The venture comes as the store, acquired by Jaeger owner Harold Tillman earlier this year, embarks on expansion, which management believes could enable it to usurp Selfridges Oxford Street as the UK's second-largest department store.
Allders chief executive Andrew MacKenzie estimates the furniture relaunch could generate£10 million a year in sales. He is confident that the heritage of the two brands will help the retailer ride the tough furniture market, which has claimed Courts and Furnitureland in the past year.
He said: 'With the demise of some of the larger furniture retailers, there is demand for a proper name.' He added that Allders is in advanced talks with two national chains interested in stocking the furniture.
Waring & Gillow and Maples are two of the longest-standing names in the UK furniture sector. Retail Knowledge Bank senior partner Robert Clark said: 'The names stand for good-quality traditional furniture, but I think people would have to be of a certain age to recognise them - people in their 40s at the youngest.'
Allders will launch the ranges - including big-ticket items and soft furnishings - in the post-January Sale period, in a 10,000 sq ft (930 sq m) area. The store has 319,000 sq ft (29,635 sq m) of selling space at the moment, but intends to tap into 250,000 sq ft (23,225 sq m) of office and storage space to expand this. Selfridges claims to have more than 500,000 sq ft (46,451 sq m) of retail space.
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