-Bernie & Phyl's Furniture to Open Raynham Superstore on August 16

Furniture World Magazine

Bernie & Phyl's Furniture, one of the fastest growing furniture retailers in the country, will open its new 55,000 square foot superstore in Raynham, Massachusetts on August 16, 2003.  The company purchased the former Ames department store on Route 44 in Raynham in June 2003 and has since transformed the building into a state-of-the-art superstore both inside and out.   The company has done extensive renovations to the building including adding a new facade and paint to the exterior to give it a clean, contemporary look.  Inside, the store has been designed with an open, airy feeling to make it easy for the customers to see all of the store's shopping areas from all angles.  Beautiful architectural columns, colorful and warm-toned walls, and track lighting have been installed to create an elegant and inviting backdrop to the furniture.  The store will feature every piece of furniture that Bernie & Phyl's Furniture sells, a 3,500 s/f bedding area, a designated Berkline Comfort Gallery (which carries an extensive selection of the manufacturer's recliner, motion, and leather furniture), and a clearance center on-site. To celebrate the grand opening of the store, Bernie & Phyl's Furniture will be giving away free food, flowers, balloons, and the chance to win an all expense paid, seven-night vacation for two to the Caribbean.  The giveaways and in-store registration for the Caribbean vacation will continue through Labor Day weekend. Bernie & Phyl's Furniture now has seven retail stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.  The Raynham store is the retailer's first store in the southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island market.  The company has hired approximately 50 employees to staff the new store and to handle the increased capacity at its Norton distribution center. "It is always exciting to be opening a new store.  We are thrilled to be here.  We are looking forward to serving the customers in this area and showing them what makes our company and our furniture so special.  We sell high quality, beautiful furniture at great prices and we treat customers right.  We are confident that we will become a favorite shopping destination in this market," said Bernie Rubin, president and co-founder of Bernie & Phyl's Furniture.  Bernie & Phyl's Furniture was started by the Rubin family in 1983 and has since grown from a small storefront into the largest independent furniture retailer in Massachusetts.  Based in Norton, MA, the company now has six Massachusetts stores in Cambridge, Everett, Raynham (55,000 s/f superstore opened in 2003), Saugus (50,000 s/f superstore opened in 1999), Westboro (42,000 s/f superstore opened in 1997), and Weymouth; and one superstore in Nashua, NH (will be 86,000 s/f when completed later this year).  Bernie & Phyl's Furniture had $76.7 million in sales for the year 2002 and currently employs nearly 400 people.  The company's compounded annual growth rate has been 27% over the past five years. In 2002, Bernie & Phyl's Furniture was named "2002 Retailer of the Year" by the National Home Furnishings Association (NHFA), which is the highest honor in the retail home furnishings industry.  In 2000, Bernie & Phyl's Furniture was named "2000 Retailer of the Year" by the Retailers Association of Massachusetts.  The company ranks 74 among the Top 100 furniture stores in the country according to Furniture/Today magazine.