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Ramsey says future of local retail starts with adaptation
Ramsey says future success of local retail depends on adaptation
By TOM SPIGOLON
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tspigolon@covnews.com
Tony Ramsey has seen 24 years of changes in Covington’s downtown that he said have kept the historic area “alive.”
Not every town is so lucky, he said.
“It’s turned into an entertainment center instead of a retail center,” Ramsey said of the Covington Square.
And though some retail stores are still in the area, the evolution came about because the buying public wanted restaurants more than retailers in the area, he said.
The same is true of the retail industry’s future in Newton County — it will have to evolve with the consumer’s preferences or face an uncertain future, he said.
“You’ve got to listen to the customer,” Ramsey said. “You have to pay attention to the trends.”
Ramsey left a job selling and servicing printing machines around metro Atlanta in 1997 to help his uncle, Sam Ramsey, operate the family-owned furniture store that had opened in Covington in 1919.
He now offers the most popular lines of furniture — Ashley, La-Z-Boy, Benchcraft and more — in 30,000 square feet of space in its main store on Clark Street and some historic buildings nearby.
The pandemic, however, did not allow him and other retailers to attend the annual furniture market in High Point, North Carolina, that gives store owners nationwide a view of the latest trends and styles, he said.
Ramsey said he works to compete with big-box competitors through personal service. Many of his employees are longtime residents who may know many of the customers entering the store, he said.
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Tony Ramsey sits inside the showroom of Ramsey’s Furniture in downtown Covington. (Photo by Tom Spigolon)
The pandemic, though, has seriously affected the supply chain for almost every part of the retail industry — even if their products are produced domestically, he said.
Shipment of furniture a consumer may order specially to match the décor or space in a new home formerly took about 45 days to arrive at Ramsey’s.
It now takes from six to eight months because of consumer demand and delays because of the pandemic, he said.
Ramsey said many retailers’ main competition now is at customers’ fingertips — what they can find on their smart phones rather than the brick and mortar store “around the corner.”
Websites like Pinterest also have prompted consumers to want more choices in styles and colors — and that means a retailer like Ramsey’s needs to meet that demand, he said.
He said most of the demand now is for custom-designed furniture — a complete reversal from the 1990s when most sales were whatever the customer saw displayed on the floor, Ramsey said.
“You have to adapt and evolve or slowly die,” he said. “You have to think outside the box and make adjustments.”
However, many people in Newton County still “want to support local” stores rather than national chains, Ramsey said.
For 102 years, Ramsey’s Furniture has been home to the Covington area’s largest selection of fine furnishings. We have over 30,000 square feet of furniture on display since restoring several large historic buildings across the street from our main store. Come see us at 1145 Clark Street near the Newton County Courthouse. At Ramsey’s, your account is still a name and not a number. We offer a personal customer service experience when you are shopping for your home furnishing needs. Our everyday low prices and next day delivery help save you time and money. Ramsey Furniture Company is a family owned and operated business. We look forward to serving you with quality furniture at savings like the Ramsey family has been famous for since 1919. Sincerely, Quality Brands You Deserve!
TONY RAMSEY • Vaughan-Bassett • Liberty • La-Z-Boy • Simmons • Riverside • Temple & More
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Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. • Closed Sunday & Monday 1145 Clark Street • Covington (Located near the Newton Co. Courthouse) www.ramseyfurniturecompany.com
An aerial view of the Covington Square. (File | The Covington News)
Covington also is close to enough to Atlanta that people will “travel 30 to 45 minutes” for the kind of quality products his store offers, he said.
“You have to become a destination,” he said.
The continued popularity of the Covington Square also has been a boon to the store, he said.
“You can still see good retail around downtown. Not that many squares are as vibrant as what we have here,” Ramsey said.
The rise of big-box furniture stores in past decades dealt a major blow to “mom and pop” furniture retailers that seemed to operate in most southern towns.
The Great Recession that began in 2008 also had a major effect on many Georgia towns’ family-owned furniture stores because many could no longer afford the mortgage payments they were making on their buildings, Ramsey said.
But the housing industry’s comeback from the Recession and its continued strength through the pandemic in the area has meant there is a steady demand for Ramsey Furniture’s products, he said.
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