Lifestyle Tenants
Brandon Importing Company - Furniture, Fun and Fantastic
by Linda J. Field
Buying furniture is considered by many to be ho-hum drudgery –
at best, hard work, and at its worst, frustrating. Shoppers can spend weeks finding just
the right piece at just the right price only after visiting seemingly endless stores,
discount outlets and boutiques. Sometimes special orders can take weeks to arrive, and
once received may not match pieces already purchased from a different source. If
furniture-buying excursions are not exactly scheduled events, they also are rarely
impulsive.
At Brandon Importing Company stores, however, buying furniture is an adventure that is so
much fun - people often drop in just to see what’s new that week. The company
operates enormous warehouses from 20,000 sq.ft. to as large as 70,000 sq.ft. filled with
furnishings from all parts of the world. The stock is always different and sometimes
surprises the store owner as much as the customer.
Brandon Importing Company
The founder, Jim Brandon, started with a small boutique that kept growing until he found
himself working out of a warehouse. It was then that Brandon Importing Company was
established about four years ago. Instead of ordering furnishings in bulk, Mr. Brandon ok
to ordering by the container load, often being unable to specify the contents. For
example, an order may be placed for mahogany from Indonesia, but the container received
may contain mahogany bedroom sets, end tables, secretaries, dining room sets, doll
furniture or a carved elephant.
In addition to ever-changing variety, the customer finds champagne-quality furniture and
accessories at beer price points. Because it orders by the container load rather than just
a few pieces at a time, Brandon gets great bargains and passes the savings along to the
customer. The low overhead of the warehouse setting adds to the savings and the warehouse
setting provides room to display the huge variety of offerings without the restrictions of
traditional displays of matching room suites. Upon entering, the customer is treated to a
jumbled, wonderful conglomeration of color and whimsey.
Along with mahogany from Indonesia, there are oil paintings and mirrors from Mexico,
French reproductions from Egypt, tapestries from Belgium and France plus accessories from
baskets to porcelains from Taiwan and the Philippines and hand-carved walnut from Vietnam.
The savings mount up. For instance, a leather sofa recently retailing for $2,200 was
available at Brandon for $1,600. The secret to shopping at Brandon is to buy it when you
see it, as the item is likely to sell and not be replaced and all styles vary with
availability.
For Claudia Cardona, a franchisee of the new 80,000-sq.ft. Brandon Importing Company
warehouse in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, operating the store is fun and exciting. Weekdays
are when the containers come in, so stock is put out for Sunday when the warehouse store
is open to the public. Periodic additional discount sales draw customers in droves. The
store is open weekdays by appointment only and then caters mainly to the designer trade
– which also comes in droves because of the always eclectic selection and sometimes
one-of-a-kind treasures.
The Lawrenceville store operates out of a warehouse-like structure last used as a site for
an indoor children’s amusement center and before that as Speedway 17. These days,
however, the exterior is as plain as ever, but the interior is bursting at the seams with
furniture galore. It’s a paradise for the affluent shopper, especially those with
nothing specific in mind. One area has dozens of couches lined up side by side. The beds
are in another section with massive headboards towering toward the ceiling or intricate
white-washed wrought iron frames dwarfed by their nearby mahogany neighbors. Needlepoint
throw pillows grace the overstuffed couch in one side room, which is almost filled by a
single huge mirror. Most evident at this Brandon are both the quality of the wares for
sale as well as the prices that are well below usual retail.
“Everything’s popular,” said Cardona. “We sell whatever’s on the
floor and everything sells. We’ve been having a really good business. Sometimes we
can reorder things, but if you’re looking for something, it’s best to just stop
back every week to check what’s come in. The staff helps the customer with options,
mixing and matching items. The most important things are the prices. I’ve had
customers disbelieving the prices when I told them. Having been open a month and a half,
we’ve been getting more and more business.”
The Brandon Company is headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida. Stores currently operate
in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Virginia. At least one
opening is planned for the coming year, and the company is franchising. Terms of lease
depend on property, location, and the landlord’s offer.
For further information, contact Jim Brandon, Brandon Importing Company, 3661 West Blue
Heron Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33404; 561-881-1203, Fax 561-881-7001.