Kent-based retailer Lukehurst the Furnishers is celebrating its 50th anniversary, having opened its doors on 16th October 1970.
The business has been passed down through three generations, from the original owner Gerald Lukehurst, to the current owners, his son Martin and grand-daughter Kathryn. They have maintained a successful furniture business for half a century, and now have stores in Rainham and Sittingbourne, as well as having moved into online selling from their website in recent years.
Gerald opened the first Lukehurst store in Rainham at the age of 53, having previously had 25 years’ experience as the manager of a furniture store in Sittingbourne. With only one colleague to begin with, running his own independent shop was a challenge, but, with a combination of hard work and high-quality customer service, he soon built a reputation as a reliable local business.
Two years after opening the first store, Gerald’s son Martin joined the company aged 22, and they expanded the business, opening a second store in Chatham. After several premises moves as the business expanded, Kathryn joined the business in 2014.
Lukehurst now has its flagship store in Rainham high street, along with a large store on Eurolink Way, Sittingbourne, and the Chapel in Rainham, which specialises in carpets and flooring, curtains, blinds and soft furnishings, and wallpaper, complementing the two furniture stores. Now with more than 30 suppliers and hundreds of products, ranging from sofas to chairs and beds to wardrobes, the business has come a long way since making its first sale of a pillow for 4 shillings and 11p.
Martin Lukehurst comments: “I’m incredibly proud that our independent family business is still going from strength to strength 50 years after we first started trading. I’m sure the key to our success is the continued family commitment to the business, with our passion for retailing and determination to maintain our reputation by providing customers with quality products, expert knowledge and high levels of customer service.
“I was delighted when my daughter Kathryn joined the business, and we are determined to work together to continue improving, ready of the next generation. We are developing an enhanced website to make it easier for customers to shop online, and we are planning to install a new mezzanine in our Sittingbourne store next year, which will give an additional 8000 sqft of floor space for product displays, bringing the total to 20,000 sqft. This was originally meant to happen earlier this year, however, due to Covid, the development has been pushed back.”
The pandemic also led to a drastic fall in sales during the lockdown, as Lukehurst's stores had to shut, and the retailer was unable to deliver to customers. However, since re-opening, the business has seen a positive bounce back, with good trading figures.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our employees and customers,” Martin concludes. “We are indebted to them and truly appreciate the loyalty and support they have shown us over the years, especially in difficult periods such as this.”
Pictured: Martin and Kathryn Lukehurst
