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About Coast river business journal. (Astoria, OR) 2006-current | View Entire Issue (July 10, 2020)
BUSINESS NEWS Coast River Business Journal Meet the Merchant July 2020 • 3 Interview by Luke Whittaker lwhittaker@crbizjournal.com J & S Appliance and Home Furnishings Brian Tucker, general manager CRBJ STAFF Editor/Publisher Matt Winters editor@crbizjournal.com Reporter Luke Whittaker lwhittaker@crbizjournal.com Office Coordinator Marlene Quillin mquillin@chinookobserver.com Phone: (503) 861-0929 Address: 529 Marlin Ave, Warrenton Website: www.jandsappliance.com How long have you worked at J&S? “15 years.” How did you get started? “I graduated college and came up here for the summer, in between graduate school, and just never left. Group Publisher Kari Borgen kborgen@dailyastorian.com Can you tell me about the products or services you offer? “We service and sell appliances. We also sell mattresses and home furnishings.” Advertising Director Sarah Silver ssilver@dailyastorian.com What accounts for a majority of business? “It’s about 40% appliances, 40% furniture and 20% service.” Layout/Design John D. Bruijn jbruijn@dailyastorian.com What would you estimate is the volume? “We do about $1 million in appliances, $1 million in furniture and $500,000 in service every year.” NEXT ISSUE Publication Date: August 12, 2020 Advertising Deadline: July 29, 2020 CONTACT CRBJ Submit news: news@crbizjournal.com Website: CoastRiverBusinessJournal.com Coast River Business Journal 205 Bolstad S. Suite 2, P.O. Box 427 Long Beach, WA 98631 Phone 800-643-3703 Coast River Business Journal is published the second week of every month. Opinions expressed by contributing writers and guest columnists do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Publisher. Letters to the Editor will be accepted, and will be printed at the discretion of the Editor. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. © Copyright 2020 Coast River Business Journal CRBJ is part of EO Media Group Is it changing? “The ratio hasn’t really changed, just the volume.” What in particular are you doing more of? “Everything. As the area has grown, the volume has gone up.” Have consumer tastes/demands changed? “Not in the last couple of years, it’s been pretty stable. We haven’t seen a lot of change in terms of taste in furniture.” What are people usually seeking when they come in? “Motion furniture, a lot of lift chairs and a lot of double reclining sofas and love seats. They’ve been our best sellers.” ES REBAT 85 $30-$ OR & INVEST IN YOUR HOME & SAVE PER DO W WINDO What are the benefits of those? “A lot of people get the power version, and that way they don’t have to worry about using the handle. With a lot of older people in the county, it’s just beneficial for them not to have to use their arms and legs to recline. What are some of latest products? “They’ve come out with voice command in some of the furniture now. It’s a new product that’s been out less than a year. They’re just coming out with adjustable lumbar as well, so they have adjustable headrest, lumbar and recline all in one now.” How do chairs today compare to 10 or 15 years ago? “Most all of them now with power have a USB port to charge your phone or iPad. A lot now are coming with extra storage in the arms. Then there’s adjustable headrests and lumbar. It’s almost like they’re a car seat now in terms of how adjustable they are.” What should people consider or be mindful of when looking to purchasing a chair? “That it fits you correctly. If it’s not comfortable there’s no point in buying it. It has to fit you correctly.” What should people be wary of when buying furniture online? “Buying furniture online is a crapshoot. You can’t tell the scale or how firm it is. I think that’s why we’re thriving in this economy even as it is, where everyone is buying everything online. It’s one of those things where people might do it once (buy furniture online) but then they see it’s not what they want. The brick and mortar stores are still there and have the product in the store, so you know what’s going to fit you and what kind of comfort is it.” What impact has the covid-19 pandemic had on the business? “For the first month it was like a ghost town. I didn’t sell one piece of furniture. It hurt us for about a month. But once those stimulus checks started rolling in and we started opening up, we had sales explode. Right now, with the supply chain as weak as it is, we’ve had a lot of difficulty getting freezers, washers and refrigerators, those have been a real challenge.” v Serving Rockaway Beach to the Washington Peninsula Now is the Time-Don’t Wait Offer valid June 8 - August 10, 2020 Receive your 1. Purchase Amazon.com Gift Card 2. Register Rebate in 3 easy Steps! 3. Receive Card *Restrictions apply. See online for details. 503.717.2231 | www.luckyductllc.com Residential • Commercial (503)717-0555 • 2793 Hwy 101 N., Gearhart • www.kiwiglass.com Licensed, Bonded & Insured • OR CCB#119815 • WA#KIWIGI00217 P.O. Box 979 | Seaside, OR | renae@luckyductllc.com | CCB#206236
