Ashley Furniture Plans to Open 300 Small Furniture Stores in 2010
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinelreports that Ashley Furniture plans open 300 new small furniture stores this year. The stores will offer furniture deals focused on different price points, such as "all sofas for $399" or "all rugs for $99." The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story says the stores are designed to hold a lot of furniture despite the small size of the stores.
"We've developed a concept to use vertical height," Lebensburger explained.
A cantilever frame will allow the stores to stack sofas or dressers, and a "Hollywood Squares" style fixture will put nightstands high off the floor.
Ashley hasn't announced a name for the new chain yet, but the first prototype has opened in 3,800 square feet of space in a mall in Pottstown, Pa.
Ashley Furniture Homestores has over 400 stores in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America, and Japan according to the Wikipedia entry. The stores are independently owned.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 
