Clive Christian Furniture had a successful 2020 with a significant increase in enquires, a restructure of the management team and the introduction of an apprenticeship scheme.
Compared with 2019, the furniture manufacturer has seen a rise in enquiries by 125% since the start of the pandemic. The first few months of 2021 saw its strongest first quarter in many years.
Speaking about the past year, global sales director Phil Cole said: “The US and UK continue to show promising sales growth and strong future pipelines for the Clive Christian brand. We have also seen increased interest from both clients and franchisees in the emerging markets, such as the recently opened Thang Long Luxury Showroom featuring Clive Christian in Vietnam.
“While acutely aware of what a turbulent and deeply saddening time this past year has been for many, as a British brand contending with Brexit, we are excited by the momentum the pandemic has inspired around home refurbishment and improvement. Equally, we welcome the creative challenges set by the increased demand for personalisation across the design collections.”
Over the past year, there was a big team expansion with three appointments to the board of directors and four new apprentices in the workshop. Chief executive David Dare and global sales director Phil Cole joined the team last year, while Oliver Deadman was promoted to head of design.
There are plans in progress to expand the company’s presence in the UK and USA and to enter new markets such as Marbella in Spain and other countrie in Europe and Asia.
As part of its global expansion plan, Clive Christian opened a new showroom in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. The Thang Long showroom, which is an established showroom that features other luxury brands like Officine Gullo appliances. The venture into this new market began in late 2020. The country was chosen because of its substantial economic growth in the past few years.
Richard Long Doan Cau, director of the Thang Long Luxury Showroom, said: “Vietnam is emerging as a destination for high-value luxury interiors across South-East Asia. The appetite for quality craftsmanship and European standards is growing.
“Clive Christian Furniture was a natural choice for us. Their globally renowned designs, craftsmanship and client service made them the perfect partner. We are proud to join the global Clive Christian network and to showcase the brand to our audience in Vietnam and regional South-East Asia.”