Stools. I didn’t realise there could be so many types of stools from bog standard kitchen stools to bar stools, adjustable stools to swivel stools, stools with arms to stools with back rests…. Family run company, Net Furniture Ltd, obviously did as they run a sister website alongside their main furniture business, called appropriately enough, Stools Online! I spoke to company founder Zed, about his company’s stool range….
Hello. My name is Zed. I am the founder of netfurniture.co.uk and stoolsonline.co.uk which I founded 15 years ago in 2004 with just £400 and have built it up to become a leading online furniture retailers with turnover in excess of £3 million over that time period!
Stools Online is part of your family run business, Net Furniture. What inspired the setting up of the predominantly stools website in addition to your main site?
Stools were the first item that I sold on NetFurniture so stools have a special meaning to me, which explains why we have nearly 900 stools more than any other item! Once I saw we were doing well with the stools, I wanted to set up a separate site devoted just to bar stools and related bar tables, as I saw there was a demand for these items. By devoting a site to bar stools enabled the customer to find what they were looking for quicker.
You sell around 20 types of stools from kitchen & bar stools to acrylic perspex stools and brushed satin stools. What type of stool seems to be the most popular? Do you have a favourite style of stool?
We sell a lot from all categories – the brushed steel stools seem popular at the moment as they fit in with a lot of brushed appliances that people have in their kitchens. I don’t have a favourite – I love all stools equally!
On your main website, Netfurniture, what type of products are most in demand?
We sell a lot of tables, especially the made to measure ones, as they cannot be found in regular shops and are unique to us. From our bedroom furniture range we sell a lot of ready assembled bedroom chest of drawers and others assembled furniture, as it saves the customer having to assemble it themselves
Your clients include the BBC, Sky Sports & several celebrities as well as the general public. When sourcing products, do you go for past popularity, current trends, customer requests, your own tastes or bits of all those?
We attend the trade shows so we get a good idea of popular trends and we try to give our customers what they want. We try to also look for products that are not available in regular furniture shops to give our customers more choice and options.
As you are based in the UK, are your products available to customers abroad?
We are UK based. We do ship to Europe – Germany , France, Italy, Spain etc. Generally we ship the smaller items abroad such as the flat packed chairs, tables, bar stools, and other related bedroom furniture.
What do enjoy most about having a career in the furniture industry?
Helping people make their homes beautiful – it is a place where we spend a lot of time, so if I can help make their homes more comfortable then I have done my job.
Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?
I am a boring dresser – you are better off asking my wife! I normally just wear a plain white shirt, trousers and black shoes – I do wear a suit on special occasions eg a wedding.
Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?
I enjoy the news sites such as the BBC and the sport sites such as Sky Sports as I am a huge sports fan.
What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?
A trip to Saville Row to have a hand made suit made for me.
Boots or Shoes?
Boots in snow; shoes the rest of the time – easy to put on and take off!
Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook/twitter etc so that readers can find out more about Stools Online & Net Furniture.
Sure! We are redoing our site which should be live in a few weeks – it will be very user friendly and have a lot of cool things on it. In the meantime we can we found on www.netfurniture.co.uk and www.stoolsonline.co.uk and www.modernbarstools.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NetFurniture
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mynetfurniture
Blog: http://netfurniture.wordpress.com/
Quidco: http://www.quidco.com/netfurniture-co-uk/
Great to chat to you Zed! You have some great pieces of furniture and a mind boggling range of stools to suit all decors, tastes and pockets!
Linda x
All photographs have been published with kind permission of Net Furniture Ltd; apart from the Pinterest picture which was taken by Linda Hobden.
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