Billy Bob's eyes South Fla. stores
By Tom Edmonds -- Furniture Today, March 31, 2003
Royal Oak, Mich. — Billy Bob's Gameroom Furniture, specializing in home office and home entertainment, wants more space to play and is looking to set up stores in the ever-growing playground of South Florida.
Bob Seroka, owner and president of the Billy Bob's chain, said the company is closing two of its smaller Detroit-area stores so that it can concentrate on its larger prototypes. A new unit will open in Ann Arbor, Mich., in late June, he said, and then in July the company will open the first of six projected Florida stores.
"We are talking about going to Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties," Seroka said, adding that he wants to have six stores up and running within 12 months of the first opening in order to make his advertising more efficient. "We think we offer a unique value that the people there will appreciate," he said. "There's nobody there doing what we're doing here."
In Michigan, the Royal Oak and Westland stores will close because, at 8,000 and 11,000 square feet, they are too small, Seroka said. He wants stores with 18,000 to 20,000 square feet of display space for his expanded leather and fabric upholstery lineup.
Billy Bob's had estimated sales last year of about $20 million.
"Our new stores will allow consumers to browse an extensive collection of furniture in styles from traditional to contemporary," Seroka said. "We are offering total concepts that allow for continuity in design theme and style throughout the home."
Currently, Billy Bob's stores display 40 big-screen entertainment walls, and home theater upholstery is a part of each display. Jonathan Louis and Fairmont Designs supply the seating covered in leather and microfiber.
Three-seat theater sofas are priced at $1,998 in leather and $1,498 in microfiber. Recliners run from $598 to $798, and the angled home theater sofas start at $1,098 in microfiber, $1,498 in leather.
The Orman Grubb Co., Aspen and Golden Oak supply Billy Bob's office and entertainment furniture. Office seating comes from OCI and Healthsyle.
Billy Bob's sales mix skews heavily toward entertainment and office — 30% each, with the rest split between barstools and game room furniture.
"Our success has been built upon the ability and flexibility to anticipate and embrace customer needs and style," Seroka said. "Our goal is to provide the customer with fun, function, and selection. We've been successful in doing this by recognizing niches such as entertainment furnishings and home office early on."
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