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nAfter writing a nostalgic article about Marlo’s, I wondered how long Marlo Furniture has been around Washington. Over 50-years. Marlo Furniture has actually been in Washington longer than I have! "Marlo Furniture
opened its first store in 1955. Today, Marlo Furniture is the largest
furniture retailer in the Washington, D.C. area and one of America’s
top 70 furniture retailers. Over one million Washingtonians have
purchased their furniture from Marlo Furniture." (Via Memes.org and Chris Abraham Online and MySpace)   

Marlo Furniture Does 50 Better than Washington

Marlow’s Alexandria Showroom Gets A $2.5 Million Renovation

  Marlo Furniture
opened its first store in 1955. Today, Marlo Furniture is the largest
furniture retailer in the Washington, D.C. area and one of America’s
top 70 furniture retailers. Over one million Washingtonians have
purchased their furniture from Marlo Furniture.

  Marlo Furniture showrooms across the region are celebrating 50 years in business, and the grand re-opening of the Alexandria
store. Known as the "flagship store," the Alexandria showroom has
received a 2.5 million dollar renovation. Ideally situated at the
intersection of Interstate 95 and 395,

Marlo will provide a
new shopping experience for their customers. Neal Glickfield, President
of Marlo Furniture explains, "I grew up in this business, and I
understand that consumers today are savvy, and style and value
conscious. I developed a new concept that speaks to the needs of our
customers. My vision for 8-Stores-Under-One-Roof allows my customer the
convenience of finding the perfect furniture for their home and at
affordable prices. I put fun back into shopping for furniture!"

The Marlo Furniture 8-Stores-Under-One-Roof concept is successful. In
fact, sales have far exceeded expectations. That makes sense: the Marlo
showrooms are easy to navigate and provide added convenience to
shoppers.

The width and breadth of furniture and accessories
is outstanding. New merchandise arrives weekly to appeal to the broader
client base that Marlo Furniture serves in their four Washington area
showrooms.

Glickfield says, "There’s something for everyone.
We have included a variety of new designers to enhance our existing
product line. Our buyers travel the four corners of the world for new and exciting pieces, and because we buy direct, we pass the savings to our customers."

Marlo Furniture is the largest furniture retailer in the greater
Washington D.C. area and one of America’s top 70 furniture retailers.
Over one million Washingtonians have purchased furniture from Marlo.
This family owned business was founded in 1955, and today has four
retail showrooms and two distribution centers totaling over 600,000
square feet and over 350 employees. New plans are underway for
expansion in Bowie, Maryland and Chantilly, Virginia. Marlo Furniture
combines style, buying power, and selection into an incomparable
shopping experience in their 8-stores-under- one-room showrooms. Marlo
Furniture is conveniently located around the beltway: Rockville, MD,
Laurel, MD, Forestville, MD, and Alexandria, VA.

  More information at http://www.marlofurniture.com

  Marlo marks 50th anniversary with new image, showroom
  by Katie Wilmeth, The Examiner

Alexandria - Washington’s largest independent furniture retailer is getting a multimillion-dollar face-lift.

  Marlo Furniture unveiled a new showroom and a new image last week to coincide with the company’s 50th anniversary.

The redesign, unveiled at the store’s flagship Alexandria location,
includes the addition of upscale furniture designers and a showroom
that allows customers to shop by style rather than category.

The redesign is part of the company’s strategy to keep up with changing
customer expectations and expand its customer base, said Neal
Glickfield, president of Marlo Furniture.

  "It’s more about lifestyle and less about the product," he said.

  The new concept splits the showroom into eight mini-showrooms, each with its own look.

  For example, customers can shop for modern, traditional or designer furniture.

Marlo is spending $2.5 million to overhaul each of its four locations.
The Forestville location opened with the new design last year and the
Rockville and Laurel locations are undergoing renovations for a 2007
opening. The company will also open new stores in Chantilly and Bowie
next year.

The timing of the new image will be lucrative for
Marlo, said Ellen Davis, a spokeswoman for the National Retail
Federation, a Washington-based trade group.

"Consumers have
proven over the last few years that they’re willing to spend on
furniture," said Davis. "People have learned that they don’t need to
have the same dining room table for the rest of their lives."

The proliferation of home decorating shows and a strong housing market
over the last five years boosted furniture sales in the U.S., Davis
said. Furniture sales increased by nearly 60 percent between 1995 and
2005 with sales last year alone of $59 billion.

With addition
of upscale designers and a layout that is more in line with today’s
big-name furniture retailers, Marlo will also increase its customer
base, said Glickfield.

The store traditionally targeted
middle-income women ages 25 to 54 — the same demographic that typically
watches home decorating shows. He expects more customers with higher
incomes will venture into Marlo, something he’s already seen in the
Forestville location. It’s those shoppers that will be the key to
increased revenues, Davis said.

"High-end shoppers tend to buy more furniture and they are willing
to spend more money," she said. "Why would a store like [Marlo] want to
go upscale? Consumers have proven furniture is an area where they are
willing to invest."
  kwilmeth@dcexaminer.com

   

Is Marlo Furniture Still a Washington Tradition?

I have been in DC since 1988, nearly 20-years. After waxing nostalgic about Marlo’s and then exploring the history of Marlo Furniture, I wonder how Marlo Furniture is doing. The prognosis is good, actually.

  Since this is all because I watch too much TV and have been seeing commercials about Bedrooms at Marlo’s, I thought I would look just a little bit further.

  Well, Marlo Furniture seems to be doing well enough to have launched a bunch of new sites, Marlo Traditional Furniture, Marlo Contemporary Furniture, Marlo Reclining Furniture, Marlo Leather Furniture, Marlo Bedrooms, Marlo Dining Rooms, Marlo Children’s Funiture, their Marlo Charitable Foundation, and a site called My Marlo.

  Interesting. Seems like the Washington tradition, Marlo Furniture, is getting it’s second-wind! Go Washington business!

Holy moly, I have been in DC for 2/5th of the time that Marlo Furniture
has been in business! Egad! Marlo’s was "only" 30 when I came to
college at GWU.

 

Fond Memories of Marlo Furniture in Washington

I just saw an ad on TV for Bedrooms at Marlo. Marlo’s Marlo’s Marlo’s!
When I arrived in Washington with my mom at the tender age of 18,
preparing for my first days as a Freshman at GW, the first place we
stopped was Marlo Furniture right in the heart of Washington.

  My mother and I remember that there was a Marlo’s
in Chinatown, although I don’t know if we remember right. What we
remember is that Marlo’s was and always has been a mainstay of
Washington, DC. It has been nearly 20-years hence and Washington looks
nothing like it once did. At all. Except for Marlo Furniture.

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