Homemakers Furniture in Urbandale launches in-store alcohol purchases

Now when you’re shopping for a sofa or a new dining room set, you can sip on a cold beer or glass of wine. Urbandale-based furniture store Homemakers Furniture is hoping for another heavy pour of retail success with its recent launch of in-store alcohol purchases at its 215,000-square-foot showroom.

The popular stop for local interior design lovers soft launched its in-store alcohol last month at the store’s HOMEgrounds café area that serves snacks like cookies and Starbucks coffee drinks.

The store’s café is now offering select beer, wine, and seltzers for $5 per drink for customers to “sip while they shop.”

Assistant vice president Jason Merschman said the recent move is a part of company plans to enhance its shopping experience in the metro. 

“At Homemakers, we are re-inventing the furniture shopping experience. In 2019, we rolled out our non-commission sales policy to help remove some of the stigma around the high-pressure shopping experience often found with a commissioned sales team,” Merschman said in a news release.

What alcohol can customers order at Homemakers?

Canned and bottled beer options from local craft breweries and longtime industry giants are available in the store cafe. Customers can order 16-ounce bottles of Bud Light and Michelob Ultra alongside cans of Busch Light.

Craft brews include an IPA from Iowa City-based Big Grove Brewery & Taproom, which just opened a space near downtown Des Moines, and Ruthie lager from Exile Brewing Co.