Furnitureland South Offers 1,500 Different Brands
business, furniture, furnitureland south, retail,
You haven’t been to a furniture store until you’ve been to Furnitureland South in High Point. Not only does the furniture superstore feature 1.3 million square feet of showroom space, it has its own full-service Starbucks.
“It’s like 60 average-sized furniture stores in one with no duplication of products, so there’s unparalleled selection,” says Jason Harris, executive vice president of Furnitureland South. “We have a 150-acre campus with four buildings and a state-of-the-art, climate-controlled distribution center. We’re the largest furniture store in the world.”
But it wasn’t always this way. Furnitureland South arose from humble beginnings in 1969, when Harris’ parents, Darrell and Stella, started the company on a shoestring budget.
“It’s been one of those American dream success stories,” Harris says. “My parents started in a small office in High Point with a few catalogs and samples. They found a niche and invested every dollar they made back into the company. Today, we have 600 employees, and we do $160 million in business annually with customers all over the world.”
Darrell and Stella Harris are still very involved with the company they created. Darrell serves as chief executive officer, and Stella works on the merchandising and buying side of the business. A second son, Jeff, is in charge of operations.
“My dad never dreamed the company would be this big,” Harris says. “He was just trying to make a living. But he’s very persistent, and he loves to build and create.”
Because Furnitureland South has the biggest furniture selection in the world, it’s a destination for furniture shoppers from everywhere, including Greensboro. People often spend days shopping at the Furnitureland South campus.
“Furnitureland South provides a big boost to the local economy – 70 percent of our business is done with consumers outside North Carolina, and 6 percent is done with international customers,” Harris says. “We have very polished, experienced sales and design consultants who can dig into our clients’ projects, whether it’s a room or a whole house. We help them pick the right fabrics and styles to reflect their personalities.”
Besides the sheer size of the operation, Furnitureland South is set apart by its immense selection and value.
“We have 1,500 different brands, and people can see them all in one spot. We’re often the first to get the newest products on the market,” Harris says. “And people can get a great value, because with the volume we do, we can discount deeply and buy at our manufacturers’ best prices.”
Some sales and design consultants at Furnitureland South are even multilingual – a necessity that has arisen from the company’s growing international business.
“We do a lot of business in the Caribbean, Canada, Mexico and the Middle East,” Harris says. “People come to us for help furnishing their homes from all over the world.”
Story by Jessica Mozo
Photo by Ian Curcio
