Vicky Golding, Managing Director at The Carriage, celebrates an historic milestone for the business.
Since taking over the established ‘World of Beds’ business in 2016, husband and wife team, William and Vicky Golding, marked a special occasion in January 2026, reaching its 10-year anniversary.
In that time, they have transformed the 3,000sqft, two-storey premises in Burley in Wharfedale into a haven for those seeking the perfect night’s sleep, as well as expanding with a second showroom in Guiseley during 2023, further solidifying their commitment to providing exceptional sleep solutions to the West Yorkshire community, with brands such as Harrison Spinks and Highgrove performing strongly, along with Adjust-A-bed.
“The business officially turned 10 at the end of January and, quite incredibly, we also managed to acquire the building we’ve traded from during that time on the very same date, so we had plenty to celebrate,” Vicky revealed.
To mark the anniversary, the business ran special promotional offers in the shops, offering customers “some very good deals” in the sale. Taking a moment to reflect on its journey, Vicky continued: “One of the first and most important moments was understanding what was going to work in the shop for our clientele.
“As we didn’t come from a retail background, visiting the factories and really understanding what makes a quality bed or mattress was crucial. It helped us identify what would resonate with our customers.
“Shortly after that, we had a new display of five Somnus beds delivered and that’s when things really started to take off. Each time we cleared some of the old stock that came with the business, we replaced it with another Somnus bed until eventually we had the full range on display and each bed repeated shortly after being introduced.
“We realised quite quickly that people wanted a high-quality, natural, locally produced product, and Somnus in particular filled that demand. James Leach and Jason Lowden, our then trusted team at Somnus, really did support us enormously to achieve something amazing in those initial years.”
This foundation and ethos have been key for its continued success over the past 10 years, with the company also expanding its product range to now include Vispring, Enchanted House Beds, Harrison Spinks, Millbrook and Mattsons in its natural offering.
“Other key moments include, on the negative, the Covid era,” Vicky continues. “I don’t think we could ever have imagined when we entered the industry that we would be mandated to close the business for eight months out of 18 due to lots of local restrictions. It’s definitely a period I try to forget!
“However, at the other end of the scale, being Finalist/Runner up in the NBF awards twice during those 10 years has been a massive honour and really stands out as a key achievement. Receiving recognition from the NBF for what we do not only instils us with great pride but also gives our profile with customers a massive boost, which is always very welcome.”
In its most recent 12-months, Vicky added that 2025 was a positive year overall, with a strong start and finish following the post-Christmas sale period. The road hasn’t been easy though, citing political uncertainty being a big factor in knocking consumer confidence. “The uncertainty created in the autumn by all the budget speculation really knocked consumer confidence and we saw it clearly reflected in footfall.
“Fortunately, the post-Christmas sale period has been particularly strong, so overall we’ve ended up roughly where we hoped to be, but it certainly hasn’t been easy. I do wish politicians of all party’s understood that what they say matters and has real-time consequences for the retail and manufacturing sectors.
“Economic uncertainty created by careless messaging, or simply not having a coherent plan, affects businesses like ours directly. If that were better understood, I think there would be far more care taken over what was said.”
For the products that have performed well of late, Vicky revealed that ‘natural’ products are a big hit, particularly fillings such as horsehair and wool. “Consumers increasingly want a more natural, breathable and heat-regulating sleep environment,” she said. “We’ve also noticed growing demand for storage beds, especially ottomans. I think this is largely due to the smaller bedroom sizes in many new builds, where storage space is at a premium. Ottoman beds offer a really practical solution.”
Looking ahead, and off the back of acquiring the property that it trades from – which has provided both security and flexibility, The Carriage moves on with confidence and purpose. “We are going to invest further in how we present our products and elevate the in-store experience for customers,” Vicky said.
“In 2026, we’ll also be reviewing everything we do and looking at how we can improve it – from physical displays and product ranges to the overall customer journey. We’re excited to invest further in what we believe is already a great offering.”
As a final thought, Vicky turned the conversation back to its 10-year milestone moment, saying how ‘proud’ she is of their achievements to date. “When I was leaving my career in accountancy, I was told in no uncertain terms that most retail start-ups fail within two years. That made me even more determined to prove them wrong.
“The past 10 years haven’t been straightforward, particularly with the various trading challenges thrown at us, but we’ve always stuck to what we believed in. A decade on, we’ve grown and evolved into a business that we’re incredibly proud of.”
