Jerry Thomas, center, director of sales at BlvdHome, accepts Furniture Today’s Retail Giant of Bedding Award from Mark Genender, interim CEO at Serta Simmons Bedding, and Sheila Long O’Mara, the publication’s executive editor (photo by Ariel Perez courtesy of Furniture Today).
BrandSource member receives Retail Giant Award
By Alan Wolf, YSN
BrandSource member BlvdHome was honored by the bedding industry this month at Furniture Today’s 19th annual Bedding Conference.
The event, held May 14-16 at the Hilton Beachfront Resort in Hilton Head, S.C., was highlighted by an Awards Dinner sponsored by Serta Simmons Bedding. There, Jerry Thomas, BlvdHome’s director of sales, accepted the publication’s Retail Giant of Bedding Award on behalf of his company.
Based in St. George, Utah, family-owned BlvdHome operates seven stores in Utah and Nevada — including four flagship stores, a Sleep Better mattress shop, a dedicated flooring store and an outlet center — with a total of over 250,000 square feet of showroom space. A complete home goods destination, the chain sells furniture, flooring, appliances and even a smattering of consumer tech in addition to mattresses.
Mattress Mecca
But it was the latter category for which Furniture Today’s award was bestowed. Besides the stores’ sprawling 50-bed selection featuring such brands as Aireloom, King Koil, Restonic, Serta and Tempur-Pedic, as well as its own a private-label HomeTown line, the business was lauded for its commitment to the health and wellness of its customers, as delivered through a better night’s sleep.
As Thomas told the publication, “We’re not just selling mattresses, we’re helping people sleep. There’s not another category we sell that has such a direct impact on people’s lives and wellbeing.”
Homeward Bound
The story of BlvdHome began in 1974, when Tony Wittwer decided to venture away from the family’s trucking and motel businesses and enter the world of furniture retail with just two full-time employees and a small, 8,000-square-foot showroom. As his nephew, COO Tyler Wittwer, noted on the occasion of their Las Vegas store opening last year, “He always did things big and in grand style, although sometimes he had to convince his brothers to go big. He has a great eye for furniture and kept immaculate facilities. We owe a debt of gratitude to him for helping us get to where we are today.”
Congratulations Tony, Tyler, Jerry and the entire BlvdHome team on your bedding industry accolades.
YSN publisher AVB BrandSource is the nation’s largest merchandising and marketing co-op for independent appliance, mattress, furniture and CE dealers.