With an eye towards the bargain hunter, L.A. Waters Furniture Company has recently opened a new furniture store concept in Statesboro - Weekend Dealz.
      "Weekend Dealz is a fun store that meets the needs of today's furniture customer," said Anthony Waters, co-owner of L.A. Waters. "Just like the name says, we are open only on the weekend - Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday - when our customers want to shop."
      Waters said it is clear that shopping preferences for many have changed, and Weekend Dealz is designed to meet that customer need.
       "Today, most shoppers are looking for a bargain, and are willing to hunt and wait for that bargain," he said. "That is how Weekend Dealz is designed. Within the store, you will find an ever changing array of home furnishings, and our pledge to the customer is to offer the lowest price possible, on every item, to everybody, every weekend."
       Weekend Dealz general manager Randy Laster said he and Waters are always shopping to find bargains to put in the store.
       "We are bringing in closeouts and overstock items from both manufacturers and other stores," he said. "You just never know what you might find this weekend, because it's always changing. Right now, you will find closeout items from Universal, Lexington, Lane, and Tropitone, but next week, it will be different with new items on the showroom floor."
       Housed in the former location of the Lawson's Furniture store on Northside Drive, the new signage for Weekend Dealz caught the attention of Statesboro resident Jeannine Callahan.
       "My husband and I noticed the activity going on in the building, and were really curious when the sign went up," she said. "We had recently moved back to Statesboro from Chicago, and needed a few pieces of furniture, and like everyone else, we were looking for a bargain."
       Callahan said she really liked the approach of the sales staff.
       "The store is big and clean, and really has some very nice furniture," she said. "The staff was very low key, allowing us to take our time and look. We bought some nice pieces of furniture at about half of what I thought we would have to pay. We are very satisfied with what we purchased, and the experience that we had there."
       The 22,500 square foot space had been empty for the last several months since the closing of Lawson's, part of the L. A. Waters chain of furniture stores.
      "The reality was that Lawson's simply wasn't different enough from L. A. Waters, so it didn't really have its own niche," Waters said. "Weekend Dealz serves as the bargain part of L.A. Waters Furniture. You see, you buy it, and you take it home. There isn't a design element to it."
       Waters' "no frills - low overhead" model includes a mattress outlet as well as furniture geared towards university students.
       "We have those hard to find futons that college students want," Waters said. "Also, we offer closeout pricing on name brand mattress sets, as well as great buys on "generic" brand mattress sets."
Laster said as soon as the sign went up on Northside Drive, the customers started knocking on the door.
       "When Friday rolls around, we have a steady stream of customers," he said. "In a way I am amazed, and in a way not. This is great furniture at great prices, and it is here to sell. It will leave here sold. Also, it is always changing, so people can come weekend after weekend and see new stuff. The selection will not be stagnant. Each piece will continue to be marked down until it is sold."
       Laster said on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the showroom floor is reconfigured to display the latest arrivals.
       "Those are very busy days, and even if someone knocks on the door, we just have to let them know that our hours of operation are set for the weekend," he said. "I have noticed that most of the time, they will come back. Weekend Dealz is definitely a furniture bargain hunter's paradise. And, you can check us out on Facebook."