Sofa Club appoints new MD as it pushes for faster growth in modern sofas
Sofa Club has appointed Paul Brennan as its new Managing Director, strengthening its senior team as the retailer accelerates expansion across the UK. Multiple trade reports place the appointment in late 2025, with Brennan’s start described as effective from December 2025. The move is being widely read as a signal that Sofa Club is doubling down on scale, range discipline, and brand consistency as competition heats up across modern sofas, corner sofas, fabric sofas, and designer sofas.
Brennan joins from JW Anderson, where he held the role of Commercial and Merchandising Director. His background spans fashion and lifestyle retail, with senior leadership experience referenced across Yoox Net A Porter Group, Browns, Marc Jacobs, and John Lewis. That matters because the core skills that drive performance in fashion, including merchandising strategy, customer experience, and multi channel execution, are increasingly important in furniture retail where product discovery happens online but many shoppers still want reassurance before committing to a larger purchase.
For Sofa Club, the appointment lands at a moment when the category is shifting. Customers want the clean, contemporary look associated with modern sofas, but they also expect clear information on size, comfort, and delivery timelines. That is especially true for corner sofas and modular layouts, where one wrong measurement can turn a dream living room into a returns headache. In parallel, fabric sofas remain a major growth engine because they align with softer interiors trends, feel approachable at a range of price points, and give retailers scope to refresh colour and texture stories without redesigning the whole frame.
The business case behind a Managing Director hire is usually simple. Growth is no longer only about selling more sofas, it is about executing reliably at scale. As a retailer expands, it must keep product presentation consistent online and in store, maintain service standards, and reduce friction in the buying journey. A Managing Director with a merchandising and commercial background is often brought in to tighten those systems while still protecting the creative identity of the brand, the part customers notice when they are choosing between designer sofas that can look similar on a phone screen.
Showroom rollout adds context to the timing
Sofa Club has been building its physical presence alongside e commerce, using showrooms to convert shoppers who want to test comfort, compare finishes, and validate colour in real light. In Glasgow, Sofa Club launched a showroom at 2241 London Road, with the brand describing it as a curated space showcasing bestsellers and modern designs. Furniture trade coverage also referenced the Glasgow site as a 3,200 square foot showroom and positioned it as an answer to rising demand from Scotland for swatches and local delivery options. For a retailer focused on contemporary styling, showrooms can be a powerful lever because they reduce uncertainty for shoppers considering larger corner sofas or new to the brand fabric sofas.
In Croydon, Sofa Club opened a showroom at Purley Way Retail Park, another move into a high footfall retail destination. Trade reports framed the launch as successful and part of a broader physical expansion strategy. Whether shoppers first discover Sofa Club through social content or search, the showroom network helps turn interest into purchase by giving customers a tangible experience of comfort and build quality, especially relevant when people are comparing modern sofas on style alone.
Some reporting also linked the leadership hire to upcoming store expansion, including references to a first North East store launch. That framing suggests the business is moving from a growth phase driven by momentum into a more structured rollout plan, where leadership depth is needed to coordinate property, retail operations, range planning, and customer service.
What a fashion retail background could bring to Sofa Club
Furniture and fashion are different categories, but the operating rhythm is converging in important ways. Many sofa retailers now compete on speed of inspiration and speed of delivery as much as they compete on price. A fashion led approach can influence several areas.
Range clarity. Customers want choice, but too much choice increases indecision. Clear editing of the offer can improve conversion, especially for corner sofas where customers want straightforward configuration options and predictable sizing.
Fabric and colour storytelling. Fabric sofas are often purchased based on feel and finish as much as shape. Strong merchandising can help make the fabric story easier to understand online, supported by better imagery, swatches, and in store presentation.
Multi channel discipline. More sofa purchases now involve a mixed journey, search, social discovery, store visit, then online order. Ensuring consistent messaging and availability across that journey can reduce cancellations and improve customer satisfaction.
Promotion planning. In a crowded market, retailers must avoid constant discount noise. A tighter calendar and better product hierarchy can make promotions feel more credible and less random, which is important when positioning designer sofas as style led rather than purely price led.
What shoppers can expect in 2026
From a consumer perspective, leadership appointments only matter if they improve the shopping experience. If Sofa Club executes well, the likely outcomes are a more coherent range of modern sofas, better explanation of configurations for corner sofas, and continued expansion of fabric sofa options aimed at contemporary interiors. On the operational side, expansion typically forces retailers to improve lead time transparency, customer support, and in store consultation, which can be a meaningful differentiator in a market where shoppers often compare multiple brands before committing.
For the wider industry, the appointment reinforces the direction of travel. The strongest performers in sofas are increasingly those that behave like modern lifestyle retailers, moving quickly, presenting product clearly, and supporting the customer across both online and physical touchpoints.
Sources
https://www.bigfurnituregroup.com/sofa-club-appoints-paul-brennan-as-managing-director/
https://furniturenews.net/news/sofa-club-appoints-new-md
https://www.interiordaily.com/article/9801035/sofa-club-names-paul-brennan-as-managing-director/
https://furniturenews.net/news/sofa-club-opens-glasgow-showroom
https://furniturenews.net/news/sofa-club-enjoys-successful-croydon-launch
