Smitty’s Furniture, a familiar name in the city’s retail history, has returned to Barrie after quite a long absence.
The company has recently opened a showroom located at 491 Bryne Dr., just off Mapleview Drive West, with a plan to serve communities all along Highway 400.
They previously operated a location on Cedar Pointe Drive in Barrie from 1991 to 2008.
“It was a tough decision to leave the market, but at the time, it was also a tough time in the industry when we left,” Smitty’s president Chuck Phillips said at the store on Friday.
For at least five years, the company’s owner, Bob Gray, had been focused on trying to find a way to get back into the Barrie market.
“And it has been great,” Phillips said. “The response from Barrie customers has been very hospitable, warm and welcoming.”
They held their official grand opening on June 6, taking over the building which was previously the home of La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries.
This is the company's third location after Hanover and Kitchener.
“Our focus is on trying to sell Canadian manufactured furniture whenever possible,” Phillips explained. “It’s well over half of everything we sell. We are focused on selling quality furniture and, furthermore, our service is second to none in the industry.”
The origin of the company began in 1949 with Smitty’s Shopping Centre selling large appliances, hardware and groceries in Hanover.
In 1955, Smitty’s phased out their grocery selection to make way for more furniture, drapes and televisions.
Matt Gray is vice-president of operations at Smitty’s, and also the fourth generation in the family working with the business.
“The customers who experienced us (at the old Barrie location) still remember how great that experience was, so we are enjoying seeing those return customers,” he said.
Gray stressed the importance of offering something different, in his view, that of “good quality, customizable, Canadian-made furniture” from a selection of brands that are “actually made within a few hundred kilometres of the store,” if not closer.
“We are not beholden to the shipping container supply chain,” he added. “We buy Canadian and we sell Canadian, and customers enjoy supporting those local businesses.”
Phillips noted the response from the city has been “really special for us.”
For more information on the new Smitty’s Furniture location, visit its website.
