Limelight Beds talks about progress so far this year, the shift back to metal and why consumers opt towards bricks and mortar retailers.
It has been a busy year so far for Barwell-based bed supplier Limelight Beds. Like most in the industry, it has also been a challenging one too. “We have had a better start than last year, so it’s onwards and upwards! As with many suppliers and other businesses in the furnishing trade, it’s certainly a challenging environment,” says the company.
“The biggest challenge we have had has been shipping times. We have had containers tour ports around west Africa and Europe, and it has almost doubled the length of a trip from source. Over the last six months we have had to plan for containers taking up to 10 weeks to land instead of the four we were all used to.
“However, I feel we are in for a better second half of the year as interest rates start to drop and, hopefully, we start to see a bit more stability in global trade.”
Despite the ongoing issues impacting the wider industry, Limelight Beds’ solid start to 2025 began at the January Furniture Show (JFS), where new product developments received an “excellent” reaction. “We launched five new ranges at JFS, including the three FSC ranges (FSC Licence number C203924), to add to our list of sustainable products,” the company continued.
“Our Kenji range now has one of the largest storage drawers we have ever seen, and we have added storage solutions across the range. Following the success of our Remi sofa bed we added a new fabric in two new colourways to the collection taking it to four options. We’ve had an excellent response so far.”
Keeping busy, the team at Limelight Beds are always looking to innovate and develop products to meet customer demands. One such demand that is growing is the shift back to metal beds. The business explains: “We are seeing a big shift towards metal beds. Our metal ranges have consistently been in our top five SKUs over the last year, and there is definitely a market for good quality metal beds.
“We keep mentioning this to customers, and they have sold great for the customers who have tried them. On shopping behaviours, we see a lot more sales to companies with a bricks and mortar presence. Customers love a deal but the ease of talking to a staff member and knowing where to go if there is an issue is a huge plus.
“We are always looking at new products and potential exclusive models for customers, whether that is wood, metal or fabric frames. Please get in touch with us today to see how we can help you.”
