IN BRIEF: Retail forum.(British Shops and Stores Association)(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... The British Shops and Stores Association will be holding a Retail Masters Forum at the University of Oxford from 21-23 March, to look at the challenges facing the retail industry over the next decade. Among the presentations, keynote speakers...

Showpiece puts local wood in the spotlight.
February 9, 2007... South West Forests is raising awareness of sustainable wood for furniture manufacturing, using a local design collective to highlight the benefits of British timber. The nine-year-old Cornish charity, part funded by Devon and Cornwall...

Patent Office audits take up the IP protection cause.
February 9, 2007... Gowers Review moves forward with new Government initiative to help small businesses develop competitive products for the global market Small furniture companies will benefit from Government audits to help protect their intellectual property...

Wire tapping.(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... Kitchen frontals and accessories manufacturer, Burbidge, has expanded its wirework collection with an exclusive deal with German manufacturer Vauth Sagel. The Coventry company now offers customers contemporary wirework corner storage units,...

John Lewis voted top of the shops.(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... John Lewis and Ikea have both made it into the top 10 favourite shops in Britain. MFI was close to the bottom of the top 50 list, coming joint 43rd on customer service in a survey compiled by consumer organisation Which?. In furniture...

Letter: Seminar will educate on waste duties.(Letter to the editor)
February 9, 2007... With regard to the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations in `Waste law warning' (CM, 19 Jan, p5), the BFM has been active on behalf of member companies for the past decade, with action including: * Identifying...

Letter: Analysis answers congestion critics.(Letter to the editor)
February 9, 2007... I write in response to the letter about Ikea at West Quay in Southampton (CM, 2 Feb, p8). Government policy now directs all retailers, irrespective of size, to town and city centres. Our planning application has to model how our...

People: Dreams.(Suzanne Taylor and Ian Henderson appointed)(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... Dreams has made two senior appointments to strengthen its head office structure. Suzanne Taylor has been appointed as resources director and Ian Henderson joins as property director. Taylor will focus on driving human resources and production,...

People: YP Furniture.
February 9, 2007... Laura Smith has become YP Furniture's sales representative for Scotland and Ireland. She is the third generation of her family to work in the furniture industry. Chris Everist, sales director said: `I am delighted to welcome Laura to the YP...

People: Unico Components.
February 9, 2007... Tony Killick has joined accessories and furniture systems company Unico Components as operations coordinator in Guilford. He will be responsible for purchasing and warehouse operations to which he brings with him more than 10 years experience...

Talk: Would you pay and charge more for ethically produced furniture?
February 9, 2007... `It would depend on the furniture, but generally yes. If that is what the customers want. But I've never been asked.' Chris Sonkembel, Style Furniture owner, London `We would be prepared to buy ethically-sourced furniture, I have no...

CM COMMENT: Leader - The real winners on pricing.
February 9, 2007... John Lewis and Ikea are Britain's best-loved interiors stores, according to a Which? survey of 50 well known UK retailers (see p6). Britain's largest furniture retailer, Argos, came in 24th, while MFI was voted in at equal 43rd. Before...

COMMENT: Views by John White.
February 9, 2007... The World Wildlife Fund report Cut it Out once again pointed the finger at the dreadful trade in illegal wood. Unfortunately the report did a disservice to the excellent work Government, industry and NGOs undertake to fight this crime. In...

ANALYSIS: Web set to save the day.
February 9, 2007... The healthy retail sales of 2006 are unlikely to be sustained as consumer debt bites and a multi-channel strategy will be vital to survive, says Deven Pamben Furniture retailers could begin to crack as the winners and losers are found out...

STORE MANAGER: Maximising your fuel economy.
February 9, 2007... Last month Karl Vernum examined tax issues businesses could mistakenly forget. Now he turns to other subjects that may have an impact if ignored Company cars Guidelines on fuel only mileage rates for company cars were first published...

SHOP WINDOW: Chairs - SouthBeach chair.
February 9, 2007... Tacchini's SouthBeach, designed by Christophe Pillet, is made from strips of birch (available in a bleached, black or white lacquer finish) linked by satin finish nickel plated steel rings. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW: Chairs - Ando chair.
February 9, 2007... Walter Knoll's Ando chair is a minimalist combination of wood and leather. It has a sprung seat and is available in walnut, beech and oak. There is a choice of high or low back, no armrest or open or solid armrest. Copyright: CMP...

SHOP WINDOW: Chairs - Ahred 350 chair.
February 9, 2007... Ahred's 350 chair responds to the user's movements without them having to alter the chair. Designed by Sigurd Rothe, it has a system of leaf springs in the seat and back. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW: Chairs - Moka chair range.
February 9, 2007... SedieFriuli's beech Moka is available as a chair, armchair, stool and easy chair. Originally developed as a stackable chair by the company and Thibault Desombre, it is also available in an oak finish. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

INTERVIEW - CHRIS BOWDEN: Control room.(Interview)
February 9, 2007... Chris Bowden is chasing the growth in online sales with a delivery service tailored to customers' needs, says Rachel Calton Delivery service in the furniture industry needs to step up to meet a changing consumer landscape and Chris Bowden,...

ACCESSORIES - ETHICAL SOURCING: Fair deal.
February 9, 2007... Copyright: CMP Information Ltd. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd. The growing market for ethically sourced home accessories led to the creation of retailer Ethnic Style. Rachel Calton reports on its progress Ethnic Style was never...

RETAIL - SOFTWARE: Working wonders.
February 9, 2007... With the complexity of supply chain management and rising consumer demands, having the right retail software has never been so important. Andrew Kidd looks at how retailers have improved their businesses Outsourcing becomes reality A...

RETAIL - SOFTWARE: Clean sweep to manage non-food data at Tesco.
February 9, 2007... Tesco.com introduced software to make it easier to manage the thousands of products in its database. Product information management technology from IVIS Group was installed to manage the electrical product datastream in the run-up to Christmas...

RETAIL - SOFTWARE: Consistency is crystal clear.
February 9, 2007... Forrest Furnishing turned to Welcom Software to manage its orders and stock. The Glasgow retailer has two stores in the city covering 60,000sqft and a purpose-built distribution centre. `The Intrail retail solution from Welcom maintains our...

DIARY - MARCH: Far East adventure.
February 9, 2007... With another hectic month of trade shows on the horizon, buyers may need to pick and choose their events. Andrew Kidd examines what's on offer March begins with the emphasis firmly on the Far East. Having visited two Philippines shows in...

RETAIL - INTELLIGENCE: December trading.(Industry overview)
February 9, 2007... As pre-winter sale price establishing kicked in properly, sales growth was expected to slow during December. Partially offsetting this was the beginning of the winter sale, but would a few days of sale trading be enough to offset what is...

MARKETING - ADVERTISING: Selling dreams with furniture.
February 9, 2007... Retailer Barker & Stonehouse's winter campaign marks a departure from the industry's usual price-led approach to furniture, as Linda Britton explains Reports of `blatantly brilliant' marketing in the North East of England by who else but...

CM OFFCUTS: Born to live in the upholstery world.
February 9, 2007... John Mack, Mack-Line chairman What did you do before you got into upholstery? This is the fourth generation of the Macks being in the furniture industry. I know nothing else. How did you get started in the industry? As a young...

CM OFFCUTS: Timothy stands out for excellent design.(Timothy Smith)(Brief article)
February 9, 2007... An Anglian student who left school unable to read or write has won a City & Guilds medal for furniture design. Timothy Smith, who is now on level three of the City & Guilds furniture production course at the College of West Anglia, was...

Back to basics warning.(furniture industry)
February 16, 2007... Verdict said LoL and ScS should concentrate on performance not new stores Volume sofa retailers ScS and Land of Leather have been warned they will have to go back to basics to turn around performance. As reported on...

Women more gullible about sale pricing.
February 16, 2007... Men are more likely to be cynical about the genuineness of furniture retailers winter sales than women, according to exclusive research for Cabinet Maker. Some 52% of men said that most independent retailers' sales do not have genuine...

Content by request.(Brief article)
February 16, 2007... Content by Conran's 2007 brochure fulfils the requirements revealed by its recent advertising campaign and consultation with its stockists. Retailers had asked Content for a lifestyle brochure rather than just cut-out pictures of products,...

Tesco to sell more furniture.
February 16, 2007... Supermarket to expand its online and catalogue offerings Tesco is branching out further into furniture and homewares with its non-food website Tesco Direct and a new supporting catalogue. With more than a 30% share of the grocery...

Respected figures.(furniture industry's personalities expire)(Obituary)
February 16, 2007... The upholstery industry has lost two respected figures - Eddie Lomax and Teddy Levy. Lomax, the founder of Vale Upholstery, died on 30 January after a short illness, aged 88. He launched the company in Todmorden, West Yorkshire in 1947...

Joining the family.
February 16, 2007... Ikea has introduced its first loyalty scheme in the UK. Ikea Family will reward frequent visitors to the store with discounted product offers after trials in Warrington, Leeds and Ashton-under-Lyne (CM, 13 Oct 2006, p4). The scheme is based...

In Brief: Rates stabilise.(British Retail Consortium retains interest rates)(Brief article)
February 16, 2007... The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has welcomed news that interest rates will remain at 5.25%, giving retailers breathing space after last month's rate hike. Kevin Hawkins, BRC director general, said: `The impact of three increases in...

In Brief: Call for members.(BFM Management Development Group calls for recruitment)(Brief article)
February 16, 2007... The BFM Management Development Group is recruiting new members. The group provides a networking, benchmarking and knowledge sharing environment for the people who are the future of the industry. Current membership comprises those working in...

IN BRIEF: Substance seminar.
February 16, 2007... Satra Technology Centre is holding a free half-day seminar on restricted substances in the furniture industry, covering legislation and testing. The seminar, on 28 March at Satra's Kettering headquarters, is open to anyone in the industry. It...

IN BRIEF: Transport move.
February 16, 2007... DSV Solutions is consolidating its DFDS Transport and Frans Maas divisions under a single DSV banner, following a string of mergers and acquisitions. The #2.9bn worldwide transport business will now have three divisions: DSV Air and Sea, DSV...

Relax set for legal action with O + D.(Relax-R Corp.'s dispute with Open + Direct)(Brief article)
February 16, 2007... Retailer claims finance firm owes it #30,000 plus Relax Retail is in dispute with finance company Open + Direct with the retailer claiming it is owed in excess of #30,000. The Buckinghamshire dining, bedroom and upholstery company,...

City: ScS profits warning as slowdown hits.
February 16, 2007... ScS tumbled 114p (20%) to 405p on a profits warning, confirming that like-for-like orders reduced by 8% in the 18 weeks to 3 February. The market had underestimated the gravity of the previous week's update from Land of Leather, showing...

Sales boost at Magnet.(Gower Group Ltd. Magnet A/S)(Brief article)
February 16, 2007... Profits increase for parent Nobia as kitchen market stabilises Kitchen firms Magnet and Gower enjoyed sales rises of 9% in the fourth quarter of 2006 with trade showing an increase in margins. Parent company Nobia announced the results...

Colefax speeding ahead.(Colefax and Fowler Group PLC's securities)(Brief article)
February 16, 2007... Colefax broke decisively through 100p in July 2005, following full-year figures showing strong trading in the US. In April 2006, the shares reached 150p on a forecast of full year results significantly ahead of previous estimates. July's...

Dwell offers more.(release of catalog)(Brief article)
February 16, 2007... Retailer Dwell has launched its biggest ever catalogue offering more than 1,200 products. The 128-page publication offers a new collection from its in-house designers and those exclusive to Dwell. New pieces include sofas, coffee...