Much-loved Blackburn family firm celebrates 125th anniversary

Edmondsons based on Darwen Street sells a wide range of sofas, chairs, tables and beds and accessories.

The company was established in 1898 when Queen Victoria was on the throne and Robert Gascoyne-Cecil was Prime Minister.

The firm has been through two World Wars and technological advances people of the day could only have imagined.

Paul who now manages the company said Edmondsons had always kept up with the times, evolving over the years by offering the latest styles and trends and this had helped it survive for over a century.

He said: “We still have our loyal customers, throughout Lancashire and even further afield, some of whom have been coming to us for generations. 

“We often supply three generations of families, where parents will recommend their children to shop with us and then in turn their children come to shop with us.

"It is wonderful to see how much the store means to our customers and their own families.

“Of course shopping habits have changed. We sell a lot of our furniture online now and whilst there is this perception we are ‘high-end’ our prices are very competitive for the quality of furniture you purchase.

“For us it has always been supplying high-quality and unique products.

“However, in more recent times with the cost of living increasing, we have worked hard to source furniture available to suit all budgets, which can be seen in our new displays throughout the store.”

The store moved from Higher Eanam to Darwen Street (below and above right)

Edmondsons was originally opened in 1898 by Fred Edmondson who started up in a small shop in Higher Eanam, selling Linoleum and carpets.

Fred’s son Joe then took charge in the 1930’s and moved the business to a small shop by the railway bridge in Darwen Street, where they branched out into selling furniture as well as carpets. 

As time passed through the 20th Century, the business flourished and Joe decided to expand and bought each building on the block in Darwen Street, as they became available, including the large billiard hall above.

The company further expanded by adding a third floor and offices built on at the rear of the building and a large plot of land was acquired at the rear of the store, which is used for customer parking.

Edmondsons delivery trucks would have been a common sight on the streets of Blackburn in the early half of the twentieth century. (Image: Edmondsons)

Since then, Edmondsons has been passed down a further three generations from Joe’s son Derek, to his children, David and Lesley and today is run by Lesley’s son Paul.

The company employs 12 staff and is said to be one of the oldest and longest established family firms in Lancashire.

Paul, who has been heading the family business since 2020, said: “People still do like to come into the store where they can physically test and feel the quality of the furniture before they buy it.

“We really like to deal with people face to face, with our friendly customer approach.

“One of our most important aspects is our friendly personal service that we provide. It really does make us stand apart from our other high pressure selling competitors. 

“People always feel a warm welcome when they shop with us in a very relaxed retail environment.

“We have people travelling to buy from us from as far as Scotland right down to London.

“We are often told that it is our service that sets us apart from the larger national chains. Many of our sales staff have only ever worked in the furniture industry and pride themselves on their product knowledge. 

“We also have a dedicated aftersales department in store to ensure the fulfilment of your order goes as smoothly as possible.”

Darwen Street is home to one of Blackburn's oldest and longest established businesses (Image: Edmondsons)

The store has its own dedicated delivery team to ensure that your sofa, furniture or bed is positioned in the room of your choice and all packaging is taken away.

Paul said: “The store offers an impressive selection of sofa styles and colours, German sliding wardrobes, dining sets and cabinets, all offered in a large range of sizes, colours to suit every room size and budget. 

“All this is displayed over two impressive showroom floors with a lift for easy access and convenient customer parking.

“Even though the business has passed through many generations the quality of furniture and standard of service remains unchanged, and we hope will do so for the next 125 years.”

The store is open on Darwen Street, Blackburn six days a week or you can visit the Edmondsons Furniture website.