Hammonds awards Carat 4m account

Carat has won the 4m media planning and buying business for furniture retailer Hammonds from PHD without a pitch. The incumbent had handled the account for over a decade.

Carat has won the £4m media planning and buying business for furniture retailer Hammonds from PHD without a pitch. The incumbent had handled the account for over a decade.

The agency will focus on direct response work but will also work on its communications strategy and media planning and buying across national press and magazines, radio and online.

Earlier this year the family-run business appointed Doner Cardwell Hawkins to handle its advertising account following a competitive pitch (MW January 4). The account was previously held by Manchester-based CheethamBell JWT.

Carat has a brief to help the Leicestershire-based retailer expand its customer base throughout the UK. Hammonds, which specialises in fitted bedrooms and office furniture, has 17 stores and 84 concessions.

Hammonds marketing director Claire Parker says the business has seen a 16% year-on-year growth in a static market in 2007 and expects Carat to help it grow further.

Hammonds was founded in 1926 as TS Hammonds Cabinet Maker. It has three other divisions as well as its consumer unit/ Hepplewhite, New Homes and INPress.

The Hepplewhite brand was launched in 1996 and targets independent retailers. New Homes has supplied products to new home builders for the past 20 years. INPress, its sub-contract division, supplies products such as kitchens and bathrooms to manufacturers of motor homes, mobile homes and boats.