Tom Obbard, Director at Furniture & Choice, reflects on the last 20 years as the online furniture retailer celebrates a milestone anniversary.
It was back in October 2005 – the 10th to be exact – when Furniture & Choice celebrated its first order. Starting life with just a website and a few containers of chairs, the business has continued to evolve and grow over the last two decades. So much so, Furniture & Choice now has a turnover of over £20m.
“I set up Furniture & Choice with my brother Howard and we keep it family owned,” Tom said. “With no other investors it means we can make all our own decisions. Howard is a furniture designer and manufacturer and I have a background in retail, previously working at Amazon and Heal’s, so together we have the full value-chain covered.
“We’re online only with long-standing, experienced teams in the UK and Asia. Our proven model and tight-knit teams allow us to be flexible, so we can test and learn to continually optimise our offering. This stability also allows us to grow at our own pace.
“We were one of the first online furniture stores, so we’ve been here pretty much from the start and we’ve seen many competitors come and go. It’s also really satisfying that there are team members who’ve been here for almost the whole journey too.
“We’re customer-focused, so although we always try to make sure we have great offers and accessible pricing, we’ll be looking to add some extra-special deals to celebrate during our anniversary month of October.”
Reflecting on some key moments in its history, Tom revealed there has been “quite a few” but narrowed it down to some specific milestones that have been fundamental to its ongoing growth. The first big change came when the business secured its first warehouse and offices in West Yorkshire.
“It was a great moment for us as it really kicked started our growth plans,” Tom said. “Since then, we’ve continued to expand – we developed our own call centre with a first-class local team and then designed and built our own photo studio and content team.
“We’ve always had a QC team on the ground in Asia but in 2014 we went further and set up a production studio in Kuala Lumpur where the bulk of our marketing and development is now handled.”
In 2020, the company implemented a brand update, shifting from Furniture Choice to Furniture & Choice, while also continuing to invest in the brand with its first TV ad in 2023. In more recent times, the business has upgraded its website, expanded its market reach and delivered on sustainability goals.
“This year we’ve been spending behind the scenes with a new platform and website update to ensure we have the functionality and capacity to continue our 5-star levels of service,” Tom continued. “We’ve also expanded to Asia with our first online store opening in Malaysia.
“Finally, sustainability has always been a fundamental part of our business – on day one we committed to only use wood from sustainable sources and we’re always looking for ways to reduce our environmental footprint.
“All our packaging has been recyclable for a few years now and we continue to expand our recycled fabrics and improve existing materials. Last year we removed solvents from our advanced faux leathers. We’re proud of our sustainable efforts and continue to work hard in this area for further improvements.”
It’s not just operational gains, the business is laser-focused on keeping ahead of trends and consumer shopping behaviours, with a certain colour becoming more prominent with UK shoppers in recent times.
“Green sofas are fashionable right now – every shade of green from sage to olive to moss,” reveals Tom. “This trend has its roots in biophilic design and a desire for nature and earth tones in interiors. Talking about earth tones, warm shades of everything are also becoming popular in upholstery – beige, camel, mink and brown.
“On the brighter end of the colour spectrum, orange and burgundy, which were once unexpected colours for an interior – and definitely for furniture, are becoming mainstream.
“Curves and soft shapes are a mainstay in the industry with curved sofas becoming the focus of many customer homes. And when it comes to dining sets, we’re continuing to see the trend of mixed materials; marble mixed with metal or wood combined with gloss to create a luxe look with plenty of interest.”
Keeping ahead of curve allows Furniture & Choice to develop and implement a strong strategy with products, with the business set to expand its product line further. “This year, we’re excited about our modern table designs and we have gorgeous new velvets in stunning colourways that we’re applying to multiple sofa and chair designs,” Tom said.
“With the erratic market conditions, we’re staying careful though, it’s important to remember the basics – we’ve built our reputation on quality at feel-good price points and that’s more important than ever at the moment.”
Tom added that business overall has been “challenging” during the last 12 months, citing a number of conditions that the company – and wider industry – is continuously navigating through. “I think we’ve all had to deal with the cost-of-living crisis and as an independent retailer we’re competing against established brands with deep pockets in a tough market.
“It means we’ve had to ensure we manage within our means, but by being fully self-owned we can quite easily make any changes required. This year has brought NI & wage increases, shipping volatility and rent pressure, so we’ve made some careful economies to stay lean and ensure we can continue to offer our expected quality, service and great prices.
“We’ve also faced unauthorised copying of our products and images. While the legal costs are unwelcome, after 20 years of hard work building our reputation, we always protect our branded assets.”
As final thought on the company’s big milestone year, Tom compared the journey to running a marathon, but with no end, stating it is both “satisfying”, but “tiring”.
“When we first started, people weren’t used to the idea of online furniture shopping – especially buying sofas. Everybody told me that it wouldn’t work, but I was quite determined. Obviously, now it’s no big deal to order furniture online and everybody wants a piece.
“As one of the pioneers, we’ve seen so many others come and go. We’ve survived the 2008 crash, the ups and downs of Brexit and Covid… even floods. Keeping our experienced team together has been key – having deep knowledge, through years of in-house learning, allows us to make decisions fast and change as necessary.
“Other competitors with greater resources can replicate products and processes but it’s difficult to purchase experience and culture. Buying furniture is usually a big undertaking and can be stressful if anything goes wrong. It’s our shared knowledge that allows customers to trust us when we say they can buy and ‘Keep on Living’.
“We know furniture in-depth and have been through a lot together, so 20 years is a real team achievement – but also a great platform for future success.”
