Thread: Is the drive worth it?

We are vacationing this week and I find myself about an hour from Green Front furniture's largest location in Farmville, VA.

Has anyone been there?

Is it worth an hour drive?

I know it's large, but I think I could navigate the span of the buildings. I am just wondering if the prices there are really as great as the are supposed to be to justify driving there, shopping, and then having the pieces shipped home.

(And if I posted this in the wrong place, feel free to move it where it needs to go!)

Sure, Greenfront in Farmville is an experience quite like no other furniture operation. Its actually most the whole town, with a network of unconnected old buildings none of which have any heat or cooling. Avoid when its really cold, or really hot and humid. They buy a lot of market showrooms from the High Point market, so floor models are superb deals whereas ordering is more mainstream priced. Some floor models will show noticeable wear and tear, but prices are right on them.

Originally Posted by kls_spencer

Has anyone been there?

Is it worth an hour drive?

Never been, but I have bought furniture from the Manassas warehouse. It was really hit or miss with respect to selection. I hear the attitude of the sales staff is much different their Farmville location, for better or for worse I can't tell.

Regardless, I'm interested in hearing how you fare down south - so please post impressions!

Good luck!

Well, I made the drive and went today. A couple of things stand out:

1. Selection - amazing. Really. It is fabulous. I have never been anywhere like it. Every brand, style, and item you can imagine. Rugs. Lamps. Upholstered items. Case Goods. Sinks. Bed linens. Decorative accessories. Tassels. Paintings. Lampshades. Window treatments. EVERYTHING you can think of. It was awesome. I wanted to redo my entire home!

2. Service. It was appalling. We got the most service in the first building we went in. The person behind the counter gave us a map of the buildings. Really, that's all he did. No other sales people. I have no idea if any of the pieces were able to go today or were for order; what was on sale; what was not on sale; anything. When he saw us he smiled (I guess that's a good thing) and I told him it was our first time there and the items I was looking for specifically. His response to that was to give me a map. Gee, thanks. When we left he was talking on his cell phone. I understand it may have been an emergency, but I didn't get that feeling. The second building we went in had one person, again behind a counter, who just looked at us. No words. I smiled at her and she smiled back. Again, I guess I should be thankful I got that much. When we came back by the counter she was gone. Were we alone? The third building we tried to go in was locked even though it was after the time it was to open. The last building we went in was dark. The door was unlocked, but no one was inside and the lights were all off. I saw some things that interested me - if the lights were on I am sure I would have found more, but how could I have purchased it?

3. Their website lists specific manufacturer closeouts and items that are reduced even further but there is no way to tell, once you are in the buildings, where these things are. That part was REALLY confusing. I can't wander ALL the buildings and read ALL the labels to see the manufacturer - if they would organize it in some fashion it would be so much easier. Or maybe if someone would have explained it to me it would have been so much easier.

It probably sounds like I am a crochety, angry customer. I am not, but I expect to receive at least a tiny amount of customer service and assistance. Even one "Can I help you?" would have made my day. So I am torn. I would love to go back and look at everything again (maybe contact someone who works there ahead of time and arrange a time to meet and look at specific things??) but I almost refuse to go back since this experience was so bad.

Hi KLS_Spencer,
Go to the "contact us" on the Green Front website. Then cut and paste your comments above and send to them via their "Contact Us / Request a Quote" form. Also add how much potential business they lost because of their poor customer service.

I wonder if they even care though. If they do, they should use your experience today and make necessary improvements to their customer "service".

Greenfront is my favorite store to go shop the competition, and to look at other lines I might be interested in carrying in my store. Why? Because in all the times I go there never once has anyone offered to help me, so I am left to my own devices to explore. And I've been in their operation over twenty times!

Greenfront has three reasons why its a successful store (IMHO):

First, they are a direct imported of Oriental and Turkish rugs. Huge profit margins when you do that.

Second, they have the buying power and square footage to buy the showrooms at the High Point Market at massive discounts. How does that work you ask? Well, at every market (every 6 months) the manufacturers like to build and show all new product. A typical showroom will have 250 to 300 pieces of upholstery or case goods on display. The manufacturers sell the showroom every market, to ONE buyer (they usually won't split it up into more than two buyers). In return for taking everything, they get to buy it for 20% to 30% below wholesale cost. Then the retails like Greenfront pump the product on their floor and try to sell it off before the next market so they can buy another showroom.

Finally, they buy distressed and overstock goods like nobody's business. If "ABC Furniture Store" has 40 pieces on order with a manufacturer then runs into financial problems and can't take delivery, that manufacturer turns to a high volume store like GF to get rid of that order ASAP for cash, so they get a nice discount below normal dealer cost on it and again - push it all on the floor to blow it out.

The floor display pricing is excellent, but the downside is much of it is 'designer funky' and a lot of it is shopworn not only from the hundreds of dealers that sit and try it out at market, but from being transported from the showroom in High Point uncartoned. If you're looking for pure and unworn pieces, this store is probably not the best bet for floor models. If you know what you want, and can find something you like on the floor, it can be a heck of a deal. If you want the kind of customer service you get at my store, you will never find it there, nor will you that anything built to order is priced all that aggressively.

I don't think its so much they should be a disappointing shopping experience, its more just understanding their operation and that you'll always be 'on your own' in their stores for the most part. The stores are a bit 'ratty' for my tastes and poorly display the furniture, but thats the way they operate - and they're successful.