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Carpet inflation pushes up again
February 15, 2023
Inflation is falling - except for carpets! Despite small declines in the overall rate on inflation for general retail sales and for the furniture sector as a whole, textile floorcovering prices went up again in January.
According to today's data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), inflation for carpets and rugs was at 12.1% in January, up fom 9.4% in December.
Other floorcovering categories including LVT came down to 17.3% from December's high of 19.7, indicating some easing of raw material costs and supply chain issues.
The overall retail price index fell to 10.1%, its lowest level since September 2022, compared to 10.5% in December.
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BUSINESS NEWS
The British Furniture Confederation (BFC), the public affairs umbrella body of furniture and beds, furnishings and flooring sector trade associations, has unveiled its new Plan for Growth. The document is said to support BFC’s advocacy across four key pillars: skills and education; trade and exports; standards and regulations; and the environment and circular economy. It has been developed over the past few months, the organisation says, evolving from a combination of position papers written by the associations’ executives and a comprehensive survey of their collective members.
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Kellars, which describes itself as the largest independent flooring wholesaler in the UK, saw another year of “substantial growth” to July 2024, according to its strategic report for the period. With six depots across the UK and a team of more than 100, the company has reportedly grown at a “rapid rate,” with the year leading up to July 2024 seeing a dramatic rise.
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Likewise Group, a UK flooring distributor, has announced the completion of its purchase of a freehold Logistics Centre in Ivybridge near Plymouth.
VAT and PAYE records from HM Revenue and Customs, compiled by The Furnishing Report, have revealed the number of flooring retailers with sales over £1m reached a record high in 2024.
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