Prominent Polish manufacturer of self-assembly furniture, Forte, has established a comprehensive development process to enhance product design, packaging and assembly instructions, pioneering the evolution of flat-pack furniture in the UK marketplace and beyond …
Founded 33 years ago, the family-owned company has built its reputation on a tradition of entrepreneurship, consistently offering customers functionally designed, high-quality products, and reliable service. Its extensive ranges include furniture for dining, living and children’s rooms, as well as bedrooms, offices and halls.
Crucially, Forte has developed a robust approach to identifying and addressing challenges, sourcing solutions and delivering improved products to the market, and – most importantly – boosting sales and customer satisfaction.
“Our esteemed team of designers and product development experts are constantly analysing ever-changing customer demands to create functional and stylish furniture,” states Forte – an approach which has resulted in around 800 new products being introduced each year, joining the company’s portfolio of more than 3500 designs.
Maria Florczuk, CEO of the Forte Group, explains: “Forte’s mission is to create better homes. Our customers expect comfort and functionality from our products, so we’ve long been searching for methods to simplify furniture assembly as much as possible.
“The Threespine ID technology from Välinge, for example, has proven to be a brilliant solution. It not only makes furniture assembly easier, but also extends the product lifecycle. Improving the comfort of assembly, usage, and the entire purchasing process is definitely the direction we will continue to pursue.”
Point and click
Forte partnered with Swedish company Välinge Innovations in recent years to incorporate the latter’s Threespine Click Furniture Technology into its EasyKlix by Forte products. This state-of-the-art technology allows for assembly up to 10 times faster than traditional methods, says Forte, and enhances the customer experience by avoiding time-consuming and complicated assembly instructions. The new technology also enables straightforward disassembly, extending the furniture’s lifecycle and addressing sustainability demands.
EasyKlix by Forte furniture was launched in UK in April last year, and was quickly hailed as a game-changer, as its two ranges were exclusively rolled out at John Lewis stores, with the first unveiled at the retailer’s flagship London West End store in Oxford Street. Over the following month, EasyKlix was rolled out in shop-in-shops at John Lewis stores in Glasgow, Westfield Stratford City, Southampton, Solihull, Leeds and Liverpool.
Currently available in two ranges – Sherbrooke and Harllson – EasyKlix comprises cabinets and sideboards, wardrobes, TV stands, chests of drawers and side and console tables, available in white, natural and sage green colours.
Eye-catching details include: delicate wooden knobs that emphasise the style of the collections; tall, wooden legs that make the furniture appear visually light, and make it easy to clean beneath; soft-close systems, enabling doors to open and close gently and silently; and full-extension slides in drawers, offering full and easy access to storage space.
The positive reception at John Lewis stores has encouraged Forte to expand availability to other retailers and further cement its reputation as a leading name in the UK self-assembly furniture market.
Forte’s various initiatives offer stockists a host of advantages, including: a varied product range – a wide selection of designs, coupled with a ready supply of new products, means stockists can cater for a broad customer base with different preferences; enhanced customer appeal – innovations such as EasyKlix by Forte appeal to customers looking for user-friendly and sustainable solutions, thus boosting footfall and sales; and sustainability endorsement – stocking products from a manufacturer that has shown a commitment to environmental responsibility can boost a retailer’s image and win a nod of approval from eco-conscious customers.
Read the full article in May's issue.
Pictured: The furniture in the Easy Klix by Forte ranges can be assembled up to 10 times faster than traditional flat-pack models, says Forte
