MANCHESTER, NH – Co-owners of Purely Wood Furniture, Mark Hughes and Randy Beliveau, have announced they will be closing their doors after 26 years of service to the greater Manchester community.
Looking back, Hughes, who along with Beliveau, were two young entrepreneurs who started from humble beginnings. After unexpectedly getting let go from their positions at Unfinished Furniture House, they made a decision to make a go of it on their own and in February of 1993, first opened the doors to Purely Wood Furniture, originally located on 2nd Street in Manchester.
Motivated and determined to overcome the many challenges of operating a small business they persevered through years of difficulty and are proud to have served their customers for well over two decades.
“Today’s small businesses have many different challenges facing them now than what we faced when first starting out. The way people shop for goods nowadays is a big factor in the success or failure of many small businesses. Learning to adapt to these changes has been the challenge”, says Hughes.
“The smaller businesses are being pushed out and replaced by vast online companies that promise everything for much less, making it difficult to compete,” says Beliveau.
While this will be a bittersweet transition time for Hughes and Beliveau, they are very appreciative for the support from their many customers, the relationships they’ve developed within the community over these past several years and are looking forward to new opportunities that are coinciding with the store’s closing.
Long-time customers like Nancy Bruno, who resides in Manchester, said the honesty and superior level of service she received at Purely Wood Furniture “was unlike any other furniture retail store in the entire area,” which was one of the reasons why she was a loyal shopper for years. The store’s Facebook page has been lit up with many well wishes and expressed sadness of the closing.
Beginning in the first few weeks of March, Purely Wood Furniture will be offering substantial discounts on all their home furnishings and are inviting the community to their showroom located at 293 Elm St. for a last opportunity to purchase quality furniture from a local business.
Free on-site parking is available. For more information, contact Hughes or Beliveau at 603-641-9663.
