MD Dominic Reynolds started out in the industry nearly 50 years ago, and has spent 45 of them in the family retail business in Bognor Regis, selling everything from cabinets to coffins. His daughter Freya joined in 2010 and was made a director in 2022. As Dominic bows out (as much as anyone in the industry ever truly leaves it) and his daughter takes the reins ahead of Reynolds’ 160thanniversary, Furniture News asks them about their experiences …
What’s keeping you busy?
Dominic: We’re constantly looking at ways to improve the store and are presently looking at replacing our lighting, redecorating, purchasing screens and improving product presentation. Presently, a lot of time is taken up promoting products, attracting new customers and trying to maintain sales and footfall.
Freya: Planning all the celebrations for Dad’s 45 years at Reynolds! But also, working as a director in the business full time you wear so many different hats, so I’m always busy with different things depending on the day of the month – it could be performance reviews with staff, planning promotions and marketing, or health and safety audits.
Can you share a potted history of the business?
Dominic: Reynolds was founded in 1867 by Samuel Reynolds, a cabinetmaker who at the age of 19 started his own business in West Street, Bognor. By 1870 he had moved, accompanied by his brother Alfred, to 27 High Street, and the business was advertised as auctioneers, appraisers, house agents, cabinetmakers, upholsterers and undertakers.
Over the years adjoining properties have been purchased and extended, making Reynolds the largest furniture store in Sussex. It’s set over four floors, and it’s deceptively spacious inside – customers call it the TARDIS!
The business now consists of the furniture store, funeral service, self-storage and property. It’s run by the fifth generation (myself, James, Matthew and Stephen Reynolds), and the sixth-generation Freya and Rebecca Reynolds.
Freya: We’re one of the oldest independent furniture retailers in the country. We're approaching our 160th anniversary in 2027, which is a remarkable milestone for any family business.
Over the generations the business has grown and diversified, but is all still under family ownership (people always think this is random, but because Samuel Reynolds made furniture, he also made coffins, and that’s how we have these very different businesses!).
The furniture showroom is our flagship – 26,000ft2 across four floors, stocking premium British and global brands including Stressless, Duresta, Parker Knoll, Venjakob, G Plan, Harrisons, Hypnos, Bontempi, Fama and many more. We also work with lots of other great manufacturers, and we've built those relationships carefully over many years.
What’s unique about Reynolds Furniture?
Freya: I think our long history is one thing that makes us unique, but, similar to other independent furniture retailers, there’s something our customers enjoy. I hate calling it ‘traditional service’ because it sounds old fashioned, but it means having really knowledgeable staff and great customer service – no pushy sales tactics.
Another unique thing about Reynolds is that the family feel doesn't stop with the Reynolds family itself. Right now we have three team members whose children also work here, a set of cousins, and a couple – and over the years we've had a few people meet and get married here too. When someone trusts you enough to recommend their own family member for a job, I think that speaks for itself. We must be doing something right.
Dominic: Reynolds is a family business and is well known for personal service, product knowledge, presentation and returning customers. Many of the staff have worked here for a long time – Michael Marland, the store manager, has worked at Reynolds for 41 years, and Aaron Strong (bed manager) and Shuan Clark (warehouse manager) have just completed 25 years.
The store has a wide selection of quality furniture, beds and floorcoverings under one roof. You’d be hard put not to find something in-store which fits your furnishing needs. The sales staff are very knowledgeable and build good relationships with customers, many of whom have been with us for many years and several generations.
Family members are always available to answer queries and serve. Our warehouse and delivery staff are well trained and offer an impeccable white-glove service. We also deliver, unpack, assemble and dispose of customers’ old furniture and packaging.
How did you each start out in the family business?
Dominic: Whilst at school aged 15-18 I worked on the vans delivering furniture, and selling in the soft furnishings department, working out customers’ requirements in yards, feet and inches without the help of a calculator! I also helped out in the funeral department.
I started full time at Reynolds in September 1981 at the age of 21, having worked as a salesman for Perrings at their Brent Cross Store, and also at their Hemel Hempstead store as carpet manager, for just over two years. I attended the College for Distributive Trades and got a NARF diploma with distinction and the Childs Cup for excellence in floorcoverings. I also got a City & Guilds diploma in distributive management.
Working away for a group business gave me a different perspective of the furniture trade, the best aspects of which I was able to introduce to Reynolds when I returned.
Freya: I’d finished college and my summer job at Butlin’s was going to be over, and Dad asked if I wanted to come work in reception. And that’s where I started – I spent the next few years learning different jobs, from reception to accounts and sales. Once I knew I wanted to stay, I started a degree in business, and the rest is history – I became a director in 2022 and I’ve been here for 16 years.
Did it come naturally? Or did you have doubts about inheriting your positions?
Freya: I never really felt any pressure from Dad to take over, it just naturally happened – we’ve always got on and worked well together. I think when you start building on something and making positive changes, you feel you have a responsibly to make the business a success for everyone who works here, and then your heart’s invested.
Dominic: In my younger days I wanted to join the Royal Navy, but wasn’t able to due to asthma. I remember my grandfather, Gordon Reynolds, telling me I would be a fool not to join the family business, and in hindsight he was right. It was a good thing to go to London and work, and Perrings was a good place to learn the furniture trade. I was lucky to have some very experienced and knowledgeable people to work alongside when I joined Reynolds, who helped and inspired me a lot.
What has proved your strongest skillset, Dominic? And which areas need more work?
Dominic: Over the years I believe I’ve built some great relationships with suppliers and customers, and the business has grown considerably due to a policy of continuous improvement in product presentation, investment and marketing.
Understanding social media and how to maximise its use is probably my biggest weakness in this respect – I’m lucky that Freya has a much better understanding and skillset than I have!
What do you enjoy most about the work?
Dominic: Interacting with people. We’re very fortunate to have a great team, customers and suppliers, and I still get a buzz out of selling. I enjoy sourcing new products, attending shows and developing marketing plans. Surprisingly, Freya seems to switch off when I meet someone and reminisce about ‘the good old days’. She’s heard it all before!
Freya: Ha! I do love it when I get to be creative, either in the shop with displays or in marketing. I love interiors anyway so it’s always been fun to get involved in styling and choosing products or paint colours for the shop.
… and the least?
Freya: Any kind of conflict, but it’s inevitable sometimes. I truly believe a calm, open and honest conversation can solve anything. I always try and defuse a situation before it gets too heated.
Dominic: Dealing with complaints and clearing unwanted stock.
What have been the most significant changes you’ve seen in your time – in the industry, retail, and the customer?
Dominic: The decline of British furniture manufacturing is probably one of the most significant changes I’ve experienced. Household names Ducal, Stag, Bevan Funnell, Cintique, Nathan, Cambria and Outline have all gone. Many suppliers have switched production to the Far East. There’s a huge amount of packaging we now need to dispose of. When I started, nearly everything was delivered to us and the customer blanket-wrapped.
There’s also a growing lack of independent furniture retailers. When I started at Reynolds there were eight shops selling furniture in the town, now there’s just us. Back then, the promotions were run with mail-outs, adverts in the local press and radio. The coming of the internet has meant an online transactional website, email marketing and posting on media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are essential for a successful campaign.
Freya: After lockdown I noticed a real shift in how customers shop. Footfall has never fully recovered to 2019 levels, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Even if footfall is down, sales haven’t always been any worse – the people who do come in are more considered about it. If they're through the door, they're serious about buying.
Read the rest of the interview in October's issue.
Pictured: Reynolds’ directors – Dominic, Stephen, James and Matthew from the family’s fifth generation (back), and Freya and Rebecca from the sixth generation
