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Bacon's Furniture & Design opens big store in Sarasota

Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, November 28, 2011

Bacon’s Furniture acquired the lease on this former Robb & Stucky in Sarasota, Fla., for its second full-line store on the Gulf Coast.SARASOTA, Fla. - The new Bacon's Furniture & Design here in a former Robb & Stucky showroom is off to a good start, and the retailer is preparing to open a complementary patio store across the street.
     The two-story, 68,000-square-foot showroom on South Tamiami Trail grand opened earlier this month after a soft opening two months ago.
     If business continues at the current pace, "we're headed toward a $12 million store" in annual sales, said Bill Bacon, president of the Port Charlotte, Fla.-based upscale retailer.
     With the opening, Bacon's closed its neighboring 14,500-square-foot Thomasville store and a 20,000-square-foot Drexel Heritage store. It has a contract to sell the Drexel location and will convert the Thomasville site - across the street from the new store - to a Bacon's Outdoor Living showroom in early December.
     Bacon's, which also A Century living room is on display in the new Bacon’s store.operates a 100,000-square-foot store in Port Charlotte, has carried some outdoor furniture but "not enough to be important in the category," Bacon said. At the new designer-oriented store in the Sarasota market, consumers have been asking for casual outdoor products, and Bacon wants to provide a better selection.
     In September, the company attended the International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market in Chicago to pick its starting lineup. Key suppliers will include Summer Classics, Ebel, Tropitone, Winston, Pride Family Brands, Lane Venture, Windward Design Group and Suncoast.
     "We'll be the largest outdoor store in Sarasota," Bacon said.
     The retailer has hired Ken Garofalo to lead the new store. Garofalo has 15 years of outdoor experience, most recently with the now-closed Patio America and before that with Leaders Casual.With the Sarasota opening, Bacon’s closed its Drexel Heritage store and the Thomasville store devoted space to both lines in the new location. Shown here is a Hemingway bedroom by Thomasville.
     "We think it's going to be wonderful and our design staff is very happy," Bacon said.
     The former Fort Myers, Fla.-based Robb & Stucky filed for bankruptcy in February and subsequently liquidated all of its stores in Florida, Texas, Arizona and Nevada. Bacon's secured the Sarasota lease in June.
     Bacon said nine suppliers' presidents came to town for the ribbon cutting. During construction, factory reps were often on hand helping with the painting.
     "We couldn't have pulled the store together without their help and assistance," Bacon said. "It was that atmosphere of, ‘Hey, this is something for all of us. Let's make it work.'"
     In Sarasota and in Port Charlotte, the retailer has broadened its assortment to appeal to a wider market than the old Robb & Stucky, Bacon said, adding that highend consumers have been trading down in this weak economic climate.
     New sources for Bacon's in both stores include Century, HFI, Vanguard and Schnadig's Caracole brand.
Lynn Bacon and Bill Bacon, center, Bacon’s Furniture & Design, Port Charlotte, Fla., cut the ribbon on the new 68,000-square-foot Bacon’s store in Sarasota, Fla.     Other key suppliers include Lexington, Thomasville, Drexel Heritage, Stanley, Hooker, Bassett, Flexsteel, Rowe, Clayton Marcus, Braxton Culler, Classic Rattan, Palliser, A.R.T., Lane Venture (indoor furniture) and Jamison and Tempur-Pedic in bedding.
     Also in the new store, Bacon's developed leased departments using a shared sales and commission formula. The retailer wanted to create a whole-home environment by bringing in local experts in fields such as area rugs, carpeting and flooring, closet design and kitchen cabinetry. These are on top of Bacon's furniture, accessories, draperies and wall coverings areas.
     In opening the store and beefing of its delivery team to support it, the retailer has created some 23 jobs, Bacon said.

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Bacon's off to good start at new Sarasota furniture store

Nov 22, 2011

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