The main Gallery Furniture store in north Houston

Gallery Furniture and the Houston store that doubles as a shelter

ByYvette Okafor

Photo: WhisperToMe, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Jim McIngvale and his wife Linda opened Gallery Furniture in 1981 on the North Freeway with about $5,000. The first months were slow, and McIngvale spent most of the remaining money on television ads, in which he jumped around with cash in his hand and shouted, “Gallery Furniture saves you money!”

The ads made him famous, and his nickname, Mattress Mack, stuck. The store grew into one of the highest-volume furniture stores in the country, with same-day delivery as a selling point.

The shelters

When Hurricane Harvey flooded Houston in 2017, McIngvale opened his stores as shelters, sent delivery trucks to rescue people and fed hundreds of evacuees. He did the same during the 2021 winter storm, when millions of Texans lost power. Those acts made him a local hero.

The bets

McIngvale is also known for large sports bets used as promotions. He offers customers refunds on purchases if a team wins a championship and places bets to hedge. In 2022, when the Astros won the World Series, he collected a record payout from sports books.

The business

Gallery Furniture operates several stores in the Houston area. It focuses on American-made furniture, a selling point McIngvale has pushed.

His public profile has made him a fixture at Astros games and community events, and his stores remain Houston landmarks. They are also a reminder that local retailers can compete with national chains by building a distinctive identity.

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