Personal approach cements longtime Arnold Furniture store

Editor’s note: Building the Valley tells stories of businesses big and small and the employees who make them special. If you know of any standout employees, bosses or companies with a great story to tell, contact reporter Madasyn Lee at mlee@tribweb.com.

Arnold Furniture may have a large selection of furniture and accessories, but Lori Brasiola believes its personalized service and family atmosphere that keep people coming back.

Employees allow customers to browse the store without sales pressure and help them when they have questions. If someone wants a sofa in a different color than what is on the salesroom floor, they’ll show them other fabric and pattern options.

They’ve gone to people’s homes to see what items might work with their setup. Recently, they brought a piece of a sectional couch to a family’s house in Butler County to make sure it fit before they bought it.

“I think the family personal touch is what makes the biggest difference,” said Brasiola, store manager. “We take a lot more time with our customers than if you go to a big box store. We don’t mind spending extra time with people to get them what they want.”

The Fifth Avenue store has been an Alle-Kiski Valley staple for 45 years.

Its four floors are packed with everything from sofas, recliners, dining tables and chairs to lamps, wall art, mirrors, bedroom sets and mattresses. It doesn’t sell appliances.

“We have a vast selection,” Brasiola said. “It’s much bigger than people think when they first pull up to the front of the building.”

Brasiola works at the store with her parents, Gene and Dorothy Miller, who opened it in 1975, along with brother Michael Miller, daughter Brittany Jones and niece Elise Leach.

“It’s three generations of us still working together,” Brasiola said.

Sandy Dunkel of Lower Burrell can attest to the store going above and beyond for its customers.

About 10 years ago, she bought a sectional couch for her house. It was too wide to get down the stairs to where she wanted it, so the store disassembled it and put it back together.

“They had to take the backs off and take it down in pieces,” said Dunkel, who has been buying furniture from the store for more than 25 years. “It was amazing.”

The store gets its furniture from manufacturers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Virginia. People can buy items as-is in the store or custom order them. Once a custom order is made, the manufacturers send the merchandise to the store, which inspects it before sending it out for delivery.

Home delivery is an important part of the business.

“Their performance is the last piece of Arnold Furniture, the last thing that people remember,” Brasiola said of the store’s two delivery drivers. “They know that they have to be careful. They’re always pleasant and introduce themselves. I get a lot of compliments on my delivery help.”

Because a lot of the furniture is customized, the store doesn’t do online sales.

That’s helpful, because sometimes what people see online isn’t what arrives at their door. Colors can be distorted on a computer or phone screen, and online shoppers can find it hard to get a feel for a product’s detailing or quality.

“People can look online, but furniture is one of the things that you want comfort,” Brasiola said. “You want to be able to sit down and see the support that you get from the sofa. You want to be able to touch and feel the fabrics. You want to be able to lay down on your mattress and try it.

“(You’re) not guessing what you’re going to get. You know what you’re going to get.”