By SETH ROY

NEWARK — It was only a matter of time before Ed Connell reopened a furniture store in Newark.

“Ever since, all the Newark people who have come to Mount Vernon have begged us to come back,” said Connell, who closed his original store in 1991.

Connell’s Furniture & Mattresses, in its 50th year, opened a new, 30,000-square-foot store Saturday at 1600 N. 21st St. A ribbon-cutting is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Sept. 12.
“We’ve got to sell a lot of La-Z-Boys to pay for it,” Connell said of the new location, in the former Big Bear grocery store site.


The business began with Connell’s father in 1957 in Mount Vernon and expanded to Newark in the late 1970s, Connell said.

Now, with his son as operations manager, Connell said it was time to come back to Newark, which has one other major traditional furniture store, Sam Alban’s.

The still-strong customer base in the city brought the company back after it decided to expand.

“We’re kind of like one of those good little restaurants you go to,” Connell said. “You want to spread the word.”

With furniture sales declining and stores becoming more specialized, the expansion of an independently owned, all-purpose furniture story might seem unlikely.

Jerry Epperson, an industry analyst from Mann, Armistad & Epperson in Virginia, said the focus is shifting.

“The number of stores has changed very little,” he said.

In 10 years, furniture stores have decreased from 40,600 to about 38,000, but that doesn’t reflect the true change, Epperson said.

In terms of numbers, a 200,000-square-foot store that carries all types of furniture counts the same as a 4,000-square-foot bedroom store.

The number of people buying online or from general department stores, such as Wal-Mart, is increasing, Epperson said.

But Connell thinks his store will do well in Newark, in large part because of the company’s commitment to customer service.

“The No Oops is one of the biggest things that sets us apart,” he said, describing the store’s return policy.

“(Usually) you’re kind of stuck with your mistake for a long time,” Connell said of furniture shopping. “When we can eliminate that, fewer customers will do more business with you.”

To help avoid a return situation, Connell said the store provides a complimentary in-home designer service for customers.

“We should be the expert at it,” he said. “We should know what we’re doing.”

Seth Roy can be reached at (740) 328-8547 orsroy@newarkadvocate.com.