GASTONIA, N.C. — A family-run furniture store is set to close soon after serving Gastonia for nearly 80 years.
Biggerstaff Furniture on West Franklin Boulevard was passed down through four generations.
Biggerstaff was one of the leading furniture stores in Gastonia for decades.
There were several factories producing material within walking distance when it opened in 1948.
The owner said those workers could come inside and touch the material they made.
They could literally buy their own work. He said that sense of ownership went away when those factories shut down.
Sales at Biggerstaff and at other furniture stores have slumped.
Now they are trying to liquidate their supply.
Biggerstaff used to order more inventory two or three times a year. It’s been a year and a half since they needed more, so now all sales are final until the last piece is gone.
“For me personally, it feels like the end of an era, and lord willing, we’ll move on from here into better things,” said owner Bobby Biggerstaff. “When one door closes, another will hopefully open.”
Biggerstaff said he still tries to buy pieces from this region, but it’s not the same, and now, many customers don’t visit a showroom at all.
“People can just order on the internet and get something the next day,” the store owner said. “No one seems to appreciate something custom-made here in America anymore or quality.”
Slashing prices to sell it all has led to a jump in sales. They predicted selling everything in three months. Biggerstaff said it is going much faster than expected.