From Lake Como to Macclesfield: Arighi Bianchi's enduring family story

Few shops in Cheshire can claim a founding story quite as romantic as Arighi Bianchi's. In 1854, Antonio Arighi and Antonio Bianchi left Casnate, a small silk-weaving village near the shores of Lake Como, and made their way to Macclesfield. The business they established there has been furnishing the homes of the North West ever since, and it remains in the hands of the Bianchi family today.

Arighi Bianchi marked its 170th anniversary in 2024, a milestone few independent retailers ever reach. The business is now run by the fourth and fifth generations of the Bianchi family, with Sarah Bianchi taking over as managing director in 2021 and setting out a five-year plan to enhance the shopper experience and secure the brand's legacy for the years ahead.

The store itself is as much a part of the story as the family. Standing close to Macclesfield railway station, its four-storey cast iron and glass frontage was inspired by Paxton's Crystal Palace of 1851 and was the work of local builder George Roylance. Today it is a Grade II* listed building, but its survival was far from guaranteed: in 1973 it was saved from demolition after a campaign backed by the Victorian Society, the Architectural Review and the poet John Betjeman.

Inside, the family has embraced the idea that a furniture shop can be a destination in its own right. Its recent Postcards From Rio campaign transformed the Macclesfield store into an immersive space inspired by the founders' own journey from Lake Como, celebrating travel, global design and craftsmanship. New partners arrived with it, including Brazilian heritage fragrance house Granado, a bespoke shade created with COAT Paint and a colourful Fatboy furniture collection, alongside local names such as Rory & Rose florist, Worker Bee Coffee and The Cheshire Club. It followed an earlier Postcards from Japan collection centred on serenity and craftsmanship.

Coffee is part of the experience too. The in-store Caffè AB now serves coffee from London brand Grind under an exclusive partnership, making it a natural stopping point between browsing sofas, lighting and accessories.

Arighi Bianchi's roots in the town run well beyond retail. The business has also signed a long-term partnership deal with Macclesfield FC, reinforcing a connection with the local community that stretches back across five generations.

On social media, the family recently reflected that while parts of the store have changed over the decades, its passion for quality, craftsmanship and service remains. It is hard to argue with: more than 170 years after two travellers arrived from Italy, their names still hang above one of Cheshire's most distinctive shopfronts.

Arighi Bianchi is in Macclesfield, close to the railway station. Find out more at arighibianchi.co.uk.