Over the last month there's been a lot going on. It was sad to say Goodbye to Tricia who dealt with our admin and deliveries but unfortunately due to health problems for her husband she felt she could no longer give her full attention to the job. We sincerely wish her and her family all the best for the future and we will be keeping in touch.
Once Tricia decided she could not carry on the interview process had to begin. We received in excess of 75 applications and it took 3 of us a whole day to have an initial look at the CV's and decide who was suitable and who we could unfortunately remove from the process at the first step. Then from the 20 or so most suitable applicants we had to look more closely and make the decision on who to invite for an interview. We interviewed 12 people and made a short list of 4 which we then jointly reduced to 2. It was a really tough decision but after 2nd interviews the job was offered to and accepted by Beverley who has now been with us for 3 weeks and although it is difficult joining an established team she is settling in well.
CV's are often the first impression a prospective employer will get about you and it is a shame when people who may impress at interview do not come across as suitable from their CV. Employers do not have the time to interview every single person who submits a CV so make sure yours stands out - but not by putting animation etc on it! Angels blowing kisses are not appropriate (at least not for this type of job). For advice on CV's go to www.Totaljobs.com/careers-advice
Another new addition to the Lefton's team is Chris who is running our warehouse. Chris is polite, hard working and keen to learn and for those of you who think working in a warehouse is an easy job I can assure you it isn't. You have to be aware of all goods being delivered in to us from all the different manufacturers. All deliveries being made by us to our customers have to be made ready for the delivery staff, any returns have to be made available for the manufacturer to collect and as well as all that Chris has to know exactly which item is which. So when you think he has to know every piece of furniture and every bed it's quite some information he has had to learn but he has given us back our faith in the younger generation. Teenagers don't always come with the best of reputations and although he had a birthday last week and said goodbye to his teenage years he has proved that for every teenager who can't be bothered there will always be a Chris if you look hard enough.
Over the last couple of months we have moved out of one warehouse and into another so for a time we were utilising our basement in General Street as our warehouse but now we are up and running properly again with more efficient systems in place.
So after the upheaval of August and September it would be nice to think the next few months would be calm but now we turn our thoughts to Christmas cut off dates from manufacturers. Yes, just as decorations and cards are in shops now, furniture manufacturers have to plan their schedules to ensure goods ordered can be delivered before their 'Christmas Shutdown' period. We are now starting to get notification through so if you were thinking of new furniture for Christmas, don't leave it much longer.
They say things come in threes, so hopefully we have had our 3 changes and Beverley, Chris and the new warehouse are around for some time.
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Friday, 30 July 2010
Don't Miss Out
Sale Bargains Going Fast
Fantastic Offers In Store Now
Certain Display Models With Amazing Reductions - Even We Can't Believe The Prices
Don't Miss It - We Can't Offer These Prices For Much Longer
Fantastic Offers In Store Now
Certain Display Models With Amazing Reductions - Even We Can't Believe The Prices
Don't Miss It - We Can't Offer These Prices For Much Longer
Monday, 21 June 2010
Summer Is Here
It's officially Summer and we are all working hard getting ready for the BIG Summer Sale
Watch This Space
SALE STARTS FRIDAY 10am
Friday, 4 June 2010
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
At this time of year furniture shows come around very quickly and it's always interesting to see what the designers at manufacturers feel is going to be the next big trend. Designers seem to be moving away from smooth fabric coverings on upholstery and woven covers with velvet like surfaces and cut outs seem to be becoming popular.
There doesn't seem to be a day without the visit of a show van at the moment as well as the shows we have to go and visit. The Long Point show gave some interesting looks, although come July whether anybody will still be wanting furniture with Union Jack prints is another matter. It's also good to see manufacturers finally moving away from the creams and browns we have been inundated with over the last couple of years. Even if the items are available in these colours it makes the store display brighter if they are shown in vibrant colours and thankfully we are starting to see more of these. A predominant colour for the upcoming season seems to be blue. If this takes off in Blackpool it will be a first. We have seen and had on display furniture in different shades of blue over the years but although people appear to like the look of it, not many people order the furniture in blue. I wonder if there will be demand for Tangerine furniture this summer!
Then it was the Salterforth bed show where we saw Rest Assured http://www.rest-assured.co.uk/, Pocket Spring Bed Company www.pocketspringbed.co.uk (you can read their blog at http://www.pocketspringbed.co.uk/blog/), Sealy http://www.sealy.co.uk/ and Silentnight
http://www.silentnight.co.uk/
In a couple of weeks it's a visit to Gola in Ireland to see their new ranges of dining and bedroom furniture. We've stocked Gola furniture for many years and it's always a pleasure to go and see their factory and the new ranges they are producing. http://www.golafurniture.com/
There's also the Midpoint show and the Manchester Furniture show so by the end of August the stores could have a totally different look but don't worry we always consider our customer when making purchasing decisions so there is always a choice between the more traditional and the contemporary.
Watch this space for updates on all the new trends we come across and don't forget we need to make space to accommodate the new products so keep visiting the website http://www.leftonsgroup.com/ not only to see what's new but to find out what's on special offer. Of course, there's nothing better than actually seeing the funriture so feel free to call in and have a wander around. You never know what might catch your eye.
Thursday, 27 May 2010
Bank Holiday Bargains
After a weekend where the blues once again triumphed, this time in Spain where Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the Champions League final http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/index.html it wasn't a blue victory at Wembley, the colour of the day was definitely tangerine. Yes, little old Blackpool FC won the Championship play off 3 - 2, gained their place in next season's Premier League.
http://www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/page/Gallery/0,,10432~2059843,00.html and a mention in the House of Commons http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/10163758.stm . With the smallest ground in the Premier League, Karl Oyston has announced planning permission has already been gained to increase the capacity of the stadium to 16000. However this is unlikely to be in place for the start of next season but he said it will be 'as soon as realistically possible'! http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sports-news/Stadium-plan-talks-begin.6319997.jp
Gary Neville, a Premiership football player for Manchester United has his own planning battles at the moment and is awaiting a decision from Bolton Council as to whether he can go ahead and build his subterranean £6m carbon-zero house, the first carbon-neutral private house in Britain. This flower-shaped eco-home on green belt land has received mixed responses, particularly the wind turbine which it has been said would be taller than Bolton Town Hall. http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/judgement-day-looms-for-nevilles-zerocarbon-footprint-1983905.html . Who knows when Blackpool host Manchester United he may decide to pop in and have a look at our furniture!
For those of you ready to change your furniture now there are some amazing bargains to be had here at Lefton's this Bank Holiday weekend. www.leftonsgroup.com.
With immediate delivery on many items you could be sitting comfortably on your new furniture in time for the World Cup. For example the Verve 3 seater and 2 seater settee was £1599 and is now on offer at £995, that's a saving of over £600.
http://www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/page/Gallery/0,,10432~2059843,00.html and a mention in the House of Commons http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/10163758.stm . With the smallest ground in the Premier League, Karl Oyston has announced planning permission has already been gained to increase the capacity of the stadium to 16000. However this is unlikely to be in place for the start of next season but he said it will be 'as soon as realistically possible'! http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sports-news/Stadium-plan-talks-begin.6319997.jp
Gary Neville, a Premiership football player for Manchester United has his own planning battles at the moment and is awaiting a decision from Bolton Council as to whether he can go ahead and build his subterranean £6m carbon-zero house, the first carbon-neutral private house in Britain. This flower-shaped eco-home on green belt land has received mixed responses, particularly the wind turbine which it has been said would be taller than Bolton Town Hall. http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/judgement-day-looms-for-nevilles-zerocarbon-footprint-1983905.html . Who knows when Blackpool host Manchester United he may decide to pop in and have a look at our furniture!
For those of you ready to change your furniture now there are some amazing bargains to be had here at Lefton's this Bank Holiday weekend. www.leftonsgroup.com.
With immediate delivery on many items you could be sitting comfortably on your new furniture in time for the World Cup. For example the Verve 3 seater and 2 seater settee was £1599 and is now on offer at £995, that's a saving of over £600.Why not have sweet dreams of an England victory in your new bed, there's half price Sealy, Silentnight and Myers all for immediate delivery with exceptional offers on Rest Assured and Sleepeezee.
Don't forget our large range of dining furniture with a Mahogany Collection extending dining table, 4 chairs + 2 carvers for £2999. That's a reduction of over £1200. The Vienna solid oak extending table with 6 chairs is reduced by £1300 and it is now only £999.
To complement your new furniture we have an amazing selection of pictures, mirrors and accessories
There are many more bargains in store so if you are looking for new furniture, look no further than Lefton's this Bank Holiday weekend.
Thursday, 20 May 2010
Tangerines - Bad For Your Health?
With blue being the predominant colour over the past couple of weeks from Chelsea winning the Premier League trophy http://www.premierleague.com/page/Home/0,,12306,00.html and the FA Cup and the Conservatives winning the election (ok with a little yellow thrown in) it's now Tangerine Time, or so the supporters of Blackpool FC are hoping http://www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/. The supporters of Blackpool FC have put up with their fair share of let-downs and heart stopping moments and it's been a long time coming but our local team could be heading into the Premiership. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackpool_F.C
The flag carries on flying at the top of the tower and the threat of suspension no longer hangs over Charlie Adam (unless he sees red) http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpool-football-club/Charlie39s-ready-for-Wembley-best.6307390.jp and with the major role he has played in getting the Seasiders to the final - 18 goals from midfield he's now ready to produce his sparkling form again. Loan signing D J Campbell can play as the final opposition isn't Leicester (his parent club) as they were beaten by Cardiff City in the semis. Several of the Blackpool players already have Premier League experience including Jason Euell, Brett Ormerod and Paul Rachubka who started his goalkeeping career at Manchester United.http://www.manutd.com/ but has recently been kept out by Matthew Gilks who's shot stopping got Blackpool past Nottingham Forest and into the final.
On Friday 21st May 2010 the Blackpool Gazette includes a special supplement getting the town behind the team and Lefton's are pleased to be showing our support. Included in this supplement is our advert offering readers a 7.5% discount on items purchased between now and June 30th, so if you are too busy this weekend with the Championship Play Offs don't worry you have still time to claim your discount. Pick up tomorrows Gazette for further details. http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/
Blackpool FC's Manager, Ian Holloway may have his own special players he can rely on but here at Lefton's http://www.leftonsgroup.com/ we have our very own 'Manager's Special'. There are currently extra discounts available whether it be an end of range item or just a stock clearance. Wherever you see this sign on a product you can be sure of a bargain buy. There's no catch you still get the same service, free delivery, free assembly and free removal of your old furniture. The only thing changed is the price. Who needs to be a premiership footballer when Lefton's are offering such reasonable prices?
So it's Good Luck to Blackpool FC, may Tangerine be this weekend's colour.
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
All Change At The Top
After 5 days of waiting the country finally has a new Prime Minister. With Gordon Brown resigning as Prime Minster http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8675913.stm and ironically receiving a gift from the Queen which came from Samantha Cameron's stationery shop http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/7713179/Prime-Minister-David-Cameron-Royal-farewells-parting-gift-has-unlikely-source.html the door was open for David Cameron http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Cameron to enter No 10 Downing Street with Nick Clegg appointed Deputy Prime Minster http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/12/nick-clegg-deputy-prime-minister, although how much power this will ultimately give him remains to be seen.
The Washington Post, USA reported this coalition as being the 'strangest of political bedfellows' http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/11/AR2010051102200.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR but for the sake of the country, our families, health, jobs and well being lets hope this strange partnership can make it work.
It's not just the Government which has changed over the last week, here at Lefton's Group http://www.leftonsgroup.com/ we also have a new leader. Don't worry we are still a family firm with Richard Lefton as MD, however as the Government says 'Hello' to David, we said 'Goodbye' to David who has been our Store Manager in recent years.
However there is no need to worry about major changes here, we have welcomed back an old face. So meet our new Store Manager - Paul Thompson.
Paul left school and commenced an upholstery apprenticeship at Horsemans which was in Blackpool. After completing this and moving over to the retail side, after 5 years he wanted a new challenge away from upholstery. In 1988 he took the opportunity of a vacancy in the Bed Department of Lefton's, which was then located on Church Street in Blackpool.
The Washington Post, USA reported this coalition as being the 'strangest of political bedfellows' http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/11/AR2010051102200.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR but for the sake of the country, our families, health, jobs and well being lets hope this strange partnership can make it work.
It's not just the Government which has changed over the last week, here at Lefton's Group http://www.leftonsgroup.com/ we also have a new leader. Don't worry we are still a family firm with Richard Lefton as MD, however as the Government says 'Hello' to David, we said 'Goodbye' to David who has been our Store Manager in recent years.
However there is no need to worry about major changes here, we have welcomed back an old face. So meet our new Store Manager - Paul Thompson.
Paul left school and commenced an upholstery apprenticeship at Horsemans which was in Blackpool. After completing this and moving over to the retail side, after 5 years he wanted a new challenge away from upholstery. In 1988 he took the opportunity of a vacancy in the Bed Department of Lefton's, which was then located on Church Street in Blackpool.
Paul stayed for approximately 5 years and within this time got to know all the ins and outs of bed buying. What Paul can't tell you about buying a bed isn't worth knowing. Because of Paul's knowledge, of course other companies wanted him. Although he wanted to stay at Lefton's there was not an available managerial position at this time so he took the opportunity of accepting a position out of the Blackpool area. Eighteen months ago he wanted a change for family reasons and came back to Lefton's on a part time basis helping to re-shape the Bed & Bedroom Furniture Superstore, now located on Walker Street and a stones throw from our Superstore on General Street http://www.leftonsgroup.com/website/aboutLeftons/location.php
Now Paul has returned as full time manager and we are delighted to welcome him back. It doesn't feel as big a change as David Cameron taking over from Gordon Brown but it is sure to bring about fresh ideas and new promotions. In fact he is in our General Street store right now, together with Richard Lefton planning some May Bank Holiday madness - watch this space!
Friday, 7 May 2010
Special Offers
The votes have been cast and if no party has the majority it's down to the leaders to do deals with each other to try and take control of the Government. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8667071.stm
The Liberal Democrats didn't have the breakthrough they had hoped for. The country voted for change but David Cameron wasn't given full support. So what happens next, many different scenarios will be being played out this weekend and only time will give us the final outcome? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/election/article-1274159/UK-ELECTION-RESULTS-2010-Hung-parliament-force-parties-backroom-deals.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Meanwhile, away from the chaos of Polling Stations closing with voters still wating to vote http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8666653.stm
and the new plans of action which will need to be put in place by each of the parties this morning and over the weekend here at Lefton's Group http://www.leftonsgroup.com/ we have some exciting offers of our own - open to everyone not just those we can do deals with!
LIMITED SPECIAL OFFERS
At the moment we have a beautiful oak extending dining table with 4 leather dining chairs which should cost £1799 but we are offering for £999.
Then there’s the Calligaris Play Glass Dining Table with 4 Jam Chairs which should be £1380 and we have on sale at £849. http://international.calligaris.it/catalogo.asp
There’s a 30% discount on our Karel Mintjens Quba display stock. http://www.leftonsgroup.com/website/shop/search.php?page=1
All furniture is delivered free of charge within the North West area and for a nominal charge to cover fuel outside of this area. http://www.leftonsgroup.com/website/aboutLeftons/deliveryDetails.php
National and international delivery details can be found on our website http://www.leftonsgroup.com/website/aboutLeftons/deliveryDetails.php
Lefton’s have always maintained a level of social corporate responsibility and have a long standing arrangement with a local charity where your old items will be recycled, renovated and reused by those in need. This project equips people will valuable skills and training learning to renovate furniture as well as benefitting those in need of furniture for their homes. If we can’t renovate the items, well don’t worry, we have a disposal agreement with the local authorities to safely and legally dispose of your old items. Total peace of mind which is more than Gordon Brown http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/election/article-1274262/UK-ELECTION-RESULTS-Will-Labour-ditch-Gordon-Brown-strike-Lib-Dem-deal.html, will have at the moment!
The Liberal Democrats didn't have the breakthrough they had hoped for. The country voted for change but David Cameron wasn't given full support. So what happens next, many different scenarios will be being played out this weekend and only time will give us the final outcome? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/election/article-1274159/UK-ELECTION-RESULTS-2010-Hung-parliament-force-parties-backroom-deals.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Meanwhile, away from the chaos of Polling Stations closing with voters still wating to vote http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8666653.stm
and the new plans of action which will need to be put in place by each of the parties this morning and over the weekend here at Lefton's Group http://www.leftonsgroup.com/ we have some exciting offers of our own - open to everyone not just those we can do deals with!
LIMITED SPECIAL OFFERS
At the moment we have a beautiful oak extending dining table with 4 leather dining chairs which should cost £1799 but we are offering for £999.
Then there’s the Calligaris Play Glass Dining Table with 4 Jam Chairs which should be £1380 and we have on sale at £849. http://international.calligaris.it/catalogo.asp
There’s a 30% discount on our Karel Mintjens Quba display stock. http://www.leftonsgroup.com/website/shop/search.php?page=1
All furniture is delivered free of charge within the North West area and for a nominal charge to cover fuel outside of this area. http://www.leftonsgroup.com/website/aboutLeftons/deliveryDetails.php
National and international delivery details can be found on our website http://www.leftonsgroup.com/website/aboutLeftons/deliveryDetails.php
Lefton’s have always maintained a level of social corporate responsibility and have a long standing arrangement with a local charity where your old items will be recycled, renovated and reused by those in need. This project equips people will valuable skills and training learning to renovate furniture as well as benefitting those in need of furniture for their homes. If we can’t renovate the items, well don’t worry, we have a disposal agreement with the local authorities to safely and legally dispose of your old items. Total peace of mind which is more than Gordon Brown http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/election/article-1274262/UK-ELECTION-RESULTS-Will-Labour-ditch-Gordon-Brown-strike-Lib-Dem-deal.html, will have at the moment!
Friday, 30 April 2010
Toxic Sofas and Armchair Surfers
It has now been confirmed hundreds of customers are to share a £20m payout for injuries and burns sustained by ‘toxic sofas’ http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/apr/26/toxic-sofa-customers-compensation. This must have been a traumatic time for the people concerned but unfortunately for those who purchased from Land of Leather the battle continues as their claims have been rejected. This is due to a clause in the insurance policy Land of Leather had http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/mar/19/land-of-leather-toxic-sofa-claims-rejected
Although we can’t take away the pain and misery caused by this, here at Lefton’s http://www.leftonsgroup.com/ it has been decided to offer those customers who have lost out by this ruling a special discount of 10% on either a leather http://www.leftonsgroup.com/website/living/sofasFabric.php?catID=7&page=1 or fabric suite http://www.leftonsgroup.com/website/living/sofasFabric.php?catID=7&page=1 . Proof of purchase and injuries sustained will be required but after this has been confirmed you will be able to choose from any of our suites and you don’t have to be worried about purchasing leather again, there isn’t any Chinese leather in our store and the use of DMF http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethyl_fumarate the cause of the skin irritation is now banned. We have never stocked furniture treated with this but as retailers we are really pleased the decision was taken by the EU to ban this http://www.eubusiness.com/topics/consumer/dmf-guide/.
Compensation is a very over used word these days but in this case it is totally justified.
If our leather suites are not manufactured in the UK , they are from well established European companies, mainly from Spain and Italy . As part of our buying process and staff training visits are made to the factories to reassure ourselves of the quality of the product. Leather is a complicated product, however all our staff have had leather training and can discuss any queries with you and explain all the different types of leather. It may all come from a cow but, depending on how it is then treated can alter the feel and texture and durability. It pays to know what you are buying.
We are hearing more and more from customers their sad tales of how they have lost money by purchasing goods over the internet. Just last week a couple came in saddened by their experience but it is a cautionary tale. They had shopped around and eventually seen a dining table they liked in a store. They then took all the measurements and details of the furniture, went home and trawled the internet, when they finally found it at a cheaper price they ordered it and paid in full. However, the internet company then ceased to trade and the customer was left with no furniture and severely out of pocket. Whilst there are genuine companies selling via the internet there are also many who are there only to fleece innocent people of their hard earned money.
Is it not better to purchase from a local well established store where you can see the type of company you are buying from? Even Amazon, one of the largest internet retailers can see the benefit of ‘real’ stores http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article6945922.ece .
It’s well worth thinking about the ‘what if’ when purchasing on the internet because even if the company looks good
What if
The goods are damaged in transit? Who is liable? Are the goods delivered by the companies own staff or are they delivered via a courier company?
What if
Something goes wrong? How will the problem be dealt with? Will the company be able to deal with it?
What if
the goods need to be repaired? Who will cover the cost if goods need to be returned for repair? How will they be returned? How long will you be without them? Does the company have the ability to loan you something in the meantime?
And in this day and age the main question should be will the company still be around to deal with any future problems?
All these questions need to be considered. Many customers research the goods they want to purchase but don’t research the company they are purchasing from. We are all too quick to use the internet in our everyday lives but many fail to use it for proper research purposes when it can be a very valuable tool. As much time should be spent on making an internet purchase as is made when shopping from a proper bricks and mortar store. You wouldn’t walk into a store, take a quick glance at something and buy it immediately. In the case of furniture time is taken to discuss fabrics, leathers, colours and of course how the furniture feels to sit on. Of course, we all know there are customers who use ‘real stores’ as showrooms and then use the internet to save a few pounds but do they really consider the ‘what if’s’? Those few pounds saved could turn into a very costly experience if problems arose.
When we are all watching what we spend a little bit of reassurance about our purchase goes a long way!
Although we can’t take away the pain and misery caused by this, here at Lefton’s http://www.leftonsgroup.com/ it has been decided to offer those customers who have lost out by this ruling a special discount of 10% on either a leather http://www.leftonsgroup.com/website/living/sofasFabric.php?catID=7&page=1 or fabric suite http://www.leftonsgroup.com/website/living/sofasFabric.php?catID=7&page=1 . Proof of purchase and injuries sustained will be required but after this has been confirmed you will be able to choose from any of our suites and you don’t have to be worried about purchasing leather again, there isn’t any Chinese leather in our store and the use of DMF http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethyl_fumarate the cause of the skin irritation is now banned. We have never stocked furniture treated with this but as retailers we are really pleased the decision was taken by the EU to ban this http://www.eubusiness.com/topics/consumer/dmf-guide/.
Compensation is a very over used word these days but in this case it is totally justified.
If our leather suites are not manufactured in the UK , they are from well established European companies, mainly from Spain and Italy . As part of our buying process and staff training visits are made to the factories to reassure ourselves of the quality of the product. Leather is a complicated product, however all our staff have had leather training and can discuss any queries with you and explain all the different types of leather. It may all come from a cow but, depending on how it is then treated can alter the feel and texture and durability. It pays to know what you are buying.
We are hearing more and more from customers their sad tales of how they have lost money by purchasing goods over the internet. Just last week a couple came in saddened by their experience but it is a cautionary tale. They had shopped around and eventually seen a dining table they liked in a store. They then took all the measurements and details of the furniture, went home and trawled the internet, when they finally found it at a cheaper price they ordered it and paid in full. However, the internet company then ceased to trade and the customer was left with no furniture and severely out of pocket. Whilst there are genuine companies selling via the internet there are also many who are there only to fleece innocent people of their hard earned money.
Is it not better to purchase from a local well established store where you can see the type of company you are buying from? Even Amazon, one of the largest internet retailers can see the benefit of ‘real’ stores http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article6945922.ece .
It’s well worth thinking about the ‘what if’ when purchasing on the internet because even if the company looks good
What if
The goods are damaged in transit? Who is liable? Are the goods delivered by the companies own staff or are they delivered via a courier company?
What if
Something goes wrong? How will the problem be dealt with? Will the company be able to deal with it?
What if
the goods need to be repaired? Who will cover the cost if goods need to be returned for repair? How will they be returned? How long will you be without them? Does the company have the ability to loan you something in the meantime?
And in this day and age the main question should be will the company still be around to deal with any future problems?
All these questions need to be considered. Many customers research the goods they want to purchase but don’t research the company they are purchasing from. We are all too quick to use the internet in our everyday lives but many fail to use it for proper research purposes when it can be a very valuable tool. As much time should be spent on making an internet purchase as is made when shopping from a proper bricks and mortar store. You wouldn’t walk into a store, take a quick glance at something and buy it immediately. In the case of furniture time is taken to discuss fabrics, leathers, colours and of course how the furniture feels to sit on. Of course, we all know there are customers who use ‘real stores’ as showrooms and then use the internet to save a few pounds but do they really consider the ‘what if’s’? Those few pounds saved could turn into a very costly experience if problems arose.
When we are all watching what we spend a little bit of reassurance about our purchase goes a long way!
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Feeling The Heat
Welcome to the first blog from Lefton’s Furniture Group, Blackpool
We’ll keep you up to date with our special offers, promotions and anything any furniture buyer may need to know. It’s also our chance to showcase manufacturers, our new products and along the way we’ll introduce you to our staff members. In fact anything we think you should know, we’ll tell you. There may be weeks when we have a rant about things happening which affect us and in turn you, the customer, but hopefully there will be good times along the way which we can share with you.
Manufacturing in the UK has taken a severe beating during the recession with even the oldest furniture manufacturers suffering. One which certainly pulled at our heart strings was the loss of H J Berry & Sons. They had traded since 1840 and were the oldest chair manufacturer in Britain. Their product was made by skilled craftsmen and was high quality. It’s a sad loss for our store display and also to the local area as they were based not too far from us. news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lancashire/8511825 We can only hope the election will invigorate the economy a little here in the UK .
Bad news from America shows many importers and manufacturers think the rising cost of raw materials will result in higher prices for finished goods and they are forecasting price increases of anywhere between single figures up to 15% within the next 12 months. As we all know what happens in America follows through to the UK . Although we held off as long as possible, once the VAT increase came into force together with all the notifications from manufacturers of their price increases we have had no option but to increase our prices. We do our utmost to offer the best possible price and are keeping our prices as low as we can whilst still offering good quality items, drop into the store and see for yourself or visit our website at http://www.leftonsgroup.com./
So after months of waiting the election was finally called for May 6th. Over the weekend support for the Lib Dems grew after the performance of Nick Clegg in last weeks first debate and after subsiding slightly in polls earlier this week they now have their highest support so far with 34%, a gain of 3%. The Conservative party has lost 2% of the vote and now has 31% with Labour trailing on 26% after a loss of 1% www.ukpollingreport.co.uk/blog. It’s interesting to see a report on www.google.co.uk/election2010 shows Gordon Brown and his Chancellor Alistair Darling are the most googled leader and Chancellor, however it is the Conservative Party with the most hits. Nobody seems to be doing much searching for Nick Clegg but his Chancellor Vince Cable is ahead of George Osborne for the Conservatives. Peter Mandelson was here in Blackpool last week on his campaign trail but he found time (or was it a charm offensive?) to stop off for a twirl around the dance floor of the Tower Ballroom and an ice cream at the end of the pier http://www.guardian.co.uk/. He would certainly have had his work cut out as Blackpool is very much, or at least was at the last local elections a Conservative stronghold with a majority of 27 seats to Labour’s 12 and Lib Dem’s 3.
Whatever happens on May 6th and whoever comes out on top after all the shouting is over we can only hope the voting public are rewarded with a Government who delivers the promises they were elected on.
Good news for us – none of our staff are trapped abroad due to volcanic ash, although if the disruption carries on until weekend we may have a certain member of staff who will be having an extended holiday due to Eyjafjallajokull http://blogs.news.sky.com/theweathergirls/Post:d0cf7a8b-c0ba-493f-8aa0-f4159cc4780d
Furniture is usually transported by land and sea so hopefully no deliveries will be delayed by this but if you are expecting furniture from us we’ll keep you informed as usual. If you are looking to furnish your home abroad you don’t need to worry when buying from Lefton’s, we use the best carriers and shipping etc so there will be no delays for any international orders due to volcanoes!! In fact we have just made a successful delivery to Marbella in Spain and the customers are delighted with their purchase of Holtkamp Moreno http://www.leftonsgroup.com/website/living/multimediaCabinets.php?catID=10&page=1
So with the UK feeling the heat of recession, the politicians feeling the heat of the election campaign and it seems a lot of the world feeling the heat of the chaos caused by Eyjafjallajokull, whatever the weather there’s certainly plenty of hot talking points at the moment.
We’ll keep you up to date with our special offers, promotions and anything any furniture buyer may need to know. It’s also our chance to showcase manufacturers, our new products and along the way we’ll introduce you to our staff members. In fact anything we think you should know, we’ll tell you. There may be weeks when we have a rant about things happening which affect us and in turn you, the customer, but hopefully there will be good times along the way which we can share with you.
Manufacturing in the UK has taken a severe beating during the recession with even the oldest furniture manufacturers suffering. One which certainly pulled at our heart strings was the loss of H J Berry & Sons. They had traded since 1840 and were the oldest chair manufacturer in Britain. Their product was made by skilled craftsmen and was high quality. It’s a sad loss for our store display and also to the local area as they were based not too far from us. news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lancashire/8511825 We can only hope the election will invigorate the economy a little here in the UK .
Bad news from America shows many importers and manufacturers think the rising cost of raw materials will result in higher prices for finished goods and they are forecasting price increases of anywhere between single figures up to 15% within the next 12 months. As we all know what happens in America follows through to the UK . Although we held off as long as possible, once the VAT increase came into force together with all the notifications from manufacturers of their price increases we have had no option but to increase our prices. We do our utmost to offer the best possible price and are keeping our prices as low as we can whilst still offering good quality items, drop into the store and see for yourself or visit our website at http://www.leftonsgroup.com./
So after months of waiting the election was finally called for May 6th. Over the weekend support for the Lib Dems grew after the performance of Nick Clegg in last weeks first debate and after subsiding slightly in polls earlier this week they now have their highest support so far with 34%, a gain of 3%. The Conservative party has lost 2% of the vote and now has 31% with Labour trailing on 26% after a loss of 1% www.ukpollingreport.co.uk/blog. It’s interesting to see a report on www.google.co.uk/election2010 shows Gordon Brown and his Chancellor Alistair Darling are the most googled leader and Chancellor, however it is the Conservative Party with the most hits. Nobody seems to be doing much searching for Nick Clegg but his Chancellor Vince Cable is ahead of George Osborne for the Conservatives. Peter Mandelson was here in Blackpool last week on his campaign trail but he found time (or was it a charm offensive?) to stop off for a twirl around the dance floor of the Tower Ballroom and an ice cream at the end of the pier http://www.guardian.co.uk/. He would certainly have had his work cut out as Blackpool is very much, or at least was at the last local elections a Conservative stronghold with a majority of 27 seats to Labour’s 12 and Lib Dem’s 3.
Whatever happens on May 6th and whoever comes out on top after all the shouting is over we can only hope the voting public are rewarded with a Government who delivers the promises they were elected on.
Good news for us – none of our staff are trapped abroad due to volcanic ash, although if the disruption carries on until weekend we may have a certain member of staff who will be having an extended holiday due to Eyjafjallajokull http://blogs.news.sky.com/theweathergirls/Post:d0cf7a8b-c0ba-493f-8aa0-f4159cc4780d
Furniture is usually transported by land and sea so hopefully no deliveries will be delayed by this but if you are expecting furniture from us we’ll keep you informed as usual. If you are looking to furnish your home abroad you don’t need to worry when buying from Lefton’s, we use the best carriers and shipping etc so there will be no delays for any international orders due to volcanoes!! In fact we have just made a successful delivery to Marbella in Spain and the customers are delighted with their purchase of Holtkamp Moreno http://www.leftonsgroup.com/website/living/multimediaCabinets.php?catID=10&page=1
So with the UK feeling the heat of recession, the politicians feeling the heat of the election campaign and it seems a lot of the world feeling the heat of the chaos caused by Eyjafjallajokull, whatever the weather there’s certainly plenty of hot talking points at the moment.
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