Businessman reflects on career highlights as family-run West Midlands furniture retailer celebrates 40th anniversary

Mr Shotton founded the company back in the 1980s, the decade of decadence, with his brother Edward and their cousin William Cole - opening their first store in Tyseley, Birmingham, on August 17, 1985. 

Business boomed amid the golden age for aspiration with the store taking £38,000 on its first day - the equivalent of £117,944 in today’s money.

Mr Shotton said: “We did well from day one.”

He decided to open the store with relatives after rising through the ranks at his grandfather’s firm Coles of Bilston, which started out in the 1920s buying and selling building materials and reclaimed items before branching into selling building and plumbing materials, bankrupt stock and ultimately electrical goods and furniture in the 1970s.

Mr Shotton, who was born in Seisdon just outside Wolverhampton in 1947, began working as a driver’s mate at Coles as a young adult before moving into sales and marketing and ultimately working his way up to a director along with his cousin William.

By age 25 he had a family of three young children and decided it was time to take a chance and start his own business - joined by his brother and cousin.

“Being in control of my own destiny was very important to me,” he said.

Within just a few months of leaving Coles, the trio celebrated the opening of the first Cousins Furniture store at Tyseley with actress, singer and comedienne Faith Brown drafted in to unveil the new venture.

Just over a decade later, they were ready to launch a second store - far enough from Tyseley not to compete with it. They settled on Dudley, having found a three-acre site on the edge of the town centre which was formerly occupied by a Tesco supermarket and warehouse.

It needed a lot of work but by August 1996 the site had been transformed into a Cousins Furniture superstore which brought the crowds pouring into the town on opening day.

The landmark store was officially opened by Coronation Street stars Bill Tarmey and Liz Dawn, who played the legendary TV couple Jack and Vera Duckworth.

Mr Shotton recalls: “The store was going to be big so we needed a big attraction.

“The town centre was brought to a complete standstill by the crowds that had gathered, to watch Jack and Vera Duckworth cut the ribbon, along with my mother, Rose. 

"There were hundreds and hundreds of people outside and they were fabulous. 

"They both made sure that everyone had a great day!

“The opening was a great success, with the store taking over half a million pounds in its first week.”

A couple of years later the TV duo were called upon again to unveil the refurbished Tyseley branch.

Mr Shotton told how he went to meet the famous pair at a hotel in Hagley Road, Birmingham, ahead of the launch and informed them he’d made dinner reservations for them - only to be told they’d prefer a basket of chips.

He said it was an “amazing” experience seeing people staring in disbelief as they casually sipped pints in the hotel foyer.

From celebrities to customers, Cousins Furniture chairman Mr Shotton, now a great-grandfather, says he treats “everybody as they like to be treated”. 

He joked: “When I walk into the store they don't have to stand to attention.”

Even after a lifetime of hard work, he says he still enjoys being involved with the business and he can’t imagine ever fully retiring. 

He said: “As long as my health is good I shall continue and as long as I’m useful to the business. It's something you can't leave alone. It's a massive, massive part of my life.”

His eldest son John Shotton is managing director of the company and has the same dedicated work ethic as his father.

Mr Shotton Snr said: “He’s very dedicated. No one could be more conscientious.”

He said together the pair have travelled all over the world to source products, although he stressed the “majority of our furniture is made in the UK.”

“Wherever possible we always prioritise local suppliers, like Alpha Designs, who make sofas

for us in the Black Country and Siesta Beds in Birmingham. Also, our very own Cousins Bespoke made-to-measure sofas are made around the corner in Cradley Heath.”

As well as stores in Tyseley and Dudley, the company has large retail outlets in Shrewsbury and Newcastle-under-Lyme which were opened after a deal was struck to buy the former Alan Ward furniture stores after they closed during the pandemic in 2020.

Today, Cousins employs more than 100 people in the West Midlands and Shropshire spread across its four stores, two distribution centres and head office in Oldbury.

Mr Shotton said: “We’re one of the region’s best known retailers - truly local and family-run to this very day.”

He puts the company’s success down to hard work, finding the right staff  and suppliers and offering a “massive selection” of goods. 

He said: “We sell all different types of furniture and cater for everyone's tastes and pockets.

“It's a really nice business. The furniture trade is like a cottage industry. It's such a lovely trade to be in. Both manufacturing and the retail side. It's interesting as everyone buys furniture at some point in their lives.”

He credits his grandfather, founder of Coles of Bilston, for giving him the early inspiration to run a business.

He said: “During my early years I spent a lot of time with my grandad, Bill Cole. He was the founder of our original family business, Coles of Bilston.

“Coles was very successful and extremely well-known throughout the Black Country and Birmingham, bringing crowds to the site with attractions such as our mini-zoo - which included a lion, monkeys and grizzly bears – as well as for the immense choice of products and fantastic deals.

“My grandad was a real character. He was a self-made millionaire in the 1950s. I went everywhere with him – from holidays abroad to shopping in local markets. I even lived with him after my nan passed away.

“Looking back, he has been the biggest influence on my life.

“Many times, I’ve thought ‘what would he have done’ in certain situations. More often than not, I’d follow his lead.”

He admits it hasn’t always been easy, with the celebrity highlights just a small part of running a successful business over four decades, and he added: “You've got to work really hard. It's got to take over your life for a spell. If it doesn’t, it won’t work.”

Despite the hard work, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I'm here because I love it,” he said.

The milestone 40 years in business was marked with a party for past and present staff and suppliers and there will be anniversary offers in stores until the August Bank Holiday.