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NEWPORT’S George Street Furnishers has come a long way since its humble beginnings in an old Anderson air raid shelter exactly 65 years ago.

And with the new Friars Walk retail site just a five-minute stroll from its giant 70,000 sq ft showroom, the family-owned business is backing itself and the city to go from strength to strength in the years to come.

Founded as a furniture repair business in 1951 by Richard Sheppard in his Gaer Park Road garden, today it’s one of the biggest stores in Wales, selling everything from sofas to beds, bathrooms to kitchens, and all at discount prices.

With great service and value for money key to its success, it’s still very much a family affair, now headed by Richard’s sons Martyn and Graham Sheppard, with their own sons also now on board.

“Dad’s still going strong at 86, and he and the family are very proud that we’ve been serving the city and beyond for 65 years,” said managing director Martyn. “It’s fantastic that from such small beginnings the business has developed into such a successful enterprise.

“Dad was being trained in upholstery by furniture store PE Gane when it closed down. So armed with just £5 capital, a hand bogey he built himself for transporting goods and his Anderson shelter for a workshop, he set himself up repairing furniture.”

Success followed as he began employing people, opening new workshops before turning to selling goods at premises in Commercial Road.

In 1968, he bought the current building in George Street, founding one of the first discount stores, selling brand name furniture.

Martyn adds: “Myself and my brother joined in the 1980s, and gradually we took on the running of the business. I'm MD and Graham is director/buyer, and my sons Adam and Luke, and also his lad Joseph, are also involved, keeping the family connection going.

“As a longstanding family business, we've built up a rapport with our customers, some of whom we served in the first shop, and the second and third generations keep coming as well.

“We've even got customers who worked in the building way back when it was a clothing factory, one that a century ago made World War One uniforms.

“They've grown with us as a family over the years, and know and trust us, and the staff are on first name terms with many.

“I think that presence and common touch is key to a successful family business, and any requests or problems, we can react and make decisions straight away. We're accessible.

“And on top of that, our expert sales staff, many who have been here for 15-20 years, know the trade and what customers want.”

The store has Investors in People status, and its staff are highly trained, traveling to London and factories in Italy, Sweden and elsewhere to learn about products.

They give top quality advice to customers who can then relax in the concession coffee shop to think about potential purchases.

“After getting the benefit of the staff’s knowledge, it helps to sit back, have a cup of tea and mull over the options,” says Martyn.

Over the years, most of the properties in the block were bought up and integrated to provide more showroom space.

And he adds: “It's a substantial building, allowing us to show off a huge range of products, from sofas, to dining room furniture, flooring to carpets, bedrooms, curtains, bathrooms, water beds, kitchens, everything for the home.

South Wales Argus:

“Coming to George Street Furnishers is a great experience – the building is unique, over a century old, and several styles of property mixed in one.

“The Newport store is 70,000 sq ft, and our Cardiff store in Newport Road, which we launched 10 years ago, is 28,000 sq ft, so together we’ve got nearly 100,000 sq feet.

“We stock high quality big brands, such as G Plan, Nathan, Stressless, Duresta, Dunlopillo, Sleep Easy, Brintons carpets, and it's all discounted.

“We're part of the AIS buying group – Associated Independent Stores - one of 250 businesses, which gives us huge buying power to obtain great value deals, which we pass onto the customer. It makes us very competitive.”

Situated on the edge of the city centre, customers needn’t worry about parking, as the store has a huge free car park.

“Frankly without it, we couldn't operate,” admits Martyn. “Dad bought land to create the space, and it's vital for our business that people can just park up alongside.

“We're a destination store, because we stand alone, but we're just a short walk from Friars Walk, so people can have a whole shopping experience.

“And while there've been some tough times in recent years, like the credit crunch, now with the regeneration, it’s brought people back to the city centre… our footfall is up, and it's great to see the city bouncing back.”