Johnny Janosik opens new store with a design that plays to its strengths

Clint Engel, March 3, 2017

DOVER, Del. — Johnny Janosik World of Furniture has repositioned itself with a new store and design that plays to its strengths as the cross-category dominant home furnishings retailer in the market.

The 60,000-square-foot showroom in south Dover was developed in collaboration with Martin Roberts Design and accomplishes several goals the Laurel, Del.-based Top 100 company set for itself here. Near the top of the list was a fresh face and can’t-miss presence in Delaware’s largest city, along the busy U.S. Route 13. The storefront is purposefully long, stretching 400 feet and capped on each end with glass vestibules showcasing important categories and adding curb appeal.

Janosik has operated in Dover for years but was in need of a refresh that better represented the brand, said Dave Koehler, chairman and co-owner of the four-store promotional to high-end retailer. The showroom replaces two stores, across the street from each other, that were tired and dated in appearance. Now, Janosik has all of its Dover employees under one roof, and while the selling space is a bit smaller, the retailer is doing more with the simple open design.

For starters, the vestibules give shoppers a flavor of what’s in store. On the furniture side of the showroom, Janosik showcases a selection of outdoor furniture and game tables, bars and related furnishings, growing categories it has carried for only a few years that set it apart from the competition.

The vestibule on the other end features bedding and leads into a roughly 4,700-square-foot Johnny Janosik Mattress World, attached, but with its own entrance.

“One of the challenges we had here in Dover was the fact that our mattress department was sort of hidden in our other store,” Koehler said. “We wanted to put it front and center.”

For the Dover store, Martin Roberts Design developed the exterior design and worked in collaboration with the retailer’s in-house team on the interior. Koehler wouldn’t disclose projected sales or investment but said the initial response from consumers has been “very positive.”