Bob’s Discount Furniture
When I saw the hokey ads for Bob’s Discount Furniture on tv, I assumed this company had to be a small retailer. The ads were classic “small town” with a catchy radio jingle or a low budget advertisement featuring Bob himself. However, as I began to look into the company more, I couldn’t get over how big the company actually was. With stores dotting a number of states, I figured I had to bring them on here.
For the uninitiated, Bob’s is a discount furniture store that has built a reputation around low prices and fun amenities. Some of their stores offer cookies and coffee, while others feature a home theater area and an arcade place to enjoy yourself. The company promotes an engaging environment that tries to make the furniture shopping experience less painful, while keeping the low prices alive.
Oh Bob
I have no idea how real their backstory is, but Bob’s Discount Furniture has an interesting history that helps showcase how these companies might come about. From their site, Bob Kaufman got into a motorcycle accident in 1976 and utilized a waterbed during his recovery. A case of being in the right place at the right time, Bob was so impressed by waterbeds that he started selling them in a variety of New England locations. The business performed well until the craze began tapering off in the 1990s.
Never deterred, Bob teamed up with Gene Rosenberg of Wholesale Furniture, and purchased a building in Newington, Connecticut in 1991. They kept an eye out for companies suffering in bankruptcy and would purchase their buildings at low prices, allowing the company to rapidly expand. This expansion happened almost overnight, as they had 12 stores in Connecticut and another two in Massachusetts by 1997. Today, Bob’s Discount Furniture has 43 stores with locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia.
In their rapid growth, Bob’s Discount Furniture has reached an impressive 30th in rankings of United States Furniture stores. The company has sales of 330 million dollars a year, and has reached this success with catchy commercials, a popular clearance section named The Pit, and an attentiveness to other businesses that allows them to take advantage of bankruptcys to constantly expand.
With their success, Bob’s has become an active philanthropic company, participating in a number of charitable acts around their communities. The company contributes over 1 million dollars a year in charitable donations, and is recognized by the Red Cross for their blood drives and regular donations. They even make this charity work involve the customers, as people can send suggestions for community help to outreachvan@mybobs.com.
Overall, Bob’s has built a strong reputation around discount furniture and charitable acts. It’s always nice to see companies that remember their roots and seek to help those around them. Have any of our visitors ever checked out a Bob’s store or at least, seen their commercials on tv? What do you think of them?