RED DEER, Alberta – The regional bedding chain, has opened a second store here in an expansion plan that was interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eric Buchfink, chief executive officer of the family operated sleep specialist, told Home Goods Online Mattress Mattress (MM) actually got its start in this city back in June 1994.
By Michael J. Knell
© Windsor Bay Communications Inc. Reprinted here with permission.
Red Deer County Mayor Jim Wood (centre right) is seen here cutting the ribbon with Mattress Mattress chief executive officer Eric Buchfink (centre left) to officially open the latest addition to the sleep specialist’s chain in the Gasoline Alley neighbourhood of Red Deer, Alberta.“Our first store was in North Red Deer across from the Brick,” he explained.
“We then opened a second store in South Red Deer in 1996. It’s one of our best stores and is still in the original location. We closed the north store in 2015 because once the Brick moved it affected traffic big time.”
So, even though six years have gone by, the new unit is a replacement store but this one is located in the Red Deer neighbourhood called Gasoline Alley with the local Costco Canada warehouse and a Leon’s Furniture franchise store nearby to help generate traffic. “I’ve owned the land for years and finally developed it,” Buchfink said.
The new Gasoline Alley store covers 6,000 square feet – a 2,400 square foot showroom with warehouse space – with some 30 mattresses on displays and a full-time staff of two, supported by a single part-timer.
A member of the Saskatoon-based Mega Group, Mattress Mattress currently operates 17 stores – 15 are corporately owned and two are licensed – mainly in Alberta although there are single stores in both Kelowna, British Columbia and Regina, Saskatchewan.
The company plans to open its 18th store in early 2023 in the Calgary neighborhood called Buffalo Run – right next to Costco. Buchfink is also expanding his licensing division and wants to recruit potential partners in Alberta and British Columbia as well as Ontario and Quebec.
Read the full article on Home Goods Online.