Bed Kingdom, a leading online retailer of bedroom furniture products and children's beds, has won Best Online Retailer in the annual Business Elite Awards 2024.

The UK-based awards aim to recognise and showcase the efforts of highly skilled SMEs across the UK, using impartial judgement to highlight hardworking companies in various industries.

Factors considered when judging the awards include sector expertise, industry experience, company profile and highlights, significant accolades and achievements, client testimonials and recommendations, industry recognition and reputation, demonstrated innovation & company performance, history and establishment, and extracurricular activities.

Established in 2011, Bed Kingdom is a university project turned business founded by 35-year-old Ashley Hainsworth. The online retailer started selling mattresses online with an investment of just £400 while Ashley was studying at Huddersfield University, and the fast-growing company now employs 28 people. Last year, the company made the Sunday Times Top 100 list after a 76.06% average annual sales growth over the past three years.

Flair Furniture was named in the Yorkshire Fastest 50 Companies list for 2024, highlighting the region's fastest-growing, privately owned companies. The e-commerce group also opened a new 70,000 sq ft facility last year to house stock and become the main distribution site for its brands.

Ashley Hainsworth, founder and director of Bed Kingdom, explains:

"We're in the midst of an exciting period of growth, reinvesting as much as we can back into the business to continue on this growth trajectory. Being recognised as Best Online Retailer in the Business Elite Awards is an honour for us and goes a long way to demonstrate that the team's hard work over the last few years is paying off.

"2024 is an important year for us, and strong results in Q1 will hopefully help us achieve our goal for 50% YoY growth this year. We're making significant investments into the Bed Kingdom website and digital marketing activity, as well as expanding our showroom and developing an in-house studio for content creation."

Bed Kingdom's parent company, Flair Furniture Ltd, recently acquired certain assets from Cuckooland, an e-commerce furniture retailer that faced challenges in the post-Covid trading environment. This acquisition offers a chance for Flair Furniture to expand laterally and continue trading under the popular Cuckooland brand.