In 1994 Saundra’s Furniture and Design opened their doors in Colville, WA. This March they celebrate not only their 23rd anniversary, but also the one year anniversary of their coffee shop, Big Al’s. The name is a nod to Alan Wilma, founder of Saundra’s, who passed away before he was able to see the grand reopening of the new Saundra’s after the devastating fire of February 2013 that left Saundra’s Furniture in ashes. We spoke with the dynamic mother-daughter duo, Saundra Wilma and Genevieve Wilma Young, to learn what these past 23 years have meant to them.
Congratulations on the big anniversary! How have things changed in the past two decades with Saundra’s Furniture?
In the last 23 years several things have happened to mold us to how we are today. We have always tried to have the best value and brands for our customers. Since we have rebuilt our store, we have become a Hunter Douglas Centrian Dealer, La-Z-Boy Comfort Studio, Stressless Gallery, and most recently just became a Flexsteel Studio. These are goals we have been trying to accomplish for years and basically achieved all of them in the first year we opened our new store!
It is quite a different feeling to have hit so many milestones in just one year. When we burnt down in 2013, we also lost our CPA & my father, Alan Wilma, to cancer. Just a couple months before that we lost our general manager and accountant, Gary Young, to cancer. We had to rebuild everything from ashes.
We opened up temporary locations all around town to operate our business including in an abandoned pizza parlor for our mattress store, the basement of a bank for furniture, an old clothing store for inventory, and eventually were about to remodel our warehouse to have as a showroom that was only 6,000 sq feet. It took three years to open the new (28,000 sq foot) building on Main Street, that has a department-like feel with all the different galleries and studios we have.
It is the one year anniversary of Big Al’s Coffee Shop. What inspired you to go into the coffee shop business and what is the significance of Big Al’s?
Genevieve was the one who designed and opened up the coffee shop at Saundra’s that features a patio, indoor seating, and Craven’s Coffee.
Big Al’s is a nice place that we invite everyone to come and enjoy a cup of coffee or treat, and if they would like they can shop Saundra’s while they enjoy the special (and exclusive) Saundra’s Blend of Coffee. You can learn about Big Al in the shop with the different articles and memorabilia hanging around. It has a wonderful Northwest feel to it with the fishing theme and WSU Flag hanging up. I think Big Al would enjoy it; I know we have developed quite a following and our regulars are growing.
You’ve started an in-house newspaper recently, The Coffee Table Express. What led you to decide on creating a regular newsletter? Are there other businesses in the community that carry or contribute to it?
The Coffee Table Express was an inspiration from The Neighbors, the original newspaper started by my late father. It was a newspaper we created that promoted businesses in the area and was sent up to Canada when the dollar was strong. Canadians were looking for any excuse they could to come down here and Colville is a natural pathway to “the Big City” of Spokane. It has almost been a year of doing the newspaper and I am very happy with how it has gone. We are not trying to get rich off of it; we just wanted to have a way to connect with the community with articles about happenings and events as well as have community contests.
What sales and specials throughout the year would you like people to be aware of?
Our Anniversary Sale is in March and we like to celebrate all month long. We also have some specials during Memorial Day & Black Friday. But the most important thing is we have a price match guarantee that allows customers to shop us and we can price match any brick and mortar store in the tri-county area, as long as it is not a clearance item or ‘going out of business’ sale. Our customers love this because they know they can always get the lowest price.
What are some of your favorite pieces in the store?
Personally, my favorite recliners in the store are from Stressless by Ekornes. They make the world’s most comfortable recliners. I have been working my husband over for years and he finally has come to admit they are the best. You actually feel better after spending time in the recliner and I have better posture throughout the day. As for mattresses, the Englander Latex mattresses are the best. A little-known secret that I like to share with my customers is that there is only one thing that can break down latex and that is sunlight. Latex mattresses will last you a very long time and are worth every penny.
What new collections can customers look forward to in the coming year?
The Property Brothers just came out with a line of furniture from Coaster Fine Furniture and we will be able to have that collection soon.
We understand the Chamber of Commerce puts on a home and garden show every year that you are a part of. What can you tell us about when, where, and why this show is worth checking out?
The Colville Home and Garden Show is March 17&18 at the Colville Community College here in Colville. It is kind of a fun event the local businesses participate in and this year the grand prizes are better than ever! There are also prizes going on all day just for showing up and signing in.
Why should customers make the extra effort to shop at Saundra’s rather than the big box stores in Spokane?
Our Spokane customers actually come in and tell us they shop Saundra’s because it is different than they have ever seen in Spokane. The selection, service, and size, is more than they expect. To have so many name brands like La-Z-Boy, Flexsteel, and Stressless in one store really gives you the unique opportunity to compare the options and gives you a shopping experience you don’t get anywhere else.
Saundra’s Furniture and Design was nominated this past year as one of the Top 10 Furniture Stores in North America by The North American Home Furniture Association. You can visit Saundra’s Furniture and Design any day of the week at: 279 S Main St. in Colville, WA, or shop online at www.saundrasfurniture.com.
