Following some key changes earlier this year at Long Eaton’s Meadowmead Ltd – the upholstery manufacturer responsible for such brands as John Sankey and Barton Furniture – marketing and brand manager Jane Levick has been tasked with breathing new life into the company’s contemporary brand, Henderson Russell. Paul Farley speaks to Jane ahead of this month’s Long Point exhibition to find out more …
With seven years served at Meadowmead – and 14 years of retail experience prior to that – qualified textile specialist and interior designer Jane Levick is well placed to bring the Henderson Russell brand right up to date, and is bursting with ideas to improve the product and buying experience.
I catch her at the start of the company’s brief August shutdown, as she faces the challenge of which developments to focus on at this month’s Long Point exhibition. “Although I’ve got lots of new ideas, I want to make sure we do everything just right,” says Jane, “so for a start there will be a fabulous new sofa group and accent chair and several new exciting fabrics launched at Long Point.”
The new Pimlico and Latimer models will join the likes of Henderson Russell’s best-selling Piccadilly sofa, and the Cambridge and Mortimer groups launched back in May.
“I want everyone to fall in love with the brand – to buy into it and enjoy it”
Jane explains that the new fabrics unveiled at the show are the start of a textile story that will continue well into next year, progressively enhancing the brand and making the offer more user-friendly. “I’ve restructured the swatches so they’re easier to use – expect to see lots of winter florals and checks, adding life and character to the collection,” she says.
Drawing on Jane’s retail and interior design experience, the showroom will be restyled too. “When you go to customers’ houses – and, conversely, when they enter your retail environment – you get to understand what their wants and tastes are very intimately, and I want to bring more of this engagement to our showroom,” says Jane.
“Although I’ve got lots of new ideas, I want to make sure we do everything just right”
Jane plans to dress and accessorise the showroom to better define the Henderson Russell brand – in turn creating a more alluring retail environment which may assist buyers translating the look onto their own retail floors. “It’s a case of setting the scene,” says Jane, “with appropriate wallpapers, fabrics and accessories.”
This summer, the seeds have been sown for Henderson Russell to achieve the brand status Meadowmead believes it deserves. “Ultimately, I want everyone to fall in love with the brand – to buy into it and enjoy it,” concludes Jane.
This article was published in the September issue of Furniture News magazine. Long Point runs until Wednesday 17th September in showrooms around Long Eaton.
