57. The Children’s Furniture Company

Founders: Paul Hanson and Clare Hanson
Founded: July 2012
Website: www.thechildrensfurniturecompany.com

Husband-and-wife duo Paul and Clare Hanson were shopping for furniture items for their own daughter when they became frustrated with the “bland and uninspiring” selection on offer at high-street retail stores, often with prohibitively high price tags attached. Spotting a gap in the market, they launched The Children’s Furniture Company.

The start-up offers quality and unique alternatives to the children’s furniture offered by mainstream retailers sourced directly from designers and manufacturers – a model which allows it to offer savings of up to 60% to consumers whilst driving their own gross margins up to 75%. The model represents a true challenger brand in a market long overdue for a shake-up, and this is reflected in the company’s impressive £375,000 turnover for 2013, boosted by a landmark Tesco Direct marketplace supply deal concluded in October. The company predicts to grow this to £1m in 2014 as it builds on its 15,000 current customers by expanding its product range, with a potential US launch also planned.