Unique house plant department

Giant All American Home Centers has just opened what may well be the most unusual department ever built in a home center.

The firm constructed a 10,800 sq. ft. addition to its existing Downey, Ca. facility to house a house plant shop and a patio and bar-b-que department.

According to the firm's v.p., Leonard Gertler, "We wanted to create a truly unique house plant department, an area that would excite our customers. I believe that we have succeeded. We started with 3,500 sq. ft. of floor space. First we constructed several farm buildings with old weathered lumber; next we added a couple of old ranch wagons; we followed that with some beautiful. natural cedar wood sculptures: we added two waterfalls; then we filled the remaining spaces with old farm implements, antiques and artifacts. and covered the floor with 4" of decorator bark. When our decor was completed, we stocked the

Story at a Glance

World's largest home center (160,000 sq. ft.) adds 10,800 sq. ft. for house plant shop, patio and b-b-q dept. .decor includes ranch wagons, waterfalls, several buildings.

area with several thousand house plants and containers.

"Our customers can't quite believe it," adds Gertler. "We are particularly proud as the entire project was conceived, designed and constructed by All American personnel, taking four weeks and $15,000 for the construction and decor. Everybody got into the act and had a lot of fun. Two of our employees even spent a week-end in a 4-wheel drive vehicle scouring remote desert areas for old weathered lumber, and several employees contributed memorabilia from their homes."

In addition to the house plant shop, the new area devotes 4,000 sq. ft. to patio and bar-b-que, and has smaller areas devoted to do-it-yourself books, fireplace equipment, wrought iron and a basket shop.

A new entrancecxit with 4 checkout stands serves the new addition, bringing total checkouts to fifteen.

The All American Home Center, said to be the world's .largest with 160,000 sq. ft. at the one location, is located in a suburb of Los Anseles.