Ashley Furniture Outlet opened in April 2021, replacing the
Barney’s Furniture location at 1987 W. Wabash Ave, but owner Barry Seidman said
he is now making changes to the business model and listing the building for sale.
“We made a decision to close our outlet store,” Seidman said.
“The outlet was a newer concept for Ashley (when we launched it), but for a
market this size we’ve realized we can get by with just one store.”
The Seidman family owns the Ashley HomeStore locations in
Springfield, Jacksonville and Quincy. The Springfield store at 2325 ChuckWagon
Drive in Prairie Crossing has been open since 2006, and Seidman said he plans
to “consolidate the merchandise and price points” to be able to offer outlet
items at the main location without having to operate a second store.
“We don’t need to try to cover the market with two separate locations,”
he said.
Ashley Corporation is the largest furniture retailer and
manufacturer in the world, with more than 1,100 stores operated by individual
licensees.
The Seidman family closed Barney’s Furniture in 2020 in order
to convert the location to an Ashley Furniture Outlet, although supply chain
issues related to the pandemic delayed the opening until the following year.
Now, Seidman said his focus is on expanding into other areas.
“We have been approved for new markets in Indiana, and we’re
pursuing opening the first store there in 2025,” Seidman said. “I wanted to get
(the Springfield store) consolidated before we embarked on this.”
Seidman said no definite closing date has been set for Ashley
Furniture Outlet. The remaining merchandise is currently being sold off as part
of a going-out-of-business sale.
