New R.C. Willey opens to rave reviews in Las Vegas
Grand opening generates about $2 million in sales
By Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, November 4, 2001
HENDERSON, Nev. — After watching the construction site for months, consumer Mike Clemens finally made it into the new R.C. Willey Home Furnishing store here.
He liked what he saw.
"I've been driving by here the last six months and I'm thinking how in the (world) are they going to sell enough furniture to keep the store open with all the other competition," Clemens said. "But after walking through here, I'm wondering how the other stores are going to compete with it."
R.C. Willey hopes that kind of thinking translates into purchases at the 213,000-square-foot warehouse and showroom facility it just opened in this Southeast suburb of Las Vegas.
So far, it has — the first three days of the grand opening event, a Thursday through Saturday, brought in roughly $2 million in sales.
"It reached the high end of our expectations," said Bill Child, chairman of the 11-store Salt Lake City-based retailer.
But he added that he doesn't think the store is hurting the competition. Most of the sales, he said, have come from customers who live within 10 miles of the store.
"I think there was just a vacancy for home furnishings," Child added. "There was a need and people waiting for maybe an updated store in that area."
The store — a more than $15 million investment — was ushered in with a visit from Warren Buffett, chairman of Omaha, Neb.-based Berkshire Hathaway, whose holdings include R.C. Willey, fellow retailers Nebraska Furniture Mart, Star Furniture and Jordan's Furniture, and carpet maker Shaw Inds.
The new facility has an 85,000-square-foot warehouse and a 128,000-square-foot showroom — designed by Rick Smith, vice president of visual display presentation — with roughly 80% of the space dedicated to furniture. The store is well lit and airy, with sharply accessorized vignettes in a variety of home furnishing styles.
Among the departments is a 5,000-square-foot "New Directions" area devoted to more contemporary furniture, a Southwest-oriented "High Desert Retreat" area and La-Z-Boy and Broyhill galleries.
The store also features large youth, leather upholstery and home office departments and a patio furniture display.
Key suppliers in addition to La-Z-Boy and Broyhill include Vaughan, Universal, Natuzzi, LeatherTrend, Mike Cims, Ashley, Hooker, Palliser, Schnadig, Cochrane, Benchmade and Simmons, Serta and Spring Air in bedding.
In addition to furniture, R.C. Willey has included its large "Electronic Home" area with state-of-the-art displays of consumer electronics and appliances.
R.C. Willey veteran Matt Videtto manages the store.
Child, who sold the company to Berkshire six years ago, likes his odds for success in Las Vegas.
"We're got a lot of competitive advantages and one of them is our people. They're fabulous," he said. It also helps "to be able to tap into the best financial mind in the world," he added, referring to Buffett.
Both Buffett and Child said the retailer eventually will open a second Las Vegas-area store somewhere west of the city.
R.C. Willey's 102,000-square-foot Boise, Idaho store generated about $50 million in sales in its first full year. At the first Las Vegas store, the retailer is off to a faster start and expects sales in the $55-60 million range in the first year and around $80 million a year eventually.
"We've got a bigger store (than in Boise). We've got more capacity. There are more people down there," said Scott Hymas, R.C. Willey chief executive officer.
"We need to do more business and we're very pleased. That's why were moving to (open) another store. But at the same time, it's what we planned on doing."
| At 128,000 square-feet, R.C. Willey's Henderson, Nev., showroom is among the retailer's largest. The company expects it to do $55-60 million in sales its first full year. |
| This slipcover-look sofa from Dynasty and wood, metal and wicker table from Pulaski help fill out the causal and modern offering in the store's New Directions area. |
| Near the entrance, at left, to the store's 9,000-square-foot La-Z-Boy gallery are a transitional group from the manufacturer and a metal and wood cocktail table from Zocalo, below. |
| This neoclassic bedroom group from Schnadig is a recent addition for R.C. Willey and is a hot seller at the new Las Vegas-area store, where it gets prominent display. |
| R.C. Willey's High Desert Retreat features a multitude of product with a Southwestern flair, including this Santa Fe pine table and upholstery from Taylorsville Upholstery Design. |
| R.C. Willey makes a fun statement at the entrance to Kid's Corner with a group from Stanley's Simple Pleasures. |
| Matt Videtto, left, R.C. Willey, Henderson, Nev.; Bruce Frenzel, Thornwood; Bill Child, R.C. Willey, Salt Lake City; and Craig Thorn, Thornwood, were among the 1,000 or so to attend R.C. Willey's grand opening reception in Henderson. |
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| Pat Norton, left, and John Case, La-Z-Boy; Arlene Sawley and Peter Robinson, LeatherTrend; and Kurt Darrow, La-Z-Boy. |
| Jeff Child, left, R.C. Willey, Salt Lake City; Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway; Mark Genender, Fenway Partners; Charlie Eitel, Simmons; and Scott Hymas, R.C. Willey. |
| David Banister, left, Dennis Burgette, Tom Crump and Mike Delgatti, all of Broyhill. |
| Norman Waxman, left, Schnadig; Rick Smith and Terra Smith, R.C. Willey, Salt Lake City; Jeff Cook, Magnussen Presidential; and Michael Gennet, San Francisco Mart. |
| Melvyn Wolff, Star Furniture, Houston; Cyvia Wolff; and Hershel Alpert, Alperts, Seekonk, Mass. |
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