By Michael Rudnick

OMAHA, Neb.-Nebraska Furniture Mart overhauled its location here, which entailed major changes to its white goods department.

The 100,000-plus-square-foot store Nebraska Furniture Mart Appliance, Electronics and Computer store, one of three Nebraska Furniture Mart locations, completed a two-year renovation project earlier this month that included modifications in white goods displays, fixtures and the addition of about 100 major appliance SKUs to a total of 800, Jody Rusnak, Nebraska Furniture Mart's appliance director, told HFN.

A large focus of the remodel was to create an easier and more interactive white goods shopping experience. Aisles have been shortened to allow for easier navigation, Rusnak said. The retailer added "active endcaps," such as operating induction cooktops, as well as 12 fully functional kitchen vignettes, compared with nine vignettes prior to the remodel. The company early next year will launch its first laundry vignette in the store, Rusnak said. In an apparent design-driven move, the retailer also added a high-end fashion range hood display, he said.

The new displays and boosted white SKU count led to an overall expansion of the store's major appliance department by about 4,000 square feet to 28,000 square feet. The SKU lift did not involve the addition of any new brands, Rusnak said, adding that the company is eyeing several new brands for next year. The store offers a mix of major appliances, ranging from opening-price-point to "super-premium" products, Rusnak said.

As part of the remodel, the company built an "overhead connector" which links the store to an adjacent distribution center enabling for rapid merchandise fulfillment on the floor.

So far, the store has hired two new major appliance sales associates to support the expansion.