“Heritage can be a superpower — but only if you evolve,” says Sara Hassan, head of marketing at Arighi Bianchi. “We’re using experiential retail, digital storytelling and lifestyle branding to break out of the category norms – and it’s already turned social buzz into +1000% organic growth, increased footfall and doubled online traffic.”
For all brands with a long history, there comes a time where one must regenerate or risk irrelevance, says the retailer. But attracting new and often younger audiences – while holding on to the values, visuals, and voice that made the brand successful in the first place – is one of marketing’s trickiest balancing acts.
Arighi Bianchi says it faced that very challenge. Once known almost exclusively as a destination for classic, high-end furniture – favoured by older generations and interior design purists – the UK-based business found itself out of step with a post-Covid market driven by millennial homeowners, shorter attention spans, and an ‘experience-first’ approach to retail.
Rather than dilute the brand or chase fast trends, the Arighi Bianchi team committed to a deeper transformation. That meant reimagining the business as more than a place to buy furniture.
“We stopped thinking about what people needed and started thinking about what they wanted to feel,” says Sara. “The store became a lifestyle space. Our social feeds became storytelling tools. And our campaigns became cultural events.”
At the heart of this shift was a long-term, insight-led strategy to broaden the brand’s appeal – without compromising on its founding principles of quality, craftsmanship and individuality.
An example of this is the retailer’s new Postcards From… campaign, now in its fifth iteration, which takes inspiration from Arighi’s founder’s journey from the Italian Lakes to Macclesfield in 1854. Fast-forward 171 years, and the brand is turning interiors into global journeys – from Japanese hand-crafted furniture to Sicilian ceramics – alongside destination-led themed menus within its in-store Caffè AB, product drops, and travel giveaways. An ambitious calendar of workshops, book signings, family fun days and pop-ups have turned a store visit into a day out, appealing to customers across the UK.
“We also created a content strategy that delivered,” adds Ella Beattie, Arighi’s social media manager. “Our brand and communications refresh, content-first approach, more inclusive tone of voice, modern aspirational imagery, influencer collaborations, human-first storytelling and a major digital revamp have supercharged engagement – with social reach up +1000% in 2025, and Instagram Stories seeing 20 x growth versus 2023.”
Strategic partnerships have also formed a key part of Arighi Bianchi’s strategy. The store welcomed cult London coffee brand Grind as its official coffee partner in May, becoming the first partner venue to serve Grind outside of London.
In July, as part of its successful Postcards From … campaign, the brand announced a groundbreaking partnership with Chester Zoo, comprising events, product showcases, competitions and a fundraising pledge to support Chester Zoo’s global conservation work.
And Sara says these partnerships are just the beginning: “Collaborations allow us to connect with new audiences through trusted partners and maverick brands which share our brand values. From Grind to Chester Zoo, each one has surprised the market and caused a stir – and we have even more in the pipeline for 2025 and 2026.
“Arighi isn’t just known for selling sofas anymore”, she adds. “We’ve gone from historic furniture shop, to one that’s now got a reputation as a retail destination for a new generation. As a family-run business, this sees the fourth and fifth generations of the Bianchi family collaboratively leveraging their skills and expertise to deliver this multichannel strategy.
“Our retail-tainment strategy is a deliberate move away from transactional retail and towards brand engagement – putting community, storytelling and shared experience at the centre of its marketing strategy, that’s bringing new audiences into the store. Footfall is up, online growth is strong, and younger demographics are re-engaging with the brand.”
For Arighi Bianchi, the lesson has been clear – you don’t need to dilute your brand to broaden your appeal, says the retailer. As it continues to evolve, the brand says it demonstrates that heritage, when paired with vision and creativity, can be a powerful asset in a modern marketplace.
