After almost a century and three generations, Mark King’s Furniture in Alexander City, Alabama, shows that success means staying true to the basics — and to family.
Russell King began the business in 1934. His son, Buddy King, took it over when the elder King died, and now, Buddy’s children, Mark, the store’s owner, and Carol, who works in sales and interior design, are overseeing the store.
The store sees having a good product assortment — and watching the books closely — as being the highest priorities for the business right now
“Projections say the sales are trending up, but in-store traffic is lighter than the last two years,” says Carol King. “At this time, we are watching what we buy, dollars spent and product selection.
The biggest challenge that the Kings have faced in recent times has been the weather and not the sunny skies and lounging by the lake that the area is known for.
“In 2023, we started the year in a nationwide deep freeze which caused a pipe to burst, which flooded a large part of our store,” says King. “This led to months of remodeling and lots of fussiness. The upside to this was a beautiful facelift to our interior and the chance to rethink and remerchandise our inventory.”
To choose outdoor products, Mark King favors those manufacturers who keep up with consumer appeal and who offer quality and value and back up their products well into the future.
To get the word out, Mark King’s believes that local advertising and word of mouth are not things of the past but relying on them completely is.
“Post-pandemic, we have had people from all over the country moving to our area,” says Carol King. “We are definitely rethinking and trying to create ways to reach people who do not know we are here.
One way that the store is doing that is by being associated with a prominent local project. Mark King’s furnished all the outdoor areas for the Russell Lands Wicker Point Golf Club, a premier lakefront property development on Lake Martin, Alabama, that has as its centerpiece a new golf course designed by Coore and Crenshaw. This year, Mark King’s will be furnishing Phase 2.
“This is a real honor for us to be a part of this exclusive project,” says Carol King
To further set themselves apart, King’s relies on its reputation for having a huge selection, good customer service and free delivery.
“We do have several full-line retailers that have moved into our area,” says Carol King. “The competition this has created for us is a concern, but we are taking it in stride. I am sure it has affected our business to a small degree, but it also stimulates local shoppers to check in their own area before traveling out of town or going directly to the internet.”
That new level of competition isn’t going anywhere.
“Since outdoor is the fastest-growing segment of the furniture industry, it has become mainstream for retailers. I think the consumer will benefit from an easier shopping experience across the board, while the retailers will have to adapt and educate their employees on how to sell, especially the high-end luxury lines,” says Carol King. “We have a large lake near our location, and we have a high interest in outdoor furnishings.”
To compete with online retailers, King’s meets the price that customers find online, if possible, as well as offering customers the protection of a local dealer, which ensures that any damage incurred will be taken care of by a brick-and-mortar local retailer.
Any advice to struggling casual retailers today?
“Spring is on the horizon,” says Carol King. “We are looking forward to the spring and summer months for a much-needed surge in our outdoor business. I believe the growth we have seen in the outdoor segment of our business will continue. Consumers have gotten used to high-quality name-brand choices for outdoor living and will expect the same from now on. There will be the normal ups and downs just like we have experienced in all areas of the retail furniture business. This has always been the case during our 90-year history.”
