Made.com plots European expansion as shoppers snap up furniture online

Made.com has unveiled rising sales as it prepares to enter several new countries.

The online home furnishings brand saw UK sales hit £100 million for the first time in 2018, marking a 34% increase.

Sales across the whole group rose 37% to £173 million, with international figures up by 40%.

Chief executive Philippe Chainieux said sales were driven by more customers buying large items such as beds and sofas.

“Over the past 18 months, we have seen an accelerating trend towards customers shopping online of big ticket items, driven by a massive shift in consumer behaviours and the rise of the digital generation,” he said.

Made.com will expand to Portugal, Italy, Denmark and Sweden this year, expanding its footprint to 13 countries.

While the UK currently accounts for 58% of revenue, it is set to be overtaken by Europe following the expansion.

The news comes on the day the company reopens its flagship showroom in London’s Soho, which has tripled in size and will showcase new technology.

Jo Jackson, Made.com’s chief creative officer, said the company wanted customers to have a “human connection” with the brand.

“We are doing something different with our physical spaces,” she said. “They are not shops, they are brand experiences.

“From being able to touch and feel fabrics, discovering new trends, getting personal style advice, attending a workshop with one of our independent designers, or even playing with new tech, we are testing out in the space, these are all steps to build a deeper and more personalised relationship with our customer.”