Over cover star this month features the Irish Furniture & Homewares Show as organisers prepare to welcome the industry back to Dublin. We found out more about what’s on show. In keeping with August events, INDX Furniture also returns at the end of the month. We caught up with the team on what visitors can expect to see.
This month features another Big Furniture Awards 2025 roundup – this time sharing some pics from the winners, while we also recap the recent Manchester Furniture Show through images. From one show to another, Gallery Direct details its experience at SOLEX and we take a first look at next month’s NBF Bed Show.
Moving on from shows, we were welcomed to the Peak Converters facility where we got a chance to explore behind the scenes at the UK’s leading foam and fibre converter. We caught up with Glasswells on its ongoing refurbishment, Material Things on its 50th anniversary milestone and Purecare, uncovering more insight from its new Sleep Study. Scatter Box reveals more about its new chapter in home interiors, Shire Beds continues its brand message and Nectar talks about its recent MTick certification.
Furthermore, Right Furnishings details its white label soft furnishings expansion, MattressNextDay delivers its fifth consecutive record-breaking year, Natalia Samodina explores five pressing workforce challenges, and GNG reveals the return of a fan favourite product. Meanwhile, FURNY shares an insight into AR developments and its new app, RetailSystem explains why WebSystem delivers the digital edge, ufurnish talks about continued scale and innovation, and we introduce WebReadyCatalog – a powerful tool full of supplier content. We also introduce a family-owned Ukrainian furniture factory FURNITURE TOKABO LTD as it looks to build new wholesale partnerships in the UK, while Sealy shares more about its recent Which? Best Buy Mattress recognition.
As for the regulars, Rachel Cooper, Category Manager at AIS Ltd, talks about a passion for interiors, current trends and what needs to change in the industry in our latest Big Interview, while Mark Gannon, CEO of Image Furnishings Group and Founder of IFHS, shares an insight into establishing the Irish show, fire reg changes and what’s next in a second Big Interview – that’s right, there’s two this month! Damien Lawlor, Managing Director of Lawlors Furniture and Flooring, talks about recent investments including its new mobile floor shop in our Retail Focus feature and we also spoke with Dave and Debbie Jenkins on their journey as agents in the industry.
Meanwhile, our next round of expert commentary from George Sinclair focuses on why kid’s beds matter too, we cover the latest news from Vietnam, China, the USA and Ireland markets, while the Sleep Geek, aka James Wilson, talks about hot weather opportunities. We also caught up with some award winners where Celebrity, Emmiera, Dura Beds, Harrison Spinks, Ekornes, Guardsman, Ulster, Woods Packaging and Pacific Lifestyle share their respective reactions, while Whitemeadow, BedGear, Willis & Gambier, Birlea, Avriio, Sofa Source and Image Furnishings detail recent developments.
We caught up with Bodyease on its Mammoth opportunity, the Business Helpline Group looks into what happens next when a furniture business fails, Furniture And Choice talks trends, and Furniture Sales Solutions signs off the edition with an insight into the easiest way to grow sales in furniture retail.
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.
