When Jeff Clunk went to Arizona shortly after graduating from Woodstock High School in 1973, he discovered a whole new business. “They had waterbed stores the size of grocery stores, and they were everywhere,” said Clunk, now 62, of Woodstock. Clunk’s entrepreneurial spirit was stronger than his desire to continue college so he decided to return to Woodstock, put together $10,000 and open the area’s only waterbed store in 1976. Sepia Sun Waterbeds opened for business at 218 Main St., just across from the movie theater. One year later, Clunk moved the business to its current location, 1280 S. Route 47, near the corner of Lake Avenue. It was not a conventional business decision at the time. “My roommate told me I was crazy for investing $10,000 in a waterbed store,” Clunk said. Now, 40 years later, the store has gone through some modifications, including a name change to Woodstock’s Furniture Store, but Clunk still owns and operates the business in its 6,000-square-foot location.
It hasn’t been easy, he said. Over the years, Clunk has endured both good and bad economic conditions. And, eventually, waterbed sales – strong for many years – began to decline. “The reason people stopped buying waterbeds is because they last forever,” Clunk said. “A waterbed can last 15 years, and people only come back in here for parts. They buy a new [waterbed] mattress for $69 or a heater.” When waterbed sales slowed, Clunk decided to try his hand at selling conventional furniture. Using money from a recent waterbed sale, Clunk bought one Ashley furniture brand living room set and placed it in the corner of his showroom, surrounded by waterbeds. He quickly sold the set. Using proceeds from that sale, he purchased an Ashley dining room set. That flew off the floor as well. Clunk quickly expanded his store offerings to include traditional beds, dining tables, couches, chairs, end tables and decorating accessories. Today, Woodstock’s Furniture Store carries 34 furniture manufacturing brands.
Clunk keeps samples of the manufacturers’ furniture on the floor and corresponding catalogues, which allow customers to select their own fabric and designs for some of the products. The furniture selections range from moderately priced to high end, Clunk said. The brands include Ashley – the store’s “bread and butter” – and Marshfield, Best Craft, Furniture Traditions and log furniture lines, to name a few. Despite going through some difficult times, including the economic downturn 10 years ago, Clunk has carried on and now owns the building he originally rented when he first started out four decades ago. “When the recession hit in 2008, that was a tough time,” Clunk said. “I worked the store seven days a week.” Clunk’s brother, Tom Clunk, who handles the store’s deliveries and setups, has been with Jeff all along the way. When the brothers aren’t assisting customers or tending to business-related duties, they spend their time renovating vintage cars in the back of the building.
Jeff Clunk set up a doorbell system that alerts the brothers when customers have entered the building. The duo have fixed up eight cars over recent years. “In the furniture business, you only see six to eight people walk in a day, but the average customer sale is $1,600,” Jeff Clunk said. “So this is what we like to do when we have downtime.” Clunk is the first to admit he can’t believe 40 years have passed since he first started in business. What keeps him going, he said, is the interaction with customers. “I like talking to people,” Clunk said. Despite all the changes over the years, he still sells quite few waterbeds each month. One of his best-sellers is a soft-sided waterbed mattress. “I sell three of them each week,” Clunk said.Clear all selections Departments $ to $ Clear all selections $ to $ Clear price Night Therapy iCoil 12" Euro Boxtop Spring Mattress and SmartBase Bed Frame Set, Queen | Serta Perfect Sleeper Wynstone Cushion Firm Eurotop Queen Mattress Set |
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