Roomful Express, Pittsburgh Giving Hopes New Store Design Will Turn Heads And A Profit

Furniture World Magazine

Look around the newly renovated Roomful Express Furniture stores in Pittsburgh and Greensburg, Pa., and you'll get a peek at what's to come from the Pittsburgh-based furniture retailer. The Company operates 12 locations serving Western Pennsylvania and the Southeast Ohio/Wheeling, W. Va. market. Roomful Express CEO, Jack McGowan, promises the newest stores now under construction near Pittsburgh will offer a different feel and attitude about the furniture shopping experience. "We don't want to just move furniture out the door," said McGowan, "We want customers to come visit, feel comfortable, learn a bit about our coordinated roomful concept and be moved by the attention to detail we've put into the design and layout of our new stores" The Company is so committed to the new design strategy that nationally renowned retail space designer, Connie Post, has been brought in to consult on the two new Roomful Express construction projects. The Connie Post Companies, based in Barboursville, W. Va., is recognized in the furniture industry for retail design and strategic brand development. "Connie's portfolio of clients looks like a Who's Who of more than 14 million square feet of retail store planning and design from around the world," commented McGowan. "We're thrilled to be working with her, and I know the people of Pittsburgh will be, too, after visiting either of our two new stores." Michael Kuhn, president and owner of Roomful Express Furniture, shares McGowan's excitement about the new projects - especially a massive, two-level, 60,000 sq. ft. building. Expected to open in early 2003, the store will employ approximately 30 and become a showcase for how the Company sees their business moving in the years to come. "We're controlling every aspect of this project from the ground up," Kuhn stated. "While we've successfully retrofitted existing space in some other locations that will eventually incorporate some of the Connie Post design elements, we've worked directly with her in the planning, development and design of both the interior and exterior of our new stores. It addresses where we're headed in the furniture market." According to Connie Post, the direction in which the Company is headed is right on course for how furniture retail sales is evolving. "This strategy is about more than creating pretty stores. We're about helping retailers sell more products," said Post. "We don't treat the category like a commodity business in the same way that the big boxes do by throwing it on the floor and expecting that it will sell. Presentation is everything." Post added that Roomful Express customers will feel comfortable with their furniture selections. She said her goal is to create an environment driven by style and the latest fashion colors, with the furniture arranged and presented in such a way that it makes for an easy and convenient shopping experience. The other new location - a 25,000 sq. ft. site just north of Pittsburgh - will replace an existing smaller store. The additional space, which is approximately 20 percent more than the current location, will also incorporate Connie Post design strategies and allow for additional inventory that will include more top name and signature brands. The current staff of 14 will also be expanded to accommodate the larger facility due to open by the end of the year. Roomful Express Furniture is a family owned company founded in Pittsburgh in 1958. The Company currently employs 300 and operates 12 locations in the Pittsburgh, Johnstown. Pa. and Wheeling, W.Va. market areas. Projected sales for 2002 are estimated to be $50 million.