Cabinet Maker articles from June 2004

Cabinet Maker archives from June 2004

Be a golf champion.(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 4, 2004... Bookings are growing quickly for the Cabinet Maker/FTBA National Golf Championship, with spaces beginning to run out. From 1-2 July, the event is at the Vale of Glamorgan Hotel and Country Club, home of the Welsh PGA. The Stapleford...

Rose steps in at M&S as Green bides his time.(Marks & Spencer)(Brief Article)
June 4, 2004... Stuart Rose has been chosen to restore the fortunes of Marks & Spencer, while Philip Green is poised to make a bid for the chain. Rose, former Argos, Booker and Arcadia boss was installed as chief executive on Monday (31 May) after Roger...

COMMENT: Getting the basics right.(Brief Article)
June 4, 2004... Whoever is running Marks & Spencer in a few months - Stuart Rose or Philip Green (see above) - has a big job on their hands. Roger Holmes, departed chief executive said last week it would take years to turn around the chain and has paid the...

May's sales growth looks set to continue.(Brief Article)
June 4, 2004... May saw strong growth in sales volumes for furniture and floorcoverings retailers. A balance of 48% of stores reported higher annual sales, according to the CBI Distributive Trades Survey. This compared with 54% in April. Overall...

ScS directors cash in.(Brief Article)
June 4, 2004... Two ScS directors have made a profit of more than #200,000 by cashing some share options. Sacha Beere, outgoing finance director, exercised a block of 100,000 options at 76.5p and 20,500 options at 113.5p. He sold them at 230p, raising...

Among the firms that helped furnish the house in Big Brother.(Brief Article)
June 4, 2004... Viaduct, Dreams, Connections, Orbit Design, Hollow Trees Chairs and Bute Fabrics were among the firms that helped furnish the house in the latest Channel 4 series of Big Brother. The Diaryroom chair was created by London model and prop company...

Theft recovery.(Brief Article)
June 4, 2004... Furniture worth #5,000 was quickly recovered by Dumfries and Galloway police after a 4am robbery from Bryan Gowans Furniture Centre in Dalbeattie last Tuesday (25 May). A 21 year-old man has been charged. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Pay disparity.(Brief Article)
June 4, 2004... Men are paid 24% more than women doing the same job, according to a survey by salary research firm PayFinder.com. The gap is the largest in the South East of England at 30% and Scotland at 29%. The gap in Wales has widened from 14% to 23% in...

On the road.(Calendar)
June 4, 2004... Office furniture group Dauphin is holding a series of regional roadshows starting in Blackburn (10-11 June), then London (15-17 June), Bournemouth (23 June), Bristol (24 June), Edinburgh (7 July), Glasgow (8 July) and Manchester (14 July)....

Few bright spots for Bank Holiday sales.(Brief Article)
June 4, 2004... Retailers reported an unspectacular Bank Holiday weekend, with like for like sales matching or falling behind last year. Dominic Reynolds, Reynolds Furniture Store buyer in Bognor, said trading was `dire,' despite seeing similar results to...

Focus on Rosebys.(Brief Article)
June 4, 2004... The #51m management buy-out of Rosebys will allow the retailer to concentrate on its plans, without having to take former sister firms Harveys and Bensons Beds into account, according to Tony Richards, md. `We were not in a position of...

Three hour battle with blaze.(Pine 2000)(Brief Article)
June 4, 2004... Kent retailer, Pine 2000, was left smouldering last Thursday (27 May), after fire spread through its two-floor showroom and workshop, severely damaging 60% of the building. Kent Fire and Rescue Service crews fought the blaze at the Strood...

Airsprung predicts growth as it cuts losses.(Brief Article)
June 4, 2004... The changes are behind us and profits will return, was the message from Tony Lisanti, Airsprung chief executive after reducing pre-exceptional losses from #500,000 to #100,000. `The group now requires no further significant restructuring -...

Martha Stewart for UK.(Brief Article)
June 4, 2004... Bernhardt has begun selling its Martha Stewart collection in the UK. Turkesh Redif, Bernhardt UK md, said the media coverage of Stewart's insider trading trial would not harm sales of Martha Stewart Signature. He said: `Because her...

Walker Greenbank in the market for more acquisitions.(Brief Article)
June 4, 2004... Walker Greenbank is continuing to look for acquisitions after last year's #5.5m purchase of Sanderson. Ian Kirkham, chairman of the fabric and wallcoverings group, said the integration of Sanderson was going well with sales rising and an...

EVENTS.(Calendar)
June 4, 2004... EVENTS JUNE 14-16 NeoCon Chicago www.merchandisemart.com/neocon 00 1 3125277600 20-20 West and Wales Regional Furniture Exhibition (WRE-FEX) Bristol 07749 676 103 24-26 World Lighting Fair Tokyo www.wlf.co.jp 00...

FTBA Cushion Club success essential.(FTBA)(Brief Article)
June 4, 2004... The FTBA's Cushion Club fundraising scheme must succeed if the charity is to survive. This was the stark message from Peter Spinks, chairman, at its AGM last week. The charity failed to persuade any companies to sign up for the scheme...

Global bed challenge.(National Bed Federation president speaks)(Brief Article)
June 4, 2004... The rise of imports is the largest challenge facing the UK bed industry, according to Stephen Yates, new National Bed Federation president. `The UK bed industry is facing global challenges on an unprecedented scale and it is of even...

Exploring the history of Italian fabric.(Museum of the Domestic Design and Architecture, London to host Woven Splendour)(Brief Article)
June 4, 2004... The influence of Italian design on textiles over the past six centuries will be highlighted in an exhibition later this year. London's Museum of the Domestic Design and Architecture (MoDA) will host Woven Splendour from 7 September to 20...

No matter what, retailers still face a slowdown.
June 4, 2004... A crash in the housing market or a leap in interest rates is not imminent, but consumer spending is likely to slow down, according to Alan Castle, Lehman Brothers UK economist. Andrew Kidd reports The housing market is showing no signs of...

SHOP WINDOW: BERNHARDT UK.
June 4, 2004... Bernhardt's Dylan Chair in an ebonized wood frame, has a tailored menswear weave and is intended to make traditional furniture more appealing to younger buyers. Contact Bernhardt UK on 020 8882 7772 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW: ZOFFANY.
June 4, 2004... The 2004 collection includes fabrics taken from the Royal Horticultural Society's archives. Tulipa is based on botanical prints from Pieter van Kouwenhoorn's 17th century Collection of Flowers. Contact Zoffany on 08708 300 350 ...

Store manager - health and safety: Danger: asbestos at work.
June 4, 2004... New asbestos controls could have costly effects, says John Davies The problem I thought asbestos was a problem of the distant past, but a surveyor friend says the law has just changed. Apparently I've got to prove that asbestos doesn't...

Retail Intelligence.
June 4, 2004... April turned out to be a decent month for retailers, with a larger balance of stores reporting month-on-month growth than in March. Some 40% of stores saw monthly sales increase, the same number experienced static sales, while 19% saw a...

SUTCLIFFE FURNITURE: Control factor.
June 4, 2004... Manufacturer Sutcliffe Furniture keeps pace with changing trends utilising home-grown skills, reports Stephanie Baum It has become so commonplace for manufacturers to outsource at least some of their furniture offer to make the numbers add...

PUTTING THE UK FIRST.(ukfirst, British Home Exhibition)(Brief Article)
June 4, 2004... There are various initiatives that promote manufacturing in the UK including ukfirst and The British Home Exhibition Led by FIRA, ukfirst is the furniture industry forum aimed at improving the competitiveness of the UK furniture industry...

HIGH POINT: Feasts for the home.
June 4, 2004... Casual dining and home entertainment prevailed at High Point, says Larry Stein With almost 12million sqft of showrooms beckoning to home furnishing buyers, the High Point Spring Furniture Market offered a menu to satisfy the most ardent...

SCANDINAVIAN FURNITURE FAIR: Reviving the fold.
June 4, 2004... Storage and vanity furniture will return in a big way, if the Scandinavians have anything to do with it, reports Stephanie Baum If newlyweds Australian commoner Mary Donaldson and Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik, decide to shop for new...

FIRST PERSON - MICHEL ROSET: Charm of creativity.(Interview)
June 4, 2004... Michel Roset, Ligne Roset md and creative director, doesn't like things that aren't what they seem, and says love thy neighbour is good advice How did you get started in the industry? Everybody has to start somewhere, and it was easier...

Belfield moves into the home.(Belfield Furnishings)(entering new markets)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... Caravan furnishing company, Belfield Furnishings, has moved into the domestic upholstery market after buying loss-making Millcroft Designs out of administration. Millcroft, which supplies Argos, Habitat and Debenhams had debts of #5m. ...

Brighton puts more Habitat stores in Ireland.(Malcolm Brighton)(Habitat Group PLC)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... Habitat is set for a major boost in Ireland with Malcolm Brighton, owner of the island's Habitat franchise, investing #2m opening stores on both sides of the Irish border. The 11,000sqft Galway and 14,500sqft Belfast stores are vast...

Comment: Is Egypt the new China?(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... A European Union sponsored furniture sector exhibition and buyer-seller meet in Egypt last week, gathered furniture buyers from across Europe to visit the factories of Damietta - Egypt's furniture centre. Working at increasing its trade...

Smallbone flotation will fund expansion.(Smallbone PLC)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... Smallbone of Devizes will become the second kitchen company to float on the stock market this year. Next month's AIM float will raise #2.5m to fund expansion. Omega raised #2.25m when it floated in April. Part of Smallbone's flotation...

Takeover talk for MFI.(management buyout plans)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... MFI's share price has jumped by 9.5%, past the #1bn level in a fortnight, amid stock market speculation that a takeover is imminent. The speculation centres around breaking up the group with the sale of its retail operations or the...

Pension warning.(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... People will have to work until they are 72 to achieve a pension of two thirds of their salary because of the closure of final salary schemes. Actuary Hewitt Bacon & Woodrow said the average pension contribution into money purchase schemes was...

Economic question.(chinese furniture dumping)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... The US anti-dumping case against Chinese bedroom furniture manufacturers could be abandoned if a review by the US Department of Commerce finds China is a market based economy. But, Don Evans, commerce secretary has insisted China remains a...

Little online selling.(furniture sales)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... A quarter of the country's largest home and garden product retailers have transactional websites. A survey by distance selling company Zendor found that of those selling homewares, furniture and floorcoverings, 26% offered online sales. Some 4%...

Green considers his next move for M&S.(Philip Green)(Marks & Spencer PLC)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... Philip Green has insisted he does not know if he will raise his potential offer for Marks & Spencer. When asked, he replied `I have no idea'. Green said replacing Roger Holmes as chief executive with Stuart Rose was `logical and...

The price of Rose's hello.(Stuart Rose)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... Recruiting Stuart Rose cost M&S #4.9m. Rose received a #1.25m `golden hello' plus a salary of #850,000 - 37% more than his predecessor. He will receive the signing-on fee once he has been at M&S for six months or after any offer lapses....

Debona moves into Chinese furniture.(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... Manchester wallcoverings manufacturer, Debona, has begun importing furniture from China. Mark Pattison, director, made the decision after a client complained about problems with his usual furniture supplier. A trial container sold...

Clearing the way to promoting credit deals.(furniture industry)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... Consumer credit firms will have to make sure shoppers are clear on the cost of credit deals, under Government reforms. The DTI wants more detailed information to be provided to consumers, along with a standard method of calculating annual...

Football kicks off sales.(furniture sales)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... May was a mixed month for furniture sales, according to the British Retail Consortium Retail Sales Monitor. The survey also found that bedroom furniture sales rose, but only at the expense of margins as retailers used promotions to generate...

Beds that take stock of prices.(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... Silentnight Group launched a major push into the bedstead market this week, but maintained a large proportion of UK production. The 27 models are designed to allow independent retailers access to the benefits of low cost Far East production...

People: National Bed Federation.(National Bed Federation governing council)(appointments)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... Ian Topping, Steinhoff UK md, Tony Lisanti, Airsprung Furniture chief executive and Stephen Luddington, Hilding Anders UK md, have joined the National Bed Federation governing council. Paul Rooney, Hilding Anders UK financial director, becomes...

Parker Knoll in Polish supplier change.(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... Nino Allenza, Silentnight Group chief executive has denied claims it has been forced to change the Polish manufacturer of its Parker Knoll By Design upholstery range because the supplier went under. He said it used two suppliers in Poland...

Parking ticket threat to prices.(furniture delivery)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... Retailers will have to increase prices if the number of traffic fines issued does not abate. This was the warning from the Freight Transport Association after a survey found that fines for furniture removal companies in London rose by 540%...

Chemical exposure.(flame retardant chemicals )(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... The WWF has again insisted that the use of Deca brominated diphenyl ether in flame retardant chemicals is causing harm, this time to the brain development of children. The Compromising On Children report claims that increasing exposure to...

Ups and downs of shares hit by bid talks.(MFI)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... As bid speculation swirls around MFI, rumour mongers claim to have identified a private buyer, disdainful of the retail stores, who values the group's Howden Joinery business at around #1bn. Fantasists see him take control at #1.15bn (190p a...

Boost for Couture.(Couture Sofa Company has recruited director and is to increase its manufacturing capacity)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... Upholstery firm Couture Sofa Company is to expand its manufacturing capacity and invest `significant sums' in product development following the recruitment of Stuart Redman as a director. The company, which also makes upholstered headboards...

Share Update on 7 June 2004.(Illustration)
June 11, 2004... Share Update on 7 June 2004 Bold=new High/Low Now Change Change 2004 2004 over since High Low 2 weeks 6 Apr Beale ...

B&Q increase sales.(financial results)(Brief Article)
June 11, 2004... The introduction of fitted bedroom furniture at the end of last year helped B&Q increase sales by 5.9% to #1.07bn in the three months ended 1 May. The eight ranges were said to have performed well. Kitchen sales were also strong. ...

Pay up or lose.(Marks & Spencer acquisition)(Panel Discussion)
June 11, 2004... Philip Green will have to come up with more money if he is to buy Marks & Spencer. Andrew Kidd sought out the views of City analysts Philip Green's long held desire to own Marks & Spencer looks unlikely to be fulfilled unless he improves...

SHOP WINDOW: LIGNE ROSET.
June 11, 2004... The Bobine, designed by Michael Koenig, is a bobbin-shaped low table available in two sizes. It is finished in either a chrome or an epoxy lacquer. Contact Ligne Roset on 01494 545 910 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW: LIVING DIVANI.
June 11, 2004... The Extra Wall bed has evolved from Piero Lissoni's Extra Wall sofa and emphasises its geometry and volumes. The mattress can be raised or lowered within the frame. Contact Living Divani on 00 39 0 3163 0954 Copyright: CMP Information...

SHOP WINDOW: BD.
June 11, 2004... Dalilips is a reproduction of Oscar Tusquets and Salvador Dali's 1972 Salivasofa using modern spin-moulding technology. As well as the original red and shocking pink shades, white and black have been added. Contact Bd Ediciones de Diseno...

Store manager: health and safety - Wake up call for companies.
June 11, 2004... Carole Ferguson looks at how a proposed law change will affect companies and individuals following work related accidents The problem I read on a website that the law covering accidents and work related deaths is changing. Is this...

Home entertainment: A watching brief.(David Fox)(Interview)
June 11, 2004... With an eye to the rapid developments in the home entertainment sector, Cabinet Maker put some questions to furniture designers on how furniture for TVs and stereos is changing to adapt to a more sophisticated class of electronics David...

Retail focus: Sizing up beds.
June 11, 2004... As the trend for bedsteads continues, Lynn Bradbury from retailmap takes a look at the pricing architecture and choice that retailers offer on bedsteads v divans As bedsteads are still so popular, a selection of retailers from different...

Webwatch: The right balance.(Reid Furniture)(www.reidfurniture.co.uk)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 11, 2004... Reid Furniture allows visitors to get information smartly, says Mark Lewis This is a Flash website. Flash websites make for a snazzy opening sequence and lots of nice graphics, but if you don't have the software, downloading is much...

First person: Fast track showman.(Tim Branscome of Full Contact Marketing and The British Home )(Interview)
June 11, 2004... Logistically speaking, Tim Branscome, Full Contact Marketing partner and The British Home (exhibition) md has moved a long way up the furniture ladder How did you get started in business? After university, a friend and I started a...

Pedestrian plan forces store closure.(Julian Foye )(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... West Country retail chain Julian Foye is to close its Bodmin branch after the council mooted plans to pedestrianise the street. It was the last straw for the 6,500sqft, Fore Street store, which already struggles with deliveries and customer...

LoL heads for Ireland as sales top #100m.(Land of Leather )(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... Land of Leather is to enter the Irish retail furniture market, hoping to repeat its success in Scotland and the North of England, where it claims to be the largest leather upholstery retailer. The expansion came as the chain brushed aside...

Comment: Time for M&S to be bold.(Marks and Spencer)(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... As M&S hits the news again with the departure of Vittorio Radice and the placement of Maurice Helfgott as head of homewares, it becomes even more clear that the purveyors of sensible knickers and ready meals has absolutely no idea what to do...

Row brewing over bed firms' websites.(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... And So To Bed and former Harrogate franchisee To Catch A Dream could be heading for another legal battle, this time over a website. To Catch a Dream is considering legal action against And So To Bed after the chain activated the...

House price warning.(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... House prices may start to fall, Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England has warned. Prices are `well above what most people would regard as sustainable in the longer term. After the hectic price rises over the past year, it is clear that...

Design award.(Alidad)(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... Alidad's Augustus console table has won World of Interiors' Product Design of the Year award. The judges praised it as `punchy, new and vigorous, appealing to very different tastes'. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Radio push.(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... Dorma has launched its first radio advertising campaign for the Kip bedlinen range. The advertisements will run for a fortnight until 28 June on Manchester station Galaxy. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Furniture market.(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... A dedicated furniture area has been established at an indoor market in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. There will be an indoor market and furniture sales area at the Wilson Street venue from Friday to Sunday, and a dedicated furniture sales area the...

Rising oil costs set to hit upholstery prices.
June 18, 2004... Upholstery prices are set to rise, after increasing oil prices have pushed up the cost of manufacture. Foam manufacturers have been hit by higher petrochemical and transport costs, so will pass the cost on to foam converters. Peter...

Courts seeks help as Cohen leaves.(Steven Cohen)(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... Courts has appointed a company doctor to turn around the fortunes of its loss-making UK operation. This is part of a management reshuffle that sees its board without a Cohen for the first time since the family bought the company in 1943. ...

Sales looking up at HoF.(House of Fraser PLC)(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... House of Fraser has seen like for like sales rise by 0.4% in the 19 weeks to 12 June, shareholders were told at its AGM this week. John Coleman, chief executive said it had also increased gross margins by 0.7%. He said the increases, along...

It's what you say and how you say it that gets the sale.(furniture)
June 18, 2004... Communication is the two-way passage of ideas and thoughts between two or more individuals. In selling it is vital the two-way part is remembered at all times. As George Bernard Shaw said: `In the right key one can say anything. In the...

Lighting is a glowing market for retailers.(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... Retailers not selling lighting are missing out on a market growing far faster than furniture. Sales are expected to rise by 7% to #575m this year, according to the Domestic Lighting report by Mintel. Growth in the market has been...

Due diligence.(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... DFS has confirmed that founder Lord Kirkham (pictured) is continuing to carry out due diligence on the chain before deciding if he will launch a takeover bid. This is expected to continue for another month. If a bid is made, it is likely to be...

Obituary: Barry Shale.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
June 18, 2004... The funeral of Barry Shale, Kevin France Upholstery Midlands agent, is at Sutton Coldfield Crematorium at 10.30am on 21 June. He died on 11 June, aged 62, after a short illness. Shale spent many years as the Midlands agent for Universal...

Inflation slows in May.(furniture retail)(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... Annual furniture retail price inflation slowed in May, as overall retail inflation jumped. The furniture increase dipped from 3.1% to 2.8%, thanks to smaller price increases than in May 2003. There was a dramatic fall in inflation for...

M&S food boss to take on home department.(Marks & Spencer )(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... Marks & Spencer has appointed its food boss Maurice Helfgott, 37, to run its home department, along with menswear and childrenswear. Vittorio Radice, the man who was to transform M&S's home offering, left the chain last Friday, 12 days...

Big Shots clay pigeon shooting day.(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... The FTBA Big Shots clay pigeon shooting day last week (10 June) raised #10,000, pushing the amount of money generated by the event over the past decade to more than #250,000. Some 27 teams took part at the Holland & Holland shooting round,...

Last call for golf entries.
June 18, 2004... Today is the deadline for entries to the Cabinet Maker/FTBA National Golf Championship on 1-2 July. It takes place at the Vale of Glamorgan Hotel and Country Club. The Stapleford competition is on the new Wales National Course. This...

Fabric show for Olympia.(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... Upholstery and drapery fabric, leather and trimmings show London Fabric is moving to Olympia next year. Its previous location, the Commonwealth Institute is being sold. `Olympia is one of London's exhibition landmarks and will be...

Design talent flocking to Tendence Lifestyle.(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... The use of new materials on furniture will be one of the topics explored at the Talents area of Tendence Lifestyle in August. Design firm Speziell Produktgestaltung (Special Product Design) will show how using flocking technology (coating a...

Furniture stays on the sidelines.
June 18, 2004... Furniture retailers are likely to miss out on a consumer spending boom generated by Euro 2004, reports Andrew Kidd The European Football Championships will absorb almost #1bn of retail sales in the UK, and is likely to contribute to a...

How much do executives really cost?(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... Losing top staff can cost a company dear - in financial terms Towards the end of 2002, Marks & Spencer decided Vittorio Radice was the man to turn around the fortunes of its homewares business. A decision that cost the chain at least...

Shop window: IGOE.(IGOE)(Brief Article)
June 18, 2004... The Lara Elegance bedroom range has a contemporary maple effect finish with modern metal handles. Storage is emphasised in this range, with thoughtful attention to creating space. Contact Igoe on 01992 655600 Copyright: CMP...