BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AFTER one and a half years of planning and preparation, the anticipated launch of the Ashley Furniture Homestore took place this morning (Oct. 30) with crowds of potential customers thronging the store.
No sooner than the ribbon had been cut, symbolising the grand opening, many excited individuals rushed into the beautifully-decorated store to get a feel of the offerings and to feast their eyes on the furniture.
The store is situated on West Independence Square Street in the S. L. Horsford’s building on the eastern side of the street.
The local agent for Ashley Furniture is S. L. Horsford, and that company’s Chairman and Managing Director Anthony Kelsick told SKNVibes he is happy that the 18 months of preparation have resulted in the grand opening.
“I am happy to see the actual day arrive. Just minutes into the opening and many individuals are already flooding the store.”
The Ashley Furniture Homestore, according to Kelsick, is one of about four located within the Caribbean, including Antigua and Barbados.
Giving some insight into the type of furniture being offered and the prices, the Managing Director said all of them falls under four themes and that the prices are competitive.
“The offerings are furniture for the bedroom, living room and dining room. And there, of course, are accessories that help complement those things. The prices are going to be competitive, the quality is going to be very high.
“I think it makes more sense to buy the product here rather than going to the US Ashley Store and bringing it in. You will actually find that the prices here would be cheaper than if one goes through all that trouble, which is what maybe people have done in the past to get this quality of furniture. We have four different themes: Urbanology, Vintage Casual, Contemporary and Traditional Classic.”
SKNVibes spoke with a number of potential customers, all of whom gave their opinion on the quality and make of the products.
“They definitely have options with the style. I see traditional and contemporary, which is more modern and can take any generation at this time. But everything is beautiful! The prices are not too bad. I find the quality of the wood which was used to create the furniture makes it worth the price,” Kathy expressed.
Janet Burke simply indicated that “the quality of the pieces is very good”.
A gentleman who spoke with this publication on condition of anonymity said, “The furniture is really nice. I find that the prices are on par with others, but they could be a little lower.”
This publication observed a woman who, from the moment she entered the store, had her eyes transfixed on a particular chair to which she gravitated and in which she sat until she left the store. When questioned, she indicated that “it was soo comfortable that I just could not move out of it”.
The Ashley Furniture Homestore is opened for business from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays.
