Furniture Brands to open two outlet stores
Units will be in Washington area
Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, July 16, 2009
ST. LOUIS — Furniture Brands International is opening two Furniture Brands Outlet stores in the greater Washington, D.C., market this summer.The company, which owns Thomasville, Broyhill, Lane, Henredon, Drexel Heritage and other names, will open the showrooms, former Linens 'n Things stores, in Rockville, Md., and Vienna, Va. The showrooms, each about 50,000 square feet, are expected to open the last week of July and the first week of August, respectively.
The stores will be leased and run by Retail Strategy and Innovation (RSI), a new Houston-based firm formed by Jeff Yellen, president of liquidator Great American Furniture Services, and Amir Mireskandari, who leads rug importer Miresco Investments.
Yellen said the new company is independent of Great American and Miresco, with separate employees. RSI is designed to assist companies like Furniture Brands with management, staffing and operating of stores, he said.
In D.C., Furniture Brands will use the showrooms to sell discontinued and closeout goods in a controlled way, said company spokesman John Hastings.
"It's a way to really protect the brands by selling in a setting and manner that are more appropriate for the brands," he said, rather than selling off goods through a deep discounter.
"We get more control over the pricing than you would if you turned to a third party and more control over how the brands are used in advertising. It helps protect the investment we've made in brand image," he added.
Neither Hastings nor Yellen would disclose the investment in the stores or projected sales.
Hastings said the Washington area was chosen partly because it is close to FBI product warehouses and because of attractive lease terms on the properties.
Asked about possible distribution concerns, Hastings said the outlet stores should not be a problem with Furniture Brands dealers because the outlets will sell discontinued goods and other items that are different from the goods regular dealers sell.
"Everything in the two stores will be product that was offered to and declined by our dealers," he said. Furniture Brands also won't be blowing the goods out at low prices just to get rid of them, he added.
Hastings said the stores are the company's first multi-brand dedicated outlets and that there are no current plans for additional outlet stores in other markets.
Some Furniture Brands companies, including Lane, Broyhill and Thomasville, have operated their own brand-specific outlets, but they are being phased out, he said.
-
FBI to open two outlet stores
Jul 20, 2009
Specialty retailer LoveSac introduces new store design
Kincaid Furniture honors Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter for Habitat work
Belfort Furniture, Lawrance Furniture are NHFA Retailers of Year
Omnia Furniture ends relationship with Kathy Ireland Worldwide
Singapore furniture show expecting increased turnout
Featured Company
-
Wright Labels
Bill and Tom Wright founded Wright of Thomasville in 1961 on the idea that printing was a creative medium and the belief that "a promise made is a promise kept." The Wright brothers focused their attention on providing exceptional printing for the... more
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
