Established in 1870, Listers began as a single furnishing shop in Workington town centre.
Almost 150 years later, the firm has expanded, now operating Listers Furnishing in Workington and the Lakes Home Centre in Cockermouth, as well as its popular baby shops in Workington and Carlisle.

Remaining independent means the firm can offer a level of flexibility and personal service not available from some major retailers.

Managing director Patrick Lister, who runs the family-owned business, said: "We have got three good, strong, local brands with Listers Furnishing, the Lakes Home Centre and Horizon and we employ a lot of good quality, local people.
"We have seen year-on-year growth since the company was founded."

Established by JD Lister, the company's first furnishings store was based in Finkle Street, Workington, in what was more recently Poundstretcher, before moving to the site of the current Rift Bar and later to Clay Flatts.

When Thomas Armstrong opened the Lakes Home Centre in Cockermouth, Listers ran a concession inside before later taking over the whole centre, including the attached garden centre.

For many years it has provided interior design services to its customers and it has recently expanded the products and services it offers by taking on another established business in the town, Horizon, to allow its previous owner to retire.
Patrick said: "Buying Horizon was an opportunity that was presented to us and we thought it was an excellent fit with the other products we do.

“It's right on the doorstep and is a brilliant established business with some great staff.

"Through our brands we can now offer a one-stop shop for all your home and garden needs. We can offer a full design service for the home or office. All our kitchens and bathrooms come with a full computer-aided design service.

"We can also provide fitted bedrooms from Horizon.

"We can offer a full interiors service from kitchens and bathrooms, flooring, furnishings, curtains and blinds, right through decor and accessories to gardens."

And the firm's baby shops in Workington's Oxford Street and in Carlisle allow parents to furnish their nurseries and more.

Patrick added: "We offer a fantastic range of products. We buy as much as we can from UK suppliers."

With more than 100 staff across the business, Listers prides itself on its friendly, helpful teams and on the flexibility it brings to serving all its customers' needs.

Patrick said: "We pride ourselves on providing a quality service and doing the best job we can for every customer.

"We are family owned and independent. We offer great customer service and a level of flexibility that can be difficult for a lot of other businesses to compete with."