biltmore exchange
by Jeanne Charters

I had passed Biltmore Exchange at 12 Sweeten Creek Road many times before I ventured inside. What exactly is a “quality furniture consignment store” anyway? The warehouse exterior looked slightly foreboding; but finally, my curiosity got the best of me and in I went.
Wow! High ceilings, piped Celtic music, furniture, artwork, all arranged in a tasteful and easy-to-browse manner. Philosophical sentiments scrawled on blackboards in front of and around the store; i.e., “The problems we face will not be solved by the minds that created them.” Albert Einstein

Fascinated, I returned to the store 3 times in 10 days. I realized that the merchandise was different each time I visited. “They must sell a lot of stuff here for this kind of turnover of inventory.” I mused.

When I found out that the business was owned by one Barbara Phillips (in partnership with her sons, Gary and Rob), I knew that this should be a story for our “Women Minding their own Business” issue. So, I called Barbara and asked for an interview.
She was outside supervising the delivery of some “new” furniture. Smiling, she joined me and we sat down to chat.

“I was selling Cadillacs for many years in Sarasota, Florida. I noticed a store there called The Woman’s Exchange. It was a quality furniture consignment store to benefit charity. I noticed that the merchandise was not arranged in a way that was either appealing to the eye or easy to shop. Hmm, I thought, what a good idea if it was merchandised properly.

We decided to move to Asheville in the early 90’s. I had a vision of a store like the one I’d seen in Sarasota, so my son, Gary and I started scouring for a location. That took us 2 years. We knew that in order to do it right, we needed to buy a building. We started looking in Asheville. If a building was in good shape, there was no parking, it seemed. Finally, we found 6 condemned attached buildings here on Sweeten Creek Road. They were a mess! The “condemned” signs were on the front doors. They had been built in the early 1920s, and no one had inhabited the buildings for more than 30 years. But the price was right and I could see possibilities here. After engineering studies confirmed that these were indeed usable buildings, we went ahead with Gary doing most of the rehabbing, except for the roof.”

She paused, “Everyone thought we were crazy. Nobody here had heard of a furniture consignment store. But if I’m one thing, it’s a person who perseveres. I just couldn’t give up. I knew the idea would work. We started small in 1996, using just one of the 6 buildings. Now, we’ve expanded to fill them all and they’re joined into one big building. Sales have increased roughly 10% to 15% each year.

One day, a gentleman in his 90s came in here holding an Orange Crush™ bottle. Turns out he had worked here in the 1920s when the building we are sitting in was an Orange Crush™ bottling plant. One thing we’re all proud of is that we saved these historic old buildings and have given them a new life.”

When I asked Barbara about her business philosophy, she said, “We don’t take furniture that is not in good shape or is not of good quality. We take roughly 20% of the furniture and art that is presented to us. Sometimes, one of us veers from our business focus; but someone else is always there to reel us back in to our real purpose. We believe that we are a “service” business as opposed to a pure retail establishment. People comment to me on the politeness of my staff. I laugh at that. You bet they’re polite. They’re family, and this place supports us all.”

I asked Barbara what advice she would give to women considering starting their own business. She said, “Watch your expenses carefully. Don’t let your overhead get out of control. Make sure that determination is your middle name. Most of all, persevere! DO NOT QUIT! There will be many times when you wish you could, but hang in there.”

Thank you, Barbara, Gary and Rob for your gracious welcome to me. I’ll be back on Saturday to check out that loveseat one more time!