From dressmaking patterns in the 1930s to prime retail stores in Harrogate and Wetherby, the rich history of James Brindley is worthy of note at any time. But when Furniture News’ John Legg discovered the company was also responsible for supplying that most quintessentially British of products, Lloyd Loom, he vowed to catch up with James Brindley’s MD, Simon Grafton, to delve a little deeper …
As a child, I remember a rather humble off-white Lloyd Loom linen basket, with a cork lid, being used as a receptacle for my grubby teenage vestments. It was a little worn, but it didn’t matter, and it was much used. Lloyd Loom is both comfortable and comforting furniture.
Today, with the resurgent interest in all things vintage, original Lloyd Loom is much in demand – and the current craze for Loom Bands occupies many dextrous young fingers and imagination, including that of my youngest daughter.
So, when I happened upon a new supplier of Lloyd Loom furniture at Interiors UK back in January, I made like a bee, desperate to find out more. This eventually led me to a meeting with James Brindley’s MD at his Harrogate store, where I found out how retailing and manufacturing could successfully exist side by side.
Long before notions of furniture were part of the company’s offer, Roland Edward Grafton began the business in 1936 as a textile agent to the trade. When his son, Mark Grafton, joined the business in 1964, they opened the first James Brindley shop in Wetherby, closely followed by the Harrogate store in 1969. Both stores sold dress fabrics and patterns to theatres and schools, and to the public for making their own clothes. From the very beginning, their stores were known as being dedicated to selling top-quality fabrics. The price of fabrics sold ranged from 30p to £10 per yard.
Today’s MD, Simon Grafton, remembers working as a Saturday boy in his father’s Wetherby shop: “Dressmaking was big in the 70s – whether through necessity or creativity, women made clothes for themselves and their families. We sold sewing patterns by Vogue, Simplicity, McCalls, and a wide selection of quality fabrics and haberdashery.”
In 1983, Simon joined James Brindley full time, and within two years became the day-to-day manager. With ambitious plans for the family business, Simon travelled to Delhi to forge relationships with key manufacturers of the finest 100% Indian silk dupion to sell to the trade in the UK. Simon returned with an impressive range of 12 distinct colours of silk dupion, and launched the James Brindley wholesale collection to both fashion and interiors retailers. He then continued to travel extensively across the globe, sourcing quality natural and man-made fibres to complement the James Brindley silks sold throughout the UK.
From the company’s head office and warehouse on the outskirts of Harrogate, James Brindley now supplies over 1000 interior showrooms and stockists in the UK and Ireland with one of the largest collections of plain and printed silks and exclusively-designed fabrics.
“It’s a competitive world, and we realise we cannot stand still for too long”
The current operating mantra of the business – and what sets it apart from its peers – is not a special secret, rather a refined style, a clear appreciation of good design, first-class merchandising and good market knowledge.
Today, James Brindley is a globally-recognised brand, with fabric collections finding their way to over 30 countries outside the UK through a network of distributors and agents.
“Fabric collections are created by our in-house designers in Harrogate, from where three full-time sales managers cover the UK market,” says Simon. “Our largest export markets are China and Russia, with South America showing signs of significant growth. In 2011, we also launched a quality homewares collection to the worldwide market, gaining a loyal following throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia, America and Australasia.
“We operate in the mid- to high-end of the market, selling quality products that last. Wherever possible, we support British-made products that offer flexibility in production and value against imported products.”
In 1994, the James Brindley Harrogate store moved to a four-storey retail showroom on prestigious James Street, and the brand expanded to include stylish ranges of furniture and home accessories. Following the recent launch of the new interior design showroom in Leeds, James Brindley now operates three retail sites dedicated to offering the complete interior design service, from an Emma Bridgewater mug to a complete interior makeover. All jobs are project-managed by the company’s highly-skilled team of 10 interior designers.
The company, which remains privately-owned by Mark and Simon Grafton, has been built on quality and service. Despite the economic downturn, the business is strong and it is always looking for new opportunities to grow. Because the company operates in both retail and wholesale markets, Simon says he knows what its customers look for.
The Lloyd Loom by James Brindley brand was formed in January 2014, with all furniture manufactured here in the UK – a reaction to the inconsistent supply of the world-famous Lloyd Loom product. “Our supplier of Lloyd Loom product was taken over in August 2013,” explains Simon. “Unfortunately, this led to a drop in service levels and supply, which reflected on us as a retailer and didn’t align with the assurances that we make to our customers.
“Manufacturing our own furniture is a natural progression for us as interiors specialists, and the Lloyd Loom collection is an inspirational range that fits perfectly into Brindley’s signature classic style. As a result, we decided to source a manufacturing base in the UK and use our extensive in-house skills to design our own range of Lloyd Loom furniture that could be offered as an alternative.
“We launched our range at Design Interiors in Birmingham January 2014 and received a fantastic response. We heard many retailers and designers express delight that such an established brand had put its name to producing a new range of Lloyd Loom. We manufacture within four-to-five weeks from date of order and already have 13 key accounts set up in the UK, as well as supplying to Japan and other European markets. The future looks very exciting.”
Simon dismisses any suggestion that there might be a conflict of interest as both a manufacturer and retailer: “As we have been wholesaling fabrics to the trade for over 20 years, we understand and approach the market from both sides of the coin, and so there has never really been a problem. We do not undercut our retail customers, we view our stores as we do our stockists – and sell at the same prices.”
The company has now exhibited Lloyd Loom by James Brindley at two national events – launching in January and then following that up in May. “Birmingham was the launchpad for Lloyd Loom by James Brindley,” says Simon, “and we were very pleased with the response. The Furniture Show at ExCeL is a new exhibition that needs time to establish itself – however, we picked up some useful leads and some promising commercial projects.
“As far as returning to Birmingham next January, the jury is out on whether the market can support two interiors exhibitions each year. We need to remember that it’s our customers who are most important, and it may be that it’s making it difficult for them to attend two exhibitions at two different venues.”
At around the same time as the Lloyd Loom development, James Brindley also started making furniture in the UK for its retail customers.
“As we have been wholesaling fabrics to the trade for over 20 years, we understand and approach the market from both sides of the coin”
“One obvious advantage of having a retail outlet is that we can try products in our stores. We’re proud to say that all our furniture is designed in-house and manufactured locally in Yorkshire, which results in shorter lead times and greater quality control. It’s hard to check the quality of products being loaded onto containers in the Far East before being shipped to the UK, but here we can check products before they leave the factory.
“We wanted a furniture range that offered something different, yet classic. Although inspired by more contemporary looks, our in-house designers have kept the James Brindley signature style of classic design with distinctive flair. We’ve had a really positive response from retailers, and the timely launch also filled a gap in the market left by Neptune reassessing their sales channels.
“In addition to shorter delivery times and better quality control, having our own manufacturing facility has further advantages. If the standard range on offer doesn’t quite fit a customer’s requirements, our designers are able to create a bespoke piece and have it made especially for them.”
Head of design, Justine Kirkham, adds: “We recently helped a client, who, at 6ft 2in, struggles to lounge comfortably in her home as most sofas are too low and too shallow. So we designed a bespoke sofa frame with higher legs, a deeper seat and raised arms, specifically to suit her measurements.”
James Brindley’s Lloyd Loom product is also attracting interest from the commercial sector. “The commercial sector is very exciting, and we genuinely feel that our Lloyd Loom furniture is well suited to hospitality interiors,” explains Simon. “We have already completed two lovely cafes and there are two hotel projects and a further cafe in the pipeline.
“We carry out several site visits to get a clear understanding of what the customer is looking for. Our interior design facility allows us to offer additional services such as floor plans, bespoke-made furniture and window treatments. While the recession is still fresh in our minds, there does appear to be an increase in building work and the upgrading of existing facilities, and we want to be part of this resurgence.
“We are currently catching our breath after a particularly busy year to date, launching Lloyd Loom and opening another interior design showroom in Leeds. It’s a competitive world, and we realise we cannot stand still for too long – but we need everything to bed in nicely before moving on to the next chapter of James Brindley.”
The James Brindley business is a shining proposition of what a first-class retail business should strive to be. Everything James Brindley does is targeted at creating a better experience for its customers. Its process of intelligent evolution, and the team at James Brindley, means Simon has a business that is always challenging itself, constantly seeking to improve its offer whilst maintaining the highest levels of customer service.
And if that means rolling up the sleeves and expanding and investing into manufacturing, well, this retailer sees nothing wrong in that whatsoever. Indeed, it is that confident and committed attitude which will undoubtedly see the James Brindley name and brand remain one the stars in the interiors firmament.
This interview was originally published in the July 2014 issue of Furniture News magazine.
