Owner James Solomon says the Ashley Furniture brand has been a big seller since the store opened.
LEE, Mass. — A familiar name in furniture sales has come back into the business with a new location.
Solomon's Furniture is returning to the Berkshires at the Lee Premium Outlets. Owner James Solomon now has two retail establishments in the outlets: DJ's Gifts and Solomon's Furniture, and is optimistic about business in his new location.
Since closing his retail space in the now-abandoned segment of the Berkshire Mall in 2018, Solomon had been looking for a new spot for his furniture store. Nearly three years later, he was able to secure the storefront that formerly housed Dress Barn and has been vacant for a couple of years.
Solomon started off his business in 2008 at the corner of Merrill Road and Plastics Avenue. In 2010, the store moved to the mall in Lanesborough for about eight years. The closing came right after Sears closed its doors for good, making him one of the last tenants on the south end that mall.
He opened the gift shop two years later as a seasonal pop-up store in the mall and then moved it to a permanent spot at the Lee Outlets. Because of its success, DJ's just signed a lease for another year.
Solomon said he is excited to reopen his furniture business in the outlets because of the foot traffic it receives, though he misses his store in the mall because of its large size. The outlet's location is about third the size of Solomon's location in the mall.
On Jan. 29, the window coverings that surrounded the empty retail store were removed and Solomon was officially in business. He plans to have a grand opening on Presidents Day, when he will unveil a showroom chuck-full of home furnishings.
"So far, it has been good," Solomon said. "I have a ton of stuff coming up, that's what I'm waiting for and that's when I want to start advertising."
Solomon's Furniture will operate with two delivery people, a retail seller, and Solomon himself.
He said he has had the most success in selling mattresses and Ashley Furniture to Berkshire residents and looks forward to selling more.
"Mattresses I've sold the most of," he said. "Brandwise, Ashley Furniture is my biggest vendor, therapeutic mattresses are my biggest mattress company."
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Authorities Investigating Bomb Threat at Bard College at Simon's Rock
Staff Reports
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Bard College at Simon's Rock was on lockdown Thursday after an anonymous bomb threat was emailed to the campus.
The all-clear was given at 1:30 p.m. after the grounds were searched by local first responders and the state police bomb squad.
According to Police Chief Paul Storti, the college notified police shortly after 7:15 a.m. of the threat and the college campus was locked down. Great Barrington Police also posted a notification on its Facebook page alerting the community of the situation, stating "appropriate emergency and investigative personnel are on scene. Further information will be released at a later time."
"The school immediately initiated their safety protocols while the Great Barrington Police Department investigated the threat," according to a release from the Police Department. "Great Barrington Fire Department, Officers from Egremont and Sheffield, Massachusetts State Police, MSP Detectives assigned to the District Attorney's Office, as well as the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Unit assisted on scene. The campus was thoroughly searched and deemed safe."
Bard College at Simon's Rock was on lockdown Thursday after an anonymous bomb threat was emailed to the campus.
The all-clear was given at 1:30 p.m. after the grounds were searched by local first responders and the state police bomb squad.
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Solomon's Furniture is returning to the Berkshires at the Lee Premium Outlets. Owner Jim Solomon now has two retail establishments in the outlets: DJ's Gifts and Solomon's Furniture, and is optimistic about business in his new location.
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Wahconah's Maria Gamberoni Wednesday scored her 11th point of the night less than five minutes into the game to reach the 1,000-point plateau for her career en route to a 63-13 win over Mount Everett. click for more
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