Canterbury-based furniture retailer Lenleys has announced a pre-refurbishment closure sale at its Clarkes store in Maidstone.
The Maidstone store will temporarily close at the end of March to undergo a major refurbishment programme, and is scheduled to reopen in early summer as Lenleys Home (Maidstone).
The Maidstone store, Clarkes, has been operating for more than 90 years, and has been part of the Lenleys business since 2007. Since acquiring the store, Lenleys has introduced new products and lines that have proved popular with local buyers as well as those travelling from further afield.
The refurbishment in Maidstone comes hot on the heels of changes made to Lenleys' flagship Canterbury showroom, which added several new ranges to the shopfloor last year including dedicated departments for Ercol, Orla Kiely, Alexander & James, David Gundry upholstery, Richmond dining, and a large new flooring design showroom.
The changes make Lenleys one of the only stores in Kent to stock key designer ranges.
Lenleys is a family-owned-and-run business, and its original founders, Leonard Watts and Stanley Adsett, were both from Maidstone – the family has had a long-held desire to have a store in the area. Lenleys in Canterbury opened in 1936, with the two men tossing a coin to decide which blend of their names – Lenleys or Stannards –would give the store its name.
Lenleys partner Lavinia Watts, who is the third generation of the Watts family to manage the store’s identity, says: “We have always felt that our business was founded in Maidstone. Whilst the first store may not have been opened there, this is certainly where my grandfather and his business partner came up with the idea to establish Lenleys. We were therefore delighted to be able to welcome the Maidstone Clarkes store to the Lenleys family in 2007.
“We now feel it is time to invest in a significant refurbishment of the Maidstone store and it felt natural to welcome it fully by giving it the name of our family-owned-and-run business. The store will reopen in early summer as Lenleys Home, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming customers at our summer opening event.”
Whilst the store is closing temporarily, all existing orders will be fulfilled as normal.
