Bills' Bros. Clearance Corner opens, offering cash-and-carry items

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Bills Bros. Furniture,  which began carrying electronics, small appliances and other items after the June 2008 flood, on Friday opened a new outlet that will sell similar merchandise on a cash-and-carry basis.

Bills' Bros. Clearance Corner: Two Floors of Bargains Galore, 724 Third St. SE, is located in a building across Eighth Avenue SE from the company's main furniture showroom. Everything from tablet PCs and coffeemakers to point-and-shoot digital cameras and air hockey tables will be sold on an "as is, no returns" basis.

Mike Bills said the 7,000-square-foot building was used for storage before the 2008 flood. It was the company's main showroom before it was relocated in the early years of the decade to larger quarters at 303 Eighth Ave. SE.

Bills said the decision to carry smaller items like kitchen appliances was a direct result of the tough economy.

"In 2008, when things were a little tight, we had a hard time getting salvage furniture," he said. "You just couldn't find it because there was very little furniture moving through the normal sales channels.

"I had a lot of smaller products offered to me. We got into appliances, electronics, dishes and things like that because it wasn't going to take up any more floor space.

"We had cabinets that we could use to display it along with our furniture care products. People came flying in for it."

That led to more repeat business, which Mike Bills and his brother, Bill Bills Jr., credit with the growth of the retailer since its founding in 1972 as Bills' Bros. Freight Salvage Furniture by their grandfather, Wendall Bills, and his sons, Bill Bills Sr. and Earl Bills.

"We try to do it as close to half price or less," Mike Bills said. "We want to make it a bargain for our customers and it allows us to turn more product."

Bill Bills Jr. said relocation of small appliances and other non-furniture merchandise to the new clearance center has increased space in the main showroom for more furniture.

"We have merchandise that we really have not had space to display," he said. "Customers want to see and feel furniture. This will enable them to see a more diverse selection and know that they can take it with them the same day."'

Mike Bills said a lot of the items in the clearance center are "no brainers" in terms of price and value.

"You can spend this much money on a dinner out that might not turn out so great or even a movie for that matter," he said. "It's not going to break the bank. It's functional and fun stuff like patio furniture and some salvage furniture for someone filling their basement or a young person furnishing their first apartment.

"If they're willing to do a little repair work, they can have some nice functional furniture at a discount."

Mike Bill said the tagline of "Two Floors and Bargains Galore" is intended to convey that the building holds more merchandise than is evident to anyone driving past the business.

"We had more windows and larger windows, but you wouldn't believe the number of people who think we have just one floor of merchandise," he said. "We came up with the tagline after sitting around for a couple of hours."

Bills Bros. Clearance Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, the same hours and days as Bills Bros. Furniture. The retailer is closed on Sunday.