The owner of a Howard County furniture store plans to expand to new locations. Nitoo Singh says he is actively looking for sites in Howard, Prince George's and Anne Arundel Counties to open another
Furniture Express location. He doesn't know how many stores he will open, however: He says it depends on the sites he finds and how the economy fares over the next few months.
Singh is looking for spaces in high traffic areas with good visibility, at around 8,000 to 10,000 square feet.
Furniture Express currently has one location, at 8909 McGaw Court in Columbia, which opened during Memorial Day weekend this year. The 9,000-square-foot building is accessible from Interstate 175 and Snowden River Pkwy. Singh likes the location because he lives in Columbia, making the commute an easy one.
Furniture Express' brands include La-Z-Boy Co., Vaughn Bassett, Best Home Furnishings, Coaster Company of America and Global Fine Furniture. The company can offer faster delivery, between 21 and 30 days, rather than the usual eight to 12 weeks at many furniture stores, Singh says. That's because it mostly sells American-made products, so the chairs and beds don't take as long to get to the showroom.
"These are times when people are looking for instant gratification," Singh says.
Though a lot of furniture stores have buckled during the downturn, Singh hopes he can fare better by controlling his overhead costs, offering shorter delivery times and focusing on customer service.
The store delivers to Prince George's, Howard, Anne Arundel and Montgomery Counties. It also delivers to Northern Virginia.
Source: Nitoo Singh, Furniture Express
Writer: Julekha Dash