Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture, one of the fastest growing furniture retailers in the country, announced the opening of its new 50,000 square foot store in Braintree, Massachusetts.

The company purchased the 3.25-acre site and building at 180 Wood Road in October 2004, and has since transformed the building into a beautiful showroom both inside and out. Approximately 50 employees have been hired to staff the new store and to handle the increased capacity at the retailer’s Norton distribution center.

The company has done extensive renovations to the building including adding a new facade to the exterior to give it a clean, contemporary look. Inside, the store has been designed with an open, airy feeling to make it easy for
the customers to see the store’s shopping areas from all angles. Beautiful architectural columns, colorful and warm-toned walls, and track lighting have been installed to create an elegant and inviting backdrop to the furniture. Special murals – of Fenway Park in the youth section and a beach scene in the dinette area – add a lively atmosphere to the store.

The store features a wide selection of furniture that Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture sells, a large bedding area with an extensive array of Sealy Posturepedic and Stearns and Foster bedding, and a designated Berkline Comfort Gallery (which carries an extensive selection of the manufacturer’s recliner, motion, and leather furniture). The store also has a design center where customers can color coordinate wall paints and decor to the furniture they buy.

This is the company’s third major expansion in less than two years. In August 2003, Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture opened a 55,000 square foot store in Raynham, Massachusetts. In October 2003, the retailer completed its 86,000 square foot showroom in Nashua, New Hampshire. The new Braintree store will give Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture an expanded presence in the South Shore area, where the company got its start in 1983. The company’s 12,000 square foot Weymouth is being converted to a Bedding and Clearance Center that focuses exclusively on full-service bedding and clearance items.

“While it is always exciting to be opening a new store, this one is very special to us. We bought our first building in Weymouth in 1984 and have been here ever since. We have a strong customer base on the South Shore and it is such a great opportunity to be able to serve these loyal customers with a large and beautiful showroom that carries all of the incredible furniture that we’ve become known for,” said Bernie Rubin, chairman and co-founder of Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture.

With a focus on quality furniture at great prices, Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture has created a highly successful niche in a very competitive marketplace. Started by the Rubin family in 1983, the family-run business has grown into
the largest independent furniture retailer in Massachusetts. Sales revenues for 2004 were up 20% over the previous year and the company has experienced double-digit sales growth every year for over five years.

In 2004, Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture received the prestigious Better Business Bureau Local Torch Award for Excellence, which is given to companies that embody the highest ethical standards. In 2002, the company was named
“Retailer of the Year” by the National

Home Furnishings Association, which is the highest honor in the retail home furnishings industry. The company ranks 70 among the Top 100 furniture stores in the country according to Furniture/Today magazine.

Based in Norton, MA, Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture now has seven stores in New England: Braintree (50,000 s/f); Everett, MA (Bedding and Clearance Center); Nashua, NH (86,000 s/f); Raynham, MA (55,000 s/f); Saugus, MA (50,000 s/f); Westboro, MA (42,000 s/f); and Weymouth, MA (Bedding and Clearance Center).