THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, June 3, 1996 TAG: 9606010137
SECTION: BUSINESS WEEKLY PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JANET DUNPHY, SPECIAL TO BUSINESS WEEKLY
LENGTH: 62 lines
The folks at Office Furniture Plus want to attract some attention in a market that some might say is becoming saturated.
They bought a red-brick 20,000-square-foot building on Military Highway that looks like a small mansion and turned it into a showroom, proving with a glance that they aren't an office superstore or a furniture store that stocks some office pieces.
``Most people don't realize how big the building is. Then they're surprised by the depth and quality of what we have,'' says store manager Whit Cotten. ``They've been to Office Max, Willis Wayside and Haynes. There's a blend here.''
With two locations in its hometown of Richmond, Office Furniture Plus was founded six years ago by Dean Williams and Perry Tomlin.
The Chesapeake store, which opened in April, is the company's first outside Richmond and according to Cotten one of the few in Tidewater that uses the large showroom concept.
The office supply warehouses, including nearby Office Max, don't worry him much because they only carry a limited amount of low-end furniture.
``We don't send people to Aisle Three,'' jokes Cotten, adding, ``We're able to converse about the product in a professional manner.'' His sales staff of two were both recruited from an area furniture store.
Cotten has been in the business for 24 years. Four years ago, he sold his family's 46-year-old Norfolk business, Standard Office Supply, to a local newcomer, Supply Room Companies. He says he sold ``for financial reasons, primarily the impact from the office superstores.''
Cotten stayed at Supply Room until he joined Office Furniture Plus. ``I saw this as a significant opportunity to be a factor in the market,'' he says.
Even the building has a history in the business. Once referred to as Channel Hall, it was a family-owned furniture company for some 15 years.
The front rooms of the ``house'' feature crown molding, wood floors, a fireplace and chandelier. Cotten's employer spent about $80,000 renovating the interior, mostly the rear, by tearing out walls in order to create a 14,000-square-foot open area.
``We think that the character of the building is in keeping with our products,'' he says.
The store is expected to sell between $3 and $4 million a year, which Cotten says is typical for the Richmond stores.
The company's target audience is businesses with 100 employees or less. So far, 25 percent of his customers are shopping for their home offices.
Like many retailers today, Office Furniture Plus advertises quality merchandise with a 40 to 60 percent discount.
``The market is looking for a deal. We buy in truckload quantities, which gives us the best prices,'' explains Cotten.
Price pitch aside, Cotten counts on the presentation of the merchandise for sales. The store appears professionally decorated. There are limited edition prints hanging, executive knick-knacks and lamps situated on desk-tops and coordinated seating arrangements.
Furniture that is purchased is shipped from the Richmond warehouse within three days, says Cotten. The art and accessories are sold off the floor. Clearance items are also shipped in from the Richmond stores.
While the shop isn't the only La-Z-Boy Office Furniture dealer in Hampton Roads, it is the only one with gallery status, one of 50 such galleries in the nation, says Cotten. Other lines for sale include Han, Indiana Desk, Sauder and Hooker. by CNB