A FAMILY-OWNED furniture company is continuing to thrive nearly 60 years after it was launched - thanks to its loyal customers.

The Furnishing Centre in Witney High Street started out in 1963 and has steadily grown to be one of Oxfordshire’s best known and respected furniture stores.

Like all ‘non-essential’ businesses it was forced to close due to the coronavirus lockdown imposed by the government in March and staff reopened the store last month.

Owner Simon Sharpe has been working at the centre in High Street for about 40 years, while his mother Joan, who is 85, has been there for 48 years.

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Customers who visit the store are surprised by how large the store is and there is plenty of room to display the top brands of beds, sofas and other furniture across 8,000 sq ft.

Mr Sharpe said: “The building’s an old manse and there’s a big extension on the garden, and we have two floors with the beds upstairs.

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Simon Sharpe

“I’m quite encouraged by the response from customers at the moment - business is quite buoyant and it’s possible people are spending money they would have spent on a holiday abroad on a new bed or sofa.”

Mr Sharpe added that although footfall was down slightly people were not just coming into the store to browse.

He said: “Bed sales are going well and we have a lot of the leading brands.”

Over the years The Furnishing Centre has built a reputation for its customer care, which doesn’t involve ‘high pressure selling’.

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“We get to know our customers really well and then we sell our furniture to their children and their grandchildren,” said Mr Sharpe.

The owner said staff and customers have adjusted to the coronavirus restrictions since they reopened.

He added: “We now have two-metre markers on the floor and there’s a pond with fish in it so people have to follow a one-way system around that.

“There’s lots of hand sanitiser for staff and customers and we put throws on the beds for customers when they are trying out the mattresses and these are cleaned and taken away for 72 hours.

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“We are doing everything we can to adapt and be sensible, ensuring staff and our customers are safe in this old-fashioned store.”

Being a family-run business, the company prides itself on providing a personal and professional service on the High Street.

Mr Sharpe added: “There’s something about The Furnishing Centre that you’ll never find at characterless retail parks or faceless chain stores - we’ve always provided an attentive customer-focused service that isn’t based around sales figures or meeting targets.

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"At The Furnishing Centre we prefer to treat our customers as our friends with a genuine face-to-face service with a smile.

“Your home should always be a reflection of your own personality and a place you feel comfortable in."

Being an independent retailer, The Furnishing Centre stocks the country’s leading furniture makers at the most competitive prices - makers such as Parker Knoll, G Plan, Hypnos, Slumberland and more, along with many independent manufacturing partners.

The store is open from Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm.

Visit thefurnishingcentre.co.uk