Allen Wayside Furniture enters Lakes Region market

By ADAM DRAPCHO, LACONIA DAILY SUN

WOLFEBORO — Allen Wayside Furniture has been in business for 52 years, with its first store opened in Portsmouth in 1964. That first store was opened by Allen Abrams, and the company, now several stores strong, is still run by the Abrams family. Earlier this year, Allen Wayside opened a store in Wolfeboro, its first in the Lakes Region.

“We’ve been interested in the Wolfeboro market for a long period of time,” said Doug Abrams, son of the founder. Allen Wayside stores can also be found in Plaistow, Hampton Falls and Conway, as well as the original store in Portsmouth. With the closure of Parson’s Furniture, located on Center Street near the intersection with Route 109, the Abrams family saw an opportunity to open in the Lakes Region.

“We have a lot of the rest of New Hampshire covered,” said Abrams.

The Wolfeboro store opened in July, and, said Abrams, is one of the largest furniture stores in the Lakes Region and is going to be a permanent fixture in the company’s portfolio of stores.

“We will be there for ever and ever and ever. This is not a trial run,” he said. Like all of their other properties, Allen Wayside owns the real estate that the store is on. The company also owns its own inventory. Those upfront investments make for lower operational costs, and that, plus the size of the company, are what makes possible Allen Wayside’s signature.

“We sell premium-quality furniture and mattresses at discount prices,” Abrams said, noting that Allen Wayside is the largest family-operated furniture business in either Maine or New Hampshire. “Our buying power allows us to negotiate with manufacturers at a great value to our customers.” Abrams said he was happy to be able to bring that business model to the Lakes Region.

“It’s a market where there’s a lot of nice residential homes, we felt that it warranted a need for company like us.”

Each of the Allen Wayside stores are merchandised differently to better meet the interests of the local market. In Wolfeboro, the store features the company’s lines of customize-able furniture, including dining room sets.

Allen Wayside’s Wolfeboro store is located at 636 Center Street. For more information, visit allenwaysidenh.com or call 603-515-2600.

Allen Wayside Furniture’s location is in the Center Street building in Wolfeboro that was home to Parson’s Furniture for many years. The two-story building in Wolfeboro is stocked with both furniture and mattresses. (Adam Drapcho/Laconia Daily Sun)