Arighi Bianchi has looked to the fifth generation of its founding family to boost its online presence while it appoints its first female md.
Sarah Bianchi has become md with her daughter Lucy Mather joining as head of communications.
‘I joined the family business aged just 23 and have since been responsible for running the carpet division, setting up the gift shop, HR, buying and now I’m taking the reins as md. It’s an extremely exciting time to be starting my new role, as we look forward to bolstering all areas of the business – from continuing to invest in our physical retail experience to expanding our online site and digital presence,’ says Bianchi.
‘It’s undoubtedly been a challenging time for our Macclesfield store due to the lockdowns, in fact it was the first time ever that we had to close our doors for this length of time – we didn’t even close during the war. But having already firmly established our online presence prior to the pandemic we have managed to continue to trade well and, in fact, we’ve had a record year online.
‘One of my priorities as md is to build our national brand. We’ve already made some great progress here attracting a younger audience and gaining coverage for our online products in national home interest media. As such an established business in the North West, we’re extremely well known among the older generations – but we want to communicate the breadth of our offer and showcase the contemporary furniture and accessories we stock that appeal to fashion conscious buyers.
‘We are very active on social media and are continuing to invest in our digital services. Most recently we launched an online sofa design visualisation tool and offer video design consultations, live chat and an exceptional ecommerce experience.
‘I’m also proud that Lucy has joined us to support our digital progression. Lucy is helping us to utilise the latest digital techniques to reach our audiences nationwide, through the website, social media and PR.’
