This is our local furniture shop Perch, where we bought our sofa. We like the shop and we like our sofa. Shopping for high cost items that will become a permanent feature of your home is not always pleasant. What made us like our experience was the owner’s approach, they were great to work with, helped us get our dream sofa – well, it was like they said on their wall.

Does a furniture store need a manifesto on its wall? Jonathan Galloway, one of the owners says that on the weekends they get lots of people in. They get busy talking with customers and might not get to talk with everyone as they come in. At least the manifesto gives a quick introduction to what’s on offer and a better reason to maybe stay a bit longer or come back another time to start serious sofa shopping.

What counts is clear communication of purpose. That way everyone knows what they’re dealing with and can decide whether or not to engage.