Husband and wife team, Steve and Alison Whitehouse, co-owners of West Midlands Upholstery, talk about recent business, current trends, changes and future plans. (Henley range pictured above).
West Midlands Upholstery has been manufacturing British upholstery for the past 21 years. Kicking off the Q&A, they reflect on how recent business has been?
Business has been steady over the past few months, with an increase in the requirements for our Regency and Windsor Chairs, which are a proven best seller. We have been approached by several new customers which is very encouraging. The phone is a little quieter than usual, but this hasn’t impacted sales and has enabled us to catch up on some of those overdue jobs in-house. Of course, the wonderful Summer we have had has meant that many customers have been focusing on enjoying the outdoors instead of indoors. With the weather now turning cooler, we hope this may encourage customers to think about the cosy Winter months and invest in some new upholstered furniture.
Who are your customers?
We now have a wide customer base throughout the UK. Surprisingly, many of our customers are based outside of the West Midlands and include AIS members and Minerva members. We offer a high-quality product alongside good support to our customers and in turn, this means that we are supported by them. Two of our respected customers are Coytes at Burton Upon Trent and Top Cat Furniture at Shirebrook. We have dealt with these retailers since the very beginning and we’re grateful for their support. They have a wonderful presence in furniture and truly offer something for every customer.
What would you say makes you different?
We make all our own birch hardwood frames and we have our own team of dedicated frame builders, sewers, upholsterers, cutters and driver. Everything is UK made in The Black Country. As we manufacture everything from the frame up, we can custom size our models, which is something the bigger manufacturers may not be able to offer.
Our fundamental business ethic is that of being completely honest and transparent with our customers, even if the news is something they may not want to hear. Honesty always pays as they say, and consequently we have several loyal customers who have kept with us throughout the past 21 years and have built great relationships with them in addition to others who have come on board since.
Are you noticing any trends?
We have never really followed trends and try to create our own. When we are designing a new model, everyone on the factory floor has an input into the design. We still offer some of the more traditional models, which continue to be popular but are finding that customers now want less fuss and more simplistic styles with clean lines. Having said that, we are known for our wonderful Patchwork Chairs, which are made from 125 individual patches, all top stitched. Each individual piece is unique, and customers love their quirkiness. We can even incorporate customers’ colour schemes.
What’s not trending anymore?
We have noticed a decline in the demand for grey fabrics and are seeing orders for autumnal fabrics as well as brighter rich colours making a return, which is a welcome change. There are some fantastic new fabric ranges, which are soft, yet textured and hardwearing. Of course, we still offer the more traditional pattern ranges and warm neutrals are always popular.
What’s changed in the industry in the past few years?
Since establishing our business 21 years ago, styles of course have changed. Twenty years ago, the market was price driven, but our customers now look to quality, reliability and consistency over price. This in turn has led us to look closely at our manufacturing processes, resulting in an improved product naturally emerging over the years. We’ve also noticed that historically we have always had a ‘pre-Christmas rush,’ this is not so much the case anymore with business being steady throughout the year.
In addition, we have noticed that sadly that a few of the independent retailers who we have dealt with us for many years are now retiring without any younger generations coming forward to take over the reins. The decline in the high street has also put pressure on a couple of our smaller retailers, which has contributed to the closure of a few lovely shops. The high street certainly does need some investment and careful thought from the powers that be as to how to bring about changes. We feel that if this is addressed, the high street will bounce back. On a positive side, we continue to move forward, and we are growing year on year.
What are you doing about sustainability?
We produce little waste. All fabric, timber and sundry items are utilised to their very best ability and this in turn keeps costs down. We hold a tight stock control. Our hardwood timber is only purchased from importers who are PEFC compliant. Any waste timber is also recycled. All our foams and fibres are purchased from suppliers who are within 5 miles of our factory. In addition, any packaging that comes into the business is recycled and is often used to re-package smaller products. We are always looking for ways to improve.
What would you change in the industry?
Bringing younger generations into the upholstery craft is so important for the trade to continue and survive for future generations. There needs to be more investment in encouraging and training young people to come into the trade. Replacing staff can be difficult due to this reason, but we are lucky to have committed staff, many of whom have been with us since the very beginning. We believe that unless some investment is ploughed into this, British upholstery manufacturing is at real risk of disappearing.
Looking ahead, what plans are in the pipeline?
We are looking forward to exhibiting at the forthcoming Autumn Furniture Show. We were at the show last year and found it to be of benefit in raising our profile and attracting new business. It’s also a great opportunity to meet our customers and catch up with the industry news. For the Show, amongst others, we will be displaying our most recent additions, our Henley & Malvern models. The repeats on these have been very encouraging, and the Henley is currently our best-selling model. As always, we will be showing our lovely Patchwork Chairs, which do seem to have gained something of a reputation.
Of course, we have The January Furniture Show. Although the big trade shows can be costly, we have learnt how important they can be for the continuity of the business and although extremely hard work, they have proved enjoyable and rewarding. We do love the buzz of the show, and we are supported there by our dedicated agents. Of course, show vans can also be a fantastic way of seeing our customers whilst keeping costs down and we are looking to increase our show van presence over the coming year.
