Big Bob’s Adds Furniture

Kansas City, MO, July 1--Some area home furnishing stores have struggled to compete with Nebraska Furniture Mart. But one home furnishings company is expanding to try to take some of Nebraska Furniture Mart’s business, according to the Kansas City Star. David Elyachar, who built a retail empire with discounted carpet, is opening a store to sell discounted furniture. Big Bob’s Furniture Outlet is importing new furniture from China and other countries, buying closeouts from manufacturers, and shopping bankruptcies and liquidations to offer customers low prices. It has about 5,000 pieces in stock at 10021 W. 75th St., Overland Park, but inventory and styles will constantly change as new lines come in. "Just because you want lower prices doesn’t mean you have to have lower standards," Elyachar said. "The top 10 percent of our lines will be the bottom 10 percent of Nebraska Furniture Mart’s lines. We are going after the rent-to-own and first-time home buyers, households that make $75,000 or less. We don’t believe in gouging customers; we believe in giving them value." Prices start at $349 for sofas, $249 for tables and chairs, and $99 for king-size mattresses. Three of the sales employees speak Spanish to help broaden the store’s customer base. The new concept came about when Elyachar had to relocate his Big Bob’s Flooring Outlet at the northeast corner of 75th Street and Interstate 35 to the southwest corner to make way for expansion of Shawnee Mission Medical Center. But the flooring company only needed about 40 percent of the 36,000-square-foot building. Customers had been asking for furniture so now Big Bob’s could comply with the new concept. Elyachar is looking for sites to expand the furniture store in Kansas City and may offer the furniture concept to his 34 flooring franchise locations across the country. The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce named Big Bob’s its "1991 Small Business of the Year," based on commitment to good business practices, growth in the number of employees and/or sales, a history of good employee relations, and service to the community. "My first motivation when I set up the business was fear of failure, but it wasn’t going to be because I didn’t work hard enough," Elyachar said. "Now that we are successful I fear we won’t fulfill our potential. I have the fire in my belly again."