Waterford, CT: May 30, 2023 – Dean and Angela Taylor sit in the middle of their recent purchase, the former Americana Furniture building on 35 Great Neck Road in Waterford awaiting another shipment of fabric from Amazon. Dean recently bought a large chunk of Amazon’s inventory of fabric, some ½ million yards, as Amazon decided to pivot out of the fabric business. The former Americana Furniture Building is 53,000 sq. ft. with retail space of 24,000 sq. ft.
“It just might be enough…” - Dean laughs…
A move that had been in the works for quite some time came to fruition last August when Dean and his family purchased the Americana Furniture building to complement their locations in Rocky Hill and Montville. (Eventually the Montville inventory will be combined in Waterford.) The family also owns Lorraine Fabrics in Pawtucket, RI and another store in Auburn, MA.
“The opportunity for us to build another location in Waterford was too good to pass up. The families that make-up this community, the pride they have in their town coupled with an iconic building with magnificent space gave us a perfect match for the next chapter of our story...” - Dean
Dean’s Father David opened his first fabric store in the mid-1970’s after a long run as a buyer for Ames Department Stores. David had a knack for making deals and his ability to buy fabric in large quantities inexpensively became his recipe for success and continual growth.
Today, the family fabric stores serve the needs of hundreds of in-home clothing designers, wardrobe creators, crafters, upholstery manufacturers, umbrella makers, actors, performers, and nationalities from across the globe.
Everyone has always been welcome, and it was from these humble beginnings that gave Dean the idea for the brand name change.
“From the very beginning, we offered fabrics to a diverse group of people with equally diverse needs. Many of our customers built entire wardrobes from our fabric, some created clothing and items for special events, others added on to existing clothes with accessories. Culture specific clothing can almost be impossible to find in retail outlets, but the fabric could always be found in our stores…” - Dean
“When we saw the iconic Americana sign on the silo outside of the building, we wanted to keep it in place as a testimony to its history, but it also started me thinking maybe that was the real reason we chose this spot. While we have and will continue to have affordable fabrics, what we are really providing is a place where everyone is welcome, where anyone can create a specific look, expression, and represent who we are as people. That’s what Americana became for me…” - Dean
Pallets of fabric can be found everywhere in the warehouse. Cotton, Denim, Leather, Linen, Flannel, Fleece, Corduroy, Terrycloth, Velvet and more…Thousands of yards and thousands of styles. Eventually, the Warehouse portion of the building will be the distribution center for all the stores. Hundreds of customers come from all over the country, some plan their New England vacation around stops in the retail shop.
“We’re not sure our husbands like it, but every time we travel north from Dallas, we have to stop at the shop in Rocky Hill…they go golfing, we buy fabric…” - Renee L.
“Our fabrics our very much something you need to touch and feel. We’ve been successful in creating an atmosphere where our customers have a meaningful shopping experience and feel free to create. Amazon saw the potential of this market, but with online shopping as strong as it is, it’s hard to feel the weight and quality of the fabric unless you are in front of it…” - Dean
The opening of the New Americana Fabrics in Waterford is on June 1, 2023. Come by for your slice of Americana…Everyone is Welcome….
For more Information about Americana Fabrics please reach out to David Labbe at david@bridgemarketingct.com
