A BIG congratulations to all of the Big Furniture Awards 2024 winners. In recognition of the awards, we spoke to some of the winners who shared their thoughts on being named the best of the best in the furnishings industry. A BIG thank you to everyone who voted, we were blown away by the response. Here are your 2024 Big Furniture Awards winners.

People

Best Agent/Rep in North West England – Tracy Ashley

“I am very happy to learn that I have been selected as the recipient for this award and I would like to express my sincere gratitude and thanks to all who voted for me.”

Best Agent/Rep in North East England – Nicola Carles

“I am thrilled to have won this award, I am so grateful for this recognition and will continue to strive to provide the best support to all my retail partners and friends I have made along the way. Thank you from the bottom on my heart.”

Best Agent/Rep in South West England – Patrick Gulliford

“I feel totally humbled that my retailers have voted for me, most of my customers have become friends, after 44 years of covering the South West as a Sales Representative.”

Best Agent/Rep in South East England – Greg Noble

“It will be 25 years ago next month that I took my first order for Celebrity Motion Furniture, so this award has come at a great moment! Thank you very much to The Big Furniture Group and all who kindly voted for me. I will endeavour to continue to keep up the good work, maybe for another 25 years.”

Best Agent/Rep in the Midlands – Mark Simmons

“I was totally shocked to receive this award and very Humbled by it. I would like to thank everyone who found the time to vote for me. I would also like to thank all the Kaydian staff because everyone plays a part from the people in the office in Newcastle to the warehouse staff who pick and despatch every order that gets placed and down to the delivery people. Because without teamwork I would not be able to give the service I like to provide to my customers.”

Best Agent/Rep in Wales – Anthony Lewer

“Thank you to everyone who voted for me and feel even more grateful to win this award for 2nd year in a row. Big thanks to all the team at Devonshire who give me and my customers such great service and commitment in providing such absolute high standards in everything we do. In means a great deal to win this award and be recognise by the trade.”

Best Agent/Rep in Scotland – Robert Hunter

“A huge thank you to everyone who voted for me and to win the award gives me a great feeling of appreciation, I take great pride in what I do and try to provide the very best for all my customers. I’d like to thank all my retail partners and also Highgrove Beds and Julian Bowen for all their support.”

Best Agent/Rep in Northern Ireland – John Dolan

“It is an honour and privilege to be nominated for this award. To win it is absolutely stunning. I was shocked and delighted to get this prestigious award.  May I thank everyone who voted for me and everyone in the Big Furniture Group. I have had the pleasure selling Sealy for over 22 years and to be recognised with this award is humbling. A special thanks to all my colleagues and friends in Sealy who help me promote the best brand in the world. We are “The Heart and Soul of Sleep”. Also, many thanks to Graham Carberry and Mark Tuley for their guidance and support.”

Best Agent/Rep in Ireland – Chris Lester

“I am thrilled to have won this award as best agent for Ireland I would like to thank everyone for the votes and support given to me.”

Big Personality – Nicolle Hockin – Managing Director at Devonshire Living

“Not sure I’ve mentally accepted this win yet, what a complete yet fantastic surprise! Although I’ve been back in the industry for 8 years now (which has gone incredibly fast), I still feel relatively new compared to a lot of my peers, so to win the Big Personality Award this year was both a shock and a privilege. Networking doesn’t come naturally to me so to be recognised as a key contributor (or at least noticeable!) is very humbling, and I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me. I look forward to meeting more of you personally in the future. I’ll be on the Devonshire Living stand at INDX in August, please come and say hello!”

Suppliers

Best UK Furniture Supplier – Alstons

Best Overseas Furniture Supplier – Wiemann

Outstanding Supplier Product – Lydford by Devonshire Living

Best Supplier for Customer Service – Sherborne Upholstery

Best Supplier for Delivery Service – Celebrity Motion Furniture

Best Supplier for Retail Staff Training – Hypnos

Best Supplier for Machinery – Pathfinder

Best Supplier for Components – Spinks

Best Supplier for Packaging Products (wrapping) – Woods Packaging

Best Supplier for Sustainability Story (Green Credentials) – Harrison Spinks

Best Supplier for Display Support (Point of Sale) – Stressless

Best Bed Supplier (High Quality) – Harrison Spinks

Best Bed Supplier (Mid Range) – Highgrove Beds

Best Bed Supplier (Value Range) – Dura Beds

Best Mattress Supplier – Sleepeezee

Best Bedroom Cabinet Supplier – Wiemann

Best Upholstery Supplier (Bespoke/High Quality) – La-Z-Boy UK

Best Upholstery Supplier (Fabric) – Celebrity Motion Furniture

Best Upholstery Supplier (Leather) – G Plan

Best Occasional Chair / Recliner Supplier – Stressless

Best Living Room Cabinet Supplier – Devonshire Living

Best Dining Cabinet Supplier – ercol

Best Carpet Supplier – Cormar

Best Rug Supplier – Asiatic

Best Accessories Supplier (Lighting/Giftware/Pictures/Mirrors) – Dar

Best Children’s Furniture Supplier – Birlea

Best Flatpack Furniture Supplier – Rauch

Best Home Office Furniture Supplier – GFW

Best Garden/Outdoor Furniture Supplier – Gallery Direct

Trade Services

Best Staff Sales Training Company – Furniture Sales Solutions

Best Software Company – RetailSystem

Best Sales Promotion Company – Lynch Sales

Best Buying Group – AIS

Best Furniture Trade Show – January Furniture Show

Best Finance Provider – Novuna

Best Furniture Care/Repair Company – ISM Networks

Best Warranty/Product Protection Provider – Guardsman

What the winners said

Alstons – We are absolutely delighted to announce that we have received the prestigious award for BEST UK SUPPLIER. Acknowledgement of our dedication and commitment is incredibly rewarding. Our entire team at Alstons deserves recognition for consistently delivering on our exceptional service and reputation. A huge thank you goes out to our loyal customers who kindly took the time to cast their votes. We really appreciate your support and never underestimate its value. Thanks again to all involved.

Sleepeezee – Everyone at Sleepeezee is extremely proud to have achieved best mattress supplier in the Big Furniture Awards. This award is a testament to the hard work and commitment every Sleepeezee employee makes to producing high quality products with great customer service and delivery. The award is even more special for us as it’s voted for by our own industry, during a year we are celebrating our centenary too. 

Devonshire Living – All of us here at Devonshire Living are over the moon to have received two industry prizes in this year’s awards. To uphold our title of Best Living Room Cabinet Supplier for the second year in a row is a great achievement and we are focussed on providing new, contemporary occasional designs in the near future to complement our current offering. For our painted bedroom range ‘Lydford’ to win Outstanding Supplier Product is a great victory, especially when competition is so fierce. Lydford has gone from strength to strength since we launched it early last year, and is quickly becoming one of our overall best-selling ranges. So much so that we are launching it in an all-over oak version in the Autumn. We would like to that everyone who voted for us this year, and we look forward to seeing you at INDX in August.

Sherborne Upholstery – It is always a great honour to win an award, especially from the Big Furniture Magazine that is widely respected within the industry. Sherborne Upholstery has always strived to provide the best customer service possible, with all our staff at the factory going the extra mile to try and resolve any issues our customers may have and to make any call to us as easy and professional as we can. We aim to give speedy responses with accurate information to aid first time resolutions in as many cases as possible. The customer service team at Sherborne Upholstery take pride in being able to support all our customers with any support issue they need. We have a lot of loyal customers who have built great relationships with our staff over the years and often you hear a burst of laughter coming from the offices when our staff are on a call with a customer, sometimes it’s best not to ask why, but we treat our customers as friends we have known for years. We have to include all our sales representatives, drivers and staff behind the scenes in our heartfelt thanks for the award as they all contribute to our respected standing in the industry. We will strive to continue helping and supporting our customers as we take great pride in bringing the best products and service that we can to the industry. We also would like to congratulate our sales representative Patrick Gulliford on his award for the Best Rep/Agent in the South West. We are now looking forward to July where we will be bringing more innovation to the shop floor to enhance our already wide selection of quality products and continuing to give our customers the best choice and quality on the market.

Harrison Spinks – As a proud British manufacturer, we’re dedicated to leading the way in responsible manufacturing, and are deeply passionate about making a positive impact to our people and the environment around us. Creating our products sustainably and with responsibly sourced materials is at the heart of everything we do so it’s a fantastic feeling whenever we get recognised for it. We also pride ourselves tremendously in our craftmanship and everyone in the team at Harrison Spinks puts in so much care and attention to handmaking each luxury mattress and bed.

Spinks – Our components division is constantly innovating to improve both product design and the manufacturing process so it’s great to be recognised for our service and our high-quality components at Spinks. We are deeply honoured to have achieved not just one or two, but three of these awards across our beds business and components division, each win recognising our team’s commitment to responsibly crafting high-quality products right here in Britain.

Stressless – Firstly a huge thanks to the readers for nominating us to win not just one award but two! Every award we receive is a testament to the experienced and passionate Ekornes team we have both here in the UK and of course in Norway. None of this can be achieved without the collaboration of our retailers in the UK and Ireland so a thank you to them for their ongoing commitment and investment in the brand. The Stressless studio spaces are a truly inspiring place for consumers to experience the brand and we are delighted to hear that the industry agrees!

Gallery Direct – Winning the Big Furniture Group’s Best Garden/Outdoor Furniture Supplier award is absolutely fantastic, and we would like to thank everyone who voted for us. The whole Gallery team are immensely proud of the design and value for money offer we have put together for 2024. And we are looking forward to launching our design-led 2025 collection as we believe it is even more exciting.

Guardsman – We are thrilled that we have won the award for Best Warranty/Product Protection Provider! It’s a huge a testament to the relentless dedication and hard work of our incredible team. This achievement reflects our commitment to excellence and innovation, driven by the collaborative efforts that have become the hallmark of our success. We believe this recognition is not just a victory for us, but also a celebration of the strong and fruitful partnerships we have cultivated with our retail partners. Together, we have set a new standard in our industry, and we are excited to continue this journey of mutual growth and success.

Celebrity – Celebrity are incredibly honoured to receive the awards for Best Supplier for Delivery Service and Best Fabric Upholstery Supplier at the Big Furniture Group Awards. These significant recognitions are a reflection of the hard work and efforts of our entire team. We are immensely proud of our commitment to providing exceptional delivery services and high-quality fabric upholstery. These awards support our efforts and inspire us to continue striving for excellence in every aspect of our business. We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to our customers, delivery couriers, and everyone in the furniture industry who voted for us. Your trust and support are invaluable to us. We look forward to continuing to supply you with the same level of dedication and quality.

Dura Beds – We are delighted to receive this award. It is testament to our core values of supplying the best quality product at the best possible price.

Woods Packaging – We’re delighted to have won the award, for the second year running.  To retain this award and to be recognised for it is testament to the hard work that the team put in behind the scenes at Wood’s Packaging HQ.  The result is even sweeter knowing it’s voted for by our customers.    We are honoured to be named alongside other big names in the furniture industry and congratulate the winners in all categories.

Wiemann – We are over the moon! To be voted by the industry as Best Overseas Furniture Supplier and Best Bedroom Cabinet Supplier in the Big Furniture Awards is both humbling and an honour. Colleagues across the business, from design, manufacture, and distribution in Germany to the UK sales team, our home delivery and installation specialists and our customer service team all work extremely hard to produce and deliver amazing products which are beautiful, practical and excellent quality. To be recognised for this is pleasing and much appreciated. Huge thanks to everyone who voted for us.

Lynch – I’m absolutely delighted to receive this award from the industry on behalf of all my colleagues.

Hypnos – Thank you so much for this Award win, we are really pleased. We put a lot of time and thought into our training. The team are thrilled – especially our Training Manager, Kerry Horne.

Birlea – We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award. Over the past few years, we have worked tirelessly to expand our range and provide better products for our customers. At Birlea, product innovation is at the core of everything we do.

Highgrove Beds – Highgrove is delighted to accept the Best Bed Supplier award in the mid-range category – made more special because it’s our customers who voted for us. We work hard as a business to consistently provide high quality; great value products and this award is also recognition of the commitment and hard work from the entire Highgrove team to ensure we consistently provide the highest levels of service for our customers.

Rauch – We are very pleased to win the prestigious award, it is a definitely a reflection of the investment from our fantastic product development department at our German HQ.

La-Z-Boy UK – Thank you to everyone who voted for us.  It always re-assuring and rewarding to see the hard work behind the scenes being recognised across our competitive industry.

Pathfinder – We at Pathfinder are delighted to have won this award for Best Supplier for Machinery. Everything at Pathfinder is a team effort and this award recognises the hard work of those in our offices worldwide and our factory in Australia who continue to develop our incredible technology. A huge thank you to our customers and everyone that voted for us.

Cormar Carpets – We are delighted to have been awarded ‘Best Carpet Supplier’ as part of the Big Furniture Awards. This year we have continued to invest in the business, ensuring we remain at the forefront as a dynamic and leading-edge player in the market, so it is great for the Cormar team to be recognised for the hard work and determination that they have put in. Our dedication to quality, customer satisfaction, and cutting-edge design remains steadfast, and we are excited about the future as we continue to drive forward. Thank you to everyone who voted for us and to all our valued customers for your continued support.

Asiatic – We are incredibly honoured to receive the award for Best Rug Supplier. This recognition celebrates our continued commitment to creating beautiful high-quality rugs and delivering outstanding service. A heartfelt thank you to our amazing customers and dedicated team for their unwavering support and commitment. We look forward to continuing to bring excellence to every rug we create and every customer we serve.

RetailSystem – We’re thrilled to share that RetailSystem has been awarded the Best Software Provider Award 2024, as voted for by the readers and followers of BigFurnitureGroup. This accolade highlights the exceptional quality and user satisfaction that RetailSystem consistently delivers to its Users. A big thank you from our team to everyone who voted for us and for their trust and continued support!

January Furniture Show – The Furniture Show’s team are thrilled to be named Best Furniture Trade Show for the January Furniture Show! This recognition is a true testament to the incredible effort put in by our entire team, and it wouldn’t be possible without the support of the furniture industry. To kick off 2024 with such a successful show continues to prove how crucial trade shows are for delivering a platform that fosters connections, drives innovation, and ultimately, propels the furniture industry forward. Thank you to all of those who voted and continue to support the show, we can’t wait to re-unite in July for the Manchester Furniture Show. And see you all at January Furniture Show in 2025!

AIS – Thanks to the incredible support of our members, suppliers, and everyone who voted in the recent industry awards, we’re thrilled to have won this award. At AIS, our team’s passion for the independent retail sector fuels our commitment to support the industry to thrive. This recognition is a testament to the collective effort of the entire industry, which we’re proud to be a part of.

Furniture Sales Solutions – Me (Adam), Ruben and Denholme are over the moon that FSS has won Best Staff Sales Training Company for the second year running! This recognition means a huge amount to us because it reflects our dedication to empowering the amazing people who make our industry thrive. We want to give a huge thank you to our clients, partners and friends for believing in our vision and committing your time and effort to the process every step of the way. The best part of our job is getting to know all of you and doing as much as we possibly can to take your business to the next level! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this incredible honour.

ISM Networks – We are all over the moon at being recognised by the industry for the service we provide. Everyone at ISM Networks work very hard to provide the best possible after sales furniture repair service and it is fantastic to be recognised for it. We will continue to work hard to improve the service even further over the coming year and ensure we remain an award-winning furniture repair network.