HOM Furniture adds baby, bargain departments

COON RAPIDS, Minn. — HOM Furniture here has added baby furniture and bargain home furnishings departments to all of its HOM stores, aggressively targeting younger and budget-minded consumers.

The Top 100 company said the new HOM Baby nursery furniture and accessories departments are designed to appeal to parents with children of varying ages, from infant to teen, and feature a line of convertible four-in-one Built to Grow beds, which adapt from a crib configuration to a toddler bed to a full size bed. The four-in-one beds are part of the Bonavita Collection from LaJobi, and the crib mattresses are from Serta.

The departments, which average 1,000 square feet, also carry complementary furniture pieces to match HOM Baby’s case goods, and a line of nursery accessories ranging from mobiles to blankets to wall décor.

“We wanted to complete our bedroom assortment to include nursery furniture to attract Generation Y/Millennial consumers into our showroom,” said Kyle Johansen, lead furniture buyer for HOM. “The opportunity definitely existed to reach a younger demographic of people who are building their families and looking to purchase furniture that would last throughout childhood.”

The retailer also added Bargain Shop departments, averaging about 4,000 square feet, with collections of living room, bedroom, and dining room groups for the budget-minded consumer. Accents, such as area rugs, home décor accessories, lamps and wall art also are available, along with mattresses, home office and entertainment furniture.

The department includes sofas for $297, two-piece sectionals for $597, $99 wall art and area rugs, twin mattress sets for $159, queen bedroom sets from $699 and dining rooms tables and four chair sets for $299. Key suppliers here include WG&R Bedding, Ashley Signature and Lifestyle Enterprise.

“We wanted to address the furniture needs of a family on a tighter budget, or allow for occasions when you want to furnish a student apartment, a spare room or perhaps your getaway cabin,” said Jerry Underwood, HOM’s director of marketing

“New furniture is now available with great pricing value.”

HOM, with stores in Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin, is No. 34 on Furniture/Today’s Top 100 with 2012 estimated furniture, bedding and accessories sales of $212.2 million. The retailer operates the primarily midpriced HOM Furniture, upscale Gabberts Design Studio & Fine Furniture and bargain-oriented Dock 86 as well as one Abbey Carpet store.