The Sofas & Stuff Story
The Sofas & Stuff story began in 2009. Following a few years out of the industry after selling Sofa Workshop in 2002 I noticed a gap in the market with regards to selling bespoke, handmade, British sofas and beds online and from quirky non high street locations. And 10 years later here we are with 13 stores, and likely to celebrate our anniversary year with the company’s best ever results.
We live in the Sussex Downs and having spent a lifetime commuting and travelling all over the world Julia and I wanted to start a business that we could get to and from within 10 minutes. Lunch at home seemed like a nice idea. As luck had it, a beautiful old wood timbered barn was available at the other end of the village we live in, Fittleworth, and the rest is history.
In those early days we found we had customers who were driving for hours to come and see us. One day one particular customer commented that they loved the experience of Sofas&Stuff so much, because the barn “didn’t feel like a shop.” In that moment what was intended to be an online only company morphed in an instant into a mixture of online and beautiful quirky off pitch bricks and mortar.
Added to that after their visit they went and had lunch down the road in our local 16th century pub The Swan. For them the whole experience had turned into a day out. A fun day, where the normal stress of buying large ticket items had been removed. Let’s face it, we all know how scary buying a really important item that is going to last for many years can be. Make a mistake and you are going to have to live with that mistake for a long time.
Those early days seem a long time ago now, but what we learnt then we still abide by today. Come to Sofas&Stuff and we will strive with every sinew to offer every customer the best and most knowledgeable service possible. We know about sofas and Beds, and we will do everything to make sure that everyone ends up with a product that is as close to what they want as possible.
Our Achievements
Put simply, 40,000 happy customers is what gets our juices flowing, and up and out of bed in the morning. What we do is often complicated and difficult, so it gives us so much pleasure when our customers send us images for Instagram and Pinterest of their lovely sofas and beds in their beautiful homes.
Company Growth
We began our journey as four people on one smallish desk in Fittleworth. Although we grew it wasn’t an obsession of mine to turn Sofas&Stuff into a big company. Our obsession was to try and fulfil a need. Over the ten years we have gradually expanded round the UK, so that when we opened in the Mailbox in Birmingham 10 weeks ago, we were opening our 13th store.
Goals
It might be a tad naff, but to get better day by day.
As part of this approach we recently launched our new Essential collection. 12 new ranges of beautiful, practical and above all great value fabrics, as well as three new sofa designs, engineered to retail at a lower price point, whilst maintaining our obsessive level of product quality.
And as to the future? Well, we feel the good folks of Cambridge, Exeter and Glasgow might all benefit from a Sofas&Stuff in their locality. Hopefully not in the too distant future.
Andrew Cussins