Growing furniture store keeping it in the family
A FAMILY furniture store has welcomed its fifth generation as new appointments have been made to fuel expansion plans.
Lucy Mather has become head of communications at Arighi Bianchi, based on the Silk Road, Macclesfield, to carry on the family tradition.
Sarah Bianchi - Lucy’s mum - has also taken the role of managing director as the business looks to grow its ecommerce presence following an overhaul of its website.
Arighi Bianchi launched its internet presence in 2015 and the 2020/21 year saw record online orders.
Sarah said: “I joined the family business aged just 23 and have since been responsible for running the carpet division, setting up the gift shop, HR, buying and now I’m taking the reins as managing director.
“It’s an extremely exciting time to be starting my new role, as we look forward to bolstering all areas of the business – from continuing to invest in our physical retail experience to expanding our online site and digital presence.
“It’s undoubtedly been a challenging time for our Macclesfield store due to the lockdowns, in fact it was the first time ever that we had to close our doors for this length of time - we didn’t even close during the war.
“I’m also proud that Lucy, my daughter, has joined us to support our digital progression.
“She is helping us to utilise the latest digital techniques to reach our audiences nationwide, through the site, social and PR.”