At Home with Dealers
Company Name:
Astoria Surgical Supplies
Location/Contact Info:
170 South Van Brunt St., Englewood, N.J. 07631; (201) 569-8033.
Established:
Brooklyn, NY 1991; Lakewood, N.J. 1998; Englewood, NJ. 2003; Woodside,N.Y.
Fun Fact: Customers who visit Astoria Surgical Supplies might enjoy more than the products and services offered, they also can relax in the store's easy chairs sipping Starbucks and eating biscotti. |
Types of products sold:
We are a full durable medical equipment company, specializing in home care supplies. In addition, our storefront showroom carries diabetic shoes, orthotics, prosthetics, mastectomy, salon and a fully furnished handicapped living room, bathroom and pediatric friendly area.
Size of Company:
80 employees; 40-50,000 clients/year among all four divisions.
Home Health Products spoke with the company's owner, Arline Schwechter.
Q: What sets your store apart?
A: What we did was take a warehouse and gut it. We then furnished it to look like a country home with a warm and comfortable feeling. The bedroom area is fully carpeted, the hospital bed has dust ruffles and headboard covers so there is virtually no way it looks like a hospital bed. We have the headboard covers custom made with matching dust ruffles for the commode and have sold quite a few already. We equipped a fully simulated bathroom where we are able to demo all the bathroom safety equipment and family/clients are able to visualize what and where things will work best. The lift chairs are set up as in a living room and our clients are readily able to picture them in their home. The diabetic shoes are displayed on a country French armoire with other diabetic products. The surgical stockings are displayed with fun and flair. The fitting rooms are warm, friendly and inviting. This has enhanced our ability to relate well not only to our patients, but also their caregivers and the discharge planners that service our referring facilities. It is a country cottage setting designed so our customers can enjoy themselves in a user-friendly store.
This article originally appeared in the April 2005 issue of HME Business.