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The Bedlinen Co. opens store in Norwich shopping mall
The new Bedlinen Co store in Norwich's Royal Arcade. Picture: Archant - Credit: Archant
A new home furnishings store has opened in Norwich's Royal Arcade.
Joanne Cannon with Norwich's Lord Mayor Martin Schmierer, who cut the ribbon to open the store. Picture: Archant - Credit: Archant
The Bedlinen Co. has opened its first store in the city, having only signed a license last month.
Owner and director Joanne Cannon has worked in the soft furnishings industry for 25 years, and decided to launch her own company last year.
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She previously retailed online but has momentarily paused the site while she focuses on the bricks-and-mortar enterprise.
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She said: 'The reason we chose to set up shop here in Norwich is the buzz of the city centre, the people you get walking through – the buzz here is great as well.
'What really appealed to us about the Royal Arcade is the architecture. All the glass and the lights coming through the windows, it just really fits well with our product and the environment we want to put across to our customers.'
Ms Cannon invested around £45,000 into the venture for purchasing the stock and refurbishing the establishment.
She added that because she was buying for a fresh site she was able to buy the latest lines from furnishing designers and have them on sale immediately.
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'Our basic core lines are going to be bed linens – hence the name. There will also be a lot of curtains and curtains as well. We do made-to-measure curtains and fabrics, and we're working on our own brand as well,' ms Cannon, from Swanton Abbott, said.
In an increasingly competitive but strained market, Ms Cannon and her team are aware they'll need to stand out from the crowd.
'I think our biggest challenge is standing out from the department stores. I'm hoping the way to achieve that will be sourcing products that aren't found in those stores and dealing with other independent manufacturers, supporting their products and bringing them in,' she said.
'Our key focus is following the latest trends and seeing what's in fashion. Our focus this spring is corals, bright pinks and purples. We've got lots of those in cushions, throws and bedding at the moment,' she said.
'Leading into the summer the fashion is going to be pinks coming back around again,' she added.
