By Marla Ballard

Reporter 

DEKALB/JACKSON COUNTIES - In the early 1920s E.F. Akins and his son W.A. came to Dogtown, Alabama where they purchased land and a building, which still stands today. The store was originally a general merchandise store, it is now known as Akins Furniture Store.

After WW II W.A. and his wife began selling used furniture from the living room of their home next door, eventually leading to a furniture room being added onto the general store. Over the past 100 years many additions have made the space now more than 150,000 square feet.

Both Scottsboro (opened in 2011) and Dogtown/Fort Payne host an Akins Furniture Store, (Dogtown is located just eight miles south of Fort Payne).

The family-owned business offers five locations, which also includes Calera (2007), Rainsville (2014), and Huntsville (2019), Alabama. Owners Kerry and Sheila Akins and their three sons; Jason, Scott, and Chris are all shareholders in the business. 

“We attribute our staying in business to our reasonable prices and fair treatment of our customers,” said Jason Akins. “It has proven to be a winning combination.”

Jason said, the Rainsville location is in transition for becoming primarily a discount store featuring clearance, repaired items, closeouts, and damaged furnishings. It is not the only clearance location, Dogtown has a clearance store across the street from the main store. 

As with most businesses the pandemic presented problems. “We had no lack of customers after the initial outbreak of COVID,” said Jason. “What we had difficulty with was meeting the demand for furniture. When shipments came in, they went like hotcakes. People had extra time on their hands and stimulus checks from the government and found themselves wanting to make home improvements. Initially a furniture shipment took eight weeks to arrive, but at the height of the pandemic it took more like eight months to come in. Thankfully, things are returning back to normal.” Additionally, like most businesses Akins is hiring. 

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is one of the biggest markdown days at Akins. “Surprisingly, we sell a large number of mattresses,” said Jason. “Another big seller is our outdoor furniture.” One reason their outdoor furniture is a big seller is because it is made of POLYWOOD, which is waterproof and generally has a life expectancy of 20 years. Although POLYWOOD is plastic it gives the appearance of wood. Customers looking for outdoor furnishings will also find front porch rockers and Adirondack chairs.

The Akins family is thankful for 100 years of support.