One of the city’s largest property renovation projects is approaching the finish line.
Over a year after Wichita Furniture, Inc. announced an ambitious project to reimagine the former Kmart at 4200 W. Kellogg into its second Wichita Furniture & Mattress location, company vice president Jordan Storey confirmed to the WBJ that it will have a soft opening April 17.”Wichita deserves this,” Storey said of the superstore.
Storey said the renovation, combined with the real estate purchase, adds up to a $10 million effort.
As regular Kellogg commuters have witnessed, the property has seen a significant increase in front-exterior construction activity since the start of the year.
On a recent tour of the 105,000 square-foot building near Kellogg and West, the WBJ saw first-hand the interior overhaul’s magnitude.
Large windows bring in more natural light, and the 30-foot ceilings and interior lighting help with a bright look and feel. Elevated, lit-up signs above each section of the store, quickly visible to customers upon entry, aim to making the shopping process easier.
“We don’t want this to be the old Kmart. We want it to be the new Wichita Furniture & Mattress,” Storey said.
Storey said he thinks the location will be the “most tech-driven furniture store in the city,” as it will feature a 10-foot LED board at the front, with a couple of “tech bars” and touchscreens throughout the store serving as customer resources.
“We want this to be an experience,” he said.
Wichita Furniture, which also owns two Ashley HomeStores and Furniture on Consignment along with being the parent company of Wichita Furniture & Mattress, said a grand opening for the new store will also take place in April.
Storey, whose father Jay Storey is president of Wichita Furniture, said he expects customers to be wowed by the mattress gallery which is “massive” and like “a store within a store.”
The location will have 150 standalone recliners, along with home décor, around 1,000 rugs, home office furniture, gaming chairs, outdoor furniture and more.
In addition, there is a section focused on young children. Jordan Storey said Wichita has a “big need for baby furniture.”
The new store also helped get deals done with two prominent brands, Storey added.
For the first time, Wichita Furniture & Mattress, founded in 1989, will have La-Z-Boy products with a gallery dedicated to that brand. Sonos, which makes wireless speakers and home sound systems, is also a new partner.
Within the building, there is an area dedicated to helping customers with financing and a 6,000 square-foot distribution center that will help supplement Wichita Furniture’s primary distribution center at 9100 E. 34th St. North.
For its employees, there’s a large training center, sizable breakroom and sales team room.
The location is creating 60 new jobs.
“We go to church with these people. We eat with these people. We’re not just a large brand,” said Storey of the company’s approach to customers and employees.
NAI Martens president Grant Glasgow and Brad Saville, Landmark Commercial Real Estate CEO and founder, handled the December 2021 property transaction, while Stephen & Sons Construction is the general contractor. Wichita Furniture did its own design work.
There have been some shifts since Wichita Furniture’s January 2022 announcement about its plans.
After first considering opening a restaurant or deli on the property, Storey said the brand couldn’t find the right local partner. Instead there will be an area with TVs, snacks and drinks for customers.
The original opening target of fall 2022 also got pushed back.
Storey pointed to the scope of the project when asked about the timeline shift.
“There was a little bit of supply chain issues with construction, but it’s just a big project,” he said.
As for supply chain issues with products for customers, Storey said inventory is already set for the new store.
Storey also addressed rumors he’s heard about the future of the Wichita Furniture & Mattress location at 4502 E. 13th St.
“We are not closing 13th and Oliver. I grew up in that location,” said Storey, noting that store will benefit from the new partnerships with the added location.
The new store’s impact is a part of broader improvements in recent years near Kellogg and West, which has seen several property upgrades and business additions — including 2022’s arrival of Dutch Bros’ second metro area store.
Storey said he thinks more businesses are coming, and he’s glad to be a part of it.
“Our goal is to be the staple of this location,” he said.
