On October 18, 1976 the Thatcher store burned to the ground. We were not able to save any merchandise just a few records. That was a tough but growing time for the Sparks Family.
We still remember the great outpouring of support from the community. We opened for business across the street the very next day- selling directly from our warehouse which was not affected
by the fire and began the task of rebuilding on the original site. We completed the new store in February of 1977.
In 1995 we purchased the property to the north of the store from
the Town of Thatcher and added an additional 10,000 square feet, making the total building about 25,000 square feet.
In 2001 we purchased 3 acres outside of town and built 2 warehouses
side by side totaling 15,000 square feet. This allows us to buy merchandise in volume at a discounted rate and stock many more items.
In 2003 we started a new store in Cottonwood, Arizona under the name of Home Furnishings Direct. This location features a 20,000 square foot store and a 10,000 square foot warehouse.
In April of 2008 we opened a new store in Thatcher.
After more than half a century on the same block, we made the bold move to an exciting new facility. We have added on
to and rebuilt our old building many times and couldn’t grow anymore so it was time to move on.
Our newest location is 62,000 square feet and gives us the opportunity to show a large variety of
brands, styles and product types which insures you will be able to find the best furniture that meets your lifestyle. You will see more furniture than ever and all our our furniture is warehoused on site,
allowing us to serve you more efficiently.
Today Sparks HomeStore is still owned and operated by the Sparks family. Ron and his son Alan manage the business today and enjoy working together,
making three generations of ownership spanning more than 60 years, with hopefully many more to come.
Val’s has come a long way; from a 3,000 square foot store to two locations with over 90,000
square feet of combined showroom space. We are now able to leverage our buying power with volume discounts and bulk purchasing through full truckloads and ocean freight containers.
This has been a key to Sparks' continued success in recent years, allowing us to keep our prices competitive and many times lower than the big box stores in Phoenix and the surrounding area.