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RSSEnterprise, The; Salt Lake City
UCC Total Home, a Merrillville, Ind.-based franchiser of approximately 90 DirectBuy discount home furnishings clubs in the U.S. and Canada, will enter the Utah market next month.
Salt Lake franchisee Dean Dandeneau, in partnership with parents Ed and Shirley Dandeneau, will open DirectBuy of Salt Lake sometime during September in approximately 10,000 square feet at 6918 S. 185 W.
Founded in 1971 as United Consumers Club, later changing its name to UCC Total Home dba DirectBuy, the company offers to its members 26 different categories of merchandise from hundreds of brand-new manufacturers. Product categories include furniture, flooring, carpeting, cabinetry, window treatments, appliances, lighting, home decor, luggage, sporting goods and jewelry.
Those who are interested in becoming members must make a reservation, either on site or online at www.directbuy.net, to tour the facility nearest them. Lisa Sartin, manager of advertising and promotions, said the company does not discuss membership prices because they vary from center to center, but recent Internet postings indicate the sign-up fee is between $2,000 and $4,500 with significantly smaller yearly fees required over durations of several years.
Sartin said many DirectBuy franchisees are former members.
"For the U.S., we have over 700 brand-name manufacturers, and they're authorized suppliers so franchise. owners are actually able to sell their catalog," Sartin said, declining to name any of the manufacturers with whom
DirectBuy has agreements. "We're allowing consumers to buy direct for their home at insider prices and be able to save money, buy more, buy better, buy higher quality. ... All of our centers do some form of advertising, whether it's infomercial or TV spots or display ads."
Privately held, DirectBuy does not reveal its membership numbers, she said.
DirectBuy of Salt Lake leased the location in which it will open next month with the assistance of Jeff Heaton of NAI Utah Commercial Real Estate.
Copyright Enterprise Business Newspaper Inc. Aug 23, 2004