Owners refurbish furniture shops

Beach House in SLO and other furnishings stores change focus or location to survive the growing competition
By Dawn White

Growing competition from stores selling low-cost imported furniture has caused a San Luis Obispo furniture store owner to restructure his business.


Grover Cox, the owner of Beach House Unfinished Furniture, said his custom wooden furnishings can no longer compete against cheaper products, most of which are from China. He’s changing his “day-to-day” furniture store into a showroom where customers will essentially design their own cabinets and wall units and find “office-like” elements, he said.

“We’re not going to change our location, but we’re going to change how we do business,” Cox said.

A few years ago, there were more than 38 unfinished furniture stores in the state, he said. Twenty-six of those have closed in the past 12 months.

Two years ago, Cox closed his Grover Beach store in an attempt to salvage his business, which was being squeezed by growing competition. By evolving his store, he hopes it will allow him and his wife, Suzie, to stay in business.

Other furniture store operators also notice the industry change. Ken Brooks, longtime owner of Brooks Furniture in San Luis Obispo, said he gave up selling high-quality custom furniture to stay afloat.

“I wouldn’t be in business if it weren’t for imports,” said Brooks, who said he now has to sell merchandise made overseas to compete.

Businesses being forced to evolve is yet another challenge to the local home furnishings industry, which has struggled in recent years from an oversaturation of stores, increasing rents in downtown San Luis Obispo and competition from national retailers.

Eva Young recently moved Meridian, her furniture and décor store, to the outskirts of San Luis Obispo. She said cheap Chinese imports, too much competition and high rent forced her to move from downtown to an enclave of home design stores. The move decreased her costs, increased her showroom space and kept her business sustainable.

Evolving one’s business plan may be the only way to survive in an international marketplace, Brooks said.

“The change has been gradual,” he said. “But with the cost of doing business, a lot of (furniture stores) have already left. I think the end of unfinished furniture is on the horizon.”
Login | Click here to become a regist