Today we’d like to introduce you to Jay Frucci.
Jay, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My wife Diana and I purchased Furniture Consignment Gallery (FCG) in 2005 and made the decision that selling second hand furniture didn’t have to be a junk business. Fine furniture became the focus of our business and in the process we learned how to service upscale estates. Today we have thousands of consignors from Boston’s finest homes.
Our consignor network boasts some of Boston’s most well-known athletes, business executives, musicians and public personalities. We also service regular folks who have an appreciation for nice things. In addition, we work with Boston’s top interior designers and realtors to acquire the most curated collection of high end furniture in the marketplace. Our inventory includes ultra-Euro modern, mid-century, high end traditional reproductions, rustic, country, coastal and fine antiques.
Combined our three showrooms have over 40,000 sq. ft. of retail space. On the South Shore, we have locations in Hanover and Plymouth. Last July, we moved from a smaller location in Chestnut Hill into a large full-line showroom on route 9 in Natick. In our stores, buyers will find bargains galore. Merchandise is gently used and priced at 40-80% off of MSRP. Our inventory is constantly changing and has rapid turnover with new items arriving daily. Our trucks are always on the go. We offer convenient and economical pick-up and delivery services.
All of our constantly changing inventory is featured on our website at www.furnitureconsignment.com our business is still family owned and our great staff is ready to assist buyers and sellers of fine furniture across the Boston market.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
In our early days, we struggled to locate the right merchandise. We knew that we wanted to be high end and feature the styles that people want, but that was challenging. Restocking after having strong sales was hard. As we built our consignor network and established ourselves, we found it easier to re-stock our stores with the right stuff.
Styles are still always changing and we have to keep up with the trends. Sometimes the market shifts quickly and we have to react to that. We have found ways to supplement our inventory with close-outs and overstock so that we always have the styles that our buyers want.
Our inventory generally comes to us when the housing market is experiencing good turnover. In 2008, when homes stopped selling, we felt the crunch like everybody else. Those hard times were good for our business. We learned how to operate leaner and more efficiently. We gained knowledge and confidence from that challenging period.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are most proud when our shoppers visit our stores, walk into our showrooms and say “Wow, I wasn’t expecting this!” They are stunned at the quality and the beauty for our inventory and the volume that we have. And then when they see the prices and the great value that we offer, they are hooked. One of our great moments was the first time that we had a customer visit all three of our showrooms in one day. She couldn’t get enough of our merchandise!
Our goal every day is to acquire the finest pre-owned furniture from Boston’s’ most magnificent estates. From there, we pick it up, bring it to our showrooms and price items at 40-80% off of MSRP. Items are for sale in our showrooms and all items are featured on our website. We offer local delivery service and can help to arrange long distance 3rd party shipping.
Our consignors make 50% of the selling price in accordance with our terms and our inventory turns fast.
We have a vast network of consignors and that leads to the most curated collection of fine furniture in the market place. Because of the great deals and rapid turnover, we have many regular shoppers who check-in every week to see what is new. It is always fun to see those familiar faces and repeat customers in our showrooms. Those relationships mean everything to our business.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up I had a group of neighborhood buddies that was extremely active and competitive. I loved playing backyard sports and then organized sports when I got older and into high school. I was never worried about winning and losing, I just wanted to play the game. I enjoyed competition.
That desire to compete and to be in the middle of the action has carried with me into our business. We are not afraid to throw our hat into the ring whether it is tackling a new market, opening a new store, trying a new approach or expanding our reach. Things don’t always go as we plan, but I enjoy the process. Even when things break down on us and we have to change directions, we gain new experiences and knowledge.
Contact Info:
- Address: 104 Worcester Street (route 9 East
Natick, MA 01760 - Website: FurnitureConsignment.com
- Phone: 508-319-5600
- Email: info@furnitureconsignment.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/fcghome
- Facebook: facebook.com/furnitureconsignmentgallery
- Twitter: twitter.com/fcghome
Image Credit:
Donald Carlson
Stephen Canino
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