January Furniture Show saw the debut Excellence in Furniture Awards, sponsored by Snap Finance, recognise nine companies and individuals. Loom Loft Furniture & Interiors and Bensons for Beds were hailed as the country’s leading retailers, while Whitemeadow took home two trophies.
Attendees saw entertainment from comedian Scott Bennett and live music from Vice City 80s Band at the NEC.
The winners were:
Independent Retailer of the Year: Loom Loft Furniture & Interiors
Highly commended: Arighi Bianchi
Retailer of the Year: Bensons for Beds
Woman in Furniture Award: Fara Butt, Shire Beds
Highly commended: Natasha Shillingford, La-Z-Boy
Best Marketing Campaign: Arighi Bianchi – Postcards From
Highly commended: La-Z-Boy UK – NFL London Games Campaign
Best of British: Whitemeadow Furniture
Design Innovation: Whitemeadow Furniture
Global Player: Wiemann
Highly commended: At the Helm & Hydeline
Sustainability: Castelan
Superior Service: Sci-Net Business Solutions
‘The award celebrates Castelan’s commitment, across its warranty and first year repair business, to identifying and fixing issues with furniture, accurately diagnosing faults, and reporting trends back to retailers and manufacturers. This approach helps prevent unnecessary disposal, keeping furniture out of landfill and supporting the principles of the circular economy. The win highlights the growing importance of aftercare, repair and service in meeting sustainability targets,’ says Martin Napper, Castelan Group ceo.
‘Castelan is focussed on maximising the life of furniture and therefore reducing waste, which is such an important part of the circular economy,’ said the FiE judges.
‘We are calling on retailers to trust Castelan as an integral part of their service and support proposition, helping them deliver better customer outcomes while achieving their own environmental goals,’ says Napper.
