Pottery Barn Bed and Bath opens first stores

Williams-Sonoma Inc.'s Pottery Barn Bed and Bath concept became a true multichannel merchant this month with the opening of its first retail stores.

A stand-alone store makes its debut in New York City today, following the opening of an Orlando, FL, outpost last week. A third store in Portland, OR, will open next week adjacent to an existing Pottery Barn.

San Francisco-based Williams-Sonoma launched Pottery Barn Bed and Bath in 2000 as a catalog and e-commerce business offering customers a wide assortment of casual furnishings and luxury items for the bedroom and bathroom. Now these same items will be available in a retail environment, offering consumers the chance to sit on furniture, feel the linens and view items up-close.

The stores range in size from 5,500 to 9,500 square feet and feature multiple bedroom and bathroom vignettes, crown molding and deep brown oak flooring.