ABC opens store with young in mind
By Carole Sloan -- Furniture Today, November 11, 2002
New York — Upscale home furnishings specialty retailer ABC Carpet & Home has opened a 40,000-square-foot store in a landmark Brooklyn building with a more contemporary, colorful approach aimed at younger consumers.
The store, in what once was a brewery, faces the East River and Manhattan's skyline. The area is called DUMBO — for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass — a section of the city that appears to be the SoHo of the 21st century.
Evan Cole, ABC president and chief executive officer, said the physical plant, with 30-foot-high ceilings, is a major part of the merchandise statement.
"We're in DUMBO with a totally new concept," he said. "More contemporary. More colorful. There's a lot of regional chauvinism in Brooklyn versus Manhattan. We have a lot of shops. We have a day spa called Mud Honey, vintage clothing, jewelry and eyewear. And we'll open this month a disco nightclub in the DUMBO store. It's designed to be young and crazy."
Just a few weeks earlier, ABC opened a warehouse store in Hackensack, N.J.
But it's not neglecting its near-legendary flagship store in the Flatiron district of Manhattan, which Cole said is beginning a renovation.
"Every square inch is being looked at in terms of customer satisfaction, customer service, product and a sense of value," he said. "We're doing a lot of shops. This is a special approach for us. It sells lifestyle."
Some of the shops will be leased and others will be operated by ABC, Cole said.
"What is growing in importance is a sense of value," he said. "It's value conveyed in terms of product and service more than price."
The renovation includes a major expansion of the Mitchell Gold upholstered furniture shop on the second floor, which was the centerpiece of the recent canine-themed benefit event, Paws for Design.
The second floor will be totally modern furniture, "global with the largest assortment in New York City," Cole said.
Coming up are shops showcasing French Heritage, Burton James and Michael Weiss, he said.
Other shops, such as Traditions by Pamela Kline, cross a number of product categories.
The Kline shop showcases beds, kids furniture and home textiles, many of which use fabrics from Weathervane Hill/Roth Fabrics, where owner Tom Roth is a partner with Pamela Kline in the shop venture.
