Sue Stock, Staff Writer
In September 2012, a Florida chain, Badcock Furniture, announced big plans to expand in North
Carolina. Then we didn’t hear much for a while.
But finally, Badcock’s expansion has made its way to the Triangle.
Badcock is preparing to open its first local store in Garner at 38 South Park Drive, which is off Interstate 40 at N.C. 42, by Golden Corral.
In a time when furniture chains are struggling, Badcock is carving out a niche by using a one-stop shopping approach.
Rather than focus on one type of furniture, Badcock stores sell just about everything a homeowner might want to buy, including furniture, appliances, lawn mowers, barbecue grills and even projection televisions.
It must work. The chain increased sales by 4.6 percent in its 2012 fiscal year, beating the industry average of 4.1 percent.
The 20,000-square-foot Garner facility will house both the store and a warehouse, and will open in early March.
Badcock operates more than 300 stores nationwide. The Garner store will be its 30th in North Carolina.
Badcock plans 60 to 70 new stores in the next few years in the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi, including three or four more in this market. The locations have not yet been selected.
At Triangle Town Center in Raleigh, Talbots on the upper level is expanding into the former Bebe space to make room for Talbots Woman and Talbots Petites. The expanded store will open in mid-April.
And, on the lower level, Charlotte’s will close next week. The company is consolidating its Triangle Town Center and North Hills stores into the one North Hills location. The Cameron Village and Wilmington stores will not be affected.
Women’s fitness club Butterfly Life has opened two more stores in Clayton and Cary, bringing the number of Triangle locations to five. The Clayton store is at 12965 U.S. 70 West, in the Wal-Mart center. The Cary store is at 250 Grand Heights Drive. Both are closed on Sundays.
Also, Healthtrax Fitness & Wellness Center is open in Raleigh, at 8300 Health Park, near Six Forks Station.
