Dreamers Outlet finds success with expansion into furniture in new location
June 10, 2020
A discount mattress store’s expansion into living room furniture in its new location has exceeded the owners’ expectations.
“Furniture has just been crazy,” said Gaylene Stocco, who started Dreamers Outlet with Dan Darkow in 2016. “We get it in, and it’s really picked over within the week.”
In spring 2019, the couple moved the business from its original location to Plaza 41, and a few months later, it was destroyed in a tornado. Rather than waiting for the space to be rebuilt, they reopened in March in the former Family Dollar building at 518 N. Kiwanis Ave.
The closeout furniture includes brand-name pieces they’re able to order through their franchise affiliation with BoxDrop, which touts prices that are up to 80 percent less than traditional retailers.
“The least expensive sofa we have right now is $387. The most expensive one we have right now is this light gray (sectional) one in the front here, and that’s at $1,228,” Stocco said. “The most expensive three-piece set we have is that real dark gray one up there, and that’s at $1,623.”
Because it’s closeout merchandise, “what you see is what we have,” Stocco said. “So somebody says, ‘Hey, I want this in a loveseat. Can you get that?’ No, can’t, sorry.”
With Dreamers Outlet’s success in selling furniture, BoxDrop has asked it to be a trial store for high-end closeouts.
“We get them at insane, low prices,” Stocco said. “So something that normally would sell for say $10,000 somewhere else, we could probably sell for $2,000. It’s still like everything else, but it’s higher higher-end product, where you’re going to have your real Italian leather.”
Those pieces should begin arriving later this summer.
When furniture arrives at Dreamers Outlet, the pieces have codes that are used to identify them.
“We don’t want to call it by a weird code number, so we decided to be creative, and we named each of the products after our grandchildren,” Darkow said.
They also kept the whimsical touch of giving the mattresses nicknames, some of which are tied to the colorful pillowcases on them with characters such as Superman and Mickey Mouse.
One wall of the store serves as a reminder of the business’ survival through the tornado. A wooden cross painted by one of their grandchildren hangs along with photos of the damaged store.
Their granddaughter gave them the cross to hang on the wall of the original Dreamers Outlet, and it was the only item to survive unscathed, they said.
In a corner of the store, the couple rebuilt a play area to entertain kids while their parents shop. They give a book to every child to take home.
Stocco and Darkow said they’re happy with the visibility of their new location and the large parking lot that makes it easy for customers to pick up furniture or a mattress if they’re pulling a trailer.
Dreamers Outlet has a five-year lease with an option to buy the property, which includes land that could hold an addition to the building.
“We already feel like we’ve outgrown this,” Stocco said. “We’re excited about the option to expand.”
There’s also opportunity in Sioux Falls for another store, they said.
“If things continue the way they do, it wouldn’t hurt us to put one on the east side or south side – we’re growing a lot south here – even further west,” Darkow said.
Hours are 1 to 6 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
“And then for those that are still concerned about the COVID and that type of thing or just have unusual hours, we’ll still do a private showing,” Darkow said. “Simply give us a call, and we’ll set up a private showing.”
