Hatters Home & Style

Hatters Home & Style, an independent furniture showroom in Bedford

Hatters Home & Style describes itself as Bedfordshire's largest independent furniture retailer and operates from a showroom at 532 Goldington Road in Bedford. The business presents itself as family owned for over 65 years and states that its showrooms hold more than 100 room settings. It positions itself explicitly as a destination store rather than an online retailer, with its best prices offered in store.

The store covers living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, fitted kitchens, home office, flooring and clearance, and also lists a clothing department under the Claytons Quality Clothing name.

Living room and dining room ranges

The living room department is organised around sofas and armchairs, including armchairs, two-, three- and four-seater sofas, recliners, cane and conservatory models, corner groups, footstools and lift-rise chairs, available in fabric and leather. Tables include coffee and lamp tables and console tables, while storage covers bookcases, sideboards, blanket boxes and display cabinets. A home office line is also listed.

Living room brands named by the store include Alstons, Celebrity, Ercol, Fama, Figaro Designs, G Plan, Himolla, Parker Knoll, Peter Guild, Orla Kiely, Sherborne, Skovby and Stressless.

The dining room department comprises dining tables, chairs, console tables, sideboards and display cabinets, with brands including Ashmore, Ercol, Figaro Designs, Furniture Connect, Maise Valley, PBJ Design House, Skovby, Wilkinson, Windsor and Wood Bros.

Bedrooms, mattresses and fitted furniture

Bedroom ranges cover beds, mattresses, wardrobes, chests of drawers, bedside cabinets and blanket boxes, alongside a fitted bedroom service. Bedroom brands listed are Alstons, Daro, Ercol, Figaro, Healthbeds, Hypnos, Maise Valley, Simply Living, Sealy, Vispring, Wiemann and Windsor.

Fitted furniture is also offered through Intrinsic Works, described as bespoke fitted furniture.

Fitted kitchens and flooring

The kitchen department includes fitted kitchens, appliances and bar stools, with brands Gallery, Laura Ashley and Linear. Symphony Kitchens appears in the promotional material with up to 50% off. For flooring, the store advertises a free measuring and planning service.

Brands and current promotions

The retailer states that it represents a set of furniture brands and frames this as a commitment to quality. The site listed the following offers at the time of writing this profile:

• 25% off all G Plan
• 15% off Wilson Dining
• 20% off all Parker Knoll
• 20% off all Figaro Designs
• 25% off all Hypnos
• 20% off all Ercol
• 15% off all PBJ Design House
• 20% off all Stressless
• 20% off all Prima Upholstery
• Up to 50% off Symphony Kitchens

Department-level discounts were also advertised as up to 25% off living rooms, up to 20% off dining rooms, up to 20% off bedrooms and up to 50% off kitchens. Ex-display furniture is available in store at reduced prices with immediate delivery.

Service model and in-store experience

Hatters presents personal service as central to its operation, with staff described as trained experts in comfort and service and with product knowledge across departments. The store states that many ranges come with a broad choice of options and specifications, which is why prices are not shown on the website except for ex-display clearance items.

Services listed include free planning and estimates at home, free delivery subject to terms and conditions, an old furniture disposal service, disabled access, free parking directly in front of the main entrance, free EV charging for customers and a complimentary coffee bar. The showroom is described as open seven days a week.

The company refers to a 'Gold Standard' for service and customer care and links repeat custom over what it describes as the past half century to that approach. It also notes that prices shown relate to models displayed in store or to manufacturers' suggested selling prices, that sizes are approximate, and that headboards, mattresses, linen and other accessories may be optional extras unless stated otherwise.