It is generally accepted that the UK market is conservative when it comes to taste – light oak furniture continues to reign in most outlets – but it is refreshing to hear from a supplier that does more than most to encourage new trends. The UK arm of Danish flat-pack furniture giant Tvilum offers an impressive 2500 product permutations, an offering which evolves by a significant 20% each year – which can be somewhat daunting for customers, admits UK and Ireland country manager James Collins ...
Well-established Danish flat-pack giant Tvilum’s UK arm is just one year old, yet has made a significant impact. “We’ve tripled our activities and deliveries in the UK,” says James, “but the company is still finding its feet in this market.”
Tvilum’s UK stockist count stands at about 250, and the company carries out around a thousand deliveries each month – so careful management of the near-2500 product permutations on offer is critical.
More staff have been added to handle customer service, and a new stocking programme increasingly means faster deliveries. “Goods from Denmark only take around two weeks to arrive,” says James, “but this is still not fast enough for some customers. Consequently, we hold much of our leading product in stock in the UK now – when before it was just certain custom products that were available in this way. This service is being steadily rolled out to stockists over the next 12 months.
“E-commerce suppliers in particular want a quick pick-up, so we also offer collections from our main warehouse, and direct home delivery through some stockists in the UK.” Due to the the level of administration this service can entail, James is seeking to increasingly automate the business in the UK before this service can be rolled out to more stockists. Tvilum’s webstore, from which stock can be ordered directly by retailers, is now operational, and James says its strengths will become increasingly evident in the near future when it is used to run promotions, advertise clearance sales and give notice on the frequent product changes.
One enduringly popular example of Tvilum’s offering is this month’s cover feature, Monaco, part of a modular living room system that features Blum runners and click-lock doors. The range was recently refreshed with new colours, with the option of Satinator frosted glass fronts and sides, which featured heavily at this year’s Milan show. “It looks like something you might see in an old Habitat store, or BoConcept,” says James, “but comes at a fraction of the price!”It is clear that variety is an important component of Tvilum’s offering. James says: “You have to have a very interesting catalogue. Although it’s frustrating that the more progressive items are usually the hardest to sell, we do offer show pieces that do very well with interior designers and the niche independents. The industry is full of people that really appreciate good quality and design trends, but often this doesn’t seem to translate to retail. “Our customers range from multiple and independent retailers to interior designers, such is the choice on offer – and our output is by no means limited to contemporary flat-pack – after all, beech and light oak bedroom sets are our biggest sellers, but Tvilum can be very competitive at the volume end too.”
Tvilum’s annual in-house show at its Danish headquarters takes place from 1st-12th October – here, prototypes and young collections will be placed before the company’s key accounts for refinement prior to the imm cologne exhibition in January.
“In the coming year, we’re focusing on enlarging our customer base, pushing the digital side of our marketing activity, and sharpening our supply chain – in short, making sure we are fit for the times,” says James. “We want to ensure that all the key principles of business are adhered to. We are also playing about with different ways of designing furniture – and are aiming to place this process in the hands of our buyers, and not just those from major retailers.”
When it comes to the finer details of these developments, James is tight-lipped – but promises that visitors to Cologne in January are in for a surprise …
