American TV Enters St. Louis Area With 3 Stores
By Alan Wolf -- TWICE, 11/8/2004
Madison, Wis.— American TV, the Midwestern CE, majaps and furniture chain, entered the St. Louis market, opening three 130,000-square-foot superstores.
The units, located in Bridgeton and Fenton, Mo., and O'Fallon, Ill., are supported by American's newest distribution center in Earth City, Mo.
The company begins construction on a fourth area store this quarter, which is slated to open next year.
The new stores will largely grapple with national competitors for local market share, given the dearth of native or regional big-box chains in the St. Louis area.
The new additions bring American's store count up to 14. The $350 million company, headquartered here, operates in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin.
To celebrate its entry into St. Louis, American held a $100,000 giveaway grand-opening event with dozens of prices ranging from plasma TVs, media center PCs and digital cameras to complete kitchen packages and a $14,000 home theater system with furniture.
American, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, left the NATM Buying Corp. last year to form a strategic alliance with former NATM member H.H. Gregg, which itself is aggressively expanding in the Atlanta market.
