Same place, very different store

Published 10:14 am Saturday, April 3, 2004

By By JAMES COLLINS / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- FurnitureFIND, formerly known as Bookout Furniture, celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday.
The 12,500 square-foot store, located at 2349 S. 11h St., will serve as Michiana's largest Broyhill furniture store.
Niles Township Supervisor Bill Meyers and FurnitureFIND retail store general manager Bob Harris cut the ribbon to formally announce the opening of the furniture showplace.
The newly-renovated store is in the same building as the old Bookout Furniture store on S. 11th Street.
He said the new store is a big improvement that now offers more selection and better presentation.
FurnitureFIND Corporation president Pamela Durkin stated the store's expert, friendly service and quality furniture will provide "a unique shopping experience not found anywhere else in Michiana."
FurnitureFIND was born in 1996 when Bookout Furniture, Inc. began a website to alert customers about their furniture specials.
Speers said the website did much better than expected and soon turned into a business that became larger than the store itself.
Today, furnitureFIND.com is the fastest-growing online furniture retailer in the country and the company has decided to call its retail stores by the same name.
FurnitureFIND was recently purchased by HQ Venture Capital Group out of South Bend, Ind.
The new retail store offers a large selection of furniture for dining rooms, bedrooms, living rooms, home entertainment and home office needs.
Speers said the store will continue to improve its appearance by adding a new facade, a new sign and having some extensive landscape work done in front.
FurnitureFIND is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.