Bond Dinettes - What’s going on?

My father began working for Bond nearly 40 years ago.  He opened and managed Bond Dinettes stores throughout Connecticut during that time, and was the manager of the Newington, Ct store after the others had closed approximately 15 years ago.  In 1999, the previous owner of Bond Dinettes had offered to sell the company to my father and I, and that sale was finalized on April 20, 2000.  From then on, Bond Dinettes was given the heart and soul of my father and I.  We prided ourselves on making sure our prices were the lowest - plus delivered for free, people enjoyed shopping there because the staff simply enjoyed working with the people who came through the doors. Sales staff was never paid on an individual commission basis, that was not what we were about.  Week after week, what kept us smiling was generation, after generation, people would tell us about the set they purchased from us when they were married 20 years ago that still looks great... or the stools their aunt still has that she bought from us 18 years ago that are still holding up well.  People were always telling us how they loved our store, and our furniture, and we were proud of what we were, and who we are.  To own this store that my father had given his entire life to was his dream.  But eight years later, right when the stock market crashed, things began to change.

The economy began to slow in the spring and summer of 2008.  Through that point Bond Dinettes and the furniture industry were doing well.  But in the fall of 2008, the economy crashed, the stock market collapsed, factory orders plummeted, and the ‘credit-crisis’ began.  As sales drastically declined because of the faltering economy, factories began limiting credit, not only to us, but to nearly every store because of their own financial struggles. That put most furniture stores that were not ‘big-box’ stores into a financial bind - having to pay off outstanding balances before the next set of orders could ship.  Further, factories began limiting their own inventories and orders began taking much longer than expected to fill, which trickled down to the furniture stores. During the period of autumn 2008 and through 2009, more than a dozen furniture stores closed in Connecticut and Southern Massachusetts.  Despite the difficulties, Bond Dinettes was able to weather the transition and continue doing business.

Bond Dinettes sold primarily custom and special order furniture.  This furniture was typically of a much higher quality and made in the U.S. or Canada.  We used smaller, specialized factories, that were more drastically affected by the economic troubles, for most of our furniture.  During this time we did everything we could for Bond to continue to be what it was, and sell the better quality, domestic furniture.  But as sales continued to slow in 2009 and into early 2010, it became more and more difficult to make minimum truckload or shipping requirements, as well as make factory pre-payments and meet overhead.  

We could not have avoided the delays in shipping.  This recession has been called a ‘Global Recession’ and it has affected us in ways we could not have imagined.  Shipping delays beyond our control have understandably frustrated people.  Many people took to voicing their opinions and frustration online, and a few through news agencies, which continued to hurt our stores sales in the midst of already difficult economic times.  In order to avoid having to close the store, throughout 2009, everything we had was put in to Bond Dinettes.  My father and I drastically cut our pay to just enough to live on - often not taking pay at all, and my fathers entire retirement and life savings were put into the business to keep it alive. We did everything we could, but we did not do it for us.

As I mentioned, Bond Dinettes has always been, primarily, a special-order business.  For 40 years, deposits have been taken on orders while they are being custom made for someone.  At any point, if Bond Dinettes were to fail, there would be customers left with outstanding orders.  We could not let that happen.  We had to give everything we had to keep Bond Dinettes running until the economy turned around.  The largest expense we had was the store rent on the Berlin Turnpike, and the Note payable for the purchase of Bond Dinettes.  Sales took a drastic downward tumble in April 2010, and though some concessions were made by the landlord, we faced an increase in rent in May of 2010 that was simply impossible for us to meet.  Having no other option we stayed as long as we could in an effort to sell from stock to raise money to apply toward getting customer orders shipped and fill necessary shipping requirements.  Last week we received a letter and were forced out of our store address with only a few days to vacate.

The reason I wrote this is so you, the customer, have a full understanding of what has happened with Bond Dinettes.  Let me now say, to any and all customers who have had an experience that is any less than ideal, how sorry we are that this may have caused you any trouble.  We understand your frustration, and anger, and we hate that we were not able to overcome what was thrown against us.  Despite what you may have read or heard from frustrated customers who dealt with delayed orders - please know completely -  that there was never an ounce of intention to not provide any customer with their merchandise.  We truly gave all we had, and we have nothing left - but our desire to finish well, and provide customers with the merchandise they ordered.

Again I repeat, our hearts brake for anyone who has encountered any frustration, anger or stress as it relates to Bond Dinettes.  As we continue to finish filling any outstanding orders, I ask that you please understand the kind hearts and wonderful people who are our staff.  They do not have to still be with us, they can leave anytime they want - infact, their lives will be much more difficult if they stay.  But they have expressed their solidarity in sticking with us as we finish our work here to fill your orders.  They are some of the most wonderful, kind-hearted people I have ever known, and we are Blessed to call them friends.

Steve and Stephen

& The entire Bond Staff