Cabinet Maker articles from November 2004

Cabinet Maker archives from November 2004

Dreams in deal for Bensons?(Dreams and Homestyle )(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... Dreams and Homestyle are claimed to be close to completing a #112m deal for Homestyle's bed division - Bensons Beds, The Bed Shed and Sleepmasters - according to industry sources. David Brock, Homestyle executive chairman and Mike Clare,...

Rivals gather to bid for Silentnight brands.(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... Rival manufacturers have been eyeing up Parker Knoll, Stag, Ducal and Nathan after Silentnight Group's decision to sell or license the brands in the face of continuing losses. Silentnight decided to close the quartet as it would cost too...

COMMENT: New opportunity for brands.(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... It was four years ago this week that a certain company paid around #38m for four branded furniture companies. And this week, Parker Knoll, Ducal, Nathan and Stag haven't been far from anyone's lips. The first we heard of the sale was by way of...

Retailers sad to see furniture brands sale.(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... Retailer reaction to the sale of the Silentnight furniture brands has been overwhelmingly one of sadness. `It is a shame to see an old brand like Parker Knoll go,' said Roy Beagent, Minerva merchandising and buying manager. `It is a good...

Burbidge to speed up deliveries.(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... Kitchen firm Burbidge has invested #350,000 to speed up deliveries. Stock-holding has been increased through a #50,000 warehouse expansion while upgrading its painting facilities has hastened production and increased capacity by 15%. Production...

Old age problem.(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... A third of people surveyed for Age Concern think age discrimination is higher than it was in 1999 and no-one expects it to decrease. Some 28% expected the problem to increase and the remainder say it will get worse. `The cult of youth does not...

Grumpy managers.(Demos and Ikea)(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... A quarter of managers in the UK are likely to be in a bad mood because they have not slept well, according to a survey for think-tank Demos and Ikea. One in five managers admitted they were more likely to make mistakes because of poor sleep....

More Barker.(Linda Barker )(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... The range of Linda Barker licensed products is to be expanded next year when Ashley Wilde Group launches bedlinen, cushions, throws and embroidered and printed curtains at Soft Furnishings at the NEC from 23- 26 January. Copyright: CMP...

Insurance cover blow for Courts.(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... Courts credit insurance rating has been downgraded, leaving suppliers with little option but to deny deliveries of stock. The value of stock insurers are prepared to cover fell last week, leaving one Courts supplier only able to insure one...

Healthier increase for October sales volumes.(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... Retailers enjoyed a rise in sales volumes last month, according to the CBI Distributive Trades Survey. A balance of 69% of furniture and floorcoverings stores reported higher sales than in October 2003 - more than double that in September...

Shopfloor presence.(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... Fitted furniture firm Hammonds is aiming to almost double the shopfloor presence of its contemporary semi-fitted Cosa brand in the next six months by opening six more concessions. It has five concessions, mainly in the Midlands, including Lee...

Delays hit profits.(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... Pre-tax profits more than halved at upholstery firm Collins & Hayes in the first half of the year after sales dropped by 26% to #9.6m. Delays in range selections, thought to be at Harveys and Courts, and consumer uncertainty were blamed for...

Rethink on big store ban welcome in Ireland.(Michael Murphy)(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... Irish furniture retailers have welcomed the Irish government's decision to re-examine the ban on large superstores (cm, 29 Oct, p5) but predicted only a handful would be built if the ban ended. `Dublin may have enough [population to support...

Online contract.(DesignShop UK)(DesignConcept UK)(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... DesignShop UK has launched an ecommerce website for its contract division DesignConcept UK. Guide retail prices are given for products including housewares, clocks and lighting as well as furniture, with trade prices available from the...

Issues settled.(Daniel Lynch )(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... Sales promotion firm Daniel Lynch has settled two copyright cases with retailers. The firm had secured an interim interdict against Montrose store Buicks and Elgin retailer Anderson & England, both part of Sterling, claiming they had...

Export opportunity knocks.(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... The BFM is to investigate the export performance and opportunities of UK furniture manufacturers in an effort to boost sales. The Furniture Industry Strategy Group has commissioned the association to develop an export strategy over the next...

Shop rents stable in UK but leaping in Ireland.(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... Most retail rents in the UK's top shopping streets have remained flat in the past year - unlike the Republic of Ireland, where rents rose by up to 46%. Four of the UK's most expensive streets are in London - Covent Garden (#515 per sqft,...

Spring in the step of trends.(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... Key style trends for 2005/06 will be explored at the Spring Fair in Birmingham from 6-10 February. Catherine Rame, Carlin International head of UK will present a series of seminars on design influences and emerging lifestyles and their...

MARY CZULOWSKI - VIEWS ON DESIGN: From High Point to home.
November 5, 2004... There is a school of thought that says today's trends in America translate to the UK tomorrow. This hasn't been universally apparent in the furniture trade. The UK has resisted the temptation to `go large' and scale up our furniture to American...

Design clinic.(Ideal Home Show )(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... The Ideal Home Show is to follow the lead of its sister Autumn Ideal Home Show event and incorporate an interior design clinic. Visitors to the Autumn show were offered a free 15-minute consultation with interior designers JJA ADA, which...

Tempur - Appointments.(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... Tempur has spit its retail division into two covering furniture and bed stores and department and specialists stores. Sally Edwards and Garry Young have become national sales managers of the divisions. Neil Hughes has become South West sales...

An opportunity to make the brands deliver.
November 5, 2004... Silentnight Group has decided to sell its furniture brands, which could prove an interesting challenge for other companies, reports Andrew Kidd When Bill Simpson, then Silentnight Group chief executive agreed to pay a combined #38m for...

SHOP WINDOW: PEDRALI.
November 5, 2004... The Smart chair is made from recyclable polymer and combines tapered legs and an ergonomic front support. It is available in red, white and brown. Contact Pedrali on 00 39 307 404 440 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW: EFFEZETA.
November 5, 2004... The Flexa chair, designed by Fiorenzo Dorigo, has a choice of three chromed or aluminium lacquered frames - overturned cantilever, curved rod or shaft and swivel. Contact Effezeta on 00 39 432 706 411 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW: CONNECT.
November 5, 2004... Offered in three sizes, the Oberon bed and optional headboard by Vift are available in fabric, such as this woven chenille, or leather with matching or contrasting cushions. Contact Connect by John Foreman on 0116 279 6700 Copyright:...

SHOP WINDOW: SKOPOS.
November 5, 2004... Atika is a collection of five contemporary designs across 25 colours printed on natural cotton linen, suitable for curtains, upholstery and bedspreads. Contact Skopos on 012924 465 191 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Store manager - discrimination: The age trap.
November 5, 2004... New rules will mean equal rights for young and old, says Michelle Levin The problem Can I discriminate based on age when hiring or firing staff? Expert opinion At present you can, but rejecting a youthful job applicant or...

Retail Intelligence.(Industry Overview)
November 5, 2004... September may have been better than August weatherwise, but when it came to furniture sales performance was as changeable as the elements. Some 27% of stores reported an increase in the value of month on month sales, 50% maintained sales at...

PETER HOGSTED: Ikea's billion pound player.
November 5, 2004... Peter Hogsted enjoys a challenge and few more so than bringing Ikea UK above the #1bn turnover level. Mark Lewis looks at the game plan Shall I beat you?' asks Peter Hogsted, hovering over the table tennis table at Ikea UK's head office in...

PLASTIC FURNITURE: Design challenge.(Barkston Plastics)
November 5, 2004... As a way in to the furniture market, Barkston Plastics set students a test - design commercial products with the wow factor. It seems they passed with honours, reports Stephanie Baum A plastics company producing industrial tanks, trays and...

Pill coffee table.(Simon Pengelly)(Brief Article)
November 5, 2004... Simon Pengelly's Pill coffee table is constructed from a disc and a triangular wedge intersection of forms and made by rotationally- moulding polyethylene in a cast aluminium tool. A magazine rack segment stiffens the top surface, preventing...

Plastic? Is it a mould for the future in furniture?
November 5, 2004... We put some questions about plastic furniture to: Angus McArthur director of contemporary furniture retailer Snowhome, York; Steve Rock, Barkston Plastics commercial director; Simon Pengelly, Pengelly Designs director and Barry Clay, York St...

First person - Andy Kennaugh: In tune with traffic.(Interview)
November 5, 2004... Andy Kennaugh, Derwent Upholstery sales director, sings in strange places but service stations hit a bum note when it comes to teapots How did you get started in the industry? I joined the John Lewis Partnership as a management trainee....

Jacobs back on board to revive Courts sales.(Brief Article)
November 12, 2004... Courts has brought veteran upholstery buyer James Jacobs back to its UK operation in an effort to reverse a dramatic fall in autumn sales. Sales in the two months since the August Bank Holiday plummeted a fifth, ruining hopes of restoring...

No sweat for new bed design.(Pocket Sprung Bed Company)(Brief Article)
November 12, 2004... The use of high-tech sportswear fabric is set to be the next innovation in the bed market. The Pocket Sprung Bed Company is poised to introduce a collection which uses the Coolmax fabric developed by DuPont. It is already used in...

COMMENT: Thinking the unthinkable?
November 12, 2004... Last week all anyone wanted to talk about was Silentnight Group's decision to sell its four furniture brands. This week the hot topic in the industry is Courts. The group has had probably the most turbulent year in its history with...

Tough times ahead as purse strings tighten.
November 12, 2004... Retailers will have to work harder in the coming months to persuade shoppers to buy furniture, particularly in the southern half of the country. After a first half of the year where the furniture retail market grew, sales are now set to...

Halo Furnishings concession.(Brief Article)
November 12, 2004... Halo Furnishings has opened a 4,300sqft concession on the fourth floor of London department store Harvey Nichols, in partnership with Apartment. `This is the next step in our plan to make Halo Furnishings a household name,' said Conrad Stretch,...

Irish considering Ikea store.(Brief Article)
November 12, 2004... Ikea may be granted special dispensation to breach the Republic of Ireland's ban on very large superstores. Irish media reports suggested that Dick Roche, Irish environment minister is considering waiving the ban for Ikea as part of a...

No interest in bidding.(Brief Article)
November 12, 2004... Magnet and Gower parent Nobia has ruled itself out of any bid for MFI. The company said it had no interest in bidding for the group to expand its branded operations, including Poggenpohl. MFI has declined to comment on the speculation linking...

Leather dreams.(Brief Article)
November 12, 2004... Bed manufacturer Sweet Dreams is to enter the leather upholstery market in January with the launch of Comfort Zone Sofas at The Furniture Show. The contemporary and traditional models will be available from stock and delivered in seven to 10...

House fall.(Brief Article)
November 12, 2004... Annual house price inflation fell to 18.5% in October, according to Halifax, the first time it was below 20% for six months. Higher interest rates and a lack of affordability among first-time buyers damped growth. Copyright: CMP Information...

Suez stops.(Brief Article)
November 12, 2004... Far East deliveries are expected to be delayed after the Suez Canal was closed this week for the first time since 1975. An oil tanker broke down blocking the 100 mile canal, forcing a three-day closure. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Charitable giving.(Brief Article)
November 12, 2004... Argos and Homebase parent GUS donated #2.09m to charity in the past financial year - 0.3% of UK pre-tax profits, according to the Business In the Community's Percent Standard/The Guardian report. B&Q parent Kingfisher gave #1.1m - 0.3%. John...

Rowe gets home job - for now.(Brief Article)
November 12, 2004... Long-serving Marks & Spencer manager Steve Rowe has been given the job of turning around the fortunes of its ailing homeware division - for the time being. Rowe - who has been at the chain for 15 years, latterly as head of home...

US cuts Chinese tariffs.
November 12, 2004... The US government has continued to insist that Chinese bedroom furniture manufacturers are dumping products - but has reduced the tariffs levied on imports. Some 115 companies, which account for about two thirds of imports, had tariffs cut...

Harveys' singing sofas.(Brief Article)
November 12, 2004... Harveys has seen an increase in upholstery sales, according to suppliers. One told Cabinet Maker `the sofas are singing,' while another said the loss-making chain was ordering 100 a week. The improvement provides evidence that the...

Letter: The other side of the story.(Letter to the Editor)
November 12, 2004... Having read your article regarding the court case between my company, Voyage Decoration, and Nouveau Fabrics (cm, 16 July, p3), there are a number of additional aspects I believe are worth a mention. Although it was claimed that the Luxor...

CITY: Courts shares dive while MFI lifts a little.
November 12, 2004... Courts lost more than 40% (30p), crashing to 43p on a further profits warning, following poor trading in the eight weeks from the August Bank Holiday. The news confirmed the worst fears of analysts, who suggested in late September that the...

Halo for Hardcastle.(Halo Furnishings )(Brief Article)
November 12, 2004... Kate Hardcastle, the woman in charge of the largest marketing budget in the manufacturing sector, is to leave Silentnight Beds next month. Hardcastle is to join Halo Furnishings as head of marketing on 27 December, after four years at the...

VIEWS ON SELLING - ANDREW ADAMSON: Time to listen and learn.
November 12, 2004... Stop, look and listen. This may be what we were all told to do at school when crossing the road, but it's a good message for some retailers also. As are many of the old sayings most of us were brought up with, such as back to basics and you get...

Companies falling by the wayside.(Brief Article)
November 12, 2004... The number of British furniture manufacturers fell for the third successive year in 2003. VAT registered furniture manufacturers dropped 65 to 7,470, according to figures from the DTI. But the number of companies, including contract...

Redbird Holdings shareholding in Airsprung.(Brief Article)
November 12, 2004... Investment company Redbird Holdings has further increased its shareholding in Airsprung to 27.07%, less than 3% short of the maximum shareholding it is allowed before it must launch a takeover bid for the beds and upholstery group, which is...

Offshore: a good investment?
November 12, 2004... Transferring manufacturing overseas is good for the UK economy and will increase skills, claims the CBI. What do manufacturers think? asks Mark Lewis Following a MORI poll on offshoring this week, the CBI has finally admitted that the...

SHOP WINDOW: TOM FAULKNER.
November 12, 2004... The Tabac is the firm's first use of wood, combining Santos rosewood veneer and dark walnut lipping. With a nod to 1950's design the table has three standard sizes. Contact Tom Faulkner on 020 7713 5767 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW: FLY LINE.
November 12, 2004... The Swan expanding dining table has a frosted glass top and wenge or bleached oak legs and leaves on a silver lacquered steel frame. Contact Fly Line on 0039 0 445 314 070 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW: CATTELAN ITALIA.
November 12, 2004... The Hera leather armchair by Cattelan's Corum brand has a chromed steel frame and is available in more than 25 colours. Contact Cattelan Italia on 00 39 0 445 318 787 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Store manager - business rates: Big rises for small businesses.
November 12, 2004... Steep rates increases are on the cards for small firms, says John Davies The problem I've received a letter from the Valuation Office Agency about the rateable value of my property? What is this about and what do I need to know? ...

RETAIL FOCUS: Tables for festive fare.
November 12, 2004... Lynn Bradbury searches for the perfect dining table and chairs for Christmas lunch It's November and the Christmas decorations and cards have been in the shops and supermarkets for at least a month and you realise that the whole family is...

LIBERTY: Renaissance store.
November 12, 2004... Liberty wants to rid itself of its stuffy image and regain its risk- taking origins with innovative furniture. Stephanie Baum takes a look Damien Hirst and Liberty of London would, at first glance, seem to have very little in common. One...

RIVERSIDE FABRICS: Banking on more profit.
November 12, 2004... In a little over a year Riverside Fabrics has gone from loss to profit, but the owners are not just going with flow, they are determined to make it even more successful, says Mark Lewis Riverside Fabrics has realised its first profit since...

KATY HOLFORD: Breaking the glass tradition.(Interview)
November 12, 2004... What pushes Katy Holford to work with what is considered a fragile material and experiment with new processes is to be ever more innovative in her designs, discovers Stephanie Baum Katy Holford won the first Laurent Perrier Design Award for...

IMPORTS: Hands on experience.
November 12, 2004... Brett Hatton learnt about imports on his travels - knowledge he has put to good use for his US based business, Four Hands, which is making inroads into the UK. Stephanie Baum reports Listening to Brett Hatton, president and ceo of...

FIRST PERSON - SAM CHAN: School of thought.(Channels)(Interview)
November 12, 2004... Sam Chan, joint director and designer of furniture manufacturer and design firm Channels, was inspired by his teacher and tells (soy) saucy stories How did you get started in the industry? Through woodwork classes at school. I was...

`Short term' strategy under fire.(Brief Article)
November 19, 2004... Furniture manufacturing in the UK suffers from `a cottage industry mentality', according to the Furniture Industry Strategy Group's interim report, launched this week. `Short-term tactical issues dominate the management process at the...

Silentnight cut price sell off angers retailers.
November 19, 2004... Stag, Nathan and Ducal stockists have reacted with anger and sadness to the decision of Silentnight Group to sell stock direct to the public at prices near trade prices. The group is holding a sale at the Holiday Inn hotel, South Mimms,...

COMMENT: What price brand loyalty?(Brief Article)
November 19, 2004... Despite most of the industry mourning the loss of Cornwall Parker, Silentnight is still managing to ruffle a few retail feathers. It is selling off its existing stock direct to the public at a clearance sale this weekend at such knock down...

Low sales push Suite Ideas out of business.(Brief Article)
November 19, 2004... Upholstery assembler and direct telephone sales retailer, Suite Ideas, has gone into administration. The firm imported components for assembly at its Long Eaton factory, where it employs 120 people. It is being administered by Richard...

Praise but no takers for Parker Knoll.(Brief Article)
November 19, 2004... DFS and Airsprung have become the latest companies to refute suggestions that they have any interest in buying the Parker Knoll brand. `Definitely no,' said Lord Kirkham, DFS executive chairman. `It is probably one brand in the industry...

Copenhagen Furniture Fair.
November 19, 2004... The Copenhagen Furniture Fair has been rescheduled from 18-21 May 2005 to 19-22 May, so the exhibition could include a Sunday, after demands from local retailers. The public day will take place on the Sunday, which should increase the number of...

Sally Smith.(Obituary)
November 19, 2004... Sally Smith, former Christie-Tyler group design director, died suddenly in her sleep on 10 November. She was 51. `There is so much that should be said about a lady who earned her OBE for services to the fashion industry, but my particular...

Branching out.(Brief Article)
November 19, 2004... Some 130,000 women set up their own company last year. Women make up just 25% of self-employed people, according to the DTI. If women started businesses at the same rate as men, 150,000 companies would have been founded. Copyright: CMP...

Award double.(Brief Article)
November 19, 2004... Heal's was named as the best homeware destination for the second successive year by Time Out magazine. It also received the Excellence in Retail Display award at the Progressive Housewares Awards. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Inflation down.(Brief Article)
November 19, 2004... The annual rate of furniture retail price inflation dropped from 1.7% to 1.4% in October, according to National Statistics. More widespread offers on kitchen units helped lower the rate. Prices fell 1.5% compared to September. The annual rate...

Secrets of success.
November 19, 2004... Successful retail chief executives are `utterly driven, spend their Saturdays wandering around their stores, radiate the values of that business, and understand their people,' according to Archie Norman, former Asda chief executive. `They have...

Natuzzi raises profile with branded stores.
November 19, 2004... Natuzzi will offer its gallery retailers outside of London the opportunity to manage standalone Natuzzi stores. The upholsterer is to cease selling upholstery through standard retailers to concentrate on stockists with galleries and the...

Sales peak tests MFI delivery recovery.(Mullard Furniture Industries (UK) )(Brief Article)
November 19, 2004... MFI will find out in the next 10 days if the overhaul of its supply chain system has worked, as deliveries peak. Retail sales continue to fall largely due to the supply problems affecting Hygena@Currys where all products are home delivery....

Directors banned over report charge scam.(Brief Article)
November 19, 2004... Three directors of a company which plagued firms with unsolicited business reports, earning up to #1m a year, have been disqualified for a total of 25 years. Berger & Co cold called up to 70,000 firms a month offering HR and management...

Airsprung warns on bed price rise.
November 19, 2004... Retailers face further increases in bed prices unless raw material prices - particularly steel - start to fall. The warning came from Tony Lisanti, Airsprung Furniture chief executive as the group issued its third profits warning this year....

VIEWS FROM AN IMPORTER - MARTIN KAY: Delivering a Christmas bonus.
November 19, 2004... Scan-Thor's long-standing presence in the young fashion world gives us a unique opportunity to benchmark the furniture trade against others. They are interesting comparisons to make. If we think that our own three to four week delivery is...

Derik Quitmann.(Obituary)
November 19, 2004... Derik Quitmann Quitmann Furniture chairman died on 8 November after a battle with cancer. He was 75. After several decades at the importer he retired from active management of the company which was then managed by non-family members for...

United shifts focus with store sale.(Brief Article)
November 19, 2004... United Cooperatives has sold seven of its 15 Sunwin department stores to AHF parent Anglia Regional Cooperative for an undisclosed sum. The branches - in Harrogate, Skipton, Ilkley, Rochdale, Stockport and two in Keighley - boost the group...

Letter: Oversupply is the problem.(Letter to the Editor)
November 19, 2004... It was sad to read of the decision by Silentnight Group to put its branded furniture division up for sale (cm, Nov 5, p3); yet another example of the furniture industry pressing its self destruct button. As Cabinet Maker reported last year...

Wilkinsons bankroll New Heights growth.(Brief Article)
November 19, 2004... New Heights is poised to double to 22 branches in the next four years, after securing outside investment from the Wilkinson family, founders of the Wilkinson DIY and homewares chain. The Wilkinsons have invested #1.7m for a `small minority'...