In an era where many shoppers needing furniture instinctively flock to big-city showrooms or default to the convenience of online, one-click ordering, Kloss Furniture has endured as a brick-and-mortar powerhouse. Headquartered in the Metro East community of Highland, the business has proven that its local roots run deep by paying homage to its small-town foundation. The success of this multi-generationally owned family business can be traced to its commitment to community over corporate excess.
“It took 50 years to build trust knowing that when our customers spend their hard earned money here, they know they’re going to get what they came in to shop for. If they ever have any issues with it, they know that Kloss will take care of them,” said third-generation store owner Josh Kloss.
Today, the company is thriving with three locations in the Metro East and one in St Louis, selling “everything to make your home feel comfortable” whether that be mattresses, sofas, or dining room furniture.
Roots, resilience, and furniture
Josh Kloss is the grandson of store founders Smokey and Doris Kloss who first started a meat market before deciding to get into furniture. What happened next, however, nearly unraveled everything before it could truly begin.
“Shortly after they opened the furniture store, my grandpa had a midlife crisis and told my dad that he’s selling the business. At 20 years old, my dad decided, ‘I’m not going to leave the business. I’m going to buy you out,’” continued Josh. “So, my dad went around to the three banks that were here in Highland and asked them if they would give him the loan to buy my grandpa out. The first two said no. The third one said, ‘Yes’ on a handshake deal, provided the other two banks would agree to share in the risk. So, my dad, at 20 years old, took a loan out from the three banks here in Highland, bought my grandpa out, and started the Kloss Furniture business back in 1976.”
For Josh, the furniture store became a second home and, at times, an indoor playground. “My grandma put me to work at nine,” Josh recalled with a warm smile. “My first job was to arrange fabrics and put them all back in numerical order. She also had me clean bathrooms and change light bulbs.”
Josh expanded his role at the store the older he got and was delivering furniture during his high school years. The rhythm of the business became the rhythms of his life with Josh stating, “Our lives always revolved around the furniture store.”
“My dad would work Friday nights late, and I would bring my friends up. We’d play hide and go seek in the furniture store. When I was little, this was an indoor playground.”
The tradition, it turned out, did not stop with Josh.
“For my kids it still is (an indoor playground),” smiled Josh. “They love bringing their friends, and when we close, they jump on the mattresses, play laser tag. It’s a lot of fun.”
Turning lemons into lemonade
The growth of Kloss Furniture suffered a serious setback in 1999 when an electrical fire burned down the store.
“Instead of getting all worked up and worried about it, my dad was famously quoted as saying, ‘We’re going to turn this lemon into lemonade,'” Josh recalled. His family then opened a new store after the fire at its current location in Highland. The business took off with new life at its new location, setting the stage for Kloss Furniture to be a legacy business with Josh receiving mentorship along the way from his father.
“My dad has definitely helped me out and has mentored me throughout my entire life,” Josh said. “I can remember being 13 and sitting in his office and working with him.”
“The advice that my dad gave me is to always have integrity and to do what you say you’re going to do,” stated Josh with confidence. “Your word means everything. If you don’t stick by your word, then you have nothing to live for.”
The last furniture store standing
At one point, there were three or four furniture stores in Highland according to Josh, but Kloss Furniture is now the last of its kind.
“Mom and pops are really going out of business, so it’s very important to me to keep our legacy going and keep family-owned businesses thriving.”
“Brick and mortar retail stores are the foundation, the bedrock of this farming community in southern Illinois,” Josh said. “Without them, there’s not many places to shop for furniture or even to shop in general.”
In an era when virtually anything can be ordered with two taps on a smartphone and arrive the next day, Josh Kloss has thought carefully about the buyer’s journey at Kloss Furniture.
“We know people can buy furniture anywhere online,” Josh acknowledged. “They could go to a bigger furniture retail store, but we feel like they come in here because we take care of them and we offer just unbelievable customer service. We create and maintain relationships with our customers. It’s a little bit different than selling clothing,” explained Josh. “We sell furniture. It’s a higher-priced item. People want to sit. People want to touch and when shopping online, you don’t get that experience.”
Josh paused, then offered up an example about the special bond shared with his customers that was equal parts amusing and revealing.
“We do have people that actually take naps on our mattresses,” said Josh with candor. “They’ll come in in the afternoon and will actually want to sleep on the mattress before buying. You can’t get that experience online.”
“We realize that furniture is a very big purchase for most people and one that only happens maybe once every five or 10 years,” continued Josh. “So, we really work hard on building a reputation to where people want to come and shop with us. When you ask somebody where they got their furniture, we want them to say Kloss Furniture and that’s what gets them to come in. We really work hard to earn that trust.”
High touch and high tech
If the image of customers napping on showroom mattresses suggests a charmingly old-fashioned, retail experience, Josh is quick to point out that Kloss Furniture does not coast on its nostalgia.
“We stay on top of technology here very well,” explained Josh as he pointed toward the mattress department. “We have a support report bedding station where people can actually lay down and a computer analyzes pressure points on them to give them the best mattress that fits their bodies. We’re the only retailer in the Metro East area that has anything like that.”
The integration of technology is present throughout the store and used by sales staff while working with customers.
“All of our sales associates input orders on tablets,” Josh explained. “So, instead of having to go back to the computer and check if something is in stock, we can check stock right there with the customer. In the future, customers will be able to shop and check stock on their phone. We’re always trying to stay on the forefront.”
It is a careful, deliberate balance of the warmth of a family business aligned with the efficiency of a modern retailer. At the core, Josh stressed that he believes the relationships he builds with his customers is paramount in importance.
“When people walk in, most of the time, we know their names,” Josh said. “It’s all about relationships. They know that they’re going to be comfortable coming in here. So, it’s not that we’re just selling furniture, it’s a long term relationship that we’ve built with our customers. They’re not only customers, but they are good friends of ours, too.”
Those relationships, in some cases, span lifetimes.
“We do have generational customers,” Josh noted. “There’s a line (that people say) in Highland to always buy from Highland. We are a close-knit community. Grandparents will bring their kids in for wedding presents. They know that when they come here, they’re going to have a great experience.”
People behind the product
No legacy sustains itself; it requires great people showing up every day with the same investment in quality and care that the family name demands.
“There would be no way that we could survive and keep growing like we have been without having just unbelievable employees,” stated Josh. “We’ve been able to continue in business for 50 years because we do have integrity. We have a really good name in the community. People know we will take care of our customers thanks to our people.”
While Josh says finding great people in a small community can be challenging, he believes his store has a distinct advantage when it comes to finding great employees.
“Hiring in a small community is tough,” Josh acknowledged. “By having the name and the reputation that we have, it’s easier for us to hire. We also pay above the normal pay rate around here. So, we’re able to attract the top talent.”
That commitment to employees reflects something deeper in Josh’s sense of purpose.
“I wanted to carry on the family legacy because I wanted to help out other families in our community,” noted Josh. “We do a lot of fundraising for local charities, food banks, and the police departments around our stores. I want to keep helping everybody.”
“This place is my life,” Josh said simply. “I don’t have too many hobbies outside of work because I just love the business so much.”
A message to Springfield
Josh stressed that he is not a man defined by complaints, but when the conversation turned to the business climate in Illinois, a quiet urgency entered his voice.
“Our margins keep on getting smaller, because our costs keep rising,” said Josh plainly. “It would be nice if Illinois legislators could maybe help with cutting red tape on permits, helping us with our taxes, and trying to do whatever they can to help us keep our costs lower.”
Even among those headwinds, Josh said he is confident that Kloss Furniture is moving in the right direction to thrive for another 50 years.
“We want customers to have the feeling of comfort when they leave our store. People are working harder than ever for money these days and we recognize that. We want customers leaving our store to feel secure that their home is going to look more beautiful and greater than before they came in. We strive to make sure that happens.”
