MFI: high street furniture and kitchen shop to be relaunched by Victorian Plumbing 20-years after close - news

• Iconic furniture brand MFI is set to relaunch online in 2026, nearly 20 years after collapsing in 2008
• Victorian Plumbing, which acquired the brand via its purchase of Victoria Plum, is investing £3m in the comeback
• The revived MFI will operate as a standalone website, selling bedroom, dining, and homeware products
• It will be supported by existing Victorian Plumbing infrastructure, including two warehouses in Lancashire
• MFI’s return marks a strategic push into the £20bn UK homewares market by Victorian Plumbing

An iconic flatpack furniture brand is set to make a comeback nearly two decades after its collapse during the 2008 financial crisis.

Bathroom retailer Victorian Plumbing acquired the dormant MFI brand and domain as part of its purchase of rival Victoria Plum last year, and has announced a £3 million investment ahead of a planned relaunch.

Victorian Plumbing revealed plans to relaunch the brand as a standalone website in 2026, offering dining room, bedroom, and general homeware products.

The revived MFI will be supported by Victorian Plumbing’s existing operations, including its two Lancashire-based warehouses.

An exact launch date has yet to be confirmed by Victorian Plumbing, but MFI is expected to relaunch online sometime between April and September next year.

Once a staple of British retail with more than 200 stores and over 50 million annual deliveries, MFI became synonymous with the DIY furniture boom of the 1960s through to the early 2000s.

Its return marks a push by Victorian Plumbing to expand further into the £20 billion UK homewares market.

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Victorian Plumbing chief executive and founder Mark Radcliffe said: “I am very excited about the upcoming re-invention of MFI, allowing us to tap in to more of the £20bn UK Homewares market.

“Our dedicated and ambitious team, decades of e-commerce knowledge and best-in-class proprietary software, together with the recognisable MFI brand, will help to deliver our strategic ambition over the medium-term.”

The relaunch will see investment in both people and property as the company brings the once-familiar name back to UK consumers, this time with a modern e-commerce edge that aligns with Victorian Plumbing’s existing customer base.

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