I'm sorry to say this because I really like Heals - I used to love going into their shop in Guildford on a Saturday morning - but I worry that they might be trading too heavily on the appeal of their highly respected name, rather than the quality of their products?
I've been looking at the bedroom furniture on their website and I feel bound to say that it is staggeringly expensive compared to similar items elsewhere. Now, I have absolutely no problem in paying more for better quality and will happily pay for an English-made saddle for example, rather than a cheaper import. This is because you can see the difference in things like the quality of the stitching and the metal fittings.
But I'm afraid I really don't see how, for example, a wood veneered bedside table can cost £395 from Heals when solid oak or solid mahogany ones are available elsewhere for less than £125? OK I know Chippendale used veneers, but this furniture is definitely not Chippendale.
Heals has a justifiably proud name for the quality and design of its products. It cannot (and should not) compete with the cheap furniture end of the market but if it is to position itself as a retailer of quality then surely it has to raise its game.
