Furniture supplier eyes overseas market after expansion

A Derbyshire-based furniture supplier is set to take on more staff and will start exporting after buying a new £3m warehouse.

Living Online, which launched in 2013 and trades as MY Furniture, needed more space to stock its product lines, so has moved from a 30,000 sq ft site in Long Eaton to 154,000 sq ft warehouse in Sandiacre. The move was helped with a £1.7m loan from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.

On the back of the move, the firm has begun exporting furniture to customers in France, Sweden and Germany.

The new site has also allowed the company to streamline its operation, introduce new product lines and store delivery boxes on site, meaning customers receive their orders quicker. The growth in operations is set to expand the business’ 32-strong workforce by around 40% in the next 12 months.

The expansion means the business is on course to increase its annual turnover of £8m by 40%.

Martin Thom, managing director at Living Online, said: “The new site provides us with five times the warehouse space, and as a result we are now in a position to stock and provide a wide range of furniture to suit all tastes.”