Cabinet Maker articles from July 2002

Cabinet Maker archives from July 2002

Second store for Innerform.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... Contemporary kitchen furniture, lighting and floorcoverings retailer Innerform has opened a second showroom in Manchester. The 6,000sqft store occupies three floors in the Chorlton Mill development on Hulme Street in the city centre. ...

Ikea results go from strength to strength.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... Ikea has again boosted its UK operating margin, from 20.01% to 21.14%. The chain generated sales of #800.9m - up 7.6% - from 10 stores in the year to 31 August 2001. Operating profits climbed 13.6% to #169.3m, with pre-tax profits...

Comment: Getting the balance right.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... Ikea's performance in 1999/2000 was impressive enough, with an operating margin just upwards of 20% and pre-tax profits of #142.3m. But as we reveal above, it's done even better in 2000/2001, lifting its margin above 21% and profits to...

Moving up at M&S.(Mark & Spencer PLC)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... Marks & Spencer was expected to confirm this week that UK retailing md Roger Holmes had been promoted to group chief executive. The announcement was expected at the annual general meeting on Wednesday (10 July). Executive chairman Luc...

Homestyle sees double digit growth.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... Harveys to Bensons Beds group Homestyle has seen double digit sales growth in the past four months, although furniture sales growth has slowed in recent weeks. Chairman Sir Gordon Hourston told shareholders at its annual general meeting...

Slumberland back in black.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... Bed firm Slumberland returned to the black last year, helped by increased sales and lower interest costs. Operating profits more than trebled from #528,000 to #1.63m as a pre- tax loss of #104,000 became a profit of #1.07m in the year to 31...

Dining discounts for BFM visitors.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... Visitors to The BFM London Furniture Show will be able to enjoy discounts when dining out during the show. The Collection bar and restaurant (264 Brompton Road; tel: 0207 225 1212) features cocktails at the extended sloping bar, eclectic...

Bed brochure.
July 12, 2002... Highgate Beds has published a product brochure. Details, tel: 01924 454 678. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

EU finding.
July 12, 2002... The DTI's guide to help small companies take advantage of European funding opportunities, Access to EU Funding, details loans and grants available. Details, tel: 0870 150 2500. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

JLP seating.
July 12, 2002... Morgan Contract Furniture's Arena tub chairs will be used in customer service areas in John Lewis stores. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

More jobs. (Regency Group).(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... Warranty and repair company Regency Group is to hire 40 upholsterers this year as part of its expansion plan. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

German buying.(co-ops survey)(Brief Article)(Polling Data)(Statistical Data Included)
July 12, 2002... Moebelmarkt has published a survey of Germany's top 30 buying co-ops. The turnover of the top 10 groups represent 65% of the groups' sales. Details, email: bitterwolf@ritthammer-verlag.de. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Online investment.(UK Department of Trade and Industry invests in electronic commerce projects)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... The DTI is investing #500,000 in nine ecommerce projects across Britain, including boosting ecommerce in the South West and North West and a consumer complaints website which allows consumers to complain to their local trading standards...

Upholstery bosses in reshuffle. (UK).(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... The management of the UK's upholstery manufacturers has again been reshuffled. Wade Upholstery md Andrew Banasik has been replaced by former G Plan Upholstery md David Gray. After more than 20 years with the company, Banasik left on 1...

Sales stagnate. (furniture and carpet stores, June 2002, UK).(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... The level of furniture and carpet stores seeing annual sales growth in June was equal to those with declines, according to the CBI Distributive Trades Survey. This was the first month with zero growth since October 2001. A combination...

Charnwood Upholstery launch two models.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 12, 2002... Charnwood Upholstery launched two models at its At Home last week geared to younger consumers: the Sahara and the Madison. Available in a chair, two or three seater, a large Sahara sofa retails for #995. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Success for Scan-Thors in flammability case.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... Importer and mail order company Scan-Thors UK successfully defended a prosecution concerning the flammability regulations last month. Rochdale magistrates ruled tests by West Yorkshire Materials Testing Service (WYMTS) could not be relied...

Letter: Flammability law progress.
July 12, 2002... Although the outcome on the flammability issue (cm, 5 July, p3) is not as satisfactory as one would like, it is progress on several fronts. The Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers, BFM, and the British Contract Furnishing...

Chain stores fail to respond to recovery.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 12, 2002... Most store groups failed to respond to the market's recovery from recent lows. Double figure losses hit Allders, Courts, Merchant Retail, ScS and Selfridges. House of Fraser was down 7p, registering a new low and a fall of 33% from...

Share Update on 8 July.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 12, 2002... Share Update on 8 July Bold=new High/Low Now Change Change High Low over since 2 weeks 1 Jan Retailers Allders ...

Royal Oak adds sideboard to range.(of products)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 12, 2002... Royal Oak has added the pippy oak Clifford nine drawer sideboard to its range. It is available in seven finishes including bleached, limed and jacobean. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Natural look at Manchester.(Manchester Furniture Show)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... Pine furniture was prominent at The Manchester Furniture Show this week, as was Italian leather upholstery. Medium and light finishes dominated cabinet. Held at the G-Mex Centre from 7-9 July, the show saw pine manufacturer Steens...

Counting the cost of consumer protection.(the meaning of 'full refund')(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... A ruling by the Office of Fair Trading on delivery charges might see retailers increase prices, reports Mariangelo Milioto and Stephen Sidkin Retailers might have to increase their prices to cope with increased delivery costs as a result...

Shake-up puts banks in check.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... Fed up with high bank charges and poor service? Wilf Altman offers alternatives It's official. The `Big Four' clearing banks are making huge profits out of small and medium-sized businesses. A shake-up looks likely following the...

Furnishing the world.(furniture imports to UK)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 12, 2002... Imported furniture accounted for 40% of sales last year - but which countries do they come from? On the following pages Claire Santry takes an in-depth look at Customs & Excise statistics, starting with imports from Europe Just five years...

Italy still number one.(in furniture sales to UK)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 12, 2002... Italy is the UK's largest single overseas source of furniture, being responsible, in value terms, for 18% (#287m) of all the imports arriving on these shores last year. China was the second largest source, sending 12% (#191m) of all...

Global round up.(furniture imports to UK)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... The late 1990s saw considerable increases in overseas trade within the furniture industry - all of it inward - and this trend has continued in the opening years of the 21st century. In value terms, imports grew by 87% between 1997 and 2001,...

Look to the East.(UK furniture imports to UK from Asia)(Industry Overview)(Statistical Data Included)
July 12, 2002... With UK furniture imports from Asia standing at 34% and investment in manufacturing there continuing, the region is still full of Eastern promise The principal recipient of the 10% of UK market share lost by EU countries in the past few...

Chinese menu for success.(furniture exports to UK)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... Imports from China totalled #191m last year, up from #38m in 1995. It is now second only to Italy as the most important source of furniture to the UK market. Metal furniture, excluding beds and seating, is its largest category of sales to...

Little people are big business.(children's furniture)(Industry Overview)(Statistical Data Included)
July 12, 2002... Youth furniture is a growing market in the USA. Audrey Dixon took classes in Disneyland, at the KidsToday conference, on fostering juvenile potential Here's a recipe for a dizzying business proposition: take 80 million savvy young people...

Store design starts with understanding customers.(furniture stores)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... Martin Roberts, president of design company Grid2 International, offered tips on store layout to draw in customers. He stressed that store design needs an understanding of the changing nature of the consumer. `Today's customer is very...

How to win the advertising war.(furniture stores)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 12, 2002... Advertising guru Herb Gross, president of Herb Gross & Co, started his dynamic presentation on marketing by announcing: `Retailers are making a mistake by selling on price. If all you're promoting with your advertising is price, then you're in...

Life on the edgebander.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2002... Machines are bad but Terence Conran is good, in the eyes of Tim Green Although he did not cut the head off Margaret Thatcher's statue last week, one can't help thinking Teemo director and designer Tim Green might have felt a certain...

DTI plan to cut red tape.(United Kingdom Department of Trade and Industry on retail manager paperwork standard)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 19, 2002... Retail managers should have more time to run their businesses instead of filling in forms. The DTI has announced a major overhaul of company law, which it claims will save firms #170m a year. Duties of company directors will be set out...

Tempur moves into recliners.(Tempur U.K.)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 19, 2002... Tempur is to launch five recliners at the end of July. Manufactured by Kruse, the chairs adhere to the 1988 Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations, unlike Tempur beds which comply with the Medical Devices Directive. The...

Retailers fume at new postal charge.(against Consignia P.L.C.)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2002... Retailers have attacked post office operator Consignia's decision to charge up to #750 a year to deliver mail by 9am if companies receive fewer than 20 letters a day. Futters of Great Yarmouth company secretary Richard Middleton said the...

Comment: Is this what's holding us back?(retail furniture industry, United Kingdom)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 19, 2002... It's official: delivering the right products, as and when promised, followed up with good service, are considerably more important to retailers than a brand when it comes to loyalty to suppliers (see p5). That might seem obvious to...

Dansk 2 Go to double retail space.(furniture store renovations, Essex, England)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2002... Dansk International's Dansk 2 Go store is undergoing a #300,000 refit which will double retail space to 22,000sqft. A mezzanine floor will be added to the Benfleet, Essex unit. The Dansk 2 Go concept will move upstairs while bestselling...

Brands not delivering for manufacturers.(furniture industry research)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 19, 2002... Fewer than one in 20 manufacturers think their brand is strong enough to stop retailers from switching suppliers. A survey by FIRA found that just 4% of firms said the strength of their brand was enough to prevent customers seeking other...

Triple oak Arundel.(kitchen cabinets by Burbidge and Son)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 19, 2002... Kitchen frontals firm Burbidge & Son has launched the traditional country house style Arundel Character Oak kitchen. Aimed at the top of the market, the baronial style door and drawer frontals are made from solid oak, the panels in pippy...

JLP top.(John Lewis P.L.C.)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2002... Department store chain John Lewis is the UK's largest privately owned company, according to The Sunday Times/KPMG/Top Track survey. Christie- Tyler was ranked 72nd. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Homing in.(housewares market forecasts, United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2002... The previously fast growing homewares market is set to polarise between price driven stores and department stores, according to Verdict on Homewares Retailers 2002 report, priced #1,200 plus VAT. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Flammability training.(Furniture Industry Research Assocoation)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2002... FIRA is to hold training courses on how firms can meet the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations. The courses will take place on 15 October, 19 November and 4 December. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Stressful jobs.(Health and Safety Executive campaign launched)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2002... The Health and Safety Executive has launched a campaign to raise awareness of stress in the workplace. Details, tel: 0870 1545 500. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Allders shares.(Minerva buys 500,000 shares in department store chain)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 19, 2002... Property group Minerva has bought a further 500,000 shares in department store chain Allders, increasing its shareholding to 22.3%. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Consumers splashed out on beds in June.(spending on beds increases)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 19, 2002... Consumer spending on beds increased in June according to the British Retail Consortium-KPMG Sales Monitor. Modern furniture sales were more brisk than that of traditional furniture. However, the wet weather and the World Cup were seen...

Airsprung to close Glasgow factory.(Airsprung Furniture)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 19, 2002... Airsprung Furniture is to close its Airsprung Scotland operation. The Glasgow bed factory will cease operation by the end of August. The plant employs 110 staff. The group said the loss of a contract had made the factory unviable....

Osterley collection launch.(Arthur Sanderson and Sons, wallpaper)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2002... Horse Chestnuts is one of five ranges in the Osterley collection launched by Sanderson. The printed design features conkers, Horse Chestnut leaves and blossom. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Inflation static.(furniture prices)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 19, 2002... Annual furniture retail price inflation was static at 2% in June. Increases in the price of living room furniture were offset by discounts on bedroom furniture, said National Statistics. Deflation in furnishings continued, growing from...

London show 40% larger than NEC event.
July 19, 2002... The BFM London Furniture Show next month will be 40% larger than last year's event at the NEC. Filling Earls Court 2, the show will cover 9,500sqm, making it the largest mass market furniture exhibition of the summer. As well as...

Joint decision.(Sussex Furnshings sale, proprietor retiring)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2002... Sussex Furnishings proprietor Fred Smith is retiring. The Crawley business is to be sold to an undisclosed party and will be run jointly with Smith's son-in-law Andy Charman. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Home sales up at M&S.(sales of housewares rise at Marks & Spencer)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 19, 2002... Marks & Spencer's like for like sales of homewares, including furniture, rose by 5.9% in the 14 weeks to 6 July. This compared with a fall of 1.5% a year earlier. The chain confirmed that executive chairman Luc Vandevelde will move to...

Q+A: Your questions answered.(answers to customers' questions)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2002... Q: A consumer considering buying a leather suite has asked about `patchy leather'. We explained that this is a natural characteristic - some parts are smooth and even while others are wrinkled and crease easily. The consumer asks why. A:...

Silentnight ends md hunt.(appoints Neal Mernock)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2002... Silentnight Beds has ended its five month search for a new md with the appointment of Neal Mernock. Mernock was previously head of the UK and European carton operations of packaging company Rexam. He has also spent more than a decade...

Launch of Metal Leaf division collection.(Rayware)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
July 19, 2002... Rayware has extended its occasional furniture range with the launch of the Metal Leaf division collection. Taking its inspiration from contemporary design, Metal Leaf combines brushed metal and glass tops decorated with a leaf motif. Items in...

Shopfloor: smile and you will get more happy, smiling consumers.(technique for better sales)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2002... A sales approach cannot be taught because we all have a different personality and the same goes for our customers. Each salesperson must devise and develop a method that works for them. As an exercise, start a conversation with a customer;...

Recognition for design talent.(Future of Design Awards)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2002... The cream of the UK's design students were recognised at the New Designers exhibition in London last week (see p6) with the Future of Design Awards. Brighton University furniture design student Tom Vaughan won the B&Q `it' Award for...

Creativity combined with practicality wins.(furniture designers hold exhibition)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2002... Young designers at London exhibition New Designers took innovative approaches to set their creations apart using a mixture of wood, metal, glass and furry textures. Held at the Business Design Centre in north London from 11-14 July,...

It's not all in the small print.(consumer protection laws)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2002... The customer might have more legal protection that goes beyond the small print than the retailer realises, warns Michael Morgan We continue to get enquiries from Qualitas members about how far they can protect themselves with `small print'...

In good company.(bssa's redesigned website)
July 19, 2002... The bssa provides a fuss-free tour of its services through its redesigned website The bssa, which promotes itself as one of the most effective, practical and influential organisations representing non-food retailers, redesigned its website...

Programme change.(trends in furniture sales)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2002... A nation glued to the TV has resulted in increased sales of occasional furniture reports Elspeth Pridham A combination of bad weather and spectacular TV has resulted in the British consumer choosing to spend most of June ensconced on the...

Broadening horizons.(United Kingdom's furniture exports)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 19, 2002... The difficult export market has forced the UK to look further afield than Europe for new business, reports Claire Santry Just over 20 years ago, the balance of trade in furniture tipped heavily to exports for UK manufacturers. But during...

Night owl's ambition: to be called to the bar.(Tony O'Shaughnessy)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2002... Publican is the soap opera role fancied by ABS md Tony O'Shaughnessy Tony O'Shaughnessy, ABS md, is a bit of a night owl and enjoys the odd tipple. The evidence for this is revealed by the fact that he can never find his hotel room in the...

Retailers hold on in rocky city.(London stock market)(Brief Article)
July 26, 2002... Amid the recent chaos seen on the London stock market, shares of furniture retailers have held firm. The value of listed furniture retailers has fallen by just 1.5% in the past month. This compares with a decline of 11% for the FTSE 100...

Jobs on-line at cm1st.com.
July 26, 2002... The recruitment section has been added to Cabinet Maker's website www.cm1st.com. Jobs are divided between retail, agents and manufacturing. Full details are given for each job, including contact details. For details, visit...

Harrods to add Artcopi's number to its stock.(Brief Article)
July 26, 2002... Harrods is due to begin selling reproduction furniture from French manufacturer Artcopi from this autumn. The London store will stock the 500 series of dining room and living room cabinet. French cherry along with ash, lime, oak and...

Comment: Are customers inconvenient?(customer relations)
July 26, 2002... New York store design expert Martin Roberts suggests comparing a list of what customers want with what retailers want to give them (see p7). Scouting out three leading South East retailers last weekend revealed one offering a glass of wine...

Government red tape ties up training needs.(labor policy)(Brief Article)
July 26, 2002... Bureaucracy is preventing companies gaining access to Government grants to train staff. A report by the Better Regulation Task Force found that 50 Government agencies, departments and organisations are involved in grants for skills...

Off to a good start in Cambridge.(Exclusive Bedrooms marketing)(Brief Article)
July 26, 2002... Cambridge retailer Exclusive Bedrooms has enjoyed `good trading across the board' since it opened two weeks ago. The 4,800sqft store, in Kirkwood Road on the edge of the city, features 14 displays of modern and traditional bedroom and home...

What's happening in the world of Beds.(Brief Article)
July 26, 2002... Whether you're a bed specialist or a general furniture retailer selling beds and mattresses, Cabinet Maker's Beds supplement published with this issue contains something for everyone. In addition to collating some ready answers to common...

C-T At Home.(Christie-Tyler)
July 26, 2002... Christie-Tyler is to hold an At Home from 22-26 September. Cambria, Charnwood, Contour, Icon, Lebus, Pendragon and Ultra will take part. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Expansion granted.(Igoe Furniture)
July 26, 2002... Igoe Furniture has been granted planning permission for a 100,000sqft factory on the Essex/Hertfordshire border. It is due to open in 2004 and will quadruple output. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Upholstery relocation.(Ashley Manor Upholstery moves to Dudley)
July 26, 2002... Ashley Manor Upholstery is to close its Lye, West Midlands site on 29 July and relocate to a purpose built factory at Woodside Industrial Estate, Pedmore Road, Dudley, on 5 August; tel: 01384 486 800. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Out of town Focus.(kitchen and do-it-yourself retailer)
July 26, 2002... DIY and kitchen retailer Focus is to open an out of town store on the Enterprise Park, Fakenham, Norfolk, next month. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Kitchen book.(Hettich brochure)
July 26, 2002... Hettich has launched a consumer brochure for its range of kitchen accessories. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Magnet sale.(Nobia to sell factories to BHD and Jeld-Weld)(Brief Article)
July 26, 2002... Magnet parent Nobia is to sell its Welsh joinery manufacturing plant in Penrith and PVCu facility in Flint, to Jeld-Weld and BHD. The deals are worth a combined #9m. Nobia said the move would reduce UK costs. Copyright: CMP Information...

Retailers set to grab office furniture sales.(Brief Article)
July 26, 2002... Retail, mail order firms and etailers are set to increase their share of the office furniture market in the next four years. The growth will be driven by increasing expenditure on the small office/home office sector (soho). `A buoyant...

Mix and match matrix design.(new collection by Panaz)(Brief Article)
July 26, 2002... The mix and match matrix design Oceana collection will be launched by Panaz at Decosit in September. It will have eight colourways and will be suitable for upholstery, curtains, bedcovers and accessories. The range will also include the Aston...

Retailers set for sales hike.(Brief Article)
July 26, 2002... Almost one in 10 retailers think they will increase sales by more than 10% in the second half of 2002. The 8.8% that said they would see double digit growth was 1% lower than those who expected this in the first half. Some 21.3% of...

Airsprung reassurance.(Airsprung Furniture)(Brief Article)
July 26, 2002... Airsprung Furniture chairman Philip Bradshaw reassured shareholders that the group is on course for a `substantial improvement' in profits. Bradshaw told the group's annual general meeting last week that the first quarter of its financial...

City: UK recovery derailed by Wall Street sell off.(Brief Article)
July 26, 2002... Share prices in London showed signs of recovery last week, gaining for three days, until they were derailed by a major sell-off on Wall Street. USA investors were rocked by a combination of poor international trade figures, domestic...

Share Update on 22 July.(furniture industry)(Illustration)
July 26, 2002... Share Update on 22 July Bold=new High/Low Now Change Change High Low over since 2 weeks 1 Jan Retailers Allders ...

Warning from Colefax as profits drop.(fabric and upholstery)(Brief Article)
July 26, 2002... Fabric and upholstery group Colefax has warned that it expects trading to continue to be difficult in both markets. The warning came after it revealed a 34% drop in pre-tax profits of #3.9m in the year to 30 April. Turnover fell by 4.4% to...

Next Generation grows.(Stompa children's bedroom furniture)(Brief Article)
July 26, 2002... Stompa has expanded its Next Generation range of children's bedroom furniture with the launch of several accessories. The items include a clip-on shelf, Qube stackable pouffe, computer desk, chair, and single and double sofabeds. The...