RoomChoices Adds Bravata, Opens Galleries

August 9, 2006  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on August 2006 RoomChoices has named Doug Bravata vice president of business development. The industry veteran will manage the growth and licensing of RoomChoices gallery dealers.

Bravata has held management positions with retailers that include Seffner, Fla.-based Rooms to Go, and Kanes Furniture in Sarasota, Fla.

“Doug brings a new level of experience and perspective to our team,” said RoomChoices President Dale Nutter. “his retail background will be instrumental in the growth of our RoomChoices program.”

RoomChoices launched its concept of turnkey gallery programs for independent retailers last October. The program features goods from key manufacturers, as well as full-service logistics and technology.

McMinn’s of Odessa, Texas, opened the first RoomChoices gallery in March this year. Tom McMinn, a second-generation retailer, has dedicated 3,000 square feet of his store to showcase the private-label gallery program.

In April, Indian River Furniture opened a 3,000-square-foot RoomChoices Gallery in its 34,000-square-foot store in Rockledge, Fla. Owners Bridget Lilly and Forest Lilly are third-generation retailers who’ve developed a strong market niche in service and design for consumers.

RoomChoices added two more galleries in July with a 3,600-square-foot presentation at Colony House Furniture in Chambersburg, Pa.; and a 3,000-square-foot gallery at TEMA Contemporary Furniture in Albuquerque, N.M. Additional galleries set to open over the next few months include stores in Draper, Utah, and Traverse City, Mich.

Each of the RoomChoices galleries features private labeled full line furnishings from over 12 leading manufacturers, selected specifically to meet the needs of each market area and complement the stores’ merchandising strategy, with over 450 fabrics and a real time on-line inventory representing 100,000 square feet of product.