"Corners" Frame Stores

meko1

True Grumbler
Joined
Feb 27, 2002
Posts
64
Loc
Northern Colorado
Does anyone know about "Corners" Frame Stores? They seem to have started back east and now have quite a few across the country. Is it a franchise like Fast Frame or Deck the Walls etc? Do they haave a good reputation?
Thanks
Marge
 
I believe they were headquartered in nearby Framingham, Massachusetts. They used to be known as FRAME KING before filing chapter 11 and recovering in mid 2001.

There's one about 10 minutes from our shop, just over the Massachusetts line.

I read on the internet that they may have merged with "BA FRAMER" two years ago and moved their HQ to Tennessee. They changed some of their vendors at the same time, and talked about plans to open larger superstores.

I also see from the internet that there was an article about them in Art Business News on 4/1/2003, that stated:
BATESVILLE, Miss. -- Framed Picture Enterprises (FPE) has merged with Corners Picture Framing Superstores in an all-stock transaction. All of Corners' existing common stock will be converted to shares of FPE. Additionally, the former Corners' shareholders will have two seats on the FPE Board of Directors. Jack Bush, former president of Michaels Stores and a current Corners' board member, will join the new FPE Board as vice chairman. David Heidecorn of Catterton Partners will also join the FPE Board representing the interests of Corners stockholders.

With the addition of Corners, FPE will now consist of approximately 140 retail custom framing locations, with wall decor manufacturing and assembly facilities in Mississippi and a national distribution center in Tennessee. Headquarters for the corporation will remain in Batesville, but FPE retail operations will be located at the existing Corners' offices in Framingham, Mass.
Their 29 (from 40?) remaining stores are in Massachusetts(17), California(5), Connecticut(2), New York(2), New Jersey(1), and Pennsylvania(2)

They claim that 70% are company owned, and 30% are franchises.

There used to be one in Rhode Island, but it folded in about a year (maybe less?).

The stores seem to be laid out well, with a good marketing and merchandising plan.

You can get more info at: http://www.cornersframing.com/
http://www.baframer.net/ BA Framer / Dekor / Garden Ridge Custom Framing / Custom Framing at the Great Indoors / Customer Framing in A.C. Moore / Deck the Walls
http://rds.yahoo.com/S=2766679/K=corners+framing+superstores+merge/v=2/SID=e/TID=H031_59/l=WS1/R=2/H=0/SHE=0/*-http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2001/08/06/newscolumn5.html ?jst=s_cn_hl
http://www.icsc.org/srch/sct/current/sct9912/08.html
http://rds.yahoo.com/S=2766679/K=corners+framing+superstores+merge/v=2/SID=e/TID=H031_59/l=WS1/R=1/H=0/MI=ic/SHE=0/*-http://rdre1.yahoo.com/click?u=http://www.highbeam.com/library/ doc0.asp%3Fdocid%3D1G1:99817168%26refid%3Dink_g5s2%26skeyword%3D%26teaser%3D&y=02487C6084A3EE1E&i=523&c=10825&q=02%5ESSHPM%5BL7%7Cpmqzml%3Fym~rvqx%3Fljozmlkpmzl%3Frzmxz6&e=utf-8&r= 0&d=wow-en-us&n=E9BK5H1KR3RK05N1&s=349&t=&m=40F7DF70&x=01B35CA03D66C00F


Please note that I haven't confirmed any of this and could be wrong. I found this info through google.com and from their web pages.

Mike

[ 07-16-2004, 10:28 AM: Message edited by: Mike-L@GTP ]
 
First, I forgot who, but one of the Grumblers is a Corners employee.

Ok, take this as unconfirmed "vendor talk." We know how accurate that can be.
shrug.gif
Essentially this is rumor and probably has the accuracy you would expect.

They were Frame King Express and a had a number of "corporate stores" as well as franchisees. Some time back (5 - 10 yrs???) they stopped franchising, but retained the corporate stores. At that time they changed their name to Corners.

About a year and a half ago they merged (were bought out) with BA Framers. As I understand it BA Framers have their "own" line of moulding and their own stores "in the South." I have been told that BA Framers is the outfit that "runs" the A.C. Moore framing departments. Again, remember ... rumor!

When the "merger" happened with BA Framers they "threw out" the vendors they were using, so there was a lot of grumping by the reps in the area! I have since acquired a number of their "old" customers, because they "don't have the good frames anymore." The one a few towns away honors Michael's coupons as well as having their own big postcard mailings regularly.

Looking at a couple of price quotes that customer's brought in I was running +/- 10% of their 50% off price. (That was when they carried LJ and I could do an apples to apples comparison.) Haven't bothered to check prices, since they changed hands. The closest one is not really that near and I am pulling customers because the mouldings apparently aren't "up to expectations."

As Ellen says ... take what you can use, etc.
 
BA Framer is the company that AC Moore's use, they also do the framing for Garden Ridge. There is a Corners in Charlotte NC. The guy who owns it has been in business 28 years.
They only use regular glass, regular paper mat board, and the cheapest foam core they can buy. They do not stock any of the big name mouldings.

It would be really tough to compete against them, I'm glad I don't have to right now.

A lot of framers in the area keep saying he will not make it not doing "conservation" framing. Let me repeat. He has been in business for 28 years.
 
It's really funny how wildly different the stories go. I heard all kinds things about corporate scandle and vendors threatening to take control, and that Corners was bought by Frame King as part of the deal to keep the thing afloat . . .
shrug.gif
I hope that no one says that they are supported by the . . . Oh, those internet rumors!

I will say for a fact that yes they have (in L.I. NY at least) a great layout and curb appeal to the retail public. I did notice one very strange thing - They had a very large number of sq. ft. for frame samples on the wall. Many were LJ, Roma, Decor, and Williamson. BUT, they were Duplicated! So they actually had 1/2 the selection that they seemed to have. Good? Bad? Hmmm. Mat selection - thin. I could hold all the samples in two hands.
 
BA Framer is HQ'd here in Memphis. They are owned by FPE which is out of Batesville, MS. There are 7 BA Framer stores here in Memphis with a Garden Ridge or two thrown in.

The BA stores are kind of a scaled-up Michaels but are no competition for a high-end shop. They run all the typical 50-90% OFF sales and are competing for the Michaels/Hobby Lobby market.

Mike
 
Meko, are you asking because they are coming to Colorado? Just curious......I ain't scared. From the description they sound like Aaron Brothers. AB is a dressed up version of Michael's. Although after seeing them pop up everywhere I decided they are pretty uninspiring stores. No matter how you dress up Grandma it is still Grandma..........
 
I guess I am curious because I am looking for work in a hi end store or to see if they would want to open a branch in my area. But it appears they wouldn't be one I would like to pursue.
Do appreciate the info from everyone and guess I could have Googleized myself if I had thought of it before asking. Google is such a wonderful thing!

M
 
My store has been named "Corners Custom Framing & Fine Art" since 1993, because I started out in the corner store of a historic hotel, and of course I have lots of corner samples. I changed the name to Corners Art Gallery & Custom Framing when I moved to a larger location. I have a good reputation as a quality framer. My worst fear is that the other kind of Corners will move to Texas and people will think I am affiliated with them...after all these years, I think it is too late to change my name.
shrug.gif
 
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