Recognizing a Need for Affordable, Modern Furniture, BoConcept Sets Eyes on Southeastern Expansion

Danish-founded furniture brand BoConcept is continuing to demonstrate its commitment to U.S. development, strengthening its east coast presence. After opening its global flagship store on Madison Avenue in New York City last month, BoConcept is now looking at opening in other major metro markets by leveraging the success of existing franchisees.

London native Ray Priddle was an avid shopper at BoConcept before relocating to Florida in 2002. Recognizing the lack of affordable yet trendy furniture retailers in Tampa, he opened the brand’s first area location more than a decade ago.

“I’ve always been interested in modern design, particularly the simple look of Scandinavian design,” said Priddle. “When I moved to Florida, I was trying to buy furniture that I liked but there were few local options. I reached out to BoConcept in New York and that’s when I discovered there were franchisee opportunities available.”

Now, Priddle and his business partner Sanjay Chadha are getting ready to introduce BoConcept to another southern market, Atlanta, which will then be followed up by an aggressive growth push east into Charlotte in 2019.

“We see significant population growth and a general trend to more progressive design options in several southern cities including Charlotte,” noted Priddle. “We already get a significant number of contacts from Charlotte in our Atlanta location.”

BoConcept currently has a strong presence along the East Coast, but the majority of its locations are in northern cities such as Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and Boston. Priddle and Chadha aim to change that by catering to the progressive interior design aficionados in the South.

“Our customers tend to have an ‘urban’ outlook on life – whether they live in a suburban house or uptown condominium. We see Charlotte as a one-store location for BoConcept, for the foreseeable future, and we are considering locations that align with that outlook.”

Aside from Charlotte, Priddle and Chadha are also considering Nashville for a location – another growing southern city with a diverse population, creating a substantial opportunity for the brand.

“BoConcept’s customers are not easily defined by standard demographics because they come from all walks of life,” said Priddle. “They obviously have progressive taste when it comes to design and generally love city living. As we are able to adjust our designs to accommodate both a wide range of budgets and varying design aesthetics ranging from the simple, clean lines of our Scandinavian look through to the luxurious feeling of our Metropolitan style, most people can find an interior design solution with us that works for them.”