New kid on the square
At first glance, Robb & Stucky looks like an ordinary furniture store. Its two-story location in Town Square is filled with sofas, chairs, dining tables, bedroom suites and more. But a closer inspection reveals there is nothing ordinary about this new store.
From the one-of-a-kind pieces on the showroom floor to the walls that are imbedded with crystals and painted to match the furnishings on display, the retailer is devoted to helping its customers create the ideal interior to fit their lifestyles.
"You can’t look at us as just a furniture store. You have to look at us as a design firm within a furniture store," said Fred Berk, president and chief operating officer.
To this end, the retailer houses a complete interior design service staffed by 17 designers who are capable of working on everything between a home’s foundation and its ceiling. There is an expansive resource library with thousands of fabric and trim samples along with product catalogs, and private presentation areas that are set up for color-board displays and are linked via a 50-inch flat-screen television to a computer-aided design program.
In addition to the designers, the staff has 18 sales representatives, including experts in the fields of lighting, flooring and art who were hand-picked from across the nation.
"You literally don’t have to go anywhere else (to decorate your home). If we don’t have it on the floor, we have access to it," said Doug Correll, general manager of the store.
This includes items not typically found in a furniture store, such as fine china, flatware and bedding. Other features of the showroom include a gift boutique, an art shop and a framing department.
The showroom itself is an extension of the design service, allowing clients to experience first-hand how colors, textures and furnishings work together to create the perfect interior.
Within the 90,000-square-foot showroom, there are moderate to high-end furnishings, including sofas that start at $900 and sectionals and beds that start at $999, Berk said.
There also are furnishings that cost significantly more such as Chinese antiques that are certified to be at least 100 years old, tables made of hand-cut and set diamond-shaped pieces of mesquite, armoires made out of pieces of intricate inlaid wood panels from centuries-old Italian villas, a coffee table and matching end table made out of pieces of 200 million-year-old petrified wood, and a pair of red leather lambskin sofas.
"If you look at the pricing and relate it to value, you’ll find that price is not the issue," Berk said. "We really understand and cater to the luxury buyer as well as the aspirational buyer."
Berk said building the valley showroom has been a four-year labor of love for the Fort Myers, Fla.-based retailer.
"Our whole desire here is to create that ‘wow’ factor. We want you to walk in and say wow. We want you to be able to walk in here and get design ideas."
Four staff members work exclusively on creating the displays, which change constantly as new merchandise is received.
Correll said the store is the retailer’s crown jewel.
"We’ve taken everything we’ve learned from our 28 other stores across the United States and put it into this store. There’s a lot to absorb. I think it will take two or three trips to the store to see what it’s all about."
Berk said each location is designed to meet the geographical needs and demographics of the area. "Twenty-five percent of the merchandise on the floor here you won’t find in Florida."
Instead of sorting the furnishings by function or manufacturer, the sofas, chairs, accents, dining tables and more are grouped by lifestyle. "We mix products from different vendors to get the feel of a specific lifestyle," Correll said.
For example, one area is designated as resort lifestyle to help customers re-create those feelings they get when they go on vacation. In this area, there are furnishings with a British Colonial look, pieces that are imported from Mexico and those that reflect the colors found in the islands.
Many of the pieces throughout the store are exclusive to Robb & Stucky, and there also are several lines created by the retailer itself specifically for its clients.
In some instances, customers also can also create their own designs. An area of the store is devoted to dining tables that allow customers to select their choice of base, top, chair and upholstery material.
Correll said the store stocks $100 million worth of merchandise so that it can deliver pieces in as little as five days. Naturally, it takes a little longer to get custom furniture.
Additionally, the Las Vegas showroom is the company’s first location to display indoor and outdoor furnishings under one roof.
"Outdoor living has become incorporated into our lives, and in most cases is just separated by a thin piece of glass," Correll said, adding that many of the furnishings created for outdoor use are beautiful and practical enough to be used indoors as well.
Aside from the unique, quality furnishings themselves, key to Robb & Stucky’s operation is the level of service it provides to its customers. Correll likens it to a hotel’s concierge that handles any issues that may arise, often anticipating a customer’s needs before they become apparent.
Ellie Stanisci, who heads the interior design division, said that philosophy applies from the moment someone walks into the store to the white-glove delivery service. "If we can’t get it to you to enjoy, then it doesn’t matter."
Correll takes ensuring the best level of service so seriously that he makes a point of personally calling customers to make sure they are happy with their purchases and overall experience at the store.
The Robb & Stucky showroom is located at 6521 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, call 531-0531 or visit www.RobbStucky.com.
