IN STORE AT FIRED EARTH, KNUTSFORD In-store at... Fired Earth, Knutsford Fired Earth has come a long way, from humble farm beginnings the brand has
grown to offer a lot more than just stylish tiles. Sarah Robinson popped into the Knutsford flagship store to find out more.
From Teracotta Tiles to the Home of Design
The clue to Fired Earth’s heritage lies in the name, literally translated from Latin it means Terracotta. Established in 1983 by Nicholas Kneale, the company began life in a rented farmyard in Oxfordshire, selling handmade terracotta floor tiles. Customers were quick to embrace the opportunity to add some warm Mediterranean style to their homes and the tiles proved popular especially in hallways, kitchens and fashionable conservatories.
A showroom on London’s Portland Road became Fired Earth’s second store in 1984, and by the mid 1990s the company had expanded to 15 showrooms throughout the country. There are now 62 outlets across the UK and Ireland as well as five overseas. You can find Fired Earth flying the British flag as far away as style-conscious Scandinavia and Hong Kong.
Not only has the company extended but the product ranges have also evolved in response to customer demand and anticipation of their future needs. It is now possible to complete a full design brief with beautiful Fired Earth paints and wallpapers to complement the wall and floor tile ranges and ever-expanding contemporary and traditional bathroom collections.
An Inspiration Destination
Set in the middle of the Cheshire countryside, a couple of miles outside Knutsford, The Sycamore Farm flagship store is certainly a destination showroom and one to which people travel from far and wide to see the full product range on display. Manager, Martin Welsh described how as one of eight flagship stores across the country customers come from as far afield as Wales and the Wirral, and are often directed there by smaller stores in towns and cities.
Bathroom and kitchen sets are arranged as they would be in a home so it’s easy for customers to gain inspiration. Zones have been created by using different types flooring in complementary neutral shades with a natural look. This divides the room sets at the same time as showcasing some of the brand’s most popular floor ranges.
Fired Earth’s Creative Director, Rob Whitaker explained: “While we tend to showcase products that not only look eye- catching but which we know are likely to be strong sellers, it’s always interesting to see how inspired customers are by the displays and this in turn leads to sales.
20 | Spring 2015 Tomorrow’s Retail Floors
“As well as displaying some tiles on the floor – giving customers an invaluable feel for what they look like in situ – displaying them in panels on the walls is a practical and visually appealing way of enabling customers to have a really close look at them. People can hold swatches and other samples up against the tiles so this is something that’s done very successfully showroom-wide.”
Discerning Clientele
With the Fired Earth brand extending across the nation there is obviously a difference in clientele and this is reflected in the best-selling products regionally. Martin explained: “The majority of our local clients live in country cottages, Victorian or Edwardian period properties so more often than not they go for a traditional look with natural stone or wood effect tiles. In a city there will be more demand for patterned tiles and a more modern aesthetic. There will also be higher footfall from architects and designers who might just wander in from the street during their lunch break. As we are a destination showroom people tend to travel further and so they spend more time in the shop.”
In fact, it’s not unusual for clients to spend upwards of two hours in the rural Sycamore Farm showroom and bring their children who often enjoy spending time with the shop cat, Bonny, who actually lives on a farm but has been a regular visitor to the store for the last ten years and is a bit of a celebrity.
Rob added: “The main difference is that the city showrooms tend to see more demand for contemporary products that are particularly suited to more urban living. Flooring that’s really quick and easy to install and maintain is always popular with time-pressed city dwellers too.”
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