Hendricks converts 2 DH stores
By Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, January 22, 2007
Conover, N.C. — Hendricks Furniture Group has converted two Drexel Heritage stores to 15,000-square-foot Boyles Distinctive Furniture showrooms in Raleigh, N.C., and Greensville, S.C.
The move gets the Top 100 company out of the Drexel dedicated-store business.
Hendricks, which announced an expanded alliance with Drexel Heritage's parent Furniture Brands International in 2003, became one of Drexel's largest dealers with six stores in Charlotte, High Point, Raleigh and Hickory, N.C., and Fort Meyers, Fla., and Greensville S.C.
Today, the company lists no Drexel stores, only the 13 Boyles locations, two Norris Furniture & Interiors showrooms and 17 Thomasville Home Furnishings Stores.
Hendricks officials declined to comment on the reason for dropping the Drexel dedicated stores and on what happened to the other four stores that were not converted, referring questions to Drexel Heritage parent Furniture Brands International.
Marty Richmond, communications manager for Furniture Brands, could not be reached for comment.
Hendricks spokeswoman Dean Thompson said both the Raleigh and Greenville Boyles stores will offer Drexel Heritage as part of its upscale lineup of brand names. Other lines in the stores include Henredon, Century, Baker and Bernhardt.
"The Boyles showrooms ... are newly designed," Thompson said. "The product assortment and visual display ... is in keeping with Hendricks Furniture Group's other Boyles showrooms throughout North Carolina."
The Greenville store is Hendricks' first Boyles outside of North Carolina. While Hendricks already has a small Interior Design By Boyles in the Raleigh area, the new Boyles on Little Brier Creek Lane is its first full-sized unit in the market. Both showrooms are staffed by certified interiors designers.
In a press release, Hendricks said it chose to expand into Greenville because of the area's growth and its favorable demographics.
"Our consumer research indicated that Greenville residents are style conscious and that they're interested in making their homes stylish, comfortable and beautiful," said Duane Parker, Boyles vice president of stores.
Hendricks was ranked No. 33 on last year's Top 100 with estimated furniture, bedding and accessory sales of $375 million in 2005. The retailer does not disclose its sales.
