FURNITURE giant ScS has rolled out its carpet sales to Scotland and the North West after a successful pilot project in its native North East.

The Sunderland group started selling carpets in 23 additional shops on Boxing Day after testing the concept in its 10 stores in the region from mid-September.

The company, which has just shy of 100 stores nationally, is aiming to take a portion of Britain’s £1bn-a-year carpet market and become a furnishing one- stop shop.

Chief executive David Knight said: “The carpet pilot in the North East has gone really well. It is being rolled out nationally by the summer in all 95 stores. The majority will be before Easter; Yorkshire is next. The original North East sofa business where it all began will soon be a national carpet chain.”

ScS was one of victims of the credit crunch in 2008 and the business went into administration as the housing market stalled and people were put off buying big-ticket items.

The company was bought by private equity firm Sun Capital Partners, which has worked to strengthen the business so it is less exposed to similar risks in the future.