Sofa.com picks Bath for second showroom as it expands outside London

The 3,500 sq ft store displays the majority of the Sofa.com range and aims to replicate the in-store experience of the existing Chelsea shop with complimentary coffee, beer, Prosecco, and a kid’s corner.

Sofa.com is seeking to grow its omnichannel offering through selected showroom openings. The retailer has chosen to open a store in Bath because the West Country has traditionally been a stronghold for it online.

The Bath store is half the size of its Chelsea showroom and has been chosen for the “character” of the location.

Sofa.com chief executive Gareth Williams told Retail Week: “All our showrooms will follow the same innovative format as Sofa.com’s original destination location in London. Once they’re through the door customers can relax and enjoy themselves.

“We’ve always had a showroom and were omnichannel before anyone had heard of the word. Our retail model has ultimately been driven by what customers want – they appreciate the flexibility and convenience of being able to shop using whatever works for them, whether it’s website, showroom or phone.”

Sofa.com was also considering a pop-up store on Tottenham Court Road but has since ruled out the move with Williams explaining “lots of factors” meant the pitch was not right.

The furniture retailer also has a showroom in Amsterdam, but Williams said the company’s main focus for new physical space is the UK market.

Last month Sofa.com hired Linda Ormrod to the newly created role of director of retail operations in UK and Europe.

Ormrod reports directly into Williams and was hired to support expansion in the UK and Netherlands and has been heavily involved in the launch of the Bath showroom.