November 27 2009 - Henley Standard - "Businesses celebrate five years and say the secret is family"

THREE Henley businesses are all celebrating their fifth anniversaries — and say business has never been better. They are Nuffield furniture store Get Furnished, Duke Street chocolatier Gorvett & Stone and the Kubu Spa in Bell Street. The firms attribute much of their success to the same thing — keeping it in the family. All three are run by husband-and-wife teams who believe personal service is paramount. Paul and Nikki Steiger, who run the discounted quality furniture warehouse, have purposely kept the business small so they can continue providing a personal touch to loyal customers. Mr Steiger said: "We know many of our customers by name and are a very small team here so that they can get to know us. That way, we can understand their needs and provide them with what they want." When the couple opened Get Furnished, they started with a 4,000 sq ft showroom. Within six months, they were forced to take on more space to cope with demand. Now they have 14,000 sq ft of warehouse space. "We seriously underestimated how quickly the business would take off," said Mr Steiger. "Although we have expanded over the last five years, we have made a conscious decision to stay small enough to continue with the personal service we're known for." The store recently won a retailer of the year award for the second year running. Gorvett & Stone is run by Elinor Gorvett and Matthew Stone and their shop has won numerous prizes for its handmade chocolates. This year, Elinor has developed a range of English modern chocolates for Fortnum & Mason. Kubu Spa is run by Sasha Becejac and Eileen Soriton. It was a best day spa of the year finalist at this year's British Beauty and Spa Awards and the Professional Beauty and Spa Awards.

September 16 2009 - London Evening Standard - Homes & Property - Don't Move Improve - Furniture for Less

Furniture for Less

For a refreshing break from the big smoke take a trip to the Chiltern Hills, have a pub lunch, and treat yourself to some furniture at less than half the RRP! Nestled near Henley on Thames, Get Furnished prides itself on being more selective than other furniture barns about the stock it keeps and its approach seems to pay dividends. You'll find all manner of furniture from tables, chairs, chests and wardrobes, most of it in wood, to bedroom suites and sofas.

CONTACT DETAILS:

Get an extra 10 per cent off the already dicounted prices, some up to 70 per cent off the usual RRP. To claim, visit Get Furnished at Timbers Farm, Timbers Lane, Nuffield, Oxfordshire RG9 5SY with this offer. Log on to www.getfurnished.co.uk or call 0800 011 2406 for more information.

(READER OFFER - valid till the end of September 2009)

June 2009 - Sunday Times - Living magazine - LUXURY FOR LESS

January 2 2009 - Henley Standard - "Company furnished with prestigious award" - Get Furnished wins "Best of Henley" Retailer of The Year Award 2008

Get Furnished Beats the credit crunch blues by winning top award

Popular Henley furniture store, Get Furnished, has beaten the credit crunch blues after winning a prestigious "Retailer of The Year" Award.

Get Furnished, which sells an extensive range of top quality High Street Seconds, was democratically voted by members of the public to win the award.

The Nuffield-based store with 14,000 sq ft of showroom space, won the award for its outstanding customer service and excellent variety of cut price furniture. Get Furnished, which stocks quality furniture at half the retail price, was presented with the Retailer of the Year award at a business networking event held last week.

Nikki Steiger, who runs the family company with her husband, Paul, said: "We were absolutely delighted to have won the award for Henley Retailer of the Year– especially as it was based on a public vote. It's a great reward for all our hard work and a real boost that our customers have faith in us."

Nikki and Paul set up their store in 2004 after recognising a need for good quality furniture that's immediately available at discount prices. And contrary to the gloomy financial climate, they've experienced a fantastic 2008 with cash-strapped shoppers seeking a good bargain.

"Our customers in Henley and surrounding areas are very loyal and come to us again and again when they're looking for furniture for their home. Many of them have become good friends, they're really supportive. We're very thankful to all of them for helping us to have an excellent year despite the recession." One of Get Furnished's loyal band of customers, Mr Truelove said: "I'm not surprised Get Furnished won this award. They've saved me a fortune when furnishing my new home. With helpful, enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff, every assistance was offered in choosing the right items."

Runners-up for Henley Retailer of the Year were The Bell Bookshop with Henley Jewellers and The Healthy Deli coming in joint third.

Balazs Zavaczki and Paul Steiger of Get Furnished with the award.