Home Furnishings Association member Baer’s Furniture will open its newest store Sept. 5 in Jacksonville, Fla. It will be the company’s northernmost store in the state.
Construction of the two-story, almost 85,000-square-foot store, across the street from an Ikea, is wrapping up this week. President and CEO Jerry Baer called the site “a really ideal location.” A large banner says the grand opening is Saturday, kicking off Labor Day weekend.
Baer’s Furniture bought the 4-acre property in 2018 for about $3 million. The company has invested more than $15 million into the new store, said Baer.
He is not concerned about doing business in the shadow of Ikea. Just the opposite. He said the two stores offer different concepts — do-it-yourself versus full customer service.
“We wouldn’t have (invested in the location) if we didn’t think so,” Baer said. “We focus on taking care of the customer with the best quality furniture.”
Next up: Daytona and Tampa
The roots of Baer’s Furniture run deep in South Florida. Based in Pompano Beach, it operates stores in and around Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Naples and Miami. Daytona and Tampa are the next logical cities for expansion, Baer said.
The company’s growth coincides with two other South Florida furniture stores expanding their footprints across the state. Fellow HFA members City Furniture and El Dorado Furniture have been aggressively opening stores across Florida in recent years, but neither has entered the Jacksonville market — yet.
Baer’s Furniture displays galleries of high-end brands such as Tommy Bahama Home and Outdoor Living, Natuzzi, Bernhardt, Hooker Furniture, Universal Furniture, Coastal Living and Lexington.
It sells a large amount of special and custom-ordered products. It also offers interior design services.
Baer estimated annual sales last year at about $192 million, similar to the company’s 2018 sales figures.
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