Rich's for the Home

Rich's for the Home is 30!

Rich's for the Home has been in business for 30 fine years now. Wow! The owner readily admits that service is key (BTW, they opened their first store during a recession!) and that the people they serve are more important to them then carrying all the product in the world.

Larry Chapman is pleased to note on the website that the business is not only family-owned, but family-run. His son and daughter-in-law are instrumental in running the company and his sales manager has been with the business for most of the 30 past years.

Rich's started with one small store in Lynnwood called "Woodstoves, etc". They carried an Orley Woodstove made of Alaska Pipeline steel.

After a few years, they purchased a store in Renton called "Rich's Home Center"-hence the Rich's name- and added spas and Samsonite outdoor furniture. About 12 years ago, they opened the Bellevue store (which was their premier store at the time). They then brought in the grills-a revenue category that continues to grow each year.

What's in the future? Upcoming at Rich's for the Home are more fun things to make your outdoor experience even better. Look for BBQ sauces and rubs to debut, as well as additional grilling accessories. Yummy!

 

Rich's for the Home Brands

You won't believe all the brands that Rich's for the Home carries. Over the next few months, we willl go over the particulars in more detail but in the meantime, here is a list that will help you with your buying decisions.

STOVES AND FIREPLACES

• Woodstoves & Inserts- Lopi, Avalon, Morso and Hearthstone
• Gas Stoves & Inserts- Lopi, Avalon, Fireplace Extrordinaire, Hearthstone, Monessen, Lexington Forge
• Pellet Stoves & Inserts- Lopi, Avalon, Harman
• Fireplaces- Fireplaces Extrordinaire, Lopi, Avalon, Monessen, Lexington Forge
• Electric Stoves & Fireplaces- Dimplex, ElectraFlame, Lopi, Avalon, Fireplace Extrordinaire
• Gas Logs- Peterson

PATIO

• Cast Aluminum- Hanamint
• Wood- Jensen Jerrah
• Wrought Iron- Woodard & O.W. Lee
• Tubular Aluminum- Homecrest & Tropitone
• Woven- Ebel & Lloyd Flanders
• Umbrellas/Patio Covers- Gal Tech, Treasure Garden, Wandtech, Sun Garden & Bungalow
• Firepits and Heaters- O.W. Lee, California Firepit, DCS & Solaria

GRILLS

• Gas- Weber, Lynx, Vermont Castings, Broilmaster & DCS
• Charcoal and Pellet- Big Green Egg, Primo, Weber & Traeger

SPAS

• Caldera

BARSTOOLS

• Pastel, Bermex, SitCom & Lawrenceville

Rich's New Website Debuts!

Have you seen the new website for Rich’s for the Home? The designers did an outstanding job pulling everything together. Haven’t seen blue and orange together on a site before? Me neither but it’s pretty nice looking and has some very cool features.

 

Richs for the Home will give you a consultation at your home for no charge if you live in the Puget Sound area. They will help you choose the perfect spa for your needs and help you out with any needed design. They can also help you with choosing a stove or fireplace. Its super simple to complete a short, online form to get it scheduled.

One of my favorite areas is the About section. As you know, the old site had nothing on it to tell people how Rich’s for the home started. On this page, you will learn the story of Rich’s. It’s very cool and I included the family picture here for you to see.

 

Want to see a showroom from the comfort of your own home? On the new site, you can do just that. On this page, choose the “click here for store tours”. Then hover your mouse near the bottom and you will see several thumbnail pictures. Click on one and off you will fly for a 350 degree tour of a showroom. Hang long enough and you will find out how you can save even more money by shopping at Rich’s for the Home.

 

Rich’s cares too! Did you know they help support many organizations? And several of these are tuned in with our youth like Make-a-Wish, Young Life and Crista Ministries. Read more about the organizations they help to support.

Top Five Posts

Have you noticed the list down on the right hand side of the blog? It lists the ten most popular posts—as decided by YOU. Or rather, the blogs that you are reading. Here’s a re-cap of the first five:

Recipes for Grilling Desserts- You don’t find many recipes for dessert grilling so I decided to help out. Plus, we love sweets. Experimenting was fun and totally delicious. I can’t help but combine grilling with fresh, fresh, fresh and I hope you get some great ideas. Feel free to comment and send your own!

Mood Lighting for Your Patio- The best patios have some preparation first. In some venues, there is a current down-trend (or at least negative comments about) using professional design. But rarely do "scattered" patios make the best impression so in my mind, it is always good to sketch a plan and make a list of what you want to do to create your desired environment. Check out this post as lighting is important to the overall feel of your deck.

Five Tips for Finding the Perfect Outdoor Furniture- Taking color, style and more into consideration, this post will specifically help you to choose what outdoor furniture fits exactly right for your outdoor room, family and environment. Should you make it an extension of inside? Make it completely different? Go all out? Spruce up what you have? Let us help.

How to Select the Right Spa or Hot Tub for your Lifestyle- This is one of the first posts that I did and I was intrigued with an idea that I saw up in a magazine—choosing your spa based on your personality. Of course I thought that lifestyle should play a part too so the result was this post which will help you choose your best choice when shopping for your spa.

How to Host a Backyard Spa Party- Read tips to make it the best party in the neighborhood and to always seem fully prepared even if you’re not. These tips work for all-season, all-weather, all-year-round gatherings.

Do the Puyallup

Yee Haw!

Are you ready? I am already. September 5-21 brings the Puyallup Fair in Puyallup, WA-a fair which was a tradition in my family each year growing up. Rich's for the Home will be there and I hope that you will be too!

Check out the midway, ride the coaster, take in concerts by Fergie, Carrie Underwood, Michael W Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman. Don't forget to look at the quilts and the amazing Hobby Hall. The small outdoor stage is just outside the doors with great, family-oriented shows-plus sitting a spell will give your feet a break. Don't forget the animals and the petting farm! The bunnies are adorable and even the farm animals are in good form. Mooo!

Each year, we have to get BBQ ribs, ride the Skyride to take it all in, make the round on the carousel,enter some drawings for freebies and visit the fort. We watch, but don't participate in the high-flying bungee jumps and we always enjoy the Wild West Children's Show Stage. Ice cream (we recommend Wilcox) is a must of course, as are elephant ears. We also try to support Young Life by purchasing a meal at their booth.

This year, we also need to enjoy Sillyville (go on the 10th for a free train ride) and the Wild About Monkeys show. Of course, I can't wait to see the Planting Patch (near the petting farm) where all things giant grow and the display flowers.

And the fair is still alive at night. So don't forget to stay until dusk (purchase those ride bracelets if you have kids) and watch those lights come on all around. (Besides, the traffic is always better going out at night).

Photos from the Bellevue Store- Some of Julie's Faves

 

April 7-20 Sale and Needing Your Input

Just a reminder that from April 7th to April 20th, ALL products will be on sale at ALL stores in celebration of the new store opening in Silverdale.

• Patio furniture will be 20-70% off.
• Savings of up to 20% on Caldera Spas.
• FREE DELIVERY and ASSEMBLY on all BBQ’s.
• Special savings on stoves and fireplaces.

If you’ve been thinking about shopping for a BBQ, spa, outdoor furniture or stove or fireplace, I would recommend that you move on it within this sale window. You just can’t beat the savings! If you do, please comment and tell us about your experience here.

We would also like to hear about any ideas that you have for Spa Games to add to our listings so please comment as well if you have any great games or activities that groups can do in the spa.

Rich’s New Location (Silverdale) and Big Sale!

Rich’s is opening a new store in Silverdale, my old stomping grounds growing up, and they are throwing a sale company-wide to celebrate it.

From April 7th to April 20th, ALL products will be on sale. Patio furniture will be 20-70% off and there will be savings of up to 20% on Caldera Spas. Also FREE DELIVERY and ASSEMBLY (very cool-LOVE that part), is available on all BBQ’s as well as special savings on stoves and fireplaces.

The new store at 9445 Silverdale Way, Silverdale, WA (between the Kitsap Mall and NW Anderson Hill Road) will be open at the end of March. Please stop by and see us! We would love to meet you!

Team Member Profile-Beth Urban-Tacoma Store

I was pleased to interview Beth Urban, from Rich’s Tacoma store. Although Beth has been with Rich’s for over ten years, and is currently the Store Manager in Tacoma, she has also worked at the Lynnwood and Bellevue stores. She enjoys working for Rich’s because they are very family-oriented and take care of their employees.

Julie-How do you motivate your team members?

Beth- Contests are key for us although encouragement and coaching are important aspects as well. I enjoy helping them with their sales presentations.

Julie- Any sales going on right now?

Beth- We have a lot of barstools on sale and are moving many to clearance right now. And, if you buy barstools in the next couple of weeks, we pay the sales tax.

Julie-Excellent! Do you have spas?

Beth-Yes and we let people soak in them before they choose the style they want. There are privacy screens available so it’s comfortable.

Julie-What’s more important? A spa or patio furniture?

Beth- Customers usually see patio furniture as more essential. And it’s easy with Rich’s because all the styles that we sell are made for our Northwest weather. They are made from Sunbrela, which is acrylic, and it doesn’t mold or rust. So we point customers towards looking at comfort first, and maintenance second.

Julie-What’s the harder sell?

Beth- Spas. They are more luxury-less essential-but something more customers are moving towards. It takes longer to choose a spa because it is a larger purchase and there are so many options available.

Julie-Where are you located?

Beth- We are on Tacoma Mall Blvd, south of the mall in-between Lazy Boy and Seattle Lighting. You can call us at 253-284-3740. Come see us soon and don’t forget that we pay sales tax on barstool sales for the next couple of weeks!

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

"Based on my past experience, I will not only continue to be a loyal customer, but continue to refer as many people to you as possible. You truly are the Nordstrom’s of the spa and furniture business" ~Eric W.T., Clinton, WA.

Rich’s donated a teak patio furniture set to Extreme Makeover about 2 years ago when the show was being filmed in Seattle. We also donate merchandise annually to organizations like Young Life, Run to Win, Make a Wish, Susan G. Komen and many Christian schools. Why? Simple. Because we are an organization who cares.

Here are more ways that we show how much we care:

1. Kids can enter to win a free rubber duck from Rich’s. Drawings are once a month.
2. Try before you buy. Information about free soak tests in the Puget Sound area.
3. Learn how to get that stain off with Rich’s Furniture Stain Care Guide.
4. Information about free In-Home Estimates and Design Advice.
5. View Customer Experiences on our Home Page.

Come and visit us at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle February 20-24 at Booth #701. We'd love to meet you!