Our cover star this month features La-Z-Boy and is the centre of attention in our interview with DFS alongside former basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal. We sat down with Kellie Wyles, Head of Upholstery at DFS, to find out more on their recent partnerships as well as an insight into other initiatives, challenges and trends.
Keeping the spotlight fixed on La-Z-Boy, Natasha Shillingford, Brand Marketing Director, International, talks about her role, future plans, supporting gender balance in the industry and some special career moments in our latest Big Interview. As for our other regulars, Oakavia talks about recent investments, an evolving product range, the growing demand of reclaimed wood and why AR & VR is showing great potential in our Retail Focus feature. We also spoke with Chris Edmunds in our latest Meet the Agent/Rep series, who shares an insight into his role, why the industry is special and how having a retail background has helped in his agent career.
This month features coverage of a number of industry events, including the Spring Furniture & Beds Show and Long Point, as well as a review of the recent Furniture Components Expo and a look at the upcoming Manchester Furniture Show and Irish Furniture & Homewares Show. We caught up with Purecare once more where they shared more data behind its drive to become the UK’s go-to brand in the sleep and wellness space, while Limelight Beds, Gallery Direct, Adjust-A-Bed, Birlea, Willis & Gambier, Sofa Source, Image Furnishings, Avriio and Wiemann all share their respective recent developments.
The Furniture & Home Improvement Ombudsman (FHIO) looks at the potential consequences retailers have when calculating partial refunds, while RetailSystem details how they power next-level delivery and service. We also spoke with US brand Snooze on its ongoing expansion, Maysons on how they design dreams and FurnitureCatalog on the benefits behind the game-changing digital tool that streams products at the click of a button.
Natalia Samodina, Client Legal Director at law firm The Legal Director, returns and talks about the evolving legislative landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and highlights some key points to consider, while Joph Young, qualified Insolvency Practitioner with over 20 years’ practical experience at Leonard Curtis, shares an insight into pressures a business may face, signs to look out for and the different options available if becoming insolvent. We also feature Jag Sandhu, Director at Tokyo Fabrics, on the importance of its continued use of Halogen FR treatments and we gain a further insight into WEBS Training, which has been delivering apprenticeships for furniture manufacture since 1968.
Boutique shares an insight into its upcoming Home & Garden Conference 2025, Furniture And Choice details the latest trends and James Wilson, aka The Sleep Geek, returns, highlighting the condition of Orthosomnia. The Bed Expert, alongside letters from China, Vietnam and America also return, while Furniture Sales Solutions talks about why your team doesn’t need more customers, but just better conversations. The final announcement to end with is the return of the Big Furniture Awards with voting for your 2025 winners now open.
That’s enough from me, so enjoy our latest magazine. Oh, and if you have any news you want to shout about or if you’re keen to get involved, drop me an email on dan@bigfurnituregroup.com. We’d love to share your story.
