NOVEMBER | SECTOR FOCUS
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expanded and diversified over
the years.”
Europa’s on-trend signature
item at the moment is its
Tolix range, which consists of
bar stools, chairs and tables.
“These are incredibly popular…
so we have a lot of them to
meet demand. It gives a great
industrial vibe which you can
dress up or down depending on
your theme and event vibe, and
it’s easy enough to add colours in
the form of padded seat cushions
to give another dimension,” adds
Lowe.
“We still find though that,
in addition to what’s ‘hot’,
customers are still really keen
on the ‘timeless look’ of some
of our products, and our classic
designer range of lounge
furniture and chairs is always
very popular indeed.”
Lowe adds: “Next year we’ll
be focussing on expanding our
new product ranges and making
sure we’re offering our clients
the latest furniture trends and
colours.”
Also looking to the future,
Rice says 2020 looks exciting
with more variety in our stock
than their competitors: “Our
new range of unique furniture
is something that we have been
developing for a while. We keep
an eye on interior trends for this,
while ensuring that we have
all the classic furniture to offer
alongside it.
But supplying these items
is not without its challenges.
Williams says: “Logistics is
always a challenge in the
furniture industry, so with
this in mind we’ve invested in
electric vehicles. Not only are
they cheaper to run but we’re
also doing our bit to reduce
harmful air pollution which
is very important to us as a
company.”
Eco concerns are also
paramount for Lowe: “We are
always looking at new furniture
stock ideas and trends and love
hearing from our clients on what
they might be looking for which
has a huge influence on where
we invest. However, it’s really
important for us that we are not
entirely focused on new stock
when it comes to expenditure,
but also the broader investments
that we need to make our
business better and more
efficient.
“For example, with the change
in legislation regarding ULEZ
(Ultra Low Emission Zone) for
London we have purchased new
transportation that will help
us remain compliant; not only
because we are very conscious
of our own Carbon footprint, but
also because this is a policy that
looks set to roll out across the
UK in the near future and we
want to stay ahead of the curve.”
Lowe also site infrastructural
and logistical challenges.
“Because we have over 30,000
stock items and a number of
warehouses, we are really well
equipped to meet client’s last
minute enquiries. Furthermore,
we are able to service those
requests because we have our
own livered/branded trucks, so
we don’t have to rely on hiring in
extra vehicles. Short turnaround
times can be challenging
regardless of the infrastructure
we have in place, but it’s part
and parcel of the job we’re pretty
proud to have the capacity to
deal with it, and deal with it with
smiles on our faces and bounces
in our steps.”
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