La Galleria merged into Dansk store as World of Sofas launch edges closer

25th August 2009 | retail | Furniture from the Dansk owned La Galleria store in Thurrock has been merged into its adjacent Dansk store - with World of Sofas thought to be about to take its place. The registered office for World of Sofas - the new venture by the founders of Land of Leather - has been switched from a Dorset address to Unit 15, The Junction on Lakeside Retail Park - the same address as La Galleria.

A spokesman for Dansk said products from its La Galleria store had been moved into the Dansk store next door - paving the way for World of Sofas to open in its stead. It is thought that World of Sofas was slated for an August bank holiday launch - although press reports suggests the first stores will now not open till September at the earliest.

Inverness and Paisley in Scotland are also possible World of Sofas sites - with adverts posted in the past few days on the lookout for store staff in advance of an imminent launch. Land of Leather had stores in both locations. Adverts have also been posted on recruitment websites for staff at a bed store located inside a World of Sofas outlet.

Bensons for Beds had a store within Land of Leather in Paisley before LoL collapsed, and a member of staff at Bensons told the Furnishing Report that World of Sofas was going to be moving into the site on Washington Road.

Land of Leather founder Paul Briant announced in March that he planned to open ten World of Sofas stores this year and a further 50 within five years. World of Sofas was incorporated in mid-December 2008, with another former LoL executive, Peter Ling, installed as its sole director.

Briant, Steve Dowdall, Craig Hart and Brian Neilly were appointed directors to the firm in June of this year, with the registered office changed to the site on Lakeside Retail Park earlier this month.