Interview with Emma Leeke, Managing Director of Leekes: Family Legacy, Customer Expectations and the Future of Furniture Retail in 2026

Emma Leeke leads Leekes, a fourth-generation, family-owned home department retailer that has grown from a small Welsh ironmongery into one of the UK’s most respected retail and leisure groups. Today, she oversees major home and furniture stores while staying true to the values that shaped the business: service, quality and community.

In this conversation, Emma reflects on why the January Furniture Show (JFS) is a must-attend event for her team, how Leekes is evolving in a shifting retail landscape, and the trends, challenges and opportunities shaping furniture retail in 2026 and beyond.

Can you recall a transformative moment at JFS that influenced your strategy for Leekes?
I remember bumping into some of the ex Christie Tyler management team in one of the Hall 1 walkways one morning. They were keen to tell us of their new venture and encourage us to visit the factory in the Welsh valleys – this started a decades-long relationship with Ashwood, one of our strongest soft upholstery suppliers.

We are delighted that we have so many long-serving team members across Leekes who have bought into the business ethos, built as it is on family values. With their experience, passion and support, they have helped our business to grow and strengthen.

Sentiment. Our customers are typically older and more affluent than average, but concerns about possible income and council tax rises, or pension grabs, are creating uncertainty and an unwillingness to invest.

There is a big focus on levels of service from our customer base, whether that is meeting knowledgeable and experienced sales consultants in store, an unwillingness to accept long lead times, or the delivery and after-sales support available. It is becoming increasingly important to offer exceptional levels of customer care at all touch points.

Our customers are passionate about great service, quality and value, and that informs everything from the ranges we select to the support we provide before and after purchase.

We are a large local employer in most of our store catchments and invest in the local communities we serve. As well as supporting local projects, charities and events, we host family weekends in store where the community can come together – the best example is our long-established Christmas Celebration, complete with live reindeer, the chance to meet Santa and lots of competitions and entertainment.

Are there emerging trends or customer requests that have surprised you recently?

There has been a real push post-Covid for our stores to become dog friendly. Having trialled this in one of our stores, we are now in the process of extending this across our estate.

It is important to ensure our range balances high levels of quality and craftsmanship with keen price points and exceptional value, enabling us to satisfy all budgets. Whilst we remain big supporters of manufacturers continuing to make in the UK, we also source products from around the globe, and our Far East partners, who satisfy an international market, are often quicker to present innovation, whether that be cinema seating or enhancements such as heated seats, lumbar support and head tilt options.

It is both an honour and a tremendous responsibility. As the fourth generation of my family business, it is important to me that we leave a strong and sustainable legacy for the future.

I was lucky enough to spend four years at M&S working directly for Steve Rowe, who went on to lead that business for many years. The passion, commitment and drive he demonstrated were exceptional, and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to witness this first hand; it gave me a love of retail that I have brought back to our business with me.

Supporting and encouraging team members to achieve their potential is a real passion for me. We have countless examples of people who joined as part-time sales advisors while at school and progressed through the business to fill senior roles – our Head of Marketing & e-Commerce joined us at 16 to wash dishes and serve tables in the café of our flagship store and is still with us over 20 years later, having worked in a variety of store and buying roles.

Be visible and build relationships with your team at all levels. Often the best solutions come from the people at the coal face.