Online homeware and furniture company opens DIRFT facility
Online furnisher and ecommerce homeware brand Laura James is set to open its brand new 217,785 ft2 build-to-suit warehouse facility at Prologis’ 7 million ft2 + Prologis RFI DIRFT III development near Daventry in Northamptonshire, East Midlands on 1st July.
By Liza Helps, Property Editor, Logistics Matters
THE NEW facility brings together an expanded operational HQ, purpose-built studio space, and a modern customer showroom, representing one of the largest investments in the company’s history and reinforces Laura James’ long-term commitment to innovation, service excellence, and sustainable growth.
The expansion will deliver new employment opportunities within the local area with an estimated 200 jobs within the next 18 months, creating additional jobs across operations, customer service, project delivery and support functions.
The investment also includes the introduction of a new fleet of company vans, further enhancing the business’s capacity to serve customers across the UK with an in-house delivery service launch.
Laura James CEO Matthew Talbot said: “Our new home at DIRFT provides the space, facilities and infrastructure needed to support the next phase of our journey. It’s a significant investment of over £4m in operational fit out and delivery fleet in both our business and the Rugby area, creating opportunities for growth, employment and innovation.”
THE BUILD-to-Suit project, developed in partnership with Prologis UK, will allow Laura James to consolidate its distribution operations, enhance its customer offering and invest in a larger workforce.
The new facility, DC8, will target BREEAM Outstanding and EPC A+ ratings, with features including rooftop solar PV to support cost-effective operations. Laura James will also benefit from DIRFT’s PARKlife™ amenities, designed to support wellbeing, mobility and workplace experience.
As part of the deal, Laura James took advantage of the Prologis Essentials platform to support their new HQ fit-out.
In its report of the deal in February this year Logistics Matters reported that the construction of Laura James’ new headquarters started in September 2025, with base build expecting to take nine months. Laura James will exit its current Sheffield facility during June with its new facility expected to be fully operational from September 2026.
Joint agents were Savills and JLL.
