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386:: "It's something that's caused me fitful sleep in the time I've been thinking about it. I've no hobby, this is my hobby – it's what I do. I'm an entrepreneur. It's almost as if I can feel the adrenaline running through my veins." On 3 April 2010, it was announced that DFS had been sold to private equity firm
347:
based DFS ("Direct
Furnishing Supplies") Limited, founded by the Hardy Family in 1969. Northern Upholstery was renamed DFS (although some branches of Northern Upholstery in Yorkshire retained their original name until the mid-1990s) and at the time, had a total of sixty three stores, employing 2,000
307:
Having visited a few manufacturers in his daily work, he decided that making furniture was relatively easy and that by cutting out the warehouse dealers in the middle of the supply chain, he could sell direct to the public at lower prices. Kirkham rented a room above a
366:. The company reworked its advertising to feature younger models, and in 2000, DFS announced a 79 per cent profit increase. But the revival was short lived, and in light of the continuing prevalence for
358:
while they were on holiday. The burglars bound and gagged the housekeeper and made off with money and jewels worth £2.4 million, later recovered, but still South
Yorkshire's largest armed robbery.
993:
988:
437:, following complaints that the company had doctored the footage to inflate the perceived size of their sofas, relative to the actors. The advert featured actors miming
434:
370:, Kirkham took the chain private again in 2004, leveraging his family's own 9.46% stake with £150 million of family funds in an eventual £496 million deal.
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retailer in the United
Kingdom, Spain and Ireland specialising in sofas and soft furnishings. It is listed on the
333:
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316:, and started making furniture upstairs and retailing it downstairs, calling the business Northern Upholstery.
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179:
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In 1993, DFS was floated on the stock market as DFS Furniture
Company plc and valued at £271 million.
68:
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404:
363:
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This brought the
Kirkham family to the attention of thieves, who in 1994, broke into the family home at
304:
In 1969, aged 22, Graham
Kirkham was married with two children, which he describes as great motivation.
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82:
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414:(formerly Sofaworks and CSL) in a £25 million deal. The acquisition was ratified by the
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In 1998, DFS announced its first drop in profits in twenty eight years to the
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467:"DFS Furniture PLC overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK"
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In
October 2017, DFS announced they had purchased one of its competitors,
411:
400:, another competitor which was struggling in the market, in August 2014.
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DFS then acquired its smaller rival, Sofa
Workshop, in November 2013.
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In
December 2008, one television commercial by DFS was banned by the
628:
Back in 1993 DFS was floated on the stock market (valued at £271m)
323:
722:"Latest News and Features: Famous Doncastrian: Graham Kirkham"
612:"Nick Bubb's verdict: Does DFS stand for Dull Furniture Sale?"
343:
In 1983, Kirkham purchased the business and the name of the
971:
496:"DFS promotes Tim Stacey to CEO as Ian Filby steps down"
667:"Outlook: Just say no to Kirkham's insulting DFS bid"
919:"DFS Nickelback ad banned for overplaying sofa size"
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430:was the face of DFS's television advertisements.
706:"Orchard Furniture To Sell Assets for GBP1.5M".
16:British furniture retailer specialising in sofas
592:. The Andrews Pages Picture Gallery: Derbyshire
994:Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange
845:"Furniture chain DFS returns to stock market"
426:For many years in the 1980s and 1990s, actor
8:
744:"DFS sofa chain sold to private equity firm"
403:On 6 March 2015, the company floated on the
21:
669:. Independent, The (London). 6 October 2013
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57:DFS Furniture Limited (3–18 February 2015)
20:
989:Furniture retailers of the United Kingdom
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518:
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373:DFS acquired the furniture businesses of
797:"DFS buys smaller furniture chain Dwell"
560:"Sofa king sitting pretty on £315m pile"
871:"DFS completes acquisition of Sofology"
458:
332:(formerly Northern Upholstery) on the
590:"Darley Dale, The Warney Mill Estate"
7:
1009:Retail companies established in 1969
999:Companies in the FTSE SmallCap Index
54:Diamond Holdco 1 Limited (2010–2015)
945:"Advert banned for inflated sofas"
390:for a reported £500 million.
14:
823:"DFS Acquires Aspirational Brand"
566:. 22 October 2002. Archived from
416:Competition and Markets Authority
244:
243:
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203:
27:
795:Blitz, Roger (20 August 2014).
435:Advertising Standards Authority
377:for £1.5 million in June 1999.
1014:1969 establishments in England
825:. Retail Week. 1 November 2013
494:Jahshan, Elias (22 May 2018).
1:
643:. InvestEgate. Archived from
1004:Companies based in Doncaster
770:"DFS acquires Sofa Workshop"
407:again as DFS Furniture plc.
641:"Increased and final offer"
396:The company went on to buy
1030:
710:. Dow Jones. 15 June 1999.
526:"Preliminary Results 2023"
689:"World Business Briefing"
334:Thorp Arch Trading Estate
136:Doncaster, United Kingdom
26:
449:in front of the sofas.
180:Chief executive officer
947:. BBC. 3 December 2008
893:"Tom Adams - obituary"
340:
211:1,423.6 million (2023)
69:Public limited company
405:London Stock Exchange
364:London Stock Exchange
327:
289:London Stock Exchange
388:Advent International
300:Northern Upholstery
251:26.2 million (2023)
231:63.3 million (2023)
152:Republic of Ireland
23:
899:. 15 December 2014
873:. 20 November 2017
693:The New York Times
647:on 6 February 2012
570:on 31 October 2002
418:in November 2017.
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925:. 3 December 2008
776:. 5 November 2013
445:", while playing
380:Kirkham told the
274:DFS Furniture plc
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120:1969 in Doncaster
22:DFS Furniture plc
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949:. Retrieved
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645:the original
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178:Tim Stacey (
171:Ian Durant (
133:Headquarters
100:GB00BTC0LB89
65:Company type
18:
754:12 November
616:Retail Week
535:15 February
356:Sprotbrough
345:Darley Dale
142:Area served
983:Categories
951:1 December
929:5 February
903:1 December
877:5 February
829:6 November
807:6 November
780:5 February
728:1 December
673:1 December
651:1 December
622:5 February
574:1 December
479:27 January
453:References
447:air guitar
439:Nickelback
278:trading as
238:Net income
164:Key people
38:Trade name
596:29 August
428:Tom Adams
422:Marketing
285:furniture
194:Furniture
77:Traded as
849:BBC News
774:DIY Week
748:BBC News
564:The Star
505:1 August
443:Rockstar
412:Sofology
330:Wetherby
314:Carcroft
312:hall in
190:Products
173:Chairman
107:Industry
48:Formerly
855:8 March
708:Factiva
348:staff.
310:snooker
295:History
283:, is a
256:Website
200:Revenue
125:Founder
117:Founded
85::
111:Retail
531:. DFS
529:(PDF)
398:Dwell
328:DFS,
155:Spain
953:2015
931:2024
905:2015
879:2024
857:2015
831:2014
809:2014
803:. FT
782:2024
756:2014
730:2015
675:2015
653:2015
624:2024
598:2024
576:2015
537:2024
507:2019
481:2024
441:'s "
94:ISIN
320:DFS
281:dfs
265:.uk
263:.co
261:dfs
87:DFS
83:LSE
43:dfs
985::
921:.
895:.
847:.
801:FT
799:.
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