Interior Design Professional and BoConcept Customer Becomes Owner With 3-Store Acquisition

Michael Webster, a long-time interior design professional, has embarked on an exciting journey to elevate the interior design landscape in Southern California through his recent acquisition of three BoConcept stores. 

With a solid background in hospitality design and home staging, Webster and his partner, James Lunsford, are eager to leverage their passion for aesthetics and quality craftsmanship to create a unique retail experience. Just two months into their ownership, they are already committed to offering superior products and have ambitious plans for growth across the western U.S. 

Webster took the time to chat with 1851 Franchise to discuss all of this and more. Here’s what he had to say:

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Michael Webster: Before BoConcept, my partner James and I were involved in home furnishings and commercial interiors for over a decade. We started in hospitality design, working on hotels, resorts, bars, lounges and spas. Our passion for aesthetics led us to create a staging company where we transformed vacant homes into beautiful showcases, allowing us to experience immediate results.

As we expanded, we incorporated retail into our staging model, selling items at outlet prices that didn’t sell during staging, which created a closed-loop ecosystem. We loved the retail side because it meant we could serve more customers.

We first discovered BoConcept while staging and were immediately impressed by the quality and craftsmanship of the products. When the opportunity arose to acquire a BoConcept store in New York, we were in the middle of pursuing another acquisition of a legacy NYC furniture retailer. That deal ultimately fell through but shortly afterward, we connected with BoConcept and learned that three locations were available for sale in Southern California—right where we live. It was a perfect fit, and realizing our dream of becoming BoConcept owners has been an incredible journey.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Webster: After our first exposure to BoConcept being consumers, we were astounded by the quality and the craftsmanship, which was vastly superior to what we normally sold in our mid-tier stores and what we used in home staging. Those products are almost all sourced from overseas — mostly Asia — and the quality there is vastly inferior to what comes from Denmark.

Lunsford: These three stores were actually the ones that we patronized as customers, so the opportunity to acquire them was even more special. The three locations that our predecessors established could not be in better locations. They're in absolutely stellar geographies, in the heart of design and creativity. They’re in strong, welcoming communities, and the stores themselves are surrounded by some of the top brands of the world.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Webster: We are so grateful for the background we had that led us on this path. I can't imagine doing this with no experience. We feel that BoConcept made a brilliant choice pairing with us, and we feel like we made a brilliant choice pairing with them. 

They also have incredible training. BoConcept is known for their intense training and support. They have a system to help people with any level of experience succeed in the industry, but our backgrounds certainly helped us see a vision beyond the three stores and navigate the unique challenges of acquiring existing stores.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Lunsford: We have our sights set on other markets that we already have as part of our agreements. Our goal is to have most of the Western U.S., within our territories, represented by BoConcept. That includes plans for Las Vegas and Scottsdale and, of course, more exposure in the Southern California market.

ABOUT BOCONCEPT 

Since opening its first franchise in Paris in 1993, BoConcept has become a global leader in the design of bold, stylish furniture, boasting more than 300 locations in 65 countries around the world. Founded in Denmark in 1952, BoConcept differentiates itself by offering premium quality, modern designs that elevate interior spaces to achieve their full potential. The company remains focused on creating functional furniture for the urban consumer through partnerships with the world’s leading interior designers. Backed by a proven global concept and strong franchise support system, BoConcept’s 15 U.S. locations include a flagship store, which opened in December 2017 on New York City’s famed Madison Avenue. For more information please visit www.boconcept.com. To inquire about franchise opportunities, please visit https://www.boconcept.com/en-us/franchise.