Mark Elliott Furniture trims stores

A furniture company with its roots in East Anglia last night confirmed that it would trim five showrooms from its national operation.

Mark Elliot, the founder of Mark Elliot Furniture more than 20 years ago, started out at Oulton Broad and latterly expanded to Scotland, Northern Ireland and other parts of England.

Last night, Mr Elliot confirmed that stores in Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Colchester and Beverley, in Yorkshire, will close with the loss of 17 jobs.

He said the move would leave the remaining stores - at Holkham, Holt, Norwich's Timberhill, Snape Maltings, Bishop's Stortford, Cheltenham, Monmouth, Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds, Stamford, Altrincham and the head office and factory outlet in Beccles - better placed to weather the economic downturn.

Mr Elliot said the closures were regrettable but would leave the company “quick on our feet” and more able to respond to the problems in the market place.

“It puts us in the right position to ride out the ongoing difficulties in the economy,” said Mr Elliot.

“We have been looking at the road forward for some time and it has been a tough year.

“We have tightened our belts and we are back to what we were a few years ago. We have had to cut back, but we still have great furniture and great managers,” he said.

The rising price of fuel had been just one factor in the decision, said Mr Elliot, with the greater distances between East Anglia and Scotland and Northern Ireland a particular difficulty when looking at longer- term viability.

Orders placed before the closures were being honoured, with only a few more deliveries to carry out, added Mr Elliot. A total of 10 showroom staff and seven head office and manufacturing staff had been lost, said Mr Elliot, leaving the workforce at more than 40 strong.

The business started making furniture 21 years ago and moved into retail 12 years ago.

Courtesy of EDP

07 October 2008