Furniture chain with Richland store sold to Chinese company

Mor Furniture for Less, a San Diego-based retailer with an outlet in Richland, has reached a $68.4 million deal to sell the 36-store chain to Healthcare Co. Ltd.

Despite its name, the Rugao, China-based buyer is a global home furnishings producer that owns manufacturing and retail businesses around the world.

The deal is expected to close by the end of the month. Mor Furniture will operate as an independent business, with executives reporting to China.

Healthcare Co.’s U.S. holdings include MLILY USA, a Knoxville, Tenn.- mattress manufacturer.

The company said Mor will help it understand the U.S. market.

“The direct day-to-day contact with consumers through Mor’s vibrant retail locations gives us the opportunity to gather critical information about consumer shopping behavior in the U.S.,” said James Ni, chairman and CEO, in a news release Monday.

Richard Haux founded Mor Furniture in 1977 as a waterbed store. It operates in seven states, including Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

The Richland store is at 1430 Tapteal Drive.

This story was originally published October 7, 2019 at 4:34 PM.