Bullish and sheepish, loops and leopards
THE TRENDS OF HARROGATE 2021 • September 27, 2021
The mood was bullish at Harrogate – most of the industry seems to be trading 10-20% up on 2019 levels – and the market seems less price sensitive than ever before. There’s a good margin to be made.
“We were thrilled to reunite the industry for the 59th edition of The Flooring Show. It was such a pleasure to see Harrogate Convention Centre buzzing with business meetings and transactions once again," said Alex Butler, event director of The Flooring Show for Ocean Media.
"It was a long time in the making, but The Flooring Show 2021 was well worth the wait! We’re already planning for next year’s big birthday edition, so watch this space.,” she said.
The organisers are looking a little sheepish in our photo top right but exhibitors and visitors paid tribute to the great team at Ocean Media for the smart presentation of the event after coping with a two-year rollercoaster of re-arrangements and uncertainties.
Pictured (L to R) are the Harrogate heroes: Alex Butler, Suzy Makin, Glenda Bruson, Zoe Jobson, Michael Hulse.
Christmas is coming and the order book is getting fat – and while there’s bad tidings of stock issues and a famine of fitters, Harrogate was happy in Autumn sunshine!
We’re going to give you a taste of the trends in this issue with some snapshots – and then our next issue will have the full story,
out on October 25.
For your quick fix for now… in carpets, wool in general and loops in particular are continuing to build in public appeal, and polyester is more popular for its enhanced performance vs. softness, helped by the happy fact that the fibre has increased less in price than PP!
More colour is coming through – we say this every year but this time it appears to be true! Blues – both dark and denim – are doing well and flavours of orange are everywhere – it goes so well with grey! And yes, more subtle patterns too and animal prints (lots of leopards) are everywhere.
LVT is a shorter discussion – its more and more
herringbone and parquet which is universally adored. Muted, faded ceramic designs in tiles make a sophisticated contribution to the smooths offer.
Now check out our 3 pages of Harrogate happenings with a snapshot of the latest news and launches from the show.
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BUSINESS NEWS
The British Furniture Confederation (BFC), the public affairs umbrella body of furniture and beds, furnishings and flooring sector trade associations, has unveiled its new Plan for Growth. The document is said to support BFC’s advocacy across four key pillars: skills and education; trade and exports; standards and regulations; and the environment and circular economy. It has been developed over the past few months, the organisation says, evolving from a combination of position papers written by the associations’ executives and a comprehensive survey of their collective members.
Consumer card spending grew 1.0% year-on-year in February – lower than January’s 1.9% increase and less than the latest CPIH inflation rate of 3.9%, according to recent figures reported by Barclays. In anticipation of higher bills, consumers are said to be cutting back on essential outgoings, but still prioritising discretionary purchases, contributing to an uptick in optimism in the health of personal and household finances.
Kellars, which describes itself as the largest independent flooring wholesaler in the UK, saw another year of “substantial growth” to July 2024, according to its strategic report for the period. With six depots across the UK and a team of more than 100, the company has reportedly grown at a “rapid rate,” with the year leading up to July 2024 seeing a dramatic rise.
Victoria PLC, an international designer, manufacturer and distributor of flooring, today announces the planned appointment of Alec Pratt to the Group board as Chief Financial Officer Designate, who will replace Brian Morgan after three years’ service as Victoria’s Chief Financial Officer in June.
Based on data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), carpets and other floorcoverings saw inflation of 0.6% in January, though this is set against a 2.5% fall last month. In January of last year the same category saw a 0.5% decline.
GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index increased by two points to -20 in February. All measures were up in comparison to last month’s announcement.
Mohawk Industries has announced fourth quarter 2024 net earnings of $93m (£71.8m), with adjusted net earnings at $123m (£95m). Net sales for the fourth quarter of 2024 were $2.6bn (£2bn), an increase of 1.0% as reported and a decrease of 1.0% on an adjusted basis versus the prior year.
Likewise Group, a UK flooring distributor, has announced the completion of its purchase of a freehold Logistics Centre in Ivybridge near Plymouth.
VAT and PAYE records from HM Revenue and Customs, compiled by The Furnishing Report, have revealed the number of flooring retailers with sales over £1m reached a record high in 2024.
GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index decreased by five points to -22 in January. According to the organisation, all measures were down in comparison to last month’s announcement.
Lifestyle Floors, a leading brand of carpet, laminate, vinyl and LVT flooring, announces its relaunch to independent retailers, that will be rolled out across the UK from April 2025.
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