Mike Smith, founder of Yorkshire carpet chain Mike’s Carpets has died. He was 79.
Smith became one of the most recognised faces on Yorkshire TV after staring in his own TV commercials. He died on 17 June after suffering heart failure, a condition he’d lived with for six months.
He began selling carpets at Leeds Market in 1970 and after a fire temporarily closed the market, moved to a former church in Armley, which was emblazoned with large signs advertising Mike’s Carpets. At its height there were 13 Mike’s Carpets stores across the region.
Batley-born Smith officially left the carpet trade eight years ago to concentrate on a successful property portfolio. Furkan Sharif took over Smith’s Armley store in 2022 but continued to work with him until recently. ‘He was so much fun. He defined a new way of doing things, plus he was never afraid of doing something new – that’s what being an entrepreneur is,’ he says.
Discussing his career last year, Smith said the art of a sale included ‘giving good service’ and ‘a product at the right price’, but ‘don’t give them any porky pies.’
He is survived by his widow Carol, two children – his eldest daughter pre-deceased him – and three grandchildren.
