Son of '˜carpet king' to roll out new Lothians store

Tapi Carpets & Floors, the retail chain created by the son of Carpetright founder Lord Harris of Peckham, is to open its latest store in Midlothian next weekend.

Carpet chain Tapi is rolling into Straiton Retail Park. Picture: Contributed

Martin Harris, who left Carpetright two years ago, said Straiton Retail Park – soon to be home to Scotland’s largest Next branch – was the “perfect location” for the firm’s new outlet, due to open its doors on 9 July.

He added: “We are really pleased to be able to offer our customers a unique personal experience on a local level, whilst providing the value of a national brand.”

Tapi, launched by Harris in May last year, already has more than 40 stores across the UK, including Aberdeen, Ayr, Falkirk, Glasgow, Inverness, Irvine and Livingston.

The company is planning further openings north of the Border in Bishopbriggs, Dumbarton, Dundee, Dumfries, Greenock, Edinburgh’s Hermiston Gait, Leith and Stirling.

Lord Harris, dubbed the “carpet king” after founding Carpetright in 1988, retired as chairman of the retailer in October 2014. Its shares lost a fifth of their value yesterday after it warned of challenging market conditions and an uncertain outlook for consumer confidence in the wake of the EU referendum.