Our cover star this month is Shire Beds with the business – or brand behind your brand – detailing what to expect to see during this month’s Bed Show. In keeping with the event, organised by the National Bed Federation, we take a look at what’s on show as well as sharing updates from a number of exhibitors that will be on display.
From Telford to Long Eaton, this edition also features the Long Point Autumn showcase, as well as the National Flooring Show in Harrogate. We also explore M.O.W. in Germany and next month’s Autumn Furniture Show and Decorex, while taking a further look ahead to next year’s Meble Polska.
This month shines the light on more of our Big Furniture Award 2025 winners, while we caught up with Dreamland Bedding, a year on from our last article with the business, to find out more about recent developments. Purecare returns with more insight from its dedicated ‘Sleep Survey’, while the TFR Group highlights the benefits behind its Rejuvenation Service.
On the subject of sustainability, Coats shares an insight into its high-performance solutions for a circular, low-carbon bedding and furniture industry, and Parador details its sustainable flooring. Meanwhile, Whitemeadow gears up for its in-house show, Gallery Direct details new collections across living, dining and bedroom, Sherborne Upholstery reveals two new launches and Cofra explains why it’s time the UK embraced veneer as the hallmark of fine furniture – leaving “solid oak snobbery” in the past.
As for the regulars, Fara Butt, Director at Shire Beds, talks about her role, sustainability inspiration, support for British manufacturing and expanding its own-label offering in our latest Big Interview. Meanwhile, Mike Murray, Managing Director at Land of Beds, talks about AI exploration, recent investments and why the industry needs to put words into actions around the importance of sleep in our Retail Focus feature. James Wilson, aka The Sleep Geek, returns for more sleep insight, while George Sinclair talks about how property costs are driving bed and mattress prices sky high. Natalia Samodina also returns once more with further industry insight, the Business Helpline continues the insolvency conversation and Furniture Sales Solutions profiles how it helps retailers grow, as well as detailing how to coach your sales team from the shop floor.
We explore WebReadyCatalog, a smarter way to deliver supplier content to customers, while RetailSystem highlights ongoing growth and what’s next. Furthermore, we unveil a new brand by Dura Beds, we introduce Hatti by Birlea and also share a follow-up feature from our recent visit to Peak Converters. We cover the latest news from Vietnam, China, and Ireland markets, while also sitting down with well-respected bespoke upholstery manufacturer David Gundry.
We also reveal the NBF’s new ‘Best Practice’ guide for claims relating to chemicals in mattress products. As part of the research behind the guidance, Big Furniture Group reached out to several bed and mattress manufacturers, suppliers and retailers to gauge what claims relating to chemicals in mattresses were being used and potential issues being raised. After months of collaboration, the guide is a must read for anyone in the bed trade.
As a final note – September’s edition marks our third anniversary of Big Furniture Group’s first printed edition. To celebrate, we spent some time with our printer to show you just how BFG goes through the press. 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.
