N.Y. store Basics Furniture closes
Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, July 4, 2005
New York — Basics Furniture, a small retailer here with a reputation for creative marketing, has closed.
The 5,000-square-foot store closed earlier this month after about 13 years in business, including nine years at its location on Seventh Avenue.
Business "just never rebounded the way it should have after 9/11," said Adam Levine, a former co-owner of the family-owned, midpriced store. Levine left Basics on March 1 to pursue other opportunities. His father and Basics co-owner Harvey Levine couldn't be reached for comment.
Adam Levine said he wasn't sure if Basics would file for bankruptcy protection. He declined to provide sales or profit figures.
Jim Ziozis, president of longtime Basics supplier and supporter Linon Home Décor Products, said, "It's unfortunate they were not able to survive the many changes of the retail landscape."
He said Linon extended credit to Basics and is owned some money, but declined to elaborate.
Basics garnered more publicity than most stores its size with creative marketing and a bit of luck.
It gained exposure when comedian Conan O'Brien came in to film a segment of NBC-TV's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." The store also was included in an early episode on Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."
In 1998, Basics launched an award-winning ad campaign developed by Stain nyc that included print ads with the line, "A cheap chair for your cheap ass."
