Furniture is at the heart of the AIS buying group. We give independent retailers access to new, bestselling, and exclusive furniture products across upholstery, cabinet, bedroom, lighting, accessories, and garden.
AIS Homeware Buying
AIS is the UK and Ireland’s leading homeware buying group, offering the latest trends and innovations from market leading suppliers across kitchenware, cookshop, tabletop, glassware, small electricals, home gift, bedding and soft furnishing.
Get access to the best homeware brands
The AIS Homeware team look after an inclusive portfolio of home product categories across housewares, linens, and gift food sectors. From cookshop, tabletop, and small electricals, to bedding, soft furnishing, gifting, and home fragrance, our in-house team of homeware experts has a wealth of combined knowledge spanning design, retail, buying, sourcing, and merchandising, allowing them to fully understand our Members' needs.
Simply Home
Exclusive to Members, and developed by our homeware experts, the Simply Home brand encompasses seasonal trends and the latest innovations to deliver commercial, high-margin product across housewares and linens.
INDX Homewares trade shows
As part of the INDX Home portfolio, INDX Homewares is a unique trade show curated by our buyers, and taking place at our exhibition venue Cranmore Park, twice a year. With access to over 100 market-leading brands, trend workshops, networking opportunities, and the latest product demos, INDX Homewares is open to all retailers.
Homeware Retail Buying and Merchandising
If you don’t have the expertise in-house or if you need support, our homeware Retail Buying and Merchandising team can look after your planning, budgeting, trading, and stock management. Our one-stop-shop of retail expertise will help you stand out on the high street.
AIS brings together industry best practice for merchandising and budget management for today’s independent homeware retailers.
Our Homeware Team
Meet our home experts
Rachel Breen
Head of HomeWith over 20 years of homewares buying experience and having previously held Buying Manager roles at Next, Sainsburys, and Debenhams, Rachel joined AIS to head up the Homewares Division in 2016.
Hilary Walbancke
Linens, Soft Furnishings and Home Gift SelectorHilary joined AIS in 2007 as Selector on linens and soft furnishings and was previously employed in buying roles at Beatties Department Store group and House of Fraser for 15 years.
AIS Homeware Benefits
From sourcing the best brands and designing the best own label product ranges to negotiating exclusive terms and discounts and curating the INDX Home Shows, AIS Homeware delivers a complete service to enhance our Members margins and drive their profitability.
Exclusive supplier terms and discounts
As a Member, you can pay all AIS preferred suppliers with one simple direct debit payment. You’ll also get access to discounts, extended payments, and other beneficial terms.
Exclusive own label product ranges
From innovative cookware and kitchen essentials to stunning tabletop and fine linens, the Simply Home brand is synonymous with outstanding quality and value. Trend-driven, high-margins and a point of difference.
Expert support
Our homeware team shares weekly newsletters packed full of the latest updates and news from AIS and the wider industry. We’ve also partnered with leading trend forecasting agency Scarlet Opus to give Members the best customer insights.
INDX Homewares shows
Meet our key home and linen suppliers at INDX Homewares. Explore the latest products and trends at our independent retailer focused-trade shows.
Planning and budgeting
With seasonal performance reports at your fingertips, future seasonal budgets and investments can be planned better. AIS provides recommendations using historical performance, current seasonal performance, intake margin, and where applicable stock levels to enhance your profitability.
Homeware trading
Get full visibility of your sales, markdown, margin, and profit by style, product category, and department so you can understand your trading patterns. Our reporting will help you analyse and assess “New” season performance versus older products to save you time in manual auditing. Real-time analysis allows you to optimise each season and we'll recommend markdown strategy on any poor-sellers too.
Stock management
We can protect your best-selling lines that take a high percentage of department sales. Our delivery scheduling service allows visibility of all your orders placed and their delivery dates to allow you to plan and prepare.
Buying and brand selection
Curating collections, brands, and products tailored to an independent retailer’s customer base and location is a specialist skill that combines creativity and experience with strategy, commercial acumen, and sector insight knowledge. AIS has a team of experts to help you range plan, negotiate the very best prices, and develop your promotions to maximise every sales opportunity across fashion and home.
Homeware exclusive own label
With our AIS exclusive homeware brand, we help you stand out on the high street; delivering strong margins and effective stock forecasting. As a Member, you can also contribute to our future homeware product development to drive growth and sales.
Supplier relationship management
Our teams have developed and secured a breadth of suppliers to suit all independent retailers. AIS can leverage buying power and negotiate the best prices for you. We’ll help oversee your relationship with brands and suppliers, saving you time with the assurance that you have an expert team working on your behalf.
Our Products and Services
We have a team of highly respected experts across home, fashion, leisure, sports, and toys. We source the best brands, suppliers, exclusive products and develop our own exclusive brands as well as providing commercially driven services to support the independent retailer.
Homeware Buying
From well-known brands to exclusively sourced ranges across cookware, kitchenware, small electricals, dining, glassware, home fragrance, and home textiles, AIS is the UK and Ireland’s leading homeware buying group.
Fashion Buying
Explore men's, women's, and kids ranges across fashion, accessories, and footwear. With access to exclusive brands, a strong focus on lifestyle, high street, and high-end names, plus our own label First Avenue.
Flooring Buying
The AIS Flooring One team offers Members the best quality, largest, and most innovative selection of floor coverings in the UK and Ireland, with a wide variety of traditional and contemporary products to suit every room of the house.
Retail Buying and Merchandising
A one-stop-shop of retail industry expertise, supporting with annual strategy and planning, buying, and brand selection - all designed to improve margins and profitability.
Sports and Leisure Buying
Our newest division, the AIS sports and leisure team work with leading sports, active lifestyle, performance wear, and team wear suppliers with a focus on innovation, expertise, and quality.
Toy Buying
Playroom is the home of market-leading toy brands as well as unique and sustainable products for children and nursery. As an AIS Member you can get access to exclusive margin-beating import programmes too.
Easy Payments
CENPAC is our unique AIS central payment system. CENPAC enables Members to settle all invoices from our preferred AIS suppliers with one easy and convenient direct-debit payment.
Become a Member of AIS
Membership is by Application. Register your interest and start your application today.