Furnitureland South

Furnitureland South in Jamestown, North Carolina is the largest retail furniture store in the United States[1] with 1.3 million square feet and $180 million in sales as of 2004. Called "the Walt Disney World of Furniture",[2] the store is known for its 85-foot-tall highboy, and is the first of the group of stores which in 2004 came to be known as "Furniture Row" as well as "Gateway to the Furniture Capital of the World."[2]

Furnitureland South
Industry
  • Furniture
  • Home Decor
  • Beds & Mattresses
  • Design Consulting
Founded1969
FounderA. Darrell and Stella Harris
HeadquartersJamestown, North Carolina
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsHome Furnishings
Brands
  • Marge Carson
  • Baker
  • Hooker
  • Huntington House
  • Lexington
  • Stanley
  • American Drew
  • Others
OwnerJeffrey Harris
Number of employees
700
Websitewww.furniturelandsouth.com

History

A. Darrell Harris founded Furnitureland South with his wife Stella on South Main Street in High Point, North Carolina in 1969, offering a small selection of market samples.[2][3] Over the next two decades, the small operation grew in size, profits and prestige; in 1986, the original store had $18 million in annual sales. Harris built a furniture distribution center on 50 acres in Jamestown at Interstate 85 Business and Riverdale Drive, in an area that was mostly farms.[2] Corporate offices moved to the Jamestown site in 1988.[4] A $10 million, three-story 228,000-square-foot retail store opened October 1, 1990, an event earning coverage from USA Today; the original, 78,000-square foot High Point store became a clearance center.[5]

During the 1990s, annual sales increased exponentially from $20 million to $129 million,[6] and the store grew physically along with its growing income; by 1996, Furnitureland South billed itself as "The World's Largest Home Furnishings Showplace."[7] A 342,000-square-foot expansion in 1994 to the corporate headquarters and distribution center provided more space for showrooms. A $22 million, 500,000-square-foot addition completed in 1998 gave the store over twice the space it had before. Around the end of the decade, approximately 80 percent of customers were from outside the state. A Raleigh, North Carolina location was planned, but scrapped.[8]

The ever-heightening profile of Furnitureland South reached a symbolic zenith in 1999 when an 85-foot-tall highboy situated at the showroom entrance became the largest item of furniture in the High Point area.[9]

Expansion continued into the new millennium. A $15 million, 250,000-square-foot distribution center opened in 2001, replacing five warehouses.[10] Good Morning America did a story on Furnitureland South on April 29, 2002.[11] In 2008, a $15 million addition gave the distribution center 225,000 additional square feet, for a total of 475,000 square feet that also included corporate offices.[12] The company expanded its web site to allow online shopping in 2012, debuting with 2000 products.[3] In 2013 the company opened a 17,000-square-foot, high-tech design center for customers.[13] Subway opened its largest restaurant, with 6,668 square feet, in Furnitureland South on November 11, 2015, joining Starbucks as a second option for on-campus dining.[14] In April 2016, the company donated $1 million to High Point University, which subsequently named a wing of its Flanagan Center for Student Success the Harris Sales Education Center.[15]

In October 2010, Darrell and Stella Harris were inducted into the American Furniture Hall of Fame by members of the American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. based on their professional achievements, personal standards and civic involvement.[16]

Darrell Harris died in August 2014;[17] in March 2015, Stella also passed away,[18] leaving the leadership of the company to sons Jeff, who assumed the positions of president and CEO, and Jason, chosen as vice president.[19]

In September 2015, Furnitureland South was recognized as one the “Triad’s Best Places to Work” by the Triad Business Journal.[20]

Criticism

In 1996, Thomasville Furniture stopped selling its products at Furnitureland South because the store apparently violated Thomasville's policy of not quoting prices over the phone.[7]

In 1999, when asking for rezoning for expansion, Furnitureland South agreed to switch from wells to municipal water. People in the area had wells go dry and had blamed Furnitureland South, which used several wells.[21]

After 45 years of selling furniture, Scott Knox filed a complaint with the North Carolina Attorney General regarding the practice of exclusive deals for manufacturers to only sell their product in one area store. Knox was no longer able to sell products from some companies which had deals with Furnitureland South, and he could not afford a lawsuit. The attorney general's office said this practice was not normally a problem.[1]

Furniture Row

In the mid-1990s, Boyles Furniture bought 65 acres near Furnitureland South. Boyles chief operating officer Rick Grant said, "We knew when we bought the land that our vision was to make this a furniture destination."[2] Boyles only needed eight acres for its store, which it moved from downtown, which the company believed was not doing well. The new location allowed Boyles to expand more than they could have at the former site. Ziba Fine Oriental Rugs started with space in the Boyles store on built a separate location in 2001.[2]

Also in the mid-1990s, Abu Khan saw significant potential because of the size of Furnitureland South, and he bought a building for his Abu Oriental Rug and Home, which he later expanded.

In 2003, Charlotte, North Carolina developer Jay Chambers announced plans to develop the site into "Furniture Row", in an area he called "Gateway to the Furniture Capital of the World." During the next several years, Drexel Heritage, Thomasville Furniture and Klaussner Furniture built stores on Furniture Avenue, and Furniture Galleries, with six tenants, was announced by Greensboro, North Carolina developer R.W. Hamlett, Jr. Chambers wanted hotels and restaurants to locate in the area to make it convenient for people traveling long distances to buy furniture. Most of the area, but not Furnitureland South itself, was in the High Point city limits, though an agreement between High Point, Jamestown and Greensboro gave High Point the right to later annex the area.[2]

As of 2005, according to the Convention and Visitors Bureau, 200,000 people came to High Point each year to buy furniture, from locations as far away as Chicago. The High Point Market has many locations in downtown High Point, but they are not open to consumers. People coming to High Point to shop for furniture have a difficult time finding a store downtown where they can shop, so a central location for retailers would provide a benefit to tourists.[2]

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References
  1. Dodd, Kory (December 19, 2006). "Retailer objects to furniture deals". Greensboro News & Record. p. A1.
  2. Firesheets, Tina (January 24, 2005). "Furniture Row: An Area off Interstate 85 Near Jamestown Is Becoming a Popular Spot for Furniture Retail Stores". Greensboro News & Record. p. B1.
  3. Evans, Matt (November 30, 2012). "Furnitureland South grows presence with online shopping". Triad Business Journal. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  4. Nash, Betty Joyce (September 30, 1990). "Furnitureland South Opens Huge Store". Greensboro News & Record. Furnitureland South, p. 2.
  5. "Furnitureland South Slated to Open Retail Store Today". Greensboro News & Record. October 1, 1990. Triad Business Weekly, p. 3.
  6. Temple, John (November 26, 1997). "Furniture Business Building 80-Foot Armoire". Greensboro News & Record. p. B1.
  7. Andron, Scott (August 5, 1996). "Furnitureland South to Open Showroom Without Thomasville". Greensboro News & Record. p. B6.
  8. Nagy, John A. (July 29, 1994). "Furnitureland Opens Its Doors to the Triad". Greensboro News & Record. p. BG6.
  9. Lopez, Robert (November 13, 2011). "Bureau at a crossroads: High Point landmark for sale". Greensboro News & Record. p. D1.
  10. Becker, Denise (August 16, 2001). "Furnitureland Opening New Center". Greensboro News & Record. p. B1.
  11. Becker, Denise (April 27, 2002). "Furniture Store Makes TV: The Segment Will Air Monday Morning". Greensboro News & Record. p. B3.
  12. "Treatment plant groundbreaking will be held today". Greensboro News & Record. August 7, 2008. p. B2.
  13. Engel, Clint (August 14, 2013). "Furnitureland South opens high-tech Design Center [sic] South". Furniture Today. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  14. Wilson, Carl (November 10, 2015). "Mega Subway opens at Funitureland [sic] South". News & Record. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  15. "With $1M gift, university names center for prominent local family". Triad Business Journal. April 14, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  16. Furniture World Magazine (October 17, 2010). "American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation Inducts Four New Members Into The American Furniture Hall of Fame". Furniture World. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  17. Arcieri, Katie (August 8, 2014). "Furnitureland South founder Darrell Harris dies". Triad Business Journal. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  18. FurnitureTodayStaff (April 1, 2015). "Furnitureland South co-founder Stella Harris dies at 69". Furniture Today. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  19. Johnson, Paul (August 17, 2015). "Furnitureland South founder Darrell Harris dies". The High Point Enterprise. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  20. "Revealing the Triad's Best Places to Work, and why their employees love them so dearly". Tirad Business Journal. September 18, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  21. Feller, Ben (December 17, 1999). "Board OKs Furniture Warehouse Expansion: Furnitureland South Decides Not to Seek Tax Incentives for the Project". Greensboro News & Record. p. B1.
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