This image shows an early rendering of Talsma Furniture’s Kalamazoo, Mich. store. Image courtesy of Talsma Furniture.
HUDSONVILLE, Mich. — For its next store, Top 100 retailer Talsma Furniture is heading about an hour south to a new market.
The Hudsonville, Mich.-based retailer will undertake a ground-up build for its fifth overall showroom and its first in Kalamazoo.
“Kalamazoo’s a market we’ve been looking at for a while. We’ve been waiting for the right location for a store,” Jessica Smith, co-vice president, told Furniture Today. “We’ve kind of covered the Grand Rapids area, so Kalamazoo has been the next logical area.”
Smith said the wait was worth it, as Talsma picked a strong location for the store, which will have around 50,000 square feet of showroom space with a small warehouse area.
“We found a spot that’s right off W. Main St. It’s the perfect location,” she said. “It’s very visible from the road and the highway. The location will pull from a lot of the surrounding area. We’re really excited about it. There’s a brewery next door, an Ethan Allen and a couple of other retail locations so I think it will be a nice spot for our store.”
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When the store opens in early 2026, being in a new market brings potential for more. But Smith said Talsma wants to do it right and make the most of its opportunities in Kalamazoo before thinking about next steps.
“For us, it’s an underserved market. There are lower priced stores and design stores, so we feel there’s a niche for us,” she said. “We’re a middle- to upper range and that’s not represented, so there’s potential. I’m fourth generation, and I love to plan and grow the business, but I don’t want to do it too quickly. We’re very strategic when we grow.”
Meanwhile, business continues in Talsma’s four stores in the greater Grand Rapids market. Recently, it was recognized by Bassett Furniture for being its top performing Bassett Design Center for the fourth year running.
“It is a great honor for us to recognized by Bassett once again. It is not only a tribute to the partnership between our two companies, but also to our employees who successfully deploy this program with our customers,” said Richard Talsma, president and CEO.
Talsma installed its first BDC in 2017 and has excelled in its Bassett sales. The Kalamazoo store will include the next generation Bassett Design Center.
“We could not ask for better partners. From the strength of their retail operations to the way they represent the Bassett brand in their BDCs,” said Matt Johnson, vice president of sales for Bassett. “Talsma’s professional team is one of the best in our industry and the results show.”