Furniture Warehouse Ohio was founded by Brandon Morse in 2018 with just one employee and the intention of operating as an online shop with a small showroom inventory.
Five years later, the business has expanded so swiftly that it now employs 30 people and has recently relocated to a 30,000 square foot location in Mentor that was originally Gander Mountain’s headquarters.
Mid-February saw the opening of the new showroom at 9620 Diamond Centre Drive. Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
One thousand products are on exhibit, and fwohio.com has another ten thousand goods accessible.
The showroom, office personnel, and warehouse operations were situated in the initial facility, which was barely 8,000 square feet and located on Tyler Boulevard. In addition to the store at Diamond Centre Drive, Morse currently maintains four warehouses on Tyler Boulevard (with a combined total of around 50,000 square feet) filled with merchandise.
For the 2004 Riverside High School alumnus, who first became knowledgeable and passionate about the industry while working with his family, things have changed swiftly.
In addition to working part-time at my aunt’s auction company (Auction Alley in Painesville), I also worked for a couple neighbourhood furniture companies, according to Morse. “While each store had a distinct market, I believed that combining auction buying practises with furniture sale would present a significant opportunity.
“The auction showed me how to use several websites and online auctions to find bargains around the nation. Finding the best deal is vital, but we also need to keep more cash on hand than we would in a conventional store so we can make a buy when the best offer comes along.”
The showroom’s primary purpose when FWO was initially set up was to serve as a base for workers, process orders, and provide in-person client assistance. According to Morse, the epidemic significantly altered the business strategy.
Due to customers’ heightened desire to touch and feel products and the fact that many individuals had extra money, both in-store and online sales climbed by triple digits.
We needed to find a bigger and more noticeable showroom as soon as possible if we were to keep up with the evolving business environment, according to Morse. The city is fantastic for working with businesses, and mentoring is a huge lure for retail.
Sectionals, according to Morse, are currently selling more than couches and recliners put together. Items for the living room, dining room, workplace, home entertainment, and more are among the other top sellers.
Morse has also been able to buy closeout canvas prints.
Customers seem to really like the prints, and we just charge what we paid for them, according to Morse.
Morse has honed a particular approach to the business through time that has benefited FWO clients and staff alike.
The business strives to always have a sizable amount of spare cash on hand in order to buy furniture at a reduced price. It works almost debt-free. To obtain discounts on products, they collaborate with numerous brokers, factories, and auction websites.
To make that possible, Morse added, “I spent the last 20 years in this field establishing ties with various businesses. “The key to finding inexpensive goods is being prepared for when an opportunity arises. Discounted merchandise typically appears in sporadic huge waves before drying up. You lose out if you don’t have the room or extra money on hand.”
Morse claimed that FWO provides upfront pricing so that clients do not need to haggle. The manufacturer model number is also marked on the item so that buyers may easily price check with other stores.
FWO does not outsource deliveries and has five delivery trucks. The delivery team is made up of our own personnel, and according to Morse, he has noticed that they are more concerned with the satisfaction of the client than with services provided by outside vendors.
In order to guarantee top-notch customer service, they also manage warranty issues internally, according to Morse.
The customer calls our store with any warranty concerns, and if they are not satisfied after the service, they get in touch with us so we can make it right, the salesman added. “We subcontract some service work, but the customer calls our store with any warranty issues.
