Cabinet Maker articles from January 2002

Cabinet Maker archives from January 2002

BMS demands turnover deposit.
January 11, 2002... Furniture retailers will have to lodge a month's turnover in a bank if they use Barclaycard Merchant Services to process their credit card sales. If retailers do not do this, BMS will delay payment to the retailer for 30 days, rather than...

Gold expands into the bedroom.
January 11, 2002... Gola has expanded its distressed cherry finish dining and occasional Avoca Louis-Philippe style collection into the bedroom market. The range includes two and three-door wardrobes, sleigh beds, bedside chests and storage chests. Copyright:...

Comment: Would you credit it?
January 11, 2002... It is no surprise that many consumers pay for their furniture by credit card. It is an easy and quick method of payment and provides protection under the Consumer Credit Act if the goods fail to arrive. So much so that Barclaycard Merchant...

Kitchens by Ikea are `best'.
January 11, 2002... Ikea kitchen units offer the best value for money and quality, according to Which? magazine. Self-assembly units from Ikea, MFI, Wickes, Focus Do It All, Jewson and B&Q were tested for strength and durability. Ikea was criticised for...

Crowson launch Venetian Silks range.
January 11, 2002... Crowson Fabrics has launched the Venetian Silks range (above). The collection is made up of a traditional damask - Levanto - complemented by four textured plains. Capri is a plain silk dupion, Rimini a broad two-tone stripe, Padova a small...

Beds reach for the stars.
January 11, 2002... The Bed Company Wales has launched its Galaxy range of contemporary styled beds. It includes models with side storage pockets, a raised bed platform with an angular headboard, and a curved mattress with a floor level base. Copyright:...

Book now for training.
January 11, 2002... Application forms for The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers' Retail Management course are now available. The course takes place at Highgate House, Creaton, Northamptonshire from 7-11 April. Following the success of last year's...

Third store.
January 11, 2002... BoConcept has opened its third UK store with a branch in the Churchill Square shopping centre, Brighton. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Intercity award.
January 11, 2002... Manchester cabinet company Le-Al has been named as an Intercity 100 Company - one of the UK's fastest growing inner city firms from 1996- 2000. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Design support.
January 11, 2002... Design protection organisation Acid has appointed Dublin law firm LK Shields as its associate lawyer in Ireland. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Retail training.
January 11, 2002... The BSSA is to hold a series of training courses: Retail Law for Managers (31 January), Marketing (5 February), Essential Visual Display Skills (11 February), Essential Visual Merchandising (12 February) and Selling Skills and Customer Service...

Shortlist.
January 11, 2002... Habitat's Radius chest is among the 19 products shortlisted for the Homes & Gardens Classic Design Awards. Other shortlisted items include Colefax & Fowler fabric and Isokon Plus's T46 coffee table. The winner will be announced on 26 February....

American style.
January 11, 2002... The Manhattan recliner collection will be among the launches from Chairworks at The Furniture Show. This will be its first USA style launch since the firm began operating in the UK a year ago. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Strong winter sales give retailers a boost.
January 11, 2002... Retailers across the country have seen a strong start to winter sales. In the north east of Scotland, snow and freezing temperatures failed to dampen the enthusiasm of consumers. "The sale is going very well at both our Aberdeen and...

December volumes climb.
January 11, 2002... Furniture and carpet retailers saw strong annual sales growth in December. A balance of 35% of retailers said sales volumes were up on 2000, according to the CBI Distributive Trades Survey. This compares with a balance of 19% in...

Hot idea seeks manufacturer.
January 11, 2002... Space saving furniture entrepreneur George Onyeka has developed a radiator cover that converts into a table. Mr Onyeka is seeking a manufacturer for the Radtable and is considering making the product available to licensees. Mr Onyeka...

cm Index sees annual 12% gain for 2001.
January 11, 2002... The cm Index gained 12% in 2001 and is in good shape when compared with the FTSE 100. During the year, many cm Index retailers made steady progress and significant gains. The largest - GUS and Marks & Spencer - plunged to desperate lows...

Share Update on 2 January.
January 11, 2002... Share Update on 2 January Bold=new High/Low Now Change Change High Low over since 2 weeks 1 Jan Retailers Allders ...

More moans.
January 11, 2002... Consumers made more than 57,000 complaints about furniture in 2000, the Office of Fair Trading has revealed. A total of 57,426 complaints were made to trading standards departments. Of these, 38,148 related to upholstery and 19,278 to other...

Bradgate Furniture launch brochure.
January 11, 2002... Bradgate Furniture has launched a 44 page colour brochure. The brochure combines roomset and product photography, product specification and care guidelines. It also features the pine firm's revised logo. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Appointment of liquidator.
January 11, 2002... Dreamart Ltd, furniture retailer. Liquidator: David Darrell, Chancellors Group, Middleton Place, London. Date appointed: 16 October 2001. Boncrest Ltd, soft furnishings wholesaler. Liquidator: Ashok Bhardwaj, 47-49 Green Lane, Northwood,...

Letter: Open doors to the public.
January 11, 2002... As plans for the largest UK furniture and furnishings show near completion, we debate yet again whether the event should be open to the public. Arguments rage every year from the anti and pro lobbies: "We're not equipped to deal with the...

Letter: Import ban fans the flames.
January 11, 2002... Although I have a lot of objections to the practical sense of the actual British Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, I fully share your concern (Comment, cm, 30 Nov, 2001 p1) about the fact that each piece of upholstered...

Letter: When is a sale not a sale?
January 11, 2002... Has Qualitas chief conciliation officer Michael Morgan got it right regarding the indication of previous prices indicating sale reductions (cm, 14/21 Dec, 2001 p4)? He says the previous price should be the last price the goods were...

All in a day's work.
January 11, 2002... There are many surprises for Qualitas consultants Qualitas offers an on-site inspection service to members as a standalone service or as part of the adjudication process. Inspections are carried out by freelance consultants. The...

Two tribes go to war.
January 11, 2002... Patrick Rawnsley investigates what happens when company directors fall out At the start up of most businesses the people involved generally have a rosy outlook for the future - they get on, they have a great business plan and the bank has...

Retail Intelligence.
January 11, 2002... A divided month for retailers in terms of the value of sales. Some 39% of stores saw monthly sales fall, 22% saw static sales and 39% experienced an increase. This produced a balance of 0%. On an annual basis, 70% of retailers had higher...

Bridging new markets.
January 11, 2002... Leisure furniture supplier Bridgman is looking to break into mainstream furniture retail stores. Richard de Melim reports Furniture exhibitions can be make or break times for furniture suppliers. For every manufacturer who writes record...

Success in store.
January 11, 2002... Being fashion led, and with an increase in home offices, consumers want storage solutions in bedrooms, says Jane Lea The bedroom might not be the focal point in the home, but consumers' changing perceptions of furniture have meant that...

Taste the forbidden fruit.
January 11, 2002... With its borders closed to mainland businesses, Stephanie Baum finds Jersey's largest out of town furniture store is tempting UK manufacturers eager to skim off some of the tax haven's cream An island about 100 miles off the coast of...

Reaching for the sky.
January 11, 2002... New Heights` Toby Ash is always looking up - to a retail park in the sky New Heights aspires to rise to great heights. Having recently opened its fourth store in Tunbridge Wells - its first beyond the suburbs of London - marketing director...

Sofabed win uncovers student imagination.
January 25, 2002... Royal College of Art student Rachel Sleight won the inaugural The Furniture Awards Young Designers Award for her Origami folding sofabed. The sofabed has no visible signs of mechanism or structure. `There's a need for this type of product...

Sealy times its marketing just right.
January 25, 2002... Sealy won the Marketing Award, beating off competition from finalists Silentnight Beds and Tetrad. The judges praised the high standard of the entries, commenting that most had `an emphasis on well planned integrated campaigns and an...

Benchmark website.
January 25, 2002... The Sleep Council's website won the Internet Award. Jay-Be and Black Horse Retail Finance were finalists. Judges described The Sleep Council website as `an excellent benchmark for the industry. `As a consumer you would be much the...

Two accolades each for New Dimension and Charnwood.
January 25, 2002... Upholstery company Charnwood and cabinet firm New Dimension shared the honours at The Furniture Awards, each winning two awards. Charnwood won the Upholstered Furniture Award with its Como sofa. `Como scored highly on its flexibility -...

Innovative and clever.
January 25, 2002... Described as 'a great example of designing to a brief', Skovby won the Innovation Award with its SM101 Multipurpose table. The `very clever' table features storage, a hot plate, wheels and a smooth, semi-automatic extension mechanism. It...

Jay-Be: a wow in the bedroom.
January 25, 2002... In the Beds Award, Jay-Be's Infinity emerged the winner. It was `well designed, well thought out, well tailored and offers good storage solutions. It has a wow factor,' said the judges. Sprung Slumber's Tiffany and Fireflash's 820 kingsize...

Comfort for consumers.
January 25, 2002... Ashley Manor's Neptune sofa won the Consumers' Choice Award, with Charnwood's Byron and Collins & Hayes' Pallas finalists. The award was selected by readers of BBC Good Homes Magazine. Neptune was described as `the most comfortable, the...

Parker Knoll recliner shapes up.
January 25, 2002... Parker Knoll's use of heat sensitive form-fitting foam in the Cherwell motorised recliner sparked interest among buyers. It is designed to respond to the sitter's shape by spreading weight across the chair. Depending on how it is received...

Sonus Systems evolves with a heavy metal trio of beds.
January 25, 2002... Following the interest shown in Sonus Systems' concept bed Evolution at The BFM Summer Furniture Show last August, a further two metal bed designs have been launched. `We wanted three very different designs and they've all been received...

The Furniture Awards winners.
January 25, 2002... Business Excellence Retailer of the Year, sponsored by First National. Winner: Ikea. Finalists: John Lewis, DFS. Consumers' Retailer of the Year, sponsored by First National. Winner: Ikea. Finalists: John Lewis, Courts. Manufacturers'...

Bradgate branches out into birch.
January 25, 2002... Bradgate unveiled a contemporary birch living and dining collection that signalled a departure from its more traditional pine ranges. Designed by Ralph Beckett, the Vancouver collection features clean lines and brushed metal handles with...

Pine development.
January 25, 2002... Silentnight Furniture introduced the Norfolk Pine living room range, developed from the Kingswood Oak range, launched in November. The 10-piece range features reeded centre panels and cornices. The Verona bedroom range has a semi-fitted...

Italian influence for Chelsom.
January 25, 2002... A design-manufacturing partnership that spans several countries brought a variety of eye-catching collections to the Chelsom stand. The Blackpool lighting and furniture company designs the furniture, much of which is manufactured in Italy,...

French selection.
January 25, 2002... French manufacturer Resistub returned to the NEC with a selection of metal and wooden beds. Centre stage was Vision, a new concept for the company, featuring a removable headboard and moveable bedside tables on the bed sides. It has a...

Modern collection springs up.
January 25, 2002... Silentnight Beds opted for contemporary styling with the Madison, which was previously previewed at its At Home Shows. The graphite shaded divan and headboard coordinate with the geometricly designed no-turn mattress. Also launched was...

Storage solutions that fit the consumer.
January 25, 2002... Sylvan made its NEC debut with the Matrix collection of cabinets, a simple and stylish storage solution offering individuality through a number of configurations. Designed by Steve Armitage, the Matrix cabinets combine black MDF and walnut...

Ethnicraft speaks furniture.
January 25, 2002... `Emorational' was the buzzword to describe Belgium cabinet company Ethnicraft's collection of top end furniture. `We wanted to think of a word which would stand out from the crowd and attract attention so we invented emorational,' explained...

Gautier grooms new lines.
January 25, 2002... Firm favourites took their place alongside the newcomers on the Gautier stand. Making its debut was the contemporary style Dune bedroom set produced in a light maple finish. Central to the collection was a low-slung double bed...

An Italian star is born.
January 25, 2002... Making a comeback to The Furniture Show after four years was Italian manufacturer Rossetto & Armobil, part of the Arros Group. `We want to build a bigger presence in the UK and this is the show to do it,' explained agent Gerry Byne. `I...

Jay-Be: from Infinity to bedroom cabinet.
January 25, 2002... Storage with style was the theme from Jay-Be on its stand as it unveiled five bedsteads and a divan. It also branched out into bedroom cabinet. Acting as a divan and storage space, the Infinity bed lifts with the help of a leather handle...

Metropolitan: for town and country.
January 25, 2002... In an effort to widen its appeal Joynson Holland launched the Metropolitan collection. Featuring an exposed, kiln dried and tenoned European beech frame popular on the Continent, it is available in seven wood finishes. It also has...

Ekornes takes Universal position.
January 25, 2002... Ekornes has launched 12 upholstery designs in a contemporary suede-feel fabric along with its traditional leather ranges. For the first time the new designs will have the choice of a fixed back or reclining model from Ekornes or Stressless...

Back to the wall.
January 25, 2002... The Pocket Spring Bed Company introduced the Wallhugger branded adjustable bed. The bed moves back and up towards the wall as it is adjusted to the seated position. Features include infra-red remote control and massage and position...

Airsprung exploits potential for modern European style.
January 25, 2002... Airsprung Beds joined the growing number of firms offering contemporary, European styled beds. The Matrix has an upholstered curved base and is available in four colourways. It has beech and metal ring feet and optional upholstered or...

Fenland cherry shows promise for Charles Barr.
January 25, 2002... Danny Bryan, Charles Barr joint md said the company's new Fenland cherry range had been well received on what he called `the best first day we've ever had'. The traditional style, rustic looking cherry dining collection was `a new venture'...

My diary: Furniture quality should talk more than money.
January 25, 2002... We are now in the silly months of the year, where every sale starts on Boxing Day (and some before Christmas), offering beds and furniture at ridiculous discounts. Just before Christmas a retailer was offering its `biggest ever discount!...

New year sales boost at Harveys.
January 25, 2002... Harveys' like for like sales rose by 16% in the five weeks to 5 January. The 85 refurbished stores outperformed the other shops, with like for like sales growth of 24%. The new stores emphasise contemporary furniture in a lifestyle...

Dorma has new fresh look packaging.
January 25, 2002... Dorma has new packaging for its kids range which includes the Wizard and Neddy designs. The packaging is embossed with silver logos and royal warrants. The front features a display window while the reverse has a photograph of a roomset and...

Yarwood takes on Schweizer contract.
January 25, 2002... Yarwood Leather has been made exclusive distributor for Schweizer's upholstery leather in the UK and Ireland. Schweizer Leder in Murrhardt, southern Germany, produces high grade upholstery leather. Andrew Young, Yarwood sales director,...

M&S optimistic about home gains.
January 25, 2002... Marks & Spencer home sales rose by 10.2% for the seven week Christmas trading period to 12 January. Home sales for 15 weeks to 12 January were up 9.9%. Furniture sales are believed to have risen by a far greater amount. Overall, like...

Be creative and increase sales.
January 25, 2002... From leisure facilities to travel, new developments from other sectors are playing a part in customers' expectations of retail furniture stores Britain may have the worst railway system in Europe but it's faring pretty well in other...

Retail Intelligence.
January 25, 2002... As expected, retailers saw a slowdown in December before the winter sales began. Some 70% of stores saw lower sales values than in December and the remainder saw flat sales. Sales volumes were worse, with 90% seeing lower sales and just 10%...

A movable feast.
January 25, 2002... Small and versatile, occasional furniture suits today's lifestyles perfectly. But strong competition calls for a creative approach, says Jane Oliphant Occasional furniture offers many solutions for 21st century living. But, like any...

Life without labels.
January 25, 2002... Paul Stubbings' work has been praised,and there's more to come from this promising young designer, reports Sophie Baylis To be one of six fledgeling designers cherry-picked from 4,000 graduates for producing `strong, commercial and...

Nordic delights.
January 25, 2002... Sophie Baylis looks at some of the Scandinavian treats in store at Stockholm The Nordic region is one of the fastest growing furniture markets in the world, consequently great things are expected of one of the fastest growing shows - the...

It has to be Arnotts.
January 25, 2002... The name Arnotts is synonymous with quality, as Audrey Dixon discovered when she visited the Dublin retailer It has taken five generations to turn Arnotts of Dublin into Ireland's equivalent of Harrods. And, despite a disastrous fire in...

A marriage of tradition and technology.
January 25, 2002... One of Brian Gillivan's challenges is to keep Arnotts' furniture department competitive with some of the newer, trendier furniture outlets in Dublin, while retaining its essentially traditional, quality image. One of the ways he is doing...

No mountain high enough.
January 25, 2002... Neil Harper likes snowboarding, windsurfing and full margins Furniture retailer Neil Harper is used to encounters with the unexpected in his line of work. For example, there was the time he had to measure a client's bedroom while clearing...