Mike Jackson, Director of family-run furniture retailer Pickworth Furnishings, shares an insight into the company as it celebrates 185 years.
Pickworth Furnishing has remained a family-run furniture shop since the day it opened its doors back in 1840 and remains as one of the East Midlands’ oldest furniture stores today.
Offering a variety of quality, traditional and contemporary furniture, upholstery, beds and mattresses – all at competitive prices with a highly personalised service, the business was originally founded by Draper, and Lincolnshire man, Thomas Pickworth in the Market Place, Loughborough, next to what is now McDonald’s.
Thomas, the great, great, great grandfather of current Director Mike Jackson, was joined by his son Henry, who was ahead of his time on many retail concepts.
When the council demolished the original shop to widen the A6, he refused to be relocated to a modern two-story building, but insisted on being only on the ground floor with no step, even though this resulted in a very odd-shaped building.
The door was always wide open, even in the depths of winter, with nothing deterring customers from entering the store.
Henry took over the business in 1907 and expanded into floor coverings and imported skin rugs from China which he processed on the premises and resold. In the 1920’s there was a lucrative trade for these products and customers included some of the Royal Houses of Europe.
“Henry died in 1933 and my Grandfather Ronald Jackson took over, who then purchased the business from the Pickworth Estate after the war, further expanding the business into carpets, curtains and linens,” Mike said.
“In 1970, my father Paul joined the business and diversified into furniture. He acquired the premises on Wards End where we still trade from today. Having spent most of my childhood in the shop, working school holidays, and against my father’s better advice, I joined the business full time in 2000.
“The business has fared some storms over the past 185 years including two World Wars, the financial crash of 2008 and more recently Covid. But as testament to the support and loyalty of our customers, we are still trading strong and have now reached this incredible milestone.
“We marked the anniversary with a sale throughout the month of October and also plan to have a drinks evening for customers later on in the year.”
In more present times, Mike said that this year has delivered its own challenges, but its strong reputation and reliable service has enabled the business to weather the storm. “Challenging would be putting it mildly. But there is still business to be done, and having the right product alongside offering good old-fashioned service has helped us fare the storm with all the uncertainty out there.
“We have just completed a major refurbishment of the outside of the building, while our main focus at the minute is making sure our displays are kept up-to-date with the latest fabrics and models. We’re always trying to be proactive and meet the demands of our customers.”
Mike added that these demands include motion furniture, with sales showing “no signs of slowing down”, while adding a final thought reaching such an historic moment in its long history. “We are delighted to reach 185 years.
“The key to our success has been hard work and offering good old fashioned customer service, like many other small family businesses out there. The hard work that goes on behind the scenes to keep a business running is tireless, no one sees all the sleepless nights wondering how bills will be paid and orders will be delivered on time!
“My father Paul had a good eye for spotting trends and one for moving with the times. Our industry is a fast moving one, and fashion led, so having the right product these days is paramount.
“We would like to thank our loyal staff who have also been key to our ongoing success, as well as our suppliers and ultimately our customers who have supported us over the years. It’s a proud moment for everyone involved at Pickworth and we look forward to what’s next.”
