Kids Furniture Source opens first store in planned chain
By Tanya K. Merritte -- Kids Today, 11/1/2005
Farmingdale, N.Y.— Four partners with ties to the furniture industry have opened Kids Furniture Source in this city on Long Island, with plans to open a second Long Island store next year, and three more after that.
The 11,000-square-foot youth specialty store targets customers in the middle to upper markets. Art Eisenberg, one of the partners, said the owners felt the store fills a need.
"It was an untapped market on the island. There aren't a lot of quality, independent kids stores out here," he said, adding that most of his competitors are mainline furniture stores that have youth departments.
Although the kids store is new, Eisenberg and his partners aren't strangers to the furniture business. Eisenberg owns two stores on Long Island, Route 110 Home Furnishings Gallery and Furniture Discounters of North Carolina.
The other partners, Eisenberg's brother Jeff, Neil Harris and Roslyn Speciale, all have experience owning and managing furniture stores.
The corporation the team formed to run the store is dubbed Six Kids Furniture, a reference to the number of children the owners have among them.
Kids Furniture Source opened Oct. 1. Its key youth furniture vendors are Young America/Stanley, Lea Inds., Broyhill, American Woodcrafters and Wesley Allen.
The store floors cribs from Young America, and carries Shabby Chic top-of-bed textiles, a look popular on Long Island, Eisenberg said.
The partners will do most of their buying at the High Point furniture market, and they attended the Las Vegas market in July.
Eisenberg said the design of the store was a major concern. "When customers walk in, we want everything to flow," he said.
The store features hardwood floors and crown molding along the top of the 40 vignettes.
"I think we have the best-looking store on the island," Eisenberg said.
Kids Furniture Source aims to keep youngsters busy while their parents shop. There are two 48-inch plasma televisions, one showing sports and the other movies.
Kids also can play basketball on a half court, which has proven quite popular since the store opened.
"The basketball court has worked unbelievably well," Eisenberg said. "It keeps kids occupied and gives their parents time to shop."
