Iconic New England-Based Furniture Outlet Closes Its Doors After Over 60 Years In Business
Rotmans Furniture, Mattress & Accessory, the largest furniture store in New England, will close permanently after over 60 years in business.
This article is more than 2 years old
Increasingly, beloved local stores seem to be going out of business lately, disappointing their long-time customers. The latest recipients of this bad news are New England residents, who learned an iconic store would close its doors. This week Rotmans Furniture, Mattress & Accessory announced that it is officially going out of business.
Rotmans sits on five acres in Worcester, Massachusetts. And according to Spectrum News, it is the largest furniture and flooring store in New England. The store has supplied area residents with everything they need to furnish a beautiful and comfortable home since 1956.
But unlike many retailers, the fate of Rotmans is not due to rising inflation or supply chain woes. Instead, the CEO, Steve Rotman, will retire after running the company for the last 60 years. He inherited the store from his parents, Murray and Ida Rotman, who founded it.
The local outlet Mass Live spoke with long-time store manager Barbara Kane about the planned closure. She said, “Our founder has run the company for 60 years plus and he doesn’t have immediate family to take over the reins so the decision was made not to keep the store open.” A potential sale could have been an option, but they did not find a buyer that felt like the right match.
So, instead, they will close down. The hope is to sell out of the current inventory before the end of the year and close either late 2022 or early 2023. But, even though Rotmans will close, the massive complex will not remain vacant.
Rotman has a vision of ultimately turning the space into an area for smaller retailers. His goal is to “…control the space that I’m in, but to work with multiple retailers and people and create an environment which is great for the consumer.” That is welcome news for local business owners and residents alike, who will benefit from increased retail spaces.
And as for Rotman, he is not technically done with working just yet. In 2019, Vystar Corporation purchased a majority share in Rotmans. They became a publicly traded company, and Rotman became the current CEO of Vystar.
He plans to remain in his position as Vystar CEO and stay in the community. But before Rotman can move on with plans for turning the complex into usable retail space, all inventory must go. The company plans to go out with a bang.
According to the store manager, Kane, “We feel we’ve been important to the fabric of the city, so you know it’s a sad time. So we want to go out treating our customers the same way we always have with their interests and concerns in mind.” So they plan to hold their biggest sale ever. And it starts on Friday.
Rotmans will close for two days to prepare for the sale, and then open with extended hours starting Friday. The sale will last until all stock is gone or the end of the year arrives. And the great news for customers outside of Worcester is that all items will be available for either pickup or delivery.
