A relatively new retailer is elbowing its way into the ultra-competitive Tampa Bay area furniture market.
American Signature Home, the 2-year-old creation of Schottenstein Stores Corp., opened its first Florida stores in Tampa and Brandon last year and is negotiating to add two more in the new Walter Crossing on N Dale Mabry Highway near Interstate 275 in Tampa and the former Pinellas ParkSide that is being rebuilt in Pinellas Park.
It's the second venture Schottenstein, which is perhaps best known as the Columbus, Ohio, owner of the Value City discount chain, recently moved into the Tampa Bay area. The family, through its publicly traded Retail Ventures Inc., added the first DSW Shoe Warehouse stores in the market last year.
A fast-growing, 18-store furniture chain, American Signature plans to open 10 more locations east of the Mississippi this year. The chain's bolt of growth was propelled in many southern cities such as Memphis, Nashville and Atlanta by the availability of abandoned Service Merchandise and Uptons stores. This year sales are estimated to hit $150-million.
American Signature sells its own brands of furniture and accessories, most of them made offshore, that have been designed to appeal to upper-moderate income customers who shop places such as Ethan Allen or Haverty's. Sofas, for instance, run from $499 to an overstuffed leather model that goes for $1,299.
The 50,000-square-foot store setting is a minimalist look of hardwood floors, bare white walls and exposed duct work. The style is relaxed casual warmed up with fabric accents such as colorful quilts and hints of the country look.
Stores stock more than furniture. There are linens, pillows, decorator items, area rugs and some dinner and glass ware. The chain also color-coordinates its furniture groupings with specific shades of paint sold by Sherwin-Williams stores.
"We're selling home solutions and furniture by the piece, not furniture by the room," said David Thompson, president of American Signature. "It's comfortable casual, not formal. We don't think you should have an urge to straighten your tie when you walk into a room."
