Yorkshire furniture retailer expands into Ireland

A West Yorkshire furniture retailer has expanded into Ireland as it looks to build on strong online growth and broaden its reach.

Liversedge-headquartered Bedkingdom has launched a dedicated Irish website stocking 90 per cent of its own-brand bedroom and home furniture range.

Customers will be able to shop without additional duties and taxes, with free delivery available on orders over €250.

Products will initially be shipped from the UK while the retailer establishes its presence, with plans to eventually open an Irish warehouse to simplify distribution and support next-day delivery.

Levon Hall, chief operating officer of Bedkingdom, said: “When we started looking at where to launch the business next, Ireland was the obvious choice because of its close proximity to the UK. 

“We’ve done a lot of research, and Irish people tend to take a lot of pride in their homes, with a big culture of hospitality and bringing family together, which made it the perfect fit. 

“There’s been a lot of hoops to jump through with preparing to enter a completely new market, especially post Brexit which has added a layer of complication for retailers that want to ship products outside the UK.

“As well as our owned brands, we stock several ranges from other furniture manufacturers and suppliers, and hope to establish some partnerships with new suppliers that want to access the Irish market.”

The launch follows six months of preparation and comes after Bedkingdom recorded 54 per cent year-on-year organic traffic growth.

Founder Ashley Hainsworth started the business selling mattresses online with a £400 investment while studying at the University of Huddersfield.

It now operates three West Yorkshire warehouses and forms part of Flair Furniture Group, which generates more than £28 million in revenue.

Bedkingdom’s own ranges include Flair Beds, Flair Furnishings, Noomi, Recoil Gaming and SOLACE+CO, alongside products from third-party furniture brands.

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