Bruce Furniture's doors officially opened in May of 1977. I still remember the very first customer who walked through the door and the first piece of merchandise we sold: $178 swivel rocker.
It was a two-person operation for the first few years in Alliance. Donna and I did everything ourselves, working seven days a week with help of high school student to deliver in evenings. The fire still burned bright even though the challenges were many. Bruce Furniture was alive!
We quickly learned that we had to do run our store a little differently than the traditional home furnishings operation. The marketing gurus all said find your niche and cater to them. Problem is that we had a lot of different customers with a lot of different needs. One wanted a $2000 all-leather sofa, the next wanted to spend that same amount for a sofa PLUS a love seat, coffee table, end tables, and two lamps! Our response: ''We need to try being all things to all people. We'll get that item for you!” To date, nearly 40% of our sales can be attributed to custom orders.
Ambition and family needs in central Nebraska led to the move to Hastings in 1984. Purchasing a larger store in a larger trade area presented new opportunities and challenges not faced before - such as more inventory, more employees, more advertising, and more hours at work. We brought with us the same principles that grew the Alliance store and phased those in to this operation.
Being the new guy in town meant spending a few years to prove ourselves. And that's the way it should be. We had to earn customers trust.
Downtown Kearney on the Bricks
