By 1808Delaware
For years, shopping Wayfair has meant scrolling through sofas, tables, rugs and home décor from a screen. Soon, Central Ohio shoppers will have another way to explore the online retailer’s enormous selection, this time by walking through an outlet store in Dublin.
Wayfair is preparing to open a 22,000-square-foot outlet at 6765 Dublin Center Drive in Dublin Village Center. The company says grand-opening details will be announced soon, while published reports indicate the store is expected to open before the end of summer. An exact opening date has not yet been released.
The address may be familiar to longtime Dublin residents. The space previously served as the temporary Dublin branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library while the current library was under construction. The temporary branch moved into Dublin Village Center in late 2017.
A Store Built Around Changing Inventory
The Dublin location will operate differently from a traditional furniture showroom. Wayfair describes it in employment postings as a “returns Outlet retail store,” while its outlet operation also offers open-box merchandise and other discounted home goods. That means shoppers should not expect the same selection from one visit to the next. Wayfair says new merchandise reaches its outlet floors every week, turning the store into more of a treasure hunt than a place to order a particular sofa in a particular color.
The selection is expected to cover nearly every part of the home. Wayfair’s Dublin outlet page lists sofas, sectionals, bookcases and tables for living rooms; dressers, nightstands and children’s furniture for bedrooms; dining sets, sideboards and kitchen storage; desks and office chairs; bathroom vanities and cabinets; and an assortment of linens, wallpaper, vases and seasonal décor.
Two Wayfair Stores, Two Different Experiences
The outlet comes only weeks after Wayfair opened its first Ohio retail store near Polaris Fashion Place. That 70,000-square-foot store at 1551 Gemini Place welcomed its first customers on June 18 and held its grand-opening celebration June 26 through June 28.
The Polaris store is designed as a more traditional Wayfair experience, with furniture, housewares, appliances, mattresses and décor, along with complimentary design assistance. Many smaller products can be taken home immediately, while larger items can be delivered through Wayfair’s distribution network.
Dublin’s outlet will fill a different role. Its appeal will be the possibility of finding an unexpected piece at a reduced price, with the understanding that another shopper may grab it first and that it may not be there during the next visit.
Hiring Underway As Opening Approaches
Wayfair is hiring for the new store. Positions advertised at the location have included sales lead, receiving lead, merchandiser, part-time receiving associate and part-time sales associate. Current seasonal associate listings show pay ranging from $17 to $18 per hour. The company has not yet posted regular store hours or a public telephone number for the Dublin outlet. Updates are expected through the retailer’s outlet website as the grand opening draws closer.
Photo: Polaris Wayfair store, 1808Delaware File Photo
