Business & Tech

Baker Bros: A Furniture Fixture of Downtown Watsonville

For 43 years, the mom-and-pop showroom has been offering furniture and appliances at reasonable prices.

For 43 years, has been a fixture of downtown Watsonville.

Selling brand-name furniture and appliances, the spacious showroom counts only two employees: owner Debbie Baker and a delivery man. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Monday through Friday, Baker is around to provide the individualized customer service she says is a signature of the store.

“If someone says they need a washer, we don’t try to sell them a $5,000 model,” said Baker on Friday afternoon. “We look at their needs and evaluate the best product. We make it easy for customers to purchase.”

The store was opened in 1969 by Baker’s father-in-law, who also owned a Western Auto store in San Jose.

“He saw that Watsonville was a growing town so he came down here,” said Baker. He continued to work there until retiring in 2006.

The larger part of the store was closed in 2011 due to financial difficulties, and is now for sale or lease. Still, Baker says business is now steady in its showroom, located at 55 Brennan St. Four glowing reviews can be found on the store’s Yelp page.

“It's like the good ol days when a sales person approached you to help you make a sound decision, instead of using high pressure sales tactics,” wrote one Watsonville resident.

The store hosts a display of brands such as Maytag and Simmons and offers free delivery on most of their products. While many of the same products can be found online, Baker said the customer has a benefit of seeing the product first-hand at the store.

“People don’t know exactly what something does until they see and touch it,” said Baker.

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