SMITHS OF HARROGATE, COUCH FLOORING, THE COTSWOLD COMPANY, 1TO1 FLOORING, SOFA CLUB
BEST FURNITURE RETAILER (1-3 STORES)
SMITHS OF HARROGATE
This year Smiths of Harrogate is celebrating 120 years since Frederick Smith began a second-hand furniture business. Five generations later, the company is still entirely owned by the Smith family.
Mention the retailer to shoppers across Yorkshire and the industry, and the words The Rink will shortly follow. In 1935 the company moved to the former roller skating rink on the town’s Dragon Road, where it has remained.
Family continuity has helped shape the business for more than a century, with each generation building on the work of the previous whilst continuing to invest for the future, aided by an experienced team.
Customers at the 30,000sqft store highly rate their experience, with Smith’s scoring five stars on Trustpilot.
BEST FLOORING RETAILER (1-3 STORES)
COUCH FLOORING
Couch Flooring is a family affair: owners Tim and Ben Couch were introduced to the industry by their father Steve, helping out during school holidays and then becoming apprentices and then taking over.
Couch Flooring operates three stores in Cornwall: Bude, where it has its regular store and a outlet branch next door, and in nearby Wadebridge.
Unlike many retailers who will offer as many manufacturer’s products as possible, Couch Flooring has a highly-focused core of suppliers, including many of the top names in the industry.
Having been apprentices, the brothers have been keen to support the next generation, training local school leavers to be fitters.
BEST FURNITURE RETAILER (4+ STORES)
THE COTSWOLD COMPANY
For the past 24 months, The Cotswold Company has been on an upward trajectory that has verged on vertical.
In the year to the end of February 2025, sales jumped by 19% to £100.2m. This accelerated to 30% last summer it continued to attract customers – and again appeal to existing ones – with its message of quality furniture that will stand the test of time. The financial year ended with sales 23% higher at £123m.
It has invested in expansion – now totalling 16 branches and three outlet stores- along with upgrades to logistics, service and product offer. This has not come at the expense of profitability: the True Captial owned chain had EBITDA of £13m in the past year – compared with £2.1m in 2022/23.
‘With our enhanced delivery and distribution capabilities, proven AI capabilities, and expanding range of characterful and unique products, we have an even stronger foundation. This will enable us to accelerate our UK expansion, deliver further profitable growth, and strengthen our position as one of the UK’s most loved handcrafted homeware brands,’ says Ralph Tucker, TCC ceo.
BEST FLOORING RETAILER (4+ STORES)
1TO1 FLOORING
Colin Hawes, 1to1 Flooring founder and md had little choice to be in the flooring industry: his father Keith took him carpet fitting at the weekends: by 15 he was fitting on his own1t1 and joined his father’s business after leaving school.
1to1 has seven stores stretching 50 miles from Barnet, north London to Shefford, Bedfordshire via St Albans, Berkhamsted, Luton and Leighton Buzzard.
Experience counts for 1to1 Flooring, with members of staff often having two or more decades with the retailer or elsewhere in the sector: a result of Keith Hawes’ stress on the value of training.
BEST ONLINE RETAILER
SOFA CLUB
The past year has been one of expansion for Sofa Club, in sales, management and its physical presence.
The retailer saw sales leap from £11.18m to £33.5m in the year to 31 March. Pre-tax profits rose from £736,092 to £3.04m. A dividend of £325,000 was paid.
It opened its third showroom – its fifth retail outlet – last November in Glasgow, followed by openings in Croydon and Gateshead.
It has recruited a group operations director, brand and creative director, md and fd as it strengthens as it scales up further.
