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Bob's Discount Furniture to open two D.C.-area stores in June

Showrooms set for Falls Church, Va., and Hyattsville, Md.

Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, April 19, 2011

MANCHESTER, Conn. — Bob's Discount Furniture will open its first two Mid-Atlantic stores Memorial Day weekend, making good on its previously announced plans to expand into the greater Washington, D.C., area from its Northeast base this year.

The 40-store Top 100 company will open approximately 30,000-square-foot showrooms in Falls Church, Va., and Hyattsville, Md. - about the typical size for a Bob's showroom, said CEO Ted English. In Falls Church, the promotional to midpriced retailer is leasing a former Office Depot and in Hyattsville, a former Circuit City.

"It's a very fertile retail market. It's just got great demographics for our business," English said. "It's exciting to be moving into a new territory and we're looking forward to serving that market with our great values."

Currently, Bob's most southern showroom is in South Brunswick, N.J. And while English said the new stores are "a big leap" for the retailer, it prepared in advance by opening a 672,000-square-foot distribution center in Perryman, Md., in the second half of 2010 to support the move. The facility services Bob's store in New Jersey and now will handle the D.C.-area ones as well.

Despite a difficult economy, Bob's powered ahead in 2010 with estimated sales growth of nearly 15% to $584.6 million, according to Furniture/Today estimates. English said the addition of five stores opened last year - primarily in metro New York - along with good growth at existing stores "really lead to another good year."

Bob's has managed impressive growth in each of the past five years, expanding its store count from 27 in 2006 to 40 in 2010 and generating double-digit sales growth every year except 2008, when it was up an estimated sales was up 9.5% from 2007.

The Manchester, Conn.-based retailer operates stores in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island.

English wouldn't disclose Bob's investment or sales projections for the new territory nor the timetable for more stores in the region, saying only, "We'll let that play itself out a little bit."

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Bob's to Open 2 StoresRetailer Expanding Into Va., Md.

May 4, 2011

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