Full-line retailer Darvin Furniture is Chicagoland’s largest furniture and mattress retailer, and the HNN Top 125 retailer did $121 million in business last year — out of one store.
And while the store wouldn’t share its percentage of outdoor sales in 2021, it did say sales are already up 16% over last year.
So it may not come as a surprise that company President Will Harris doesn’t have to deal with that much competition.
“I think the outdoor space has a lot to do with how its merchandise, what product is picked and how your pricing works,” he says. “And honestly I haven’t noticed the entrance of full-line retailers as much because our competition has always been stores who sell indoor and outdoor.”
So what exactly is the store doing right?
Harris couldn’t reveal any secrets, but he does attribute some of the success to a well-built, long-lasting business that serves its community well.
The full-line retailer, founded in 1919, has a long history in Chicagoland, and outdoor became more popular over the last 10 years.
For the category, the company creates galleries that set the scene.
“Humans feel comfortable in natural environments,” Harris says. Soin our outdoor area we do what we can mimic that natural, comfortable environment. We turn the lights down a little bit, we use some outdoor lighting and some patio-type vignettes.”
They are also sure to change out the groups and room scenes often, and that’s fairly easy considering they have an in-house visual design team.
In that relaxed environment, sales associates put to use the knowledge they learn from manufacturers representatives, which Harris says is one of the biggest ways his salespeople learn about the category.
“We also have an in-store outdoor furniture specialist and her primary role is to know the category and be available for additional questions, training and assistance in our outdoor gallery, in addition to our regular sales staff as well.”
The store carries Signature Design by Ashley, Agio, Gather Craft, Kettler, and Treasure Garden, and Harris says he feels it’s important to look at the breadth and depth from a variety of companies and focus on what’s going to work best for the store’s product mix.
Finally, Darvin knows the importance of in-store events. From in-store cocktail events to sleepovers, the retailer not only brings people into the store, but gets them to look at products they need, and other products they might want in the future. And they know where to get it all.
“We had a banner year last year — our best year ever in the category, and we’re going to try to improve that even further,” Harris says.
