Four retailers join Furniture First buying group

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, March 11, 2013

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Furniture First buying group here has added four new members: Best Furniture Gallery, Fort Thomas, Ky.; Crockett Furniture, Gorham, Maine; Kutters Furniture, Hutchinson, Kan.; and Fish Furniture Shop, Mayfield Heights, Ohio.

The buying group said each of the four family-owned businesses has a lengthy history in its community.

Best was founded in 1941 and has operated under the current owners since 2002, and Crockett was founded as Lake Region Furniture in 1971. Kutters got its start in 1977. And Fish, with two stores in Mayfield Heights and North Olmstead, Ohio, near Cleveland, was founded in 1925 and is now operated by the second generation of the Geller family, which acquired the business in 1963.

With the newest retailer members, Furniture First now has 202 member owners with 427 stores in 47 states doing about $1.6 billion in annual sales.

"Furniture First's membership has grown substantially in recent years and that has allowed us to provide more benefits to our members," said Furniture First President Bill Hartman. "We have 104 home furnishings programs and 36 service programs that bring our members huge benefits."