Nebraska Furniture Mart (branded as NFM since 2019) is a home furnishing store in North America that sells furniture, flooring, appliances, and electronics. It is the largest of its kind in North America. NFM was founded in 1937 by Belarus-born Rose Blumkin, who was known as Mrs. B., in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Under the motto "sell cheap and tell the truth,"

History

Nebraska Furniture Mart was founded in 1937 by Rose Blumkin in Omaha, Nebraska. Blumkin borrowed the initial $500 investment from her brother while her husband Isadore continued to run their second hand clothing store. At one point early on, the Blumkins had to sell their own home furnishings to pay off a debt. Mrs. B set the Mart apart by selling products cheaper than the other furniture store around. The bigger competitors were able to successfully get the furniture suppliers to stop selling to the Mart because of the prices. Rather than give up and raise prices, Mrs. B went to other suppliers around the country while still underselling her competitors. of Nebraska Furniture Mart to Warren Buffett in a one-page handshake deal.

In 1989, at age 95, Mrs. B's family forced her into retirement.

In 2003, the Mart opened its third store in Kansas City, Kansas' Village West complex. The opening of the Kansas City store was initially plagued with problems for nearly two years. The store was overwhelmed by the number of customers, which also caused deliveries to lag by more than 30 days. The problems multiplied, because the initial rush of customers never let up. Because of the initial difficulty in getting the large store up and running, NFM president Ron Blumkin initially told Warren Buffett that he never had plans to open another store. The store, called the "Nebraska Furniture Mart of Texas", opened in 2015.

Omaha, Nebraska

The Omaha, Nebraska store is over of retail space and is on of land. The store is located on a single collective campus on South 72nd street in West Omaha, Nebraska. The location is accessible for people with disabilities.

Kansas City, Kansas

thumb|Nebraska Furniture Mart's Kansas City location

The Kansas City store opened in 2003 in the Village West development on the far western edge of Kansas City, Kansas, 12 miles (18 km) west of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The store is located across from the Kansas Speedway and Children's Mercy Park. It encompasses a total of of retail and warehouse space and is on of land. It was the first location outside of Omaha to offer the full range of products. It draws visitors from all over the United States and has become a popular tourist attraction.

The Colony, Texas

On November 9, 2011, Nebraska Furniture Mart announced a plan to expand its retail operation to North Texas. Construction of the new store started in September 2012 in The Colony, which is a far northern suburb of Dallas. The new location had an unadvertised soft opening on March 4, 2015 for friends and family. After training more than 2,000 employees during the two months that followed, the grand opening and ribbon-cutting festivities took place on May 7, 2015. The Colony location is the largest of the four locations, boasting of retail space and of warehouse/distribution space.

Cedar Park, Texas

On December 9, 2021, NFM announced it will open a new store in Cedar Park, Texas with an estimated opening date in the year 2026.

See also

  • Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center

References

  • Lowenstein, Roger. Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist. Random House, 1995, (pp. 246–256),
  • Mrs. B's Story at Nebraska Furniture Mart website