Nebraska Furniture Mart

[Stargazer]

How long can it be before the St Louis, Denver, Minneapolis stores are proposed?

[urban-photos.com]

How long can it be before the St Louis, Denver, Minneapolis stores are proposed?

Or a second store in KC.  I live in the east suburbs of KC and don't make the trek to western KCK too often.  I doubt many others do either.

[nebugeater]

I would guess that Denver is the next location.  From a person I know that used to work there the story always was that the delivery areas from Omaha for large metro's was #1 KC and #2 Denver.

[jsheets]

Or a second store in KC.  I live in the east suburbs of KC and don't make the trek to western KCK too often.  I doubt many others do either.

True, but how often do you need to buy furniture?

[j4nu]

We ventured over to the store on Saturday.  It is very cool and the new layout is much easier to navigate.  Any new competition is going to have a difficult time competing with this goliath.

[NovakOmaha]

How long can it be before the St Louis, Denver, Minneapolis stores are proposed?

I wouldn't hold my breath.  It's going to be a long time, if ever.

[Stargazer]

 well, I promise I won't hold my breath... but it's hard to imagine a move into these markets wouldn't be met with the same type of success they've seen in KC.  I know many people from these cities... they're all well aware of the Mart... just as KC residents were a number of years ago.

[nebugeater]

I was in the NFM earlier this week and saw something I had not seen before.  From the signage it looks to be very new.  Was in there in the middle of the day a few days before Christmas and do not remember seeing the stuff then and I think I would have noticed.  "What are you talking about" you say.  

They now have store branded items under the name Berkshire.  The items I saw included some basic LCD TV's, DVD players, Power conditioners, TV wall mounts, and cables.  There are probably more items but that is what I noticed.  Anyone else seen this or know for sure when it started?  They had some signs by a couple of the TV's saying in efect "Introducing our Berksire branded TV's

On a separate note the 80" Sharp LCD TV that was on display right inside the main door to the Electronics area was mind blowing.

[Stargazer]

I guess Novak was right... who would have thought they'd expand to Dallas next.  ;)

[iamjacobm]

They broke ground on their insanely sized Texas facility today.  It will go by "The Nebraska Furniture Mart of Texas."  According to the OWH adding Texas to the name was to appeal to the states large ego  :lol:.

[omadweller]

OWH news: http://www.omaha.com/article/20121227/M ... -omaha-too

Situated less than 500 yards from the Mart on 72nd and just south of Rose Blumkin Drive

The new brick “wing,” which is being remodeled in anticipation of the company's May 2015 opening of the Dallas store, will become part of the Mart's corporate headquarters.

Batt said it will house at least 175 workers, the same number of people the Mart has said it plans to hire in Omaha over the next three years.

[NovakOmaha]

I guess Novak was right... who would have thought they'd expand to Dallas next.  ;)

Bob Batt said this is a generational move.  It took a very long time to put together & the generation that runs the store now won't, in all likelihood, open another one.  

I am not sitting in the board room when the decisions are made so don't point fingers if they announce 100 new stores next year.

[NovakOmaha]

OWH news: http://www.omaha.com/article/20121227/M ... -omaha-too

Situated less than 500 yards from the Mart on 72nd and just south of Rose Blumkin Drive

The new brick “wing,” which is being remodeled in anticipation of the company's May 2015 opening of the Dallas store, will become part of the Mart's corporate headquarters.

Batt said it will house at least 175 workers, the same number of people the Mart has said it plans to hire in Omaha over the next three years.

Take a look at the KC store and the Dallas store and compare them to the Omaha store.  My personal opinion is that the Omaha store pales in comparison.  The Omaha store is pieced together, part old post office, part metal warehouse, Mrs. B's is an old warehouse.  By comparison the KC store is all under one roof, every inch planned, a very nice looking store and you don't have to go outside to go from one department to another.  For a flagship store it doesn't look very flag-shippy.  On the other hand, there aren't many options for furniture, carpet, appliance & electronics in Omaha, so why bother?  Got it.

[iamjacobm]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20130619/M ... adquarters

More than 160 employees, including the Mart's IT, e-commerce and accounting departments have moved into the 44,000-square-foot building, which the Mart purchased last June for $1.2 million. The renovation cost $7.4 million, said Ryan Blumkin, one of the company's fourth-generation executives.

[skinzfan23]

NFM has a Samsung 105-inch UHD curved tv on display this weekend until Sunday. The price is $119,999. Looks like I am going to have to do a lot of sucking up to my wife.

[Brad]

NFM has a Samsung 105-inch UHD curved tv on display this weekend until Sunday. The price is $119,999. Looks like I am going to have to do a lot of sucking up to my wife.

Lol...

[iamjacobm]

#BHW2015

[jessep28]

NFM has a Samsung 105-inch UHD curved tv on display this weekend until Sunday. The price is $119,999. Looks like I am going to have to do a lot of sucking up to my wife.

Five years from now, the same TV will probably be sold at Walmart for $600.

[skinzfan23]

Here is a picture of the very first NFM @ 20th and Farnam:

[EastCB]

I remember that store. We bought our first living room furniture there when I was at ISU. Does that date me???

[RNcyanide]

How long ago has it been since that store was there?

[skinzfan23]

Sounds like NFM had another record day of sales with Berkshire. They did $9 million in sales in one day, which topped the previous mark of $8.2 million.

[daveoma]

Here is a picture of the very first NFM @ 20th and Farnam:

Is this looking west? I'm having a hard time placing it. If this is facing west then right now there is a bank parking lot.

[guy4omaha]

The cars are pointed west and the camera is looking east.

[Erik]

I just saw the NFM in KC.

Thanks Buffett for having your flagship be the worst. Just rename the damn thing to The Mart.

[Brad]

Nebraska Furniture Mart or 'NFM'? Omaha-based store rolls out new logo

https://www.omaha.com/money/nebraska-fu ... 8b02e.html

The iconic Nebraska Furniture Mart is slowly introducing a sleeker and decidedly shorter logo — “NFM.”

But the retailer is phasing in the new “NFM” logo and branding, and at some point will replace the “Nebraska Furniture Mart” exterior signage on its Dallas-area store with a new NFM sign, according to a report in the Dallas Morning News. (The Morning News said the signage will change around April 2020, but Shefsky said Monday that there’s no specific timeline.)

[nebugeater]

Did they design it with Paintshop for windows 3

[NovakOmaha]

I was talking to a friend from Des Moines. NFM bought an abandoned grocery store in Des Moines and moved its store there. I admit that it's a much smaller store than the one in Omaha with a limited selection and they also own Homemakers Furniture in Des Moines. In addition, Homemakers has expanded quite a bit in the time they've been owned by NFM. My point is that it's true that the Omaha campus is clearly the ugliest one in the NFM empire, AND there is precedent for relocating a store. The fact is that I'm under the impression that with the market share they have in Omaha there really isn't much of a motivation to relocate or upgrade or modernize the Omaha campus. Compared to the KC, Dallas, Des Moines NFM and Homemakers, the Omaha campus is an embarrassment. But hey, there's a sale going on right now! Hurry!

P.S. The Texas store and the development they are doing around it are unbelievable. Google Grandscape and see what they are doing. The only thing wrong with it is the name, in my opinion.

[NovakOmaha]

Did they design it with Paintshop for windows 3

I think you're giving them too much credit. Had they given me the $100 they paid whoever to design it, and if it was more than that they overpaid, I think even I could have done a better job.

[ScrattyB]

Seems multi-purpose to me. Works for building signage, works on thermal paper receipts, works as an app icon for smart devices. But yeah, that should have cost them $100 but I bet they paid a team thousands of dollars for a rebranding plan.

[WBR_Tom]

Gossiping with industry colleagues, it sounds like NFM's in-house marketing team is behind this. Their Omaha-based agency of record wasn't involved in the rebrand, at least not at a micro level.

I hesitate to critique too much without seeing the creative brief -- I will say they kept the late 80s/early 90s green squares from the old mark to make it feel more like a refresh than a rebrand, which is a good indication of where the client's head was at through the process. And whatever you think of it aesthetically this is an improvement in functionality; it will work much better in digital applications, it will reproduce better and bolder in print, it will let them make the sign larger without feeling obnoxious.

[NovakOmaha]

Gossiping with industry colleagues, it sounds like NFM's in-house marketing team is behind this. Their Omaha-based agency of record wasn't involved in the rebrand, at least not at a micro level.

I hesitate to critique too much without seeing the creative brief -- I will say they kept the late 80s/early 90s green squares from the old mark to make it feel more like a refresh than a rebrand, which is a good indication of where the client's head was at through the process. And whatever you think of it aesthetically this is an improvement in functionality; it will work much better in digital applications, it will reproduce better and bolder in print, it will let them make the sign larger without feeling obnoxious.

It also has the added value of this: Most in the Omaha area know NFM is Nebraska Furniture Mart. Some in DSM, KC & Texas may know it. In the not too distant future no one will care & it will be as meaningful as H & M is to that store. In the end it will be the name & folks just won't care. IKEA, H & M, T J Max, etc. Perhaps they are thinking long term with the idea of opening more stores in states where Nebraska Furniture Mart is unknown.

[Brad]

First National Bank of Omaha also recently re-branded as "FNBO".

[NovakOmaha]

First National Bank of Omaha also recently re-branded as "FNBO".

What's next? Brad Williams Photography is now BWP? Say it aint so! My biggest fear is that some snot nose buys a minor share in Brad Williams Photography & moves it to Atlanta or Dallas...

[Uffda]

What's next? Brad Williams Photography is now BWP? Say it aint so! My biggest fear is that some snot nose buys a minor share in Brad Williams Photography & moves it to Atlanta or Dallas...

How much is a share?

[Brad]

First National Bank of Omaha also recently re-branded as "FNBO".

What's next? Brad Williams Photography is now BWP?

Lol, that's what my wife and I call it!

While I have no plans to change the name, there are times I wish I picked a shorter name... Mostly when I am filling out a form and they only give me about an inch to write my email address...

[jessep28]

People I've spoken with from out of state are surprised that a store with the name furniture in it sells consumer electronics like cell phones. I guess I can see why dropping the full name makes sense.

[Padre]

It doesn’t bother me. It’s the same logic as Kentucky Fried Chicken going to KFC.

[NovakOmaha]

I read that the Mart has renovated Mrs. B's Warehouse. Ok, nice.

Of course, the flagship Omaha store is now the poor cousin in the chain. I get that they started with a clean slate in KC & Dallas but seriously, the current Omaha NFM arrangement is woefully lacking compared to the others. I also get that they own the Omaha market in a way that is unique and that they don't have a big incentive to build a new store comparable to the other. Finally I get that Berkshire has a profit incentive and thus there is no desire to build new simply as a favor to Omaha...Buffett has made that clear in the past.

So, enjoy the NEW Mrs. B's.

[ita]

I read that the Mart has renovated Mrs. B's Warehouse. Ok, nice.

Of course, the flagship Omaha store is now the poor cousin in the chain. I get that they started with a clean slate in KC & Dallas but seriously, the current Omaha NFM arrangement is woefully lacking compared to the others. I also get that they own the Omaha market in a way that is unique and that they don't have a big incentive to build a new store comparable to the other. Finally I get that Berkshire has a profit incentive and thus there is no desire to build new simply as a favor to Omaha...Buffett has made that clear in the past.

So, enjoy the NEW Mrs. B's.

We recently went to Mrs. B's and the rearrangement and update is a needed and nice change. Less clearance feel, but much better organized and clear where everything is. Anyway, it would be nice to have a new sparkly store, but from a business perspective, they don't need one. Now if another big time furniture store came in to put some pressure, maybe they would consider it, but when they are the only game in town, they really have no incentive.