American Freight opening two stores in Milwaukee

Retailer specializes in furniture from closeouts and liquidations

Jay McIntosh -- Furniture Today, June 14, 2011

MILWAUKEE — American Freight Furniture and Mattress said Monday it will open two stores in this city, bringing to 11 the number of units the warehouse style retailer will have added this year.

The north Milwaukee store at 8875 N. 76th St. will be 47,000 square feet - large for the chain, whose stores average 15,000 to 30,000 square feet - and the south side store at 3804 S. 27th St. will be 23,000 square feet.

American Freight, based in Delaware, Ohio, specializes in furniture obtained through dealer cancellations, factory closeouts, retail chain buyouts and wholesale liquidations. The company also carries house brands.

The new Milwaukee locations will bring the retailer's store count to 63. President and CEO Steve Belford, who started the chain with a single store in Lima, Ohio, in 1993, said the company plans to add another seven stores this year in markets in states including Illinois, Alabama, Virginia and South Carolina.

He said American Freight has been able to grow despite the weak economy.

"We don't watch the news. We just watch for the next customer," Belford said.

Consumers seeking bargains find American Freight's strategy of offering discounted goods appealing, and the company has been able to obtain closeout product from manufacturers who have been "a little bit more aggressive" in keeping their inventories low, he said.

American Freight has about 700 employees and will add another 20 with the Milwaukee stores.

In addition to Milwaukee, the company has opened stores this year in Panama City, Jacksonville, Pensacola, Fort Myers and Lakeland, Fla.; Dayton, Ohio; Madison, Wis.; Lafayette, Ind., and Mobile, Ala.