Independent family business celebrates its centenary in Rotherham economy
A BUSINESS which has been run by three generations of a single family since it began is celebrating its centenary this month.
The firm remains one of the few remaining independent companies currently operating in Rotherham – and is still selling far and wide.
Fosters for Furniture, on Effingham Street in the town, opened its doors back in 1926 when the retail world in Rotherham was very different.
Back then there were many small and medium-sized shops run by shopkeepers and owners who were well-known to the public, whereas now the big chains are dominating the scene and much trade has moved to out-of-town sites like Parkgate.
But Fosters for Furniture shows that independents still have a place and can remain successful.
Current owner Richard Foster believes that staying relevant to customers’ needs is vital, as is moving with the times and being aware of trends in the sector.
It all began for Fosters in 1926 when Richard’s grandfather, Randal Rowland Foster, set up shop at the corner of Effingham Street and Wharncliffe Street when the town’s layout looked rather different to today.
Initially he had been in business as a pawnbroker but started selling furniture at the premises which, back then, was in a busy shopping area.
The business remained there until the 1950s when it moved to a new location on Effingham Street, but again the area looked very different to today.
In the 1950s the street was full of terraced housing and there were many residences in the area.
Then, around the mid-1960s, the business moved over the road to its current location when the family turned two terraced houses into a shop.
Next to the River Don, it also had a small abattoir at the rear and the rather industrial backdrop of a cooling tower!
Richard recalled that his grandfather was a dedicated man of trade who knew what he wanted.
He said: “He was a very good businessman.
“He was quite a character. When you saw him he was always smart and in many old photographs looked Italian: he had a striped suit, trilby hat and spats. You never saw him without his trilby hat.
“At the time he also drove imported American cars.”
In the early 1960s, Richard’s uncle Michael joined the business, and then in the late 60s his father Martin too. Together they developed the current store, extending the premises to provide more space.
The business was further extended in the 1980s/early ‘90s.
Richard bought the business off his father and uncle 20 years ago.
He said: “I am sure my grandfather never thought we would be here in 100 years.
“You never know if your family want to keep it up.”
But Richard very much did want to keep it going. Having worked there at weekends in his younger days, he’d already experienced what it was like to work hard in the world of selling.
“In my head it seemed quite a natural thing to do when my grandfather asked me,” he said.
“This is one of the few remaining family businesses in Rotherham.
“All the independent businesses in the town in the past added to the town and as they have disappeared from the town it has changed the town forever.
“It will be a sad day when independent businesses disappear from Rotherham. Hopefully it will never happen but I think retail is in flux. The loss of independents is what has affected the town centre.
“Back then we all knew each other. Years ago I think there was respect to the families because they had businesses. I can remember as a young boy someone coming up to my father and shaking his hand because he was happy with something he had bought from us.
“To me our customers are never just a sale. They are more like friends which helps us give that personal service.”
Richard said that over the years, the tastes of customers have changed.
TV design shows have had a big influence in getting people to modernise, and there is more interest in utilising recycled materials in products such as floor coverings and pieces of furniture. Recycled timber is much used nowadays and hardwoods like teak and mahogany are much more limited for conservation reasons.
Richard said: “There is less traditional these days. You rarely see traditional in magazines or the TV programmes that people watch which are more up to the minute.
“But I think people are getting a bit more eclectic. One room can be traditional, another one more modern.”
Many customers have been coming back to Fosters for years, and Richard said that different generations of the same families have been customers.
And though most business is done within 15 miles of the shop, there are regular deliveries to places as far afield as Bridlington and Mablethorpe.
Fosters for Furniture is celebrating its 100th birthday with a big £437,000 sale of stock across every department.
But Richard said that the firm has always tried to give back to the town. His mother and grandmother, for instance, did charity work and more recently he has provided furniture to Rotherham Hospital’s ante-natal unit, as well as contributing to various charity auctions.
“We help in a quiet way. We have done it because it’s the right thing to do,” said Richard.
Fosters for Furniture is a business that is now looking back over its long past – but to the future too.