First-time Apollo nominee Great Gatherings entered the outdoor furniture industry in 2008 with a brand promise geared for today’s market: To inspire friends and family to connect more often in the home.

“Our customers aren’t just coming in to buy outdoor furniture or a billiards table. We’re a lifestyle store. Everything is shown in a way to help them become emotionally attached to the idea of entertaining in the home,” said Erick Stalzer, district manager. 

Great Gatherings is owned by American Heritage Billiards, the nation’s top billiard manufacturer. Outdoor furniture and billiards each comprise about 50% of the business as well as the floors spaces of the retailer’s locations in Annapolis, Md., and Gainesville, Va. Each showroom is approximately 17,000 square feet, with about 4,000 square feet devoted to accessories for both categories. The space accommodates full displays of well accessorized vignettes and collections designed to evoke an emotional attachment to the idea of entertaining at home.

“We really recognized that this year when we had a couple of home runs,” Stalzer said. “We’ve had some of the more grandiose sets on the floor that really create an atmosphere of being able to gather large groups.”

Great Gatherings also has a significant e-tail business, primarily in billiards but also in outdoor furniture. Online sales are cross-referenced to the store database and show that 90% of online sales are new customers. 

“We really feel like an online buyer is an online buyer, so we are not losing anything in the stores,” Stalzer said.