What’s the story behind DI Designs?
Ian Thomson, co-founder of trade furniture supplier DI Designs gives us the lowdown on how the business got started, challenges faced in the last few years and plans for the future.
Q: What paths led you to become a furniture supplier?
A: I worked in the Far East from the age of 21 to 33, buying products from factories and sourcing from a variety of Far East suppliers. I enjoyed the challenge of finding great quality items and these transferable skills were invaluable when setting up DI Designs. In our early days we sold mainly bedroom furniture to trade customers such as Feather & Black, supplying items such as beds, bedsides, drawers and dressing tables. From there, we branched out and held more stock as we began working with more trade customers. Pippa Cowling & I built up the business through trade shows such as Decorex, working on our online presence and via our trade contacts.
Q: How has your customer base changed in recent years?
A: We’re now working with lots more online catalogues and online retailers. Fewer customers are showroom-based, a trend exacerbated by the pandemic.
Q: Describe how you’ve adapted the business to meet customers’ needs
A: We’ve recently developed a new e-commerce website to make it as easy as possible for registered customers to place an order. This includes downloadable CGI imagery, product details for customers’ websites and improving the customer journey when searching and navigating through the site. We like to receive customer feedback and as far as possible, we act on it. We’ve also got our own delivery company to ensure items get delivered on time and safely. Customers often message us via social media too, so we ensure that is well monitored and responded to. Areas we haven’t changed include having us on the end of the phone line so that you’re only ever minutes away from getting the answer you need. Customer service is one of our strong points and we pride ourselves on short response times.
Q: What have been the main challenges faced by the business in recent months?
A: Like many businesses, we’ve experienced supply chain issues as we make our products in the Far East before shipping them to the UK. Government-imposed factory shutdowns have halted production, meant we can’t visit to carry out our own QC checks or source new suppliers. The shutdowns have caused severe bottlenecks and the problems at Felixstowe have meant stock has been re-routed via Europe. There’s been an increase in raw materials & energy costs and of course the well-publicised hike in shipping costs which have caused much longer lead times than previously. We’ve had to make some difficult price adjustments and absorb some of the extra costs ourselves. The cancellation of trade shows has been difficult for an industry which relies on being visible and showcasing its wares ‘in the flesh’. Another issue for us has been making deliveries to customers working from home; as logistically it’s not always a straight forward as delivering to the normal place of work. Nothing we haven’t been able to work around though!
Q: Which aspects of the job do you enjoy?
A: The variety. We supply lots of different products to a wide variety of customers. We take immense pride in our service and get a huge buzz when a customer is satisfied with their delivery. I relish the challenges of finding and meeting new suppliers and welcoming new customers.
Q: Describe a typical day for you at DI Designs
A: The first thing I do is check & respond to my emails from the factories received overnight. Most days Pippa & I respond to customer queries and take phone calls. There’s always a project to work on, from meeting with our agency to discuss the website, improving our digital efficiency, to choosing CGI imagery and various plug ins. And of course there’s processing orders, dealing with the financial side of the business and sending material swatches to customers. Finally, a dog walk breaks up the day nicely and I’m fortunate to live in the countryside with plenty of open space and scenic walkways.
Q: What can customers expect from DI Designs in the next couple of years?
A: We’re looking to improve our digital efficiency further to make ordering even easier. We’ll be introducing more products and collections shortly and want to invest in more CGI technology such as integration of CGI models with interior design software so customers can visualise our products in their schemes.
Thank you for reading and we’ll be back soon with more Q&A from our other co-founder, Pippa Cowling.
