Photo: Frank Di Piazza
Technically, “to the trade” signifies a business’ commitment to the professional community (licensed interior designers, architects, builders, etc.). A little-known secret is that some “to the trade” businesses also sell to the general public. Some of them don’t advertise their retail divisions. Others, due to their inner-city or industrial-park locales, simply aren’t noticed. Here are a few of St. Louis’ most awesome “to the trade” shopping destinations.
KDR Designer Showrooms
11660 Page Service Drive 314-993-5020 kdrshowrooms.com
Don’t have an interior designer? No worries. KDR will hook a shopper up. The Designer Referral Program pairs you with a local design professional (first hour is free), thereby giving you entree to its menu of more than 200 brands. Furniture names include Baker, McGuire, Marge Carson, and Barbara Barry, and its epic selection of more than 120,000 fabrics features such elite names as Cowtan & Tout, Colefax and Fowler, and Glant. “We offer so many fabrics that are exclusive to designers,” says KDR’s Emily Faber.
Ambassador Floor’s for the Home
17770 Chesterfield Airport Road 636-898-1500, forthehomestl.com
If your home was built by Simon, Whittaker, McBride & Son, Vantage, or Jones, you likely have Ambassador Floor flooring. Something else you probably don’t realize: You are just as welcome to shop Ambassador Floor’s for the Home as those big-name builders. “When those original floors need replacing, you can come here to do it,” says Ross Anzalone, the store’s general manager.
Ambassador only recently began selling to the public, which is probably the reason most people don’t consider it an option. The corporate facade on its Chesterfield showroom doesn’t help either. The inside, though, is all product: 16,000 square feet of carpet, wood, laminate, area rugs, tile, and, as of recently, furniture—all of it at significantly lower prices than competiting retailers.
Ford Hotel Supply
2204 N. Broadway 314-231-8400, fordstl.com
If you had a nickel for every time you’ve needed an infrared cheese melter…
OK, fine, you probably won’t ever need an infrared cheese melter. But you might. Or if not that, then maybe a chafing dish. Or a carving station. “We had one gentleman buy a hot-dog grill for his garage,” says Christy Schlafly, president of Ford Hotel Supply.
This 100-year-old, family-owned-and-operated business caters mostly to the commercial food-service industry but will sell to the general public as well. And it’s not only commercial, heavy-duty equipment it deals in. Anything kitchen-related, from cooking equipment to dishware to glassware, is available for sale—at as much as half the price of retail. There is one catch. With the exception of “onesie” items like toasters, blenders, and coffee pots, most of Ford’s products are sold as they are shipped—in cases. “Not everyone is interested in a case of 48 drinking glasses,” Mrs. Schlafly says.
E.H. Glueck & Co.
2800 N. Broadway 314-241-0222, ehglueck.com
Most of E.H. Glueck’s business is wholesale. But that’s not the real reason regular Joes don’t know about this nursery. “No one comes downtown anymore,” says Glueck’s Jared Jones.
It’s too bad—the 46-year-old family business is worth the trip. Its selection and its staff’s knowledge of perennials, ornamental grasses, flowering trees, and shrubs are exceptional. During the holidays, Glueck converts its lot into a forest of freshcut Christmas trees. Mrs. Schlafly (from Ford, another North Broadway stronghold) counts it as a favorite, noting that she gets “all of my stuff there.”
