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“ I ’ m delighted to reveal that we achieved statistical significance that being seated in the correct size HSL chair lowers your blood pressure ,” Venessa declares . “ Not only does it lower your blood pressure , but it also lowers your heart rate and perhaps most significantly , it increases the blood flow and oxygenation of your lower limbs . We ’ re currently working on a PR campaign to bring these statistics to the forefront of our operations , as well as exploring other research opportunities with Dr Utley .”
On the topic of recent innovations , Venessa is keen to share some of HSL ’ s latest developments . “ There ’ s always lots going on across the company ,” she laughs . “ A key area of focus at the moment is blending comfort with style . There ’ s still a stigma attached to riser recliners , but we ’ ve created a visually stunning product to mitigate this , and you would never guess that it is a recliner !
“ This innovation was driven by consumer demand ; just because someone has mobility issues doesn ’ t mean that they lose their sense of identity or style . Many of our customers expressed a desire to hide functionality within the product design – and we listened . We ’ ve created a unique chair that doesn ’ t currently exist in the market , but we know it is sought after .”
Product innovation
As our conversation draws to a close , Venessa reflects on how being a family business enables HSL to quickly adapt and react to evolving market demands . “ We recently opened a new showroom in Solihull and the customer response has been overwhelming ,” she details . “ The site is visually stunning and strategically nestled between lots of high-end , luxury retirement villages so we ’ re surrounded by an ideal demographic . Solihull is already becoming the busiest showroom within our 55-store portfolio .
“ We also recently underwent a refurbishment program for all our stores , which consisted of new signage and interiors . While we ’ re enhancing our digital experience and providing online visualization as the retail market moves towards online channels , we ’ re still focused on a bricks-and-mortar approach , as our stores offer customers a great opportunity to try our furniture for themselves .
“ We ’ ve got a 2030 plan focused on three pillars : growth , dominance , and refinement ,” Venessa concludes . “ While we want to ensure that we continue to dominate the specialist areas in which we excel , such as rise recliners and high-end motion furniture , we also want to grow in other areas through product innovation and operational excellence . We will also maintain a high level of personalization services and explore opportunities to prove our marketleading position in terms of comfort science .” ■
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