‘British is best’ mentality and Sarah Beeny boost for sofa firm
MANCHESTER-based The Chesterfield Company is seeing demand for its renowned sofas climb, and says it is benefiting from a renaissance in the demand for British-made products.
Sales grew to 830 units in the first four months of 2016, compared to 735 in the same period last year.
One of only a handful of manufacturers to produce all of its frames and sofas from start to finish on site, using only UK sourced material, sustainable timber and only the top 5% of best quality UK hides, the company has continued to enjoy success since breaking the £1m sales barrier in 2012, with 2016 forecast to show a 15% uplift on the previous year.
Ryan Mohieddin, sales director at company, said: “Consumers are becoming more savvy when buying high value items. There’s a growing trend of consumers who are willing to pay more for quality products, sourced from materials within the UK and handmade by a British company.
“Listening to customer feedback, we know the primary reason for this shift in buying habits, is the recognition that quality products, which are built to last, offer superior long term value and comfort, over cheap imports. This goes against the grain of todays throw away society.”
The introduction of three new contemporary designs can also be attributed to this year’s sales increase, having being inspired by a classic vintage chesterfield on a photo shoot at TV personality’s Sarah Beeny’s home at Rise Hall.
“Sarah’s classic chesterfield must have been 100 years old, and we loved it, so much so it inspired our designers to create the St Edmund, which we took back to be photographed in Rise Hall in the same study as you can find Sarah’s original,” added Mohieddin.
Other new designs for 2016 include, The Cromer, a compact sofa with traditional finishes such as the pulled through cushions, and a twin stitch detailing. The Melrose, similar to The Cromer, but with piped cushions and a square arm and finally, The Bedford, with a popular scoop arm, curving down from the top of the back to a comfortable height at the front.
