Cabinet Maker articles from October 2004

Cabinet Maker archives from October 2004

Sales growth continued in September.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Furniture and floorcoverings retailers saw another month of growth in September, although the rate slowed significantly. A balance of 32% of stores reported an increase in sales volumes compared to September 2003, according to the CBI...

Peddar returns to run new Wade bed chain.(Chris Peddar )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Seven months after he left Furnitureland, Chris Peddar is to return to the furniture industry, running a bed chain for Charles Wade, Multiyork owner. The company is expected to be launched in six to eight weeks. Peddar said he was...

COMMENT: Discounting to the death.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... After six months the saga of Lord Kirkham's attempt to buy back DFS has finally reached a conclusion (see p5). Congratulations to him on succeeding with the deal, although these are likely to be in short supply from rivals in the coming...

Courts UK team `gets to grips with change'.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Courts has completed its UK management team with three more appointments as it continues the `Herculean challenge' of turning the business around. Milton Guffog, former Kingfisher executive joins today (1 October) as retail director. Jim...

David Mann boosts space for furniture.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Surrey retailer David Mann is to double the size of its furniture department with a 7,000sqft expansion. The Cranleigh company plans to free up the storage depository at the rear of the store to use the space for selling. Murray...

Barclaycard buys into HoF storecard.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Barclaycard is to pay #25m between next January and 2007 to form a joint venture with HoF, with a further payment expected in January 2008. Barclaycard will launch the deal in Ireland next spring with the launch of HoF's Dublin branch...

Ben Bowyer.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The funeral of Ben Bowyer, Pinetum agent was held on 20 August. During the service, staff at the firm's Wiltshire factories observed a minute's silence in his honour. Bowyer had been an agent for Pinetum for nine years after many years...

Kitchens regrouped.(Burbidge)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Kitchen firm Burbidge has updated its brochure with products now grouped by style, for example country and vintage, rather than by wood. Copies can be downloaded from its website, which has also been revamped, at www.burbidge.co.uk ...

Productivity boost.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The DTI has said its Manufacturing Advisory Service will be able to help 4,000 more manufacturers a year to boost productivity over the next five years. Among the 2,000 companies to have benefited from the initiative so far this year, is bed...

Chain rebranding.(Sofas UK)(Emporio)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Sofas UK has been rebranded to Emporio, nine years after it was established by former Multiyork founders Charles and Jo Pugh. The name change is designed to reflect the 10 store chain's wider product offer after its expansion into living room...

Premium probe.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The BFM is conducting a study to discover whether its members are enjoying lower employee liability insurance premiums in return for good health and safety practices, as pledged by The Association of British Insurers last September. The move...

Kirkham: DFS is the only company for me.(Lord Kirkham )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Lord Kirkham would probably have stayed at DFS even if his bid to buy back the company had failed. And even if he had left he would not have set up another upholstery chain, he said after some 80% of shareholders at the EGM on 27 September...

ScS sets the style for store expansion.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... ScS's new Stockton branch will be a pilot site for store design and product launches. Successes at the #750,000 store will be rolled out across the group's 63 other branches. `We are trialling a number of new looks in the 15,000sqft...

Slumberland advertising.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Slumberland is likely to reintroduce national advertising next year after unveiling a new identity to coincide with a revamp of its independent product range. The campaign would be the first in more than a year. The `Too comfortable by far'...

Margins up at Laura Ashley margins.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Laura Ashley is to stop chasing sales at the expanse of margin as it concentrates on restoring profitability. Mike Kingsbury, chief operating officer, said the slowdown in homewares sales growth in the past year from 9% to 3% was the first...

City: Figures season sends shares to the extremes.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Renewed takeover speculation, this time centring on B&Q parent Kingfisher and venture capital firms, failed to prevent MFI shares crashing on a profits warning and the simultaneous exit of two directors. Some major investors may be quietly...

Share Update on 27 August 2004.(Illustration)
October 1, 2004... Share Update on 27 August 2004 Bold=new High/Low Now Change Change 2004 2004 over since High Low 6 weeks 6 Apr Retailers...

British designers get 100% show support.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... At the tenth 100% Design contemporary furnishings show, furniture designs had to fight with innovative lighting designs and wallpaper for the limelight. A central theme was the championing of young designers, particularly British based....

Hedging your bets on the next big thing.
October 1, 2004... VIEWS FROM AN IMPORTER: Martin Kay The UK is by and large a price-driven market, and no matter how consistently quickly we deliver or how stable our quality, the temptation will always exist for buyers to buy cheaper, and from untried...

Consult the Design Muse.(Book Review)(Brief Review)
October 1, 2004... Visitors to Design Interiors next January will receive more inspiration than usual with the launch of the MUSE trend book. Designed by Brinton Wade, the 100 page book is crammed with trend predictions, with tailored forecasts for 2005 from...

Greenapple delves into its past.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Greenapple delved into its past with the Iley occasional range at Decorex in London this week (26-29 September), combining American walnut and glass. It first paired the two with its Marbo and Wylou ranges several years ago Copyright: CMP...

Easy does it for UK arrivals.(United Kingdom)
October 1, 2004... There is good business to be made in the UK for foreign retailers, but they must be prepared to bide their time. Mark Lewis reports Britain is an alluring destination for overseas furniture retailers. Despite its saturated and notoriously...

Store manager - employment: A maze of myths.
October 1, 2004... Or are they? Naeema Choudry sorts the fact from fiction in employment law Businesses face ever-increasing employment legislation and employers are realising they can no longer make decisions about employees without having a sound working...

Retail Intelligence.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... August may have been a washout weatherwise, but when it came to furniture sales it proved to be another winning month. Some 52% of stores reported an increase in the value of month on month sales, 31% maintained sales at the same level as...

ACCESSORIES: Wearing a lifestyle.
October 1, 2004... More high street clothing stores are moving into homewares, particularly accessories, but is it paying off? asks Jennifer Pulling Style is much more than the clothes we wear; it's about the way we approach life. We stamp our personality on...

SPOGA: Outside looking in.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Almost 50,000 visitors attended garden furniture show Spoga last month where plenty of the offerings could make the move inside, reports Andrew Kidd For anyone selling garden furniture, Cologne is the place to be in early September. Some...

First person - Simon Horn: Ideas keep on coming.(Interview)
October 1, 2004... Simon Horn wants bird missiles and better protection from copyists and is Simon Horn Furniture md and proprietor How did you get started in the industry? I was a commodity broker in Beauchamp Place. We had an empty room downstairs so...

UK skills shortage forces firms to look abroad for staff.(United Kingdom)
October 8, 2004... Furniture manufacturers are employing staff from Eastern Europe because British workers don't have the necessary skills to fill vacancies. Greengate Upholstery in High Wycombe has had to recruit from Poland to plug a skills shortage, after...

COMMENT: Where have all the skills gone?(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... Eastern Europe is in the news once again, but this time not for sending container loads of furniture to our shores. It's now become the destination de jour for sourcing furniture making skills. The UK is known for its quality furniture...

Minerva to import own range from Poland.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... Buying Group Minerva is to import its own range of furniture from Poland, on show for the first time yesterday (7 October). The group will also work with existing suppliers to bring exclusive containers into the UK for the first time. ...

Home sector is slow to click online.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... The home and garden retail sector is the slowest to take up the trend for online trading, according to a recent survey of 50 retailers by retail consultancy Zendor. Financial concerns were cited as the most common obstacle for entry,...

Recovery plan in action but Allders still in the red.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... Allders has proved a difficult charge for its new parent, after it lost #22.6m in the year to June. Minerva, the property group which bought the department store chain last year, admitted it had underestimated the scale of the task it was...

Double landmark.(Dreams, Furniture industry)(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... Dreams chairman and md Mike Clare celebrates a double landmark. Dreams has exceeded the 100-store level and also topped the #100m turnover mark for the first time. The company also announced that it expects to create a further 1,000 jobs in the...

WEBs to grow.
October 8, 2004... East Midlands training company, WEBs, is looking to expand into the West Midlands and Bristol. The company, which has doubled its staff levels since 2003, is looking at possible sites, according to Peter Sisson, training director. ...

Ikea tops #1bn.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... Ikea UK sales topped #1bn for the first time. Like-for-like sales growth was 11%, coinciding with the year-long tenure of Peter Hogsted, md. The result was attributed, in part, to longer opening hours at the stores, he said. Copyright: CMP...

Harrods chief.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... Harrods has appointed a former Ikea deputy country manager as its chief operating officer. Jean Ouellette is the latest senior manager to be recruited by the store following the appointment of Richard Simonin as chief executive last year. ...

Exhibition sponsor.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... Heal's is to sponsor the V&A's International Arts and Crafts exhibition. The contemporary home furnisher will sell original arts and crafts furniture, and its standard products for the duration of the exhibition (17 March until 24 July) at its...

Water stop.(Essex retailer Ashley Craft )(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... Essex retailer Ashley Craft escaped flooding after a water main burst in Epping Forest. There was damage to the car park, but Ken Hall, owner stopped the water getting into the store by using sandbags. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Kent's new lifestyle.(Tunbridge Wells )(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... Tunbridge Wells has seen the opening of the Co-op's second lifestyle store. The #2m renovation follows the success of the #1m Perth Homestore earlier this year. `There was a need to modernise the Tunbridge Wells store and as the Co-...

Disabled protest.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... Blind and disabled workers have threatened to hijack the opening of the Scottish parliament over plans to make large scale redundancies at Edinburgh's Blindcraft factory. The Craigmillar factory and retail outlet, which makes and sells...

Czulowski to set up her own firm.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... Mary Czulowski is set to start her own company after her departure from Silentnight at the end of September. Yet to be named, the furniture and accessories company is expected to be a direct-to-consumer firm - possibly Internet based. It...

Fresher approach in north London.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... Sofa Workshop has opened a store in Barnet, north London, following its new concept format which features a fresher approach to retailing than its other stores. Produced by the Conran Design Group, Sofa Workshop's 11th London store has...

BGH to aim for independents.(Bernstein Group Holdings)(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... Spending on Bernstein Group Holdings' kitchens business will more than double to #1.5m over the next 12 months. The investment will go towards making its Four Seasons and Lifestyle brands more attractive to the independent sector. BGH...

Andrew Adamson - VIEWS ON SELLING: Never make assumptions.
October 8, 2004... Making assumptions is something we all do. We assume that the person with whom we are communicating understands what we are saying, and that we understand what they are thinking. In sales, as with many other instances, this doesn't always pay...

Letter: The industry is in danger of losing contact.(Letter to the Editor)
October 8, 2004... Attendance at events such as the AMUSF conference is slipping. This is due, I believe, to a culture change. Communication with the outside world is now far easier - I manage the Association's computer systems with access to a telephone from...

TPS warns over bogus fair guide charges.(Trade Promotion Services)(Trade Promotion Services)(Construct Data )(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... Companies have been warned to look out for bogus entry forms inviting them to be listed in exhibition catalogues. Austrian firm Construct Data has been asking exhibitors at shows such as Autumn Fair, GLEE and Spring Fair Birmingham to...

Warmer welcome for Arena and Pavilion.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... The Furniture Show organiser has responded to criticism from exhibitors in the Arena and Pavilion by moving visitor registration and improving signage for the next show in January. Registration desks will be inside the Arena and Pavilion...

Retail sales growth loses momentum.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... The value of the furniture and furnishing retail market grew in the second quarter of the year - but growth slowed dramatically. The market grew by 2.02% in April, May and June, generating sales of #2.52bn (at constant prices), according to...

Maison & Objet pulls in the overseas crowd.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... International visitors reached a new high at Maison & Objet last month. Of the 65,413 visitors to the Paris show, 43% were from outside France. Numbers from Italy, Eastern Europe and South East Asia/Oceana were up, but those from the UK...

Hidden Art moves into the open with first store.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... The Hidden Art scheme that promotes furniture designers and other designer-makers in east London is to be franchised to cover Cornwall. Falmouth College of Arts is to launch the operation next March in an effort to repeat the success of the...

News analysis: Open for business.
October 8, 2004... Rather than viewing the new European Union members as a threat, manufacturers should look instead at the opportunities, says Andrew Kidd Focus on Estonia Strengths Weaknesses * Geographic position ...

SHOP WINDOW: De Sadeleer.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... The Venice tie back is part of a new range of trimmings offered by De Sadeleer & Van Wilder. Its tie backs and tassels are distributed in the UK by Fibatek. Contact Fibatek on 01625 500609 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW: Danish Art Weaving.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... The Bauhaus design movement influenced a furniture fabric collection by Danish Art Weaving and is punctuated by simple, refined lines and primary colours Contact Danish Art Weaving on 00 45 9826 1444 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW: Connect.(Vift International)(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... Vift International introduced leather bed Louvre in response to demand for a low footend version of the company's bestseller, the Versailles sleigh bed. It is available in 10 leathers and 15 fabrics. Contact Connect by John Foreman on 0116...

SHOP WINDOW: Prestigious Textiles.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... Twister by Prestigious Textiles comprises seven geometric designs based on a 1970's inspired sequence of repeating motifs and was unveiled at Decosit Contact Prestigious Textiles on 01274 688 448 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

SHOP WINDOW: Enzodegli Angiuoni.(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... The Greens upholstery fabric collection introduced at Decosit is a range of rough and smooth textured linen and silk mix fabrics with dual coloured threads. Contact Enzodegli Angiuoni on 020 7250 0570 Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Store manager: motivation - Are you positive?
October 8, 2004... Pay, praise and potential are the watchwords in getting the best from your staff, says Gareth Price The problem I have seen a lacklustre performance from my staff lately and morale among them is not brilliant. What can I do to...

Retail focus: Covering the options.
October 8, 2004... Lynn Bradbury discovers that despite the wealth of store displays to the contrary, the choices are still wide for fabric covered sofas Everyone knows that leather is still a massive trend - nearly every advert for upholstery shows a leather...

LIVING ROOM: Anything goes.
October 8, 2004... Cabinet Maker surveyed furniture retailers in all price ranges to see what's selling in the living room sector. Some woods, like oak, are proving popular, but most buyers found trends hard to determine Competitive market David Semmens,...

DECOSIT: Fabric comes out fighting.
October 8, 2004... Decosit showed how the European upholstery fabric industry is rallying round to beat off the impending influx of Chinese imports, reports Stephanie Baum Against a backdrop of uncertainty, upholstery fabric exhibitors at the 26th Decosit in...

Webwatch: Browsing for beginners.(Gola Furniture)
October 8, 2004... Gola Furniture cuts out the gimmicks in favour of an easy to navigate brochure format Brochures are handy tools for companies, particularly manufacturers. They can display furniture in the best possible way, impart product knowledge and...

WEB WATCH: THE VERDICT.(Gola Furniture)(Brief Article)
October 8, 2004... Accessibility Gola jumps to the head of the class on Yahoo!. It's also prominent on search engine Dogpile. Its web design company Hard Light offers a handy link too. But it lags behind a stockist's reference to the company on Ask Jeeves....

First person - Thomas Bietlot: Worlds of wisdom.(Interview)
October 8, 2004... Thomas Bietlot, key accounts manager, Europe for importer Four Hands, believes in listening but does not shy away from speaking his mind How did you get started in the industry? I met Brett Hatton (Four Hands ceo), at Maison et Objet...

Industry needs to attract more women and ethnic minorities.
October 15, 2004... Skills shortages in the furniture manufacturing industry are exaggerated by the sector's inability to attract more women and ethnic minorities. According to a draft of a Government funded research report obtained by Cabinet Maker,...

COMMENT: Fair competition?(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... Italian leather upholstery manufacturer New Trend and Geha, a bedroom cabinet manufacturer, have both announced their intentions to open retail outlets exclusively for their own brands. It's nothing new for our industry, as Natuzzi has also...

Kenyon-Brown takes charge at Duresta.(Duresta)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... Clive Kenyon-Brown will take over the helm of Duresta, following the announcement of Peter Connolly's retirement last week. Kenyon-Brown becomes md with immediate effect, while Connolly hands over. He is due to leave at the end of the year....

Liverpool showroom for German manufacturer.(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... German bedroom manufacturer Geha UK has opened a retail showroom in Liverpool. The showroom will be run by Daniel Burman who is also general manager of manufacturer Elegant Fitted Bedrooms. Although his company has been producing bedroom...

Perfect timing.(Perfect Nights)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... The new bed store due to be opened by Charles Wade and Chris Peddar is to be called Perfect Nights. The first retail outlet is expected to open to the public before Christmas. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Moves at John Lewis.(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... Luke Mayhew, md responsible for department stores at John Lewis, is to leave the company. He will be succeeded by Charlie Mayfield who is currently development director. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Tropical timber.(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... Greenpeace has accused Singapore and Malaysia of being at the centre of illegal trade of tropical timbers. It claimed that the illegal logging and smuggling of wood cut from the Ramin tree, which is commonly used for furniture and window...

Bright new store.(Retailer BrightHouse )(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... Retailer BrightHouse will open a new store in Abingdon Street, Blackpool on Saturday 16 October. The chain opened its first store in Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham, 10 years ago and now has 130 outlets. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Ups and downs.(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... Inflation dropped during September but upward pressure continued to be exerted by the rising price of furniture, according to the Office for National Statistics. CPI inflation - the Government's target measure - declined to 1.1% in September,...

New Trend sets its sights on a UK store.(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... Italian upholstery manufacturer, New Trend, is set to explore the UK retail market with its own store. Giuseppe Castellano, owner, has been in talks with UK furniture entrepreneur, Sam Newman to seek a metropolitan site near other...

BFM budget slashed.(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... The BFM's budget has been slashed by almost 50% after the consequences of the Government's March spending review started to be felt. The BFM's funding body, UK Trade and Investment, saw its budget cut by 20% in the review, but its knife...

M&S suffers yet another sales fall.(Marks & Spencer)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... `Steady' homewares was one of the few things Stuart Rose had to brag about in a trading statement which revealed a fifth consecutive quarterly sales decline at Marks & Spencer. The chief executive tried to seize some comfort from the fact...

MBO for J Burdekin.(J Burdekin )(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... J Burdekin has changed hands, following a management buyout, finalised on 6 October. After the death of Adrian Burdekin in July 2003, his father Frank instigated the MBO of the cane and rubberwood furniture importer. David Sadler and...

CITY: MFI lifts as rumours continue on takeover.(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... MFI moved from recent lows on rumours that Kingfisher was negotiating to buy the Howdens builders merchant chain. But some analysts see difficulty in breaking Howdens away from the group because first, the main MFI would hardly be viable and...

An enterprising Yorkshire yarn.(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... Textiles mill and converter, Riverside Fabrics, has opened a retail outlet, called Abode, on its West Yorkshire site. The Silsden firm, which recently realised its first profit after becoming private in May last year, created the store to...

High rises before the year end.(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... The FTSE 100 index is fractionally below the two-year high set on 5 October and has broken out of an extended narrow trading range. Technical analysts calculate that a further gain of 300 points is likely before a downturn, and most year-end...

Chemical retention.(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... Children retain a higher concentration of the potentially dangerous chemicals in furniture flame-retardants than adults, according to a report by the World Wildlife Fund. A study of seven British families by the WWF and the Co-operative...

Letter: The real cost of training.(Letter to the Editor)
October 15, 2004... I was interested to read Where have all the skills gone (cm, 8 Oct, p3). As a company making most of its range of furniture in-house, I am only too aware of the shortage of skilled labour. You may be interested to know that for the past...

CoVE to address skills shortage.(Centre of Vocational Excellence)
October 15, 2004... Lancashire has seen the opening of a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE), aimed at addressing the skills shortages in the furniture industry. The North Lancashire Training Group has obtained funding from the Learning and Skills Council...

TFS to feature a promising collection of new designers.(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... The Furniture Show in January will feature unprecedented support for new designers. The new Collections area in halls seven and eight will showcase Cabinet Maker's Young Designers Collection competition and be dedicated to bringing new...

Holtkamp UK - Appointment.(Brief Article)
October 15, 2004... Wendy Hawkins has been appointed Holtkamp UK area sales manager for the North of England and Scotland. She takes over the sales territory of Peter Holtkamp, UK md who will be working from the head office. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.