John Lewis will focus on home and nursery as a cornerstone of its strategy with more entry point pricing and more home products available from Waitrose stores.

Since 1973 visiting the nearest Argos branch to pick up the new catalogue was a bi-annual event for households across the country, but no more. 

ScS has seen sales almost double since its stores re-opened.

Home technology association CEDIA is to hold an online conference on lighting.

Natuzzi is to continue the roll-out of its Natuzzi Editions stores with a branch in Chester.

The Museum of the Home is to keep the statue of Sir Robert Geffrye, with the aim of creating ‘a powerful platform for debate about the connection between the buildings and transatlantic slavery.’ 

Bed brand Mammoth has teamed up with a leading sleep scientist to launch a new video podcast series on sleep advice.

Karl Sommermeyer, former himolla md has died, aged 71.

The Flooring Show is to reschedule to late February with the normal September exhibition also due to take place next year.

The new owner of Oak Furnitureland is looking to close more than a quarter of the chain’s stores.

Headlam’s £26m distribution centre in Ipswich is now operational.

Birlea has continued to invest in its Willis & Gambier brand, bolstering its management.

Fifth-generation bedmaker Harrison Spinks has reshuffled its management.

Wood machinists and upholstery sewing machinists will not be able to come to the UK and work from next year under the government’s planned points-based immigration system.

More than 170 stores have signed up to the National Bed Federation’s newly launched Retail Champions scheme.

Mattress in a box brand Eve Sleep has seen its first positive cash flow in the past six months, but it is yet to make a profit.

The government has confirmed that business rates will not be revalued until 2023.

Thonet has unveiled an updated website designed to inspire shoppers.

Marks & Spencer is to remove 950 management roles as it begins its Never the Same Again transformation plan.

Wren Kitchens has resumed its expansion, with its 93rd store.

The Flooring Show has been postponed after the government said exhibitions could only be held from 1 October, subject to the outcome of pilot events.

This year’s rescheduled Proposte fabric exhibition has been cancelled.

Upholstery manufacturer TCM Living has recruited Jonathan Fearn, Show Zone cfo to the same role.

Flooring exhibition Domotex has sold about two-thirds of the show, and visitors face wearing face masks.

Online sales still account for almost half of Dunelm’s sales since its stores re-opened.

DFS has seen sales leap since its stores re-opened.

 The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, is holding an online auction fundraiser to raise money to support people in the trade who have been hit hardest by the pandemic.

Furniture, lighting and accessories brand Established & Sons has named a new co-md.

Almost a third less footfall for stores could be the ‘new normal’, according to one footfall expert.

Anti Copying in Design (ACID) is to host a free intellectual property webinar, reaching out to those in the furniture and furnishings sector on 23 July at 11am.

Birlea is set to introduce its first Willis & Gambier designs in the autumn, a year after buying the brand.

Half of John Lewis’s store closures will be At Home stores.

Poltrona Frau and Cappellini owner Lifestyle Group has added Luxury Living Group to its portfolio.

Brintons Carpets has proposed plans to stop dyeing yarn at its site in Kidderminster, with the loss of 25 jobs.

Laminate flooring and carpet are the two flooring products most searched for online by shoppers.

Mattress in a box retailer Emma has significantly cut the price of its Original mattress and revamped its product offer after more than doubling UK sales in the first half of the year.

Flooring retailer Factory Direct Flooring saw 40% increase of online orders during lockdown as consumers opted for low cost laminate they could fit themselves.

The Malaysian International Furniture Fair is to launch an online version of the show next month.

The National Bed Federation has launched a marketing scheme to promote the benefits of buying approved British-made beds to consumers.

Exhibition organiser Hyve has taken the decision to cancel September’s Autumn Fair.

Sharon White, John Lewis partnership chairman has warned that not all of its stores will re-open and staff will know which ones will remain closed by mid-July.

Harrods is to make almost one in seven of its staff redundant because of coronavirus.

Topps Tiles has seen sales rebound since stores re-opened and it has reported that social distancing is not causing problems.

Furniture chain Harveys has fallen into administration while sister chain Bensons for Beds has been sold in a pre-pack administration.

Construction work on Headlam’s regional distribution centre in Ipswich has begun.

Travis Perkins is to demerge Wickes ahead of a sale as the chain enjoys strong kitchen and bathroom sales.

Home sale at John Lewis were hit by the hot weather in the past week.

La-Z-Boy UK is to be the principal sponsor of the Scottish Furniture Trades Benevolent Association’s annual Golf Outing next month.

Mattress in a box manufacturer Bettzeit has seen a massive increase of sales of its Emma Mattress brand as it looks to expand its UK distribution.

Bedroom furniture manufacturer Wiemann has seen a double-digit increase in sales to UK independent retailers in the first half of the year.

Mike Ashley, Sports Direct ceo and majority shareholder has severely criticised the previous management of House of Fraser and said politicians are failing the country economically.

Online retailer Wayfair is to open a pop-up showroom for one day next month.

Molteni&C has relaunched its Shaftesbury Avenue, London store, focusing on wardrobes and its Dada kitchen brand.

Footfall to non-food stores showed signs of improvement last month.

John Lewis saw increased overall and home sales in the final week of its summer sale.

Stressless has opened its first UK brand store.

Next year’s BFM London Fabric Show will take place on 25-26 February.

Steinhoff International’s UK household division reduced operating losses by 12% despite Harvey’s ongoing losses in the past financial period.

John Lewis saw a dip in home sales in the past week, despite good performances from textiles and gifts.

The European Resilient Flooring Manufacturers’ Institute (ERFMI) has published the latest Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) covering the full range of resilient floor coverings and updated the EPD calculator on its website.

Jill Macdonald, Marks & Spencer clothing and home md is to leave the chain, with Steve Rowe, Marks & Spencer ceo taking control.

Retail software provider Swan Retail has acquired rival Touchretail.

DFS has seen an underlying 7% increase in sales in the past year.

Harveys has strengthened its links with Louise Rednapp with the introduction of a second by Louise upholstery collection.

The National Bed Federation’s first round of random product testing has shown the divergence between products from members and non-members, but not all members’ products were problem free.

Dunelm has seen like for like in-store sales leap in the past quarter, along with strong online sales.

A rise in home sales helped John Lewis to lift overall performance in the past week.

Bed manufacturer Furmanac suffered a double-digit fall in sales in its most recent financial year.

Homewares was the best performing sector for high street retailers last month: the only sector to see growth.

German flat-packed furniture manufacturer Germania has announced new UK agents.

Topps Tiles has seen another quarter of increasing like for like sales.

Casper has become the latest foam mattress in a box company to widen its product offer with a hybrid model.

Furniture supplier Birlea Furniture has acquired the Willis & Gambier brand and IP rights.

John Lewis saw home sales fall back in the week to 29 June, despite the weather lifting garden furniture.

Expanding kitchen chain Wren Kitchens is looking to recruit staff from failed bathroom retailer Bathstore.

Nearly 200 people came out in support of the 25th anniversary edition of Big Shots, The Furniture Makers’ Company’s clay pigeon shoot,  raising more than £34,000 for the charity.

Fans, outdoor furniture and beach towels were among the best performing products at John Lewis last week as home sales fell again.

A chair showroom is among the finalists of The Society of British and International Design’s International Design Awards.

Sports Direct could lend House of Fraser up to £50m to prevent its collapse.

Spring manufacturer Sprinks Springs has won The Furniture Makers’ Company’s third annual Export Award, ahead of two other finalists.

Canterbury independent furniture retailer Nasons is undertaking a consultation with staff over the future of the business.

Flooring chain Tapi is to open its 100th store next week.

Upholstery manufacturer Ashley Manor has seen its third senior management change in recent weeks.

Flooring chain Tapi has raised almost £10m from shareholders.

DMM ceo Mark Smith has described the recruitment of Scott Coggan and his design team following the collapse of Fabb Sofas as a chance to take the parent company of Ashley Manor, AMX and Alexander & James to ‘the next level of commercial creativity’.

Whitemeadow were delighted to unveil an exclusive collaboration with award-winning mattress manufacturer, Hypnos, at the Manchester Furniture show earlier this week.

John Lewis home sales again suffered in the hot weather, although the chain returned to growth in the past week.

Victoria has seen its core profitability increase for the fifth successive year but acquisition expenses and redundancy costs hit pre-tax profits.

House of Fraser is facing legal action from a group of store landlords over its plan to close more than half its stores by next spring.

Furniture buyer Julian Cox is to return to AIS.

IVC Group has stopped using plastic for its sample packaging for its Moduleo LVT brand.

The BFM’s move to a new head office has created a new showroom opportunity.

Home suffered a double-digit decline at John Lewis last week, despite another strong performance from garden furniture.

Bedroom and kitchen furniture supplier Hill’s Panel Products has completed the first stage of its £2.5m investment programme.

Credit insurers have reduced cover for suppliers to Debenhams, which has issued three profit warnings this year.

Four rowers trying to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic this winter will be relying on Mammoth foam mattresses to get enough sleep.

Waste management company Hippo has become the latest corporate member of the Furniture Makers’ Company.

Henry Tadros has become the fourth generation of the founding family to become a board member at Ercol.

A major rise in online sales helped offset a significant drop in in-store sales at Dunem in the past quarter.

DFS has warned shareholders that profits will fall as the hot weather has kept shoppers away and products have not arrived from the Far East.

Serene Furnishings has recruited two new sales agents as one retires after three decades.

Next year’s Buying Group’s National Flooring Show has been confirmed for mid-May.

Software company Ordorite will be demonstrating its latest mobile technology at The Manchester Furniture Show.

The impact of the continuing hot weather and England’s progress in the World Cup were demonstrated by sales at John Lewis last week.

The shortlist of the Rado Star Prize UK 2018 has been revealed, with the winner of the £5,000 prize to be revealed at Designjunction.

Furniture and kitchen manufacturer and retailer Treske has invested in its production amid increasing demand.

Marks & Spencer has taken the unusual move in deciding not to update shareholders at its AGM tomorrow.

Beauflor and BerryAlloc owner Beaulieu International Group has strengthened its international position with purchases in Canada and Australia.

Gallery Direct is to merge its Dreamworks Beds subsidiary into its main business on 1 August.

Luxury outdoor furniture manufacturer Rivelin has become the first outdoor furniture company to achieve a Manufacturing Guild Mark from The Furniture Makers’ Company.

With more than 10 days to go before the start of the Manchester Furniture Show, visitor pre-registrations have increased by more than a fifth, including retailers who have never attended the show.

Topps Tiles has seen third quarter sales slip, although the fall was less that half of that a year ago.

John Lewis suffered a double-digit fall in home sales in the past week, which the chain blamed on the hot weather.

The six finalists for the Carpet Fitter of the Year competition have been revealed.

Jas Bagniewski, ceo and co-founder of mattress etailer Eve has left the business. The company said it had lost focus and was changing its strategy.

Carpet manufacturer Cormar Carpets has rebrand itself to emphasise its focus on carpets.

Furniture and homewares supplier Libra has opened its first concession.

La-Z-Boy UK galleries have begun trading across UK and Republic of Ireland retailers as part of a major push by the upholstery manufacturer.

House of Fraser will open its first store at an out-of-town retail and leisure complex next month: its first new store in almost a decade.

As demand for compassionate and sustainable homeware grows the first People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) FoundationVegan Homeware Awards celebrate the best designs and innovations for a cruelty-free home, says the campaigning organisation.

Major exhibitors at the Manchester Furniture Show have reported a better than expected performance amid maintained visitor numbers.

A record 14 furniture and product projects have been shortlisted for the furniture and product category of the Wood Awards 2017.

Geoff Wilding, Victoria executive chairman has said Warren Buffett has helped guide his strategy after a record year for the group.

Retailers have been urged to encourage shoppers to buy British-made beds as they are ‘the best’ and ‘among the safest in the world’.

Sales in John Lewis’s three buying groups all saw growth in the past week, helped by a near double-digiit furniture and flooring increase and strong online sales.

Harveys has launched a TV advertising campaign for its Sofas By You upholstery, with more than 1,300 commercials.

Which? has named four mattresses as new Best Buys in its latest appraisal of the sector, with all scoring 70% or above.

London Fabric organiser BFM has confirmed the dates for next February’s exhibition.

The Furniture Makers’ Company, the furnishing industry’s charity, has made two key appointments to grow the organisation’s presence in the north of England and raise vital funds for the charity.

Upholstery manufacturer Tetrad has been bought by Westbridge parent Belfield Group.

Flooring distributor Headlam saw increased UK residential sales in the past six months, and lifted margins.

Strong furniture and flooring sales helped John Lewis to a major turnaround in home sales in the past week.

Carpetright has enrolled 75 store managers for the launch of its Store Manager Academy, which will see the managers taking on a year-long course to achieve an Institute of Leadership & Management Diploma Level 3.

Fabric and wallcoverings company Timorous Beasties has opened ‘The Shed’ a trade showroom close to its Glasgow head office.

Bedroom furniture supplier Kindrid Living has strengthened its support teams.

Highgrove Bed Group has named Andrew Richards as group sales director.

Bensons for Beds has continued to roll out its new Megastore format.

Online mattress retailer eve has seen both UK and non-UK sales more than double in the past six months as it gears up for its Next phase of its bricks and mortar presence.

According to property surveyors, the UK housing market is in a state of lethargy, and estate agents have reported the lowest stock of properties for nearly 40 years.

Filed accounts for Steinhoff UK Upholstery show sales of £115m in 2015 This is an increase of over 4pc on the previous year and shows the company has had five consecutive years of sales revenues of £100m plus

The retailer reported like-for-like clothing and homeware sales fell 1.2 per cent in the 13 weeks to 1 July - a vast improvement on the 5.9 per cent decline suffered in the previous quarter, the retailer continued to battle a slump in clothes sales during the most recent quarter, as a rise in inflation started to eat into consumers’ wallets, but the fall was less severe than expected and overall sales rose.

Renowned kitchen designer Mark Wilkinson died on 5 July after a short battle with cancer. He was 66 and passed away peacefully at his home in Wiltshire surrounded by his wife and children.

Underwear entrepreneur and Conservative peer Michelle Mone has launched an interior design company.

Steinhoff is reorganising its retail delivery operations as it looks to boost productivity and cut costs.

ScS has agreed a deal with former Ikea subsidiary Ikano to provide it with consumer finance.

John Lewis saw home sales return to growth in the past week.

Mike Couple, Sainsbury’s chief executive has hailed the ‘stellar’ performance of Argos in the past quarter, with shoppers wanting same day delivery.

Consumer confidence has dropped to its lowest level since July 2013, with the Brexit vote raising shoppers’ fears about incomes and house prices, but previous income rises could offer support.

Mattress recycling rates are likely to have stalled after recent increases, with almost three-quarters of old mattresses going to landfill, according to a new report.

Serene Furnishings has named Alan Weir as sales director.

Bed manufacturer The Shire Bed Company has invested more than £100,000 improving its manufacturing.

Recently, we celebrated the opening of our 109th Gautier shop.
Our new store location is: The plaza, 535 King's Rd, Chelsea, London SW10 0SZ

Sales of home products plummeted last week as the hot weather saw consumers enjoy the sun rather then shop.

Geoff Wilding, Victoria executive chairman says the flooring group will have a positive Brexit future after hitting out at ‘hyper-ventilating commentators and hysterical luvvie wittering.’

Runners, rugs and fabric company Roger Oates Design has been bought by Ulster Carpets.

Sainsbury’s £1.4bn takeover of Argos parent Home Retail Group is set to go ahead.

Flooring and furniture retailer Winnens has expanded with the opening of a second store.

Sealy has retained its Which? Best Buy status for its Posturepedic Pocket Teramo 1400 model.

John Lewis recorded another increase in home sales last week, helped by the weather and weddings.

Upholstery, soft furnishings, mattress and curtain manufacturing group Belfield Furnishings has been sold to its management and private equity firm NorthEdge Capital.

Tetrad has again transformed its Preston showroom ahead of an At Home show.

Furniture producer Godfrey Syrett has invested in technology as it looks to double turnover in five years.

Modern furniture retailer Aram is to devote a tenth of its floorspace to Italian bed, bedroom and upholstery company Flou.

US designer Todd Bracher is to create the sixth Das Haus at next January’s IMM Cologne show.

John Lewis again increased home sales last week, with beds continuing their recent good performance.

Steinhoff International is to strengthen its European bed manufacturing by investing in French manufacturer Cofel.

German furniture manufacturer Zeitraum is to open its pop-up store in London in the autumn.

Airsprung Furniture Group has sold its upholstery subsidiary Collins & Hayes.

Walker Greenbank has agreed a licensing deal that will see Sanderson, Harlequin and Scion bed-linen sold in North America.

Carpet company Edel Telenzo has confirmed its new UK management structure.

The country’s main stockmarket listed specialist interiors retailers have seen their valuations drop by more than 27% since the EU membership referendum.

While energy recovery, the equestrian and automotive/leisure sectors offer opportunities for future growth in carpet recycling, segregating carpet waste for reuse and recycling remains a key challenge, particularly for retailers, according to Laurance Bird, Carpet Recycling UK director.

Steinhoff UK Bedding Group has invested £2.2 million in a new distribution fleet and plans to spend another £1m next year.

Visitors to September’s China International Furniture Fair have been promised an improved visitor experience as infrastructure investments come to fruition.

Matthew Williams, Topps Tiles ceo says he is confident in the chain’s ability to out perform the market, after sales growth rose in the third quarter.

The Tendence trade show is to be moved almost two months earlier from next year, while new sections will be added.

Bed and bedroom furniture sales enjoyed another double-digit sales right at John Lewis last week.

Martin Harris, Tapi chief executive says he is in awe of what the chain’s employees have achieved since its launch.

Dreams owner Sun European Partners is eyeing a £400m sale of the bed chain, according to The Sunday Times.

Vanessa Brady, Society of British and International Design founder and award winning interiors designer is to return to The Flooring Show in September, as part of the exhibition’s seminar programme.

Bed manufacturer Sweet Dreams has strengthened its community ties by renewing its sponsorship with Burnley FC Girls and Ladies.

Eddershaws launches closing own sale marking the end of 181 years of business.

Furniture was a strong performer for John Lewis in the final week of its summer Clearance sale.

Carpet group Victoria has decided against paying a dividend, preferring to hang on to its cash as it looks for more acquisitions.

Five years after being reborn as an online retailer, MFI has again been closed down.

Shepherd zinc cast furniture castor manufacturer Kenrick has increased production by 10%, with output poised to top 1million units a year.

The first Flooring Showcase at next year’s January Furniture Show has sold out and will be double the size first planned.

Bensons for Beds has continued its focus on branding, rather than price in its latest consumer advertising campaign.

The brightest talent in the furnishing industry has outlined three challenges the industry faces, as the second Furniture Makers’ Company Young Professional Industry Experience programme ends.

Benchmark Furniture has dominated the shortlist of the 2015 Wood Awards, with three of the seven finalists in the Bespoke and Production categories.

Jon Massey, DFS chief operating officer is to retire from the upholstery retailer this autumn after 27 years at the chain.

Furniture manufacturers and the local authority have combined to hail Long Eaton as the ‘UK Centre of Quality Upholstery Manufacture’.

Wade Upholstery has named Mike Greasley as representative for the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, Cheshire and North Wales.

Underlay, laminate and accessories group Interfloor has strengthened its management.

John Lewis will reopen the home department of its flagship store in the autumn after a £14m revamp.

Tetrad has refurbished its Preston showroom, creating individually styled rooms for each of its upholstery collections.

Mattress and seating manufacturer Mammoth Technologies has signed an exclusive deal The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy in which it will give its advice as the company develops new products.

Underlay, accessories and laminate flooring group Interfloor has invested £3m as it gears up for an increase in demand.

Bedding company Trendsetter Home Furnishings has seen sales rise by 48% in the past year and pre-tax profits leap.

Harrison Spinks has been hailed for its success in boosting exports.

Inflation fell back from 0.1% to 0% in June, despite higher home furnishing prices.

Retailers saw the value of sales climb by the largest amount since January 2014, excluding distortions caused by the timing of Easter, in June as they rose by 1.8% on a like for like basis.

Silentnight has been deepened its relationship with Lancashire County Cricket Club after upgrading its sponsorship.

John Lewis saw a drop in home sales last week, as it enjoyed overall growth during its sale.

ScS has appointed its fourth non-executive director, former Kingfisher executive George Adams.

Furniture chain and supplier Neptune Home has received support for its plans to turn an ‘eyesore’ into a new showroom.

Carpet manufacturer Brintons is to make its debut at Maison & Objet in September as it looks to increase exports.

Julian Bowen has named a regional sales manager, succeeding the company’s former sales agent.

In his seventh Budget speech, and second in four months, George Osborne has proposed further cuts to corporation tax and a large rise in minimum pay rates.

Non-food retailers cut prices for the 27th consecutive month in June, with interiors retailers leading the way.

Larger stores in England and Wales could be offered the chance to open longer on Sundays.

Axminster Carpets has promoted its regional managers to sales directors.

Heal’s is using its new Westbourne Grove, London store to focus on lighting and interior design alongside a new bespoke service.

What form could living take on, if a designer is able to really live out his fantasies? How much can one read into his person, culture and convictions regarding the sense, function and aesthetics of architecture, furniture and interior design based on such a design? And what appearance does this vision take on when it is created by a German designer?

John Lewis saw flooring sales jump by more than a third last week.

Bensons Beds has become the latest retailer to look to promote its brand rather than price.

John Lewis is to begin charging for low value click and collect orders, saying the free service is unsustainable.

Tiles and flooring chain Topps Tiles has continued to lift sales.

Consumer confidence slipped back this month, but consumers are still interested in big-ticket purchases.

Furniture, lighting and accessories company The Libra Company has been shortlisted in the Nectar Business Small Business Awards 2014.

Wickes has seen its profit margins recover after 'intense' promotional offers in the kitchen and bathroom sectors.

Carpetright has seen sales rise this summer, but at the expense of profit margins.

Argos has launched a new interiors brand – Heart of Home – with its latest seasonal catalogue.

Home sales jumped by more than a third at John Lewis last week as overall sales climbed by almost a fifth.

Consumers turned away from big-ticket purchases at B&Q in the past quarter.

G Plan Upholstery has recruited Stephanie Hildon as its first brand director.

The Irish Furniture and Homewares Show is due to make its debut in Dublin next month.

Flooring distributor Green Tree Distribution has launched a trade commerce website, as part of its expansion plans.

Buying group AIS is to reintroduce two former multi-million pound interiors brands as own-label ranges for its members.

Andrew Vaughan, brand director for the May Design Series and kbb Birmingham trade shows is to leave organiser UBM.

Shoppers continued to show a keen eye for a bargain last week, helping John Lewis lift sales by more than a fifth.

Buying group AIS has confirmed that its January furniture event will overlap the January Furniture Show.

Bedroom company Swanglen Furnishings is celebrating the anniversary of being bought by Airsprung Furniture Group and a major efficiency boost.

The cream of consumer journalism on wool carpets, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds to the industry, will be recognised next month as the Red Carpet Awards return.

The January Furniture Show will have a fifth hall, organisers have confirmed, after the event sold out halls 1, 2, 3 and 3A at the NEC.

A trio of interiors companies have made it to the finals of the National Business Awards UK.

The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers has boosted its membership with the admission of 18 new liverymen.

Furniture and homewares company Gallery Direct has unveiled a new distribution centre, showroom and head office in Sittingbourne, Kent.

Designers and engineers at Ikea appear to have listened to consumer complaints that its flat-pack furniture isn't as easy to assemble as it thought, with the launch of a range it says can be put together in under five minutes without tools.

The death of renowned carpet designer Gavin Hamilton has been announced. He was 90.

Mattress producer GNG Group has widened its retail offer with the launch of an online brand targeting the children's sector.

A radio advertisement in which a man goes shopping for a carpet instead of watching football on TV and drinking beer has landed a carpet retailer in trouble with the Advertising Standards Authority.

Italian leather upholstery manufacturer Spagnesi is to make its debut at the Manchester Furniture Show in July as part of its relaunch in the UK.

GoodWeave has launched an industry partner scheme, with online retailer Modern Rugs becoming the first member.

DFS has launched its contract business-to-business website dfscontract.co.uk, targeted at trade customers from independent and large hotel groups, which can search a range of contract grade furniture developed by DFS and Curtis Furniture.

This year's South West Furniture Show has sold out, more than four months ahead of the event, thanks to new exhibitors.

Made.com, the online furniture retailer backed by Lastminute.com co-founder Brent Hoberman, is the latest etailer to explore a stockmarket flotation.

John Lewis's at Home stores were its star performers last week, all delivering healthy sales rises, despite a drop in total home sales.

One of the industry's major recycling schemes has halved its collection threshold, paving the way for a increased uptake.

Home delivered another strong performance last week for John Lewis, with furniture and carpets and its At Home stores starring.

Laura Wade-Gery has been given the top retail job at Marks & Spencer as part of a management reshuffle by chief executive Marc Bolland.

Homewares chain Dunelm enjoyed a strong quarter, lifting like for like sales by almost 3%, as it continues its expansion.

Flooring and tile chain Topps Tiles has seen a surge of winter sales, helped by a buoyant December.

Core Products is to resume production in the UK after a six year hiatus. The furniture importer is to begin assembly of three ranges at its Glenrothes, Fife facility, which it will be promoting at Interiors UK under the banner of 'Built in Britain'.

Upholstery manufacturer Vale-Bridgecraft is to open its 10th retailer support centre next month. The company's latest showroom will open in Flested, Essex, eight miles from Chelmsford on 27 December.

Floorwise has launched an underlay that will raise funds for Breast Cancer Care. It will donate £6 to the charity for every roll of Floorwise Aware sold.

The new head of Ikea UK wants to double the size of the flatpack furniture giant’s business in Britain.

Carpet manufacturer Abingdon Flooring is to undertake its second major green initiative by turning to wind power to cut its energy bills. Work has begun on installing two wind turbines near to Abingdon's Crumlin, Gwent plant, which are expected to be in operation from 19 December. The company hopes it will cut its energy bills by 40%.

Mark Gabbertas scooped four awards in the The Furniture Makers scheme, which rewards excellence in the design of furniture in volume production. This year 21 of the 42 designs entered were recognised.

Department store chain House of Fraser could be reunited with Harrods in a £300m deal.

The former long-established Philpotts furniture store that closed in Hitchin, Hertfordshire last year could become a pub.

Staff at John Lewis and Waitrose are to share a bonus of £210.8m after profits jumped. The group's 84,700 staff will receive a bonus of 17%, worth almost nine weeks wages, after profits jumped 15%.8% to £452.4m. Sales climbed by 9.3% to £9.54bn in the year to 26 January.

Ikea has seen its UK profits fall by a fifth after it cut prices and invested in improving the in-store experience for shoppers. Sales rose by 6% to £1.2bn in the year to 31 August but pre-tax profits fell by 20% to £19.8m.

Axminster Carpets' management has said it has been 'humbled' by the support it has had from retailers since it revealed it was going to go into administration and consequently did.

South of England furniture and flooring chain Sturtons & Tappers is to close its out-of-town branch to focus on its high street branches.

Just over a year after it bought furniture manufacturer Olympia Furniture, SKG Capital has placed the company into administration.

Michael O'Connor Furniture has rebranded its Sunderland branch as Home Interiors after a £115,000 refurbishment.

Eight for Vale-Bridgecraft. Upholstery manufacturer is opening its eighth show centre today.

Rent-to-own furniture and electricals chain Brighthouse has seen profits and sales jump in the past six months as it continues to expand.

Kensington Palace will be the exhibition's new home.

High street retails can prosper if they adapt to multi-channel shopping and keep their nerve: Duff & Phelps.

Hedge funds have bet hundreds millions of pounds on shares in leading retailers – including Carpetright – falling.

Retail organisation pins its hopes on Olympic feelgood factor to boost August sales.

Underlay company Interfloor is proposing to outsource its delivery operations.

Croydon furniture retailer House of Reeves will not rebuild on the derelict site of the store that was burned down in the August riots.

The founder of one of the South West of England's best known furniture and flooring retailers, Len Coller died on 29 May. He was 95.

Furniture and flooring retailers missed out on a sales upturn in May, according to the British Retail Consortium, with shoppers spending on food and drink and summer clothing instead.

One of the country's oldest furniture retailers is to close in the face of 'huge costs' renewing the leases on its two stores.

LVT manufacturer Amtico has been sold to diverse US flooring group Mannington Mills, for a reported £127m, with production set to continue in the UK.

Carpet maker sees double-digit plunge in value.

The full damage caused to shopping areas across Britain has been shown in store vacancy figures from the Local Data Company.

Furniture and electricals chain Brighthouse has prospered in recent months – but has provided further evidence of consumers’ budgets being squeezed. The hire purchase chain saw like for like sales climb by 6.7% in the six months to the end of September.

Carpet Foundation members have seen largely stable sales of carpets from the CF’s 10 manufacturing supporters this year. Since the start of the year sales have varied from +2% to -1%, averaging about +1.5% compared to a year earlier.

Five weeks after it was identified as the most likely buyer of loss-making carpet group Brintons, investment firm Carlyle has completed the takeover, ending 228 years of family ownership.