The casual category has evolved, and retailers have to think outside of the box and offer something unique.
Full-line independent retailer Broward Design Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has achieved this in several ways.
The single store has been around for 25 years and is a family-owned and -operated business that has built its reputation on quality, service and uniquely sourced furniture.
Instead of sourcing from multiple manufacturers, the company specializes in importing handcrafted furniture directly from India and Indonesia where it produces pieces made from teak, suar, petrified wood, rosewood and GRC composite.
Broward’s store number has expanded and contracted over time, but the company has made its flagship Fort Lauderdale store a destination for special orders and one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture for indoors and out.
“We’ve been sourcing directly with the same producers in India and Indonesia for over 15 years now,” said Chief Operating Officer Logan Molineux. “Our owner goes over there a few times a year and selects a variety of pieces. We then get it all shipped over in large, 40-foot shipping containers.”
This overseas connection gives Broward the power to create custom furniture pieces as well as wooden decor and accents, like a giant hippo bench that Molineux says the company made for one customer.
Inside the store, the indoor and outdoor furniture are mixed throughout the showroom, exemplifying the blur between interior and exterior spaces. Further, because many of the items in the store are teak, they can be used indoors or outdoors, giving the customer more options.
Additionally, Molineaux says the furniture stays unbranded because they want to keep the authenticity of the look and put the product first.
The exclusivity of the products plays a significant role in appealing to designers, who are a large portion of the store’s customers.
“We give designers 15% off, and we’ve worked with some of the same designers for 10-plus years,” Molineaux says. “We’ve always had good relationships, and we’re constantly meeting new designers. We’ve done multiple custom pieces for designers, from giant lions for people’s front lawns to horses, elephants and more.”
He said that although the company specializes in special orders, the need for custom projects is fairly random, and there’s no influx or decline in special orders for the store.
To get its name and product out into the world, the company has been featured at major boat shows in its area, which Molineux says is a big deal for the store.
“We’re the only furniture-related company at those shows, which is huge for us,” he said. “We also supply all the furniture for the VIP booths at boat shows and design the space with sculptures, chairs, tables and other furnishings that we donate. We also have our own booth there where we can sell our product.”
The company has started sourcing outdoor furniture from other companies, like Pelican Reef, but Molineux says it’s staying true to its core business.
“Though we do source outdoor furniture from other companies, we are focused on our hand-carved wooden furniture,” he said. “We’re not your average furniture store.”
