The former Toys R Us/Babies R Us location in Elk Grove, a 1.13-acre piece of land with a 50,000-square-foot facility, has now been acquired by furniture store, Scandinavian Designs, according to the Sacramento Business Journal.
“Documents posted as part of Toys R Us’ bankruptcy filing in Virginia last week show the furniture store submitted the winning bid for the store site at 8507 Bond Road in Elk Grove. The documents did not list the winning bid, and property records do not show a formal close of escrow. Those documents show Grand Sakwa/Huntington LLC, which appears to be affiliated with a Midwest U.S. retail developer, is a “backup bidder” for the Elk Grove property, suggesting that entity could acquire the site if the Scandinavian Designs bid falls through.”
The Petaluma-based Scandinavian Designs store has been described as an upscale version of the popular furniture retailer IKEA. The store offers “Nordic-style,” contemporary home furnishings. The company has been in business for 50-plus years and boasts more than 30 furniture showrooms that feature hand-selected items that aim to blend the timeless tradition of Scandinavian design with modern style.
Early in his life, the founder of Scandinavian Designs spent several years in the United States, where he discovered a sense of adventure, passion and entrepreneurship. He took what he learned back to his native country of Norway and began his career in furniture. After meeting with several small furniture factories in Europe that all agreed to give him modest credit on a handshake, the founder dove into the spirit of entrepreneurship and worked in every position in the business as a one-man operation.
He traveled back and forth from the United Sates to Scandinavia, placing orders and then picking up furniture shipments from the pier in San Francisco. He not only displayed the products in his store and advertised in the local newspaper, he also filled out orders by hand and then delivered the merchandise to his loyal customers. He often recounts stories of when they would ask him to join them for dinner after evening deliveries. To this day, the founder still appreciates the relationships he developed with his early customers.
Scandinavian Designs, and its founder, spent the 1960’s and 1970’s furnishing mid-century modern homes up and down the West coast, setting furniture design trends and building a customer base that became loyal to his philosophy on modern design.
Now, Scandinavian Designs is likely coming to Elk Grove, and is ready to share its dedication and passion for modern design with the Elk Grove community.
We can’t wait!