“Opening a store in Tunbridge Wells was a particularly proud moment for us”

Lisa Coppin, Chief Creative Officer at The Cotswold Company tells Eileen Leahy why its Tunbridge Wells store, which is located in one of the town’s most stunning historic buildings, is one of the business’s most unique and popular ones. She also reveals a little of the history of the firm and the reasons for its continued success…

So Lisa, to get started can you share a very brief history of The Cotswold Company for our readers please?

 The Cotswold Company was founded in 1996, beginning its journey with the opening of its first store in Bourton-on-the-Water, nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds. The company quickly gained popularity and continued strong growth across both retail and online channels led to the relocation of its flagship store to the enchanting Stow-on-the-Wold. Our collections have always been, and will always remain, inspired by the beauty of the Cotswolds—it’s what makes us truly unique.

How many stores do you have across the UK and what made you want to have a presence in Tunbridge Wells?

Today, we have a network of ten stores across the UK, as well as an easy-to-navigate e-commerce site offering over 1,300 individual product lines to customers across the UK and Northern Ireland. 

Opening a store in Tunbridge Wells in 2022 was a particularly proud moment for us, as we felt it was an important location for our brand. The town embodies all the qualities we seek when considering new store locations: a vibrant and bustling community, stunning architecture, and, of course, an excellent position close to other cities, towns, and villages.

The historic building where your store is located here in Tunbridge Wells is a very striking one. How did The Cotswold Company come to find it?

The Tunbridge Wells store is absolutely breathtaking, isn’t it? The exterior has such a commanding presence, and the interior provides a vast space to showcase our many collections across furniture, upholstery, and home accessories. As soon as we visited the space, we knew it had incredible potential and that we could offer local and visiting customers a truly substantial experience.

Since you launched a few years ago here how has business gone?

I am delighted to share that the business has gone from strength to strength, with significant growth in both our store network and product offerings. In the six months leading up to 25 August 2024, The Cotswold Company reported a 15% increase in sales, reaching £40.1 million,

alongside a 21% year-on-year rise in active customers. In September, we proudly opened our 10th showroom in Stamford, and we have further plans to open additional showrooms in the coming months with a new showroom in Marlow recently announced, all part of our strategic expansion to establish ourselves as one of the UK’s leading premium furniture and homeware brands.

Has a loyal customer base been developed and how are you aiming to grow it?

As a brand, it is incredibly important to listen to our customers. We have always welcomed feedback, which has enabled us to introduce new products and refine existing styles to ensure we offer the best selection and quality on the market. We are proud to have a very loyal customer base who return to us to update their homes. Today, we provide furniture and home accessories for most rooms in the home, including the bedroom, kitchen, dining room, sitting room, office, nursery, and, coming in 2025, bathroom.

How would you describe the aesthetic essence of The Cotswold Company?

Our design teams work closely with manufacturers to create curated collections that suit any style of home, from traditional country cottages to more modern city dwellings. From farmhouse-style dressers and tables to mid-century-inspired beds and wardrobes, and from contemporary corner sofas to antique-inspired armchairs, The Cotswold Company caters to a wide array of tastes, offering something special for every customer.

What would you say makes the Tunbridge Wells The Cotswold Company store so unique?

The store itself spans 13,000 sq ft, with 20 rooms spread across two floors. Within this space, a variety of styles and rooms are showcased, ensuring a broader selection of Cotswold Company products are on display. The layout includes all the room setups one would expect from one of our stores, including a kitchen area six dining spaces, seven living rooms, and eight bedrooms. There is also a mattress testing zone, where customers can try out various mattresses from The Cotswold Company’s British-made Pure Natural Collection. 

Are you able to reveal any particularly popular pieces that customers like to buy? 

At the heart of The Cotswold Company’s expansive furniture offering is our much-loved Shaker-style Chester range, which boasts 450 individual products and six different finishes. This provides customers with a diverse array of practical, comfortable, and stylish designs that can be seamlessly integrated into any home. Whether it’s the best-selling ‘Bootility’ Cupboard, which is one of my favourite pieces and is designed to offer practical and functional storage solutions in a busy home, or the Hideaway Media Unit, with its elegant lines and ample storage making it the perfect piece to conceal a TV in a living room or snug, each piece has been thoughtfully designed to meet the growing demands of every room in a busy household.

How many are in The Cotswold Company Tunbridge Wells team and what do they enjoy about working there?

The Tunbridge Wells store has six full- and part-time members of staff, all of whom excel at engaging with our customers and ensuring they feel looked after during their visit. The town boasts an exciting community, and the many local events, independent retailers, and lovely restaurants attract a vibrant mix of visitors to the centre, which is fantastic for our business.

Whether visitors to the store are local or from further afield, we hope they leave with a positive experience and a newfound love for the brand.
Can you tell us about any of your favourite festive finds that we can locate in-store for Christmas?

 We have a wonderful selection of gifts in-store this year, ranging from our elegant Fine Black Metal or Mother of Pearl photo frames to artisan ceramics and luxurious hand-quilted velvet throws in rich ochre and brick colourways. The run-up to Christmas is also a popular time for customers to refresh their homes, especially guest bedrooms, with new mattresses or bed linen. Others may choose to invest in a new dining table in preparation for larger gatherings during the festive season.

As you may well be aware, the previous retailer located in this incredible former congregational church before The Cotswold Company also had ‘Cotswold’ in its name. Has it been a challenge to communicate the message of The Cotswold Company now being the sole retailer there?  

Occasionally, a customer will come in looking for walking shoes, unaware of the change in retail, but this is happening less and less. We are seeing footfall grow in the town as we build a loyal base of customers drawn to our high-quality furniture and homewares. The Cotswold Company is expanding nationwide this year, and as a result, awareness of our brand is growing rapidly, and our customer base is expanding at an impressive pace.

Why should potential interior-loving customers choose to shop at The Cotswold Company?

We firmly believe that we offer one of the best ranges on the market, combining choice, quality and longevity to our customers. At the Cotswold Company, we provide a remedy to disposable, throwaway furniture, crafting pieces designed to last and become loved investments in our customers’ homes for years to come. Our stores are a source of pride, and our staff undergo rigorous training to ensure they can confidently guide customers through the process of updating their homes—a task that can often feel overwhelming.

 Over the years, we have collaborated with talented stylists and photographers who help bring our vision to life, always drawing inspiration from the beauty and charm of the Cotswolds. Strong visuals play a significant role in inspiring our customers, enabling them to picture our products in their own homes. These elements combined are what make The Cotswold Company what it is today.

The Cotswold Company, 95-97 Mount Pleasant, Tunbridge Wells.
01892 486 989
www.cotswoldco.com