Morning Call: Home furnishings retailer moving one store, opening two more in Bethlehem

The 24,000-square-foot open concept market will feature nearly three dozen vendors with both Domaci and Riverport Market having a shared vision of “serving, supporting and stimulating the local economy while encouraging environmental sustainability,” a Domaci news release states.

While this new strategy means that Domaci will ultimately relocate from its current Third Street location, the move is aimed to strengthen the store’s financial performance as well as its commitment to Bethlehem and the burgeoning SouthSide Arts District.

“We believe in the South Side’s renaissance today as much as we did nearly 3 years ago when Warren and I announced that we were moving to the South Side from Main Street; and we firmly believe that Riverport Market will be a major catalyst in that continued revitalization,” Domaci co-founder and Clark Home Group CEO Derrick Clark said in the release. “We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be a part of this exciting endeavor.”

Domaci will bring its award-winning, eclectic mix of furnishings, everyday essentials, local goods and gifts to their new market location with an expanded selection of dinnerware, serveware, and food and kitchen related items.

New product categories such as all-natural cleaning products and accessories, personal care items and special seasonal introductions will be carefully curated and added to the current merchandise assortment to help make Riverport Market a “one-stop shop and destination” for consumers looking for an alternative to traditional big box supermarkets, the news release states.

Additionally, the shop will continue to host fun and informative workshops and other events in its new space.

“Brick and mortar retail is not dead,” Domaci co-founder and chief creative officer Warren Clark said in the release. “The challenge in today’s ever changing retail environment is cutting through all the noise, and defining your focus and offerings by creating an individualize experience for each person who walks through our doors.”

A time frame for Domaci’s move to Riverport is not entirely clear, but the Clarks expect to make the move in “late summer or early fall,” Warren said. A moving sale, featuring 10 to 15 percent off most items, is currently underway at the Third Street store.

Along with the upcoming relocation to Riverport Market, this year will also see the Domaci brand returning to historic Bethlehem’s Main Street with the creation of Domaci Studio, set to open in June at a yet-to-be announced location.

Domaci’s core home furnishings offerings, consisting of furniture, lighting, flooring and textiles, will be consolidated into an intimate setting where guests can experience Domaci’s collections of sustainable home furnishings in a more cozy “home-like” environment, the release states.

“With our new, expanded design services, our talented team will take our guests through the entire design process: from choosing colors, creating gallery walls, simple room refreshes, to much larger projects such as refurbishing your entire home,” Warren said. “Start the process online with our world class website and virtual showroom, and extend that experience at our design studio or even further directly into your home with our in-home design services. In this virtual world, we’ve crafted a special category of design service with our virtual design experience. So now, no matter where you are in the country, we’re able to customize a design experience that fits your needs.”

“With the growth of our design business, we’ve decided to break apart the shop concepts which will allow a stronger focus on our award-winning, sustainably-made furniture line which has sometimes been overshadowed locally by our smaller, grab-and-go offerings and giftables,” Derrick added.

The Clarks plan to announce an exact opening date and location for Domaci Studio soon.

“We expect our current location to close maybe in June or July,” Warren said. “So, we’ll be outside of the South Side for just a couple of months, but we’ll be back pretty quickly.”

Domaci, which means “home” in Czech — a nod to Derrick’s family roots, was founded in 2015 as an online business, providing furniture and home decor to customers nationwide via its website, domacihome.com.

In 2016, the pair opened their first brick-and-mortar store on Main Street in historic Bethlehem, relocating to Bethlehem’s SouthSide Arts District in 2018.

Late last year, in partnership with Rebecca Additington, the team also saw the opening of Ville & Rue by Domaci at 101 NQ in downtown Lancaster.

At its upcoming pop-up shop, Domaci will join Marché Maison, a business offering French farmhouse-inspired design and decor, at the 1810 Goundie House, which is adjacent to the Historic Bethlehem Schropp Dry Goods Shoppe & Museum Store.

Marché Maison has hosted a pop-up shop within the 1810 Goundie House since 2018. Throughout the year, owner Michelle Olson transforms the space with new home décor, accessories, jewelry, vintage items, handmade items and more in the French farmhouse style. Each season’s curated collection welcomes visitors to the historic space and inspires them to recreate that ambiance in their own homes.

The Clarks plan to bring their keen interior design eye to the space with furniture, decor and other stylish home goods.

The reveal of the 1810 Goundie House Market will take place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 7.

Domaci’s pop-up shop is expected to continue through the end of the year, Warren said.