The Rise Of E-Commerce Puts The Nail In The Coffin For Local WWII-Era Furniture Retailer

Metropolitan Furniture is closing its 60K SF flagship store at 7400 North Freeway, Houston. This marks the last remaining store for the company, which was founded by brothers Harry, Sammy and Hymie Abramson just after World War II. 

"This is the end of an era for a landmark name in Houston furniture retailing," said Tiger Capital Group Director of Furniture Solutions Mark Bannon, who is representing the owners in the property sale. "The business survived the Korean, Vietnamese and Gulf wars, as well as several recessions and hurricanes, but disruption in the industry continues to take its toll on local furniture retailers. This sale represents a final thank you and goodbye from Metropolitan Furniture to generations of loyal customers."

In 1946, the Abramson brothers opened a 500 SF space within the Metropolitan Grocery store. A few years later, the business relocated to a bigger space at 8713 Jensen Drive, where it remained until 1982.

The flagship building on North Freeway opened in 1978. Two years later, Harry's son, Arnold, and Sammy's son, Ronald, took the helm. The family went on to open additional locations at 6902 Southwest Freeway in 1982 and at 12161 Katy Freeway in 1990.

The latter two stores were closed over the past few years in response to disruptive trends such as e-commerce, demographic shifts and the proliferation of national chain stores, Bannon said.

"The extraordinary longevity of this business has everything to do with this family's hard work and keen attention to detail," he said. "It is why the breadth of the inventory is so solid, and why the flagship, built by the family over 40 years ago, is still so clean and orderly. The Abramsons were laser-focused on their customers, and this sale is a celebration of their 73 years of service in the Houston area."