www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42088699
But their furniture was always overpriced and maybe with less to spend people have spent elsewhere?
I am sure there will be other jobs for the staff in sales. I hope nobody on here or their friends/family are impacted.
At least it's not say Vauxhall closing shop in the UK for manufacturing cars.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Thu 23 Nov 17 at 00:50
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Can't say I've heard of them, some of sort of regional business?
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Based in Norfolk with 36 stores throughout England and Wales.
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>> Based in Norfolk with 36 stores throughout England and Wales.
>>
Ah, based in Norfolk making tables with five feet than :-)
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They make very expensive furniture including sofas. You could get several sofas and armchairs from elsewhere for the cost of theirs. I know a relative who bought their furniture there because it was seen to be expensive, i.e. being snobs. :-)
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You could probably buy Three sofas at DFS or similar sheds and get 5 years free credit to boot.
Only trouble is they will fall apart after a few months. Buying a quality product and paying an appropriate price does not make you a snob.
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Thu 23 Nov 17 at 10:38
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>> trouble is they will fall apart after a few months. Buying a quality product and paying an appropriate price does not make you a snob.
Yup, bought a quality leather suite some 20 years ago, the armchairs are both as new, the sofa would have been the same if it wasn't for Milo licking all the colour orf.
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We looked at DFS (Diabolical Flipping Sofas) when looking to replace our aging secondhand Ercol suite.
We were horrified at the designs (bizarre some of them) and the obvious low quality. We were also repelled by their dodgy marketing with all year fake "sales".
We eventually bought a nice G Plan suite from SCS and by eschewing their "free" credit were able to knock off a good few quid.
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I would never buy from somewhere like DFS! No way. Nor unlikely to go to SCS... apart from paying more than you should to cover the 0% credit on offer, the designs are awful. I went direct to a manufacturer based in Wales for the last three sofas.
And when we passed the last 2 on to relatives after about 5 years each, there still was nothing wrong with them. We just fancied a change. Last change was because the two 3-seater sofas were a bit big for the room they are in this house.
The sofa the relative had from Multiyork had a removable cover.... which looked well past it and had stretched. Now you'd think that with a removable cover you'd buy a new one (the whole point?) but no they stuck with the tired looking one.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Thu 23 Nov 17 at 11:26
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Multiyork? never heard of them, and never knowingly bought any of their stuff.
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We've had two sofas in last 20 years, both from IKEA.
Only problem was we bought the second one and couldn't get it in the car. We'd assumed that, like old one, the frame would be a complete item with a separate cover to choice. Removed all three rear seats from Berlingo so as to fit it in. Turned out to be a flat pack and about a foot longer than sofa itself.
Eventually shoved it in stood on it's side and with front passenger seat folded down. But of course then no seat for Mrs B. Left her in cafe while I took it home and returned in my car (couldn't lift it out pf Berlingo on on my own!!)
Bit of an 'own petard' moment as we'd always laughed at folks who bought too much for their car!!
Now, even if we think we'll need all three seats out we leave on in place until we're sure it's not needed.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Thu 23 Nov 17 at 12:25
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>> Multiyork? never heard of them, and never knowingly bought any of their stuff.
>>
>> Their stores tend to be in more upmarket areas.
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>>Their stores tend to be in more upmarket areas.
Bournemouth and Bath, inter alia, with about 50 stores all told. The name is vey familiar to me although I have never bought any of the products.
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 28 Dec 17 at 16:45
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>> I would never buy from somewhere like DFS! No way. Nor unlikely to go to
>> SCS...
We're on the lookout for a replacement sofa and armchair to replace our aging 15+ yr old ones which are both starting to look very tired. Nothing decent found so far. There used to be an independent company a few miles down the road where we purchased them from, but typically they've since gone to the wall because of the likes of DFS, SCS, etc undercutting them.
Everything round this neck of the woods, (Oxfordshire) just seems to be the mass produced stuff like DFS, SCS, etc. Well actually our nearest DFS is in Swindon, and SCS in Reading. Nothing else locally at all that I am aware of.
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>> Nothing else locally at all that I am aware of.
Well blow me down with a feather. There's a Multiyork in Oxfordshire, or perhaps I should have said for now!
www.multiyork.co.uk/why-multiyork/stores/oxford
I wonder if there are any deals going down?
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 23 Nov 17 at 13:11
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Might get a bargain. We've gone down the Stressless route for chairs. Their settees look good but the ones we have as a result of a merged household are fine for now.
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>> I wonder if there are any deals going down?
To answer my own question. No.
All assets now belong to the administrators. Until such time Multiyork find a new financial backer, or new owner, they can no longer trade.
I have to agree though, they do stock good quality furniture. Either they've put bricks into the base of the sofas and armchairs, or it's made out of strong wood. Darn heavy.
Had a look around a couple of other showrooms while I was in Oxford. They were on the same retail park as Multiyork.
Oak FurnitureLand. Not impressed.
Harveys Furniture. ok, and are a lot cheaper than DFS, who I previously looked at in Swindon. Although cheaper, the furniture still felt solid.
Back to Multiyork though. None of their furniture seems to have fancy reclining mechanisms, phone chargers, etc. Just good quality built furniture, which suits us as there is no room for recliners in our living room.
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Now Vx you really need a sofa with a charger...really :-)
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We bought our sofa about 20 years ago. At the time it was, to me, an eye-watering £2500. We got it from an independent who made them on the premises.
It's got very tired now, so as they are still there, I asked them about recovering/restoring it a month or two ago. Certainly sir, no problem. £3500.
We bought a 600 quid one in the sale at John Lewis instead while we "think about it". But still have the old one too, just in case. At least I can loll about on this one without apparent spousal disapproval.
So now we have a sofa each. I don't think I'm allowed on the new one.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Thu 23 Nov 17 at 13:13
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Never heard about them.
However, last week I visited a local furniture store. When I cribbed about their low stock level, owner explained that he was in the process of winding up the business and turning it in to a car park as more profitable and relatively hassle free business model.
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I only know of them as they advertise in the Eye. Oddly, I thought they were based in York.
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They were originally called Multiyork of Mellis which is a village in Suffolk. Their factory is now in Thetford.
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SCS DO sell well known brands with track records, as well as anonymous in-house stuff.
Last edited by: Roger. on Thu 23 Nov 17 at 17:14
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This very morning I have received a mail shot from MultiYork. Several promotional offers in their Winter Sale. No idea how they got my details, as I’ve never bought anything from them.
As it’s ‘Black Friday’ I’m spending my money elsewhere....train to Skipton soon, then taking light refreshment with friends at the Sound Bar, Beer Engine, Narrow Boat & Boat House. Mind you just a couple in each. Back for a curry then goodnight Vienna.
Unless I get my second wind
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>> As it’s ‘Black Friday’ I’m spending my money elsewhere. the Sound Bar, Beer Engine, Narrow Boat & Boat House. Mind
>> you just a couple in each.
Guiness then I guess?
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>>Only trouble is they will fall apart after a few months. Buying a quality product and paying an appropriate price does not make you a snob. >>
I'm a member of a social club which has comparatively small premises but several hundred members.
About 18 years ago, during a refurbishment, all the carpets were replaced by what seemed then a very expensive choice.
Today, despite many, many thousands of members' footfall in and out of the entrance, to and from the toilets and in other areas, there is no obvious visual sign of any wear at all after so many years. Not even what looks like a "path" in the carpets to various sections of the club.
There has been talk recently of replacing the carpeted areas but as one of the members, who is a carpet fitter points out, all it needs is cleaning again.
Always said that you get what you pay for is the best policy (buy cheap, buy twice) and this is a classic example.
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DFS said it has struck a £1.2m deal to buy eight store leases from administrators of Norfolk-based Multiyork Furniture as well as the intellectual property rights of Multiyork, including the Multiyork trademark, product designs, domain names and marketing databases.
Staff from the stores will be offered roles within DFS, but the sites at St Stephens Street, Norwich, Ipswich and Mellis, in Suffolk, were not included among these.
DFS added administrators will stop operating the Multiyork brand, which had its head office and factory in Thetford, after February 18 as part of the deal – bringing an end to a near 40 year history in the region.
www.edp24.co.uk/business/dfs-buys-multiyork-assets-1-2m-1-5334213
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Multiyork, up-market?
Get yourself a nice Victorian sofa, it's lasted 100 years and will last another 100.
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We acquired a very nice Welsh Dresser over the summer, cost half the price of an "upmarket" item from a Chinese factory. Difference being the Dresser will be still around when the modern item has gone out of "style" and discarded.
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More manufacturing jobs going in Thetford - more room for Chinese imports!
last Saturday there was a 40 ft container lorry parked behind a row of shops. Stopped off for drinks @ 6am from the newsagents. Went to pull away - he did not realise he had stopped inches from some street furniture. Steel pole went through the radiator & the stump cracked the sump.
What was in the container? - sofas from China.
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Well, from the female angle I don't want to look at the same carpet for 18 years and I certainly don't want to sit on the same sofa for the whole of my lifetime.
I'd spend half the money and buy a new one sooner.
Pat
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I can see that from your personal angle but why is it the female angle?
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Mainly because women are in the house more than men and get bored with the same old thing.
Most men come home from work and want a comfy pew to sit on and any carpet will do to walk on so it doesn't really bother them that it's looked like that since year dot!
Pat
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Isn’t that a rather stereotypical view of women? I though you had worked full time?
I rather think the desire to buy new things has little relationship to sex. When it comes to cars for example the almost exclusive male membership here falls into two camps. The majority seem to replace their cars regularly at least as far as finance allows. A minority keep them as long as they are economically viable
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>>I though you had worked full time<<
I've always worked full time, but I've also always done my own housework as well and after hoovering the same carpet and plumping up the cushions on the same sofa it's nice to have a change.
I don't like big TV's either:)
Pat
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Sounds reasonable to me pat, I bet that it's far more true then not. I don't see men being the main driver* behind changing interior soft furnishings, curtains etc.
* yes there's always exceptions but like I said far more true than not.
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>> Most men come home from work and want a comfy pew to sit on and
>> any carpet will do to walk on so it doesn't really bother them that it's
>> looked like that since year dot!
You're not wrong.
I'd love a 43" TV though, but Mrs O'Reliant seems to think the 32" is adequate for some strange reason. Mind you, I remember going round a colleagues house in the seventies and being amazed at the massive 26" telly in the corner, 21 or 23" being the standard back then.
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 28 Dec 17 at 19:09
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>> I'd love a 43" TV though, but Mrs O'Reliant seems to think the 32" is
>> adequate for some strange reason. Mind you, I remember going round a colleagues house in
>> the seventies and being amazed at the massive 26" telly in the corner, 21 or
>> 23" being the standard back then.
Don't forget, on a CRT TV, for every inch wider above 21 inches, it needed to be two inches deeper. Which is why really big screens didn't appear till they developed back projection.
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>> Well, from the female angle I don't want to look at the same carpet for 18 years and I certainly
>> don't want to sit on the same sofa for the whole of my lifetime.
>> I'd spend half the money and buy a new one sooner.
So would we Pat. I'm in agreement. Our last two sofas were fine (passed on to step-son) but we wanted a change. Room changed colour too.
We've been very impressed with Sofa Sofa in Wales. No interest free, finance deals etc. Just straight from the factory orders. You can even choose any fabric but then you can't send back if you don't like them.
There will be other companies like Sofa Sofa too. Some of the rubbish you'd see in DFS makes you wonder why someone buys them (well one of my brother's is one!).
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Pat, it's a social club, not a house...:-)
Last edited by: Stuartli on Fri 29 Dec 17 at 00:41
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Just discovered, quite by chance because I never knew it existed, that we have a Multiyork outlet in my town...:-)
Perhaps lack of advertising played a role?
Stated on a local news website that: "Rival firm DFS confirmed yesterday (Wednesday) that it has bought store leases and other assets from failed rival, Multiyork."
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>> Stated on a local news website that: "Rival firm DFS confirmed yesterday (Wednesday) that it
>> has bought store leases and other assets from failed rival, Multiyork."
Did you not realise your reply had a subject: "DFS takeover"??? I assume not.... And that the latest updates are in response with VxFan starting it earlier yesterday.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 29 Dec 17 at 01:58
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Thanks rtj70. Glad someone was paying attention ;)
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I was commenting on the Multiyork part of the thread - sorry to mess up your neatly laid out thread....:-)
I don't necessarily have the time or inclination to read EVERY comment!
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Yes, I appreciate that Stuartii and can see some mileage in it:)
It's still a bit like walking into an excellent restaurant and getting the same menu for 20 years though!
Perhaps you should tactfully suggest a visit by Alex Polizzi, I'm sure she'd agree with me!
Pat
Last edited by: Pat on Fri 29 Dec 17 at 03:17
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So women change sofas regularly but men don't care, and men change cars regularly but women don't care.
Goodness, Pat, you've really dragged this chat forum back into the stone age!
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>>Perhaps you should tactfully suggest a visit by Alex Polizzi, I'm sure she'd agree with me!>>
Ironically enough she was in my town earlier this year, when she took part in what has proved to be the most watched episode of the programme to date.
It involved a family business engaged in opening up new bars and overnight accommodation facilities; she certainly didn't pull her punches about the fact she felt they were trying to achieve too much too quickly...:-) :-)
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She certainly wouldn't get past the swear filter on here:)
Pat
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What exactly has Ms Polizzi ever done to justify her role. Runs her mothers hotel in Tavistock as far as I can see which has its own share of dodgy reviews.
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>>What exactly has Ms Polizzi ever done to justify her role?
Polizzi comes from a family of hoteliers, with her maternal grandfather being Lord Forte. Her mother is the Hon. Olga Polizzi, a hotel designer who is Lord Forte's daughter and the sister of Sir Rocco Forte.[4] Her father was Count Alessandro Polizzi, who died in a car accident in 1980.[5]
Polizzi read English at St Catherine's College, Oxford. She trained at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, and worked for Marco Pierre White.[5]
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She is also a very good business woman and very capable of making money.
In addition she has charisma, which is often so sadly lacking in business people both male and female.
Pat
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Charisma, I guess it's a subjective thing. I've only briefly seen that show she's on, I found her quite annoying.
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Like I said what has she actually done apart from being born to a wealthy family. Irritating self publicist.
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What she's actually done is utilise her strengths and assets to make herself very popular and a lot of money.
With her background I expect she could have chosen not to work, but has always done so.
Her viewing figures certainly say that not a lot of people agree with you CG.
The TV does have an off switch, so it's quite easy to avoid her!
Pat
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>>Her viewing figures certainly say that not a lot of people agree with you CG.>>
All fair points, Pat.
People often forget that television programmes of this type are deliberately hyped up to keep viewers interested...:-)
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You could say much the same for Katie Hopkins, awful woman though she is.
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Being popular is a poor yardstick by which to judge someone’s worth. Jimmy Saville, Adolf Hitler and Noel Edmunds and Cilla Black were all popular.
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OK CG, I get it. You don't like her but I find I'm able to admire people for their values and what they do with their lives, even if I personally don't like them.
I would have thought you would recognise that too.
Pat
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i don't dislike her. Just find her and her programs just not very good. Formulaic trash TV designed to pass the time I suppose .
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Fri 29 Dec 17 at 17:13
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Well you did ask >>What exactly has Ms Polizzi ever done to justify her role?<<
Pat
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Well I admire GCN enormously. Anyone who can put Noel Edmunds and Cilla Black in the same category as a child abuser and a murderous despot deserves all my respect and attention.
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Multiyork in administration - sooty123
