The Wood Works is a dedicated manufacturer of bespoke fitted furniture for bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, offices and studies – well, pretty much every room in the house!
It was established in 1990 by Richard and Donna Delane. Richard and Donna are husband and wife, and the mother and father of Josh Delane, who is responsible for ‘Strategy and Business Development’ at the company. The scene was set long before 1990 in 1942 when Richard’s grandfather, Morris Delane, came to London all the way from Poland to learn the craft of cabinet making. The passion for furniture continued through the blood of his sons, and eventually The Wood Works was born.
Why The Wood Works started
The Wood Works is very much a family business. Josh stated that his father’s family have been in the furniture business for generations and it is something he and his family have always grown up around. He noted that his father, Richard, has always had a fascination and passion for making things from scratch.
He recalls that in the early years, his father was involved in every single aspect of the business process. He would meet with clients, make the furniture himself, fit the furniture he had made himself and all the customer service was his responsibility. To this day, Richard still has an input in everything but has a dedicated team behind him, including his wife and son.
What is the brand all about?
Josh said that he felt the brand behind The Wood Works was all about “creating people’s dream furniture”. This is easily achieved since each piece is made from scratch and is made to order, so people can truly see their visions of perfection come to life.
What makes The Wood Works stand out from the crowd?
There was no hesitation from Josh when emphasising that their customer service was the top of his list as to why they stand out from other companies in this industry. Josh said he was extremely proud about the fact that at The Wood Works they always go above and beyond for their customers. If you are a customer, you can expect top customer service which continues past your direct dealing with the company. If you are having problems with a piece of furniture or need a repair done, you can be assured that The Wood Works will bend over backwards to tweak, repair and replaces even the oldest of their furniture.
The Wood Works has grown its reputation for incredible bespoke kitchens furniture from mainly word of mouth since they did little marketing in the earlier days. Considering their success today, says Josh, it proves how good the service and the quality of their products really are. They continue to receive customers through word of mouth and enjoy this way of authentic marketing.
What are the plans of The Wood Work’s future?
In the second quarter of next year, The Wood Works are excited to be opening up their first retail show room in North West London, which is where they have seen growth, and as Josh put it, the “bread and butter” of their business.
They are also planning on moving premises to a factory around 3 times the size of the one they are in currently. Josh stated that in the further future, they may want to have around 5 to 6 showrooms all across the country, and not just focus on the London and home-counties.
Why is being online important to The Wood Works?
Josh maintained that being online was indeed very vital to the business in today’s world, as it is more and more becoming the way people do most of their shopping and they do not want to fall behind. The internet provides the platform of the future of consuming products. When people are looking for new furniture, he says, they will most likely type it into google and look online as their first port of call. Customers today are far less likely to go to the high street to look at furniture when they have the ability to see all their options on a screen in front of them in the comfort of their own home.
The Wood Works currently has a growing online following of over 12,000 on Instagram (@thewoodworks). Josh said that they regularly gain customers through their Instagram account. Instagram is a great advertising platform as it is an easy and quick form of marketing that appeals to masses of people. It is a great alternative to what was the case 20 or so years ago when people would have to had to make the effort to go into a store or showroom to see what was on offer. Now it’s just at the convenience of your fingertips.
