Bosses floored by £50,000 showroom

The first floor re-design at Alan Ward in Shrewsbury has seen the creation of a contemporary living display to give shoppers the chance to see the flooring and interiors on display with furniture as they would within their own home.

New leading brands have been introduced including The Little Greene paint and wallpaper company.

The new department at the store on Ennerdale Road in Harlescott will be unveiled as part of a VIP evening on September 24 from 5pm for members of the business community.

Hundreds of Shropshire Chamber of Commerce members have been invited to enjoy the champagne reception evening which will include refreshments and live music from Shropshire jazz band The Gershwin Gang which have performed in Harrod's Food Hall.

Carl Johnson, managing director of Alan Ward, which boasts stores in Shrewsbury, Winsford, Chester and Newcastle-under-Lyme, said it was an exciting unveiling for their flagship store and hoped the event would turn into a successful networking event.

"This £50,000 investment reflects the importance of the flooring offer within our flagship store.

"It has been transformed into a flooring and interiors department which is complimented by the homewares gallery & cookshop as well as the beds and bedrooms department on the first floor.

"The new ranges are now on display and the investment has seen new floorings and fittings too.

"The whole shopping experience will now be much more pleasurable and will make it easier for the customer to make the right choice as they are surrounded by designer, inspirational choice," Mr Johnson said.

Leading brands including Brintons, Westex, Ryalux, Ulster, Victoria, Crucial Trading as well as Alan Ward's own collections are on display, along with luxury vinyl tiles by Karndean and Amtico and wood flooring by Woodpecker.

The department also boasts Shropshire's largest display of rugs with more than 600 on show from leading designers including Calvin Klein, Fiona Howard, Inaluxe and Katherine Carnaby.

Alan Ward also specialises in handmade rugs sourced from Persia, India and Afghanistan.

"The choice of flooring and the choice of paint or wallpaper go hand in hand so it was crucial to have the two offerings in the same department.

"We are particularly proud of our unique feature which brings all of the departments together literally under one roof - a contemporary space saving living area.

"It boasts the leading products, design and colours and shows how the smallest of spaces can look amazing from the flooring to the dining set - all within the customer's own budget," Marc Becket, flooring showroom manager said.