Jerome’s Furniture History

Several years after World War II when retail goods were once again plentiful, discounters of all types sprang up throughout the country. In 1954, Jim Navarra and two other men with retail furniture experience opened the first discount furniture warehouse in Downtown San Diego as Strep's warehouse. The new furniture venture was wildly successful.

San Diego was in a recession in 1960 when Jim Navarra became the sole owner. He struggled throughout the sixties and managed to forge the framework for later success. In 1968, he changed the name to Jerome's Furniture Warehouse.

In the seventies, the second Navarra generation joined the family business and the added energy helped the company grow from a "mom and pop" furniture store into one of the leading furniture stores throughout the country. Jerome's was notorious for its television advertising campaigns in which it directly challenged large competitors. During this period, Jerome's coined the phrase "No Glitter" which explained the company's low prices through low-overhead warehouse displays.

Between 1980 and 1990, four branch stores were added in San Marcos, Chula Vista, El Cajon and our first new Superstore in Scripps Ranch. It was clear that consumers wanted convenience through one-stop shopping. Jerome's answer was the Superstore, a much larger store with stimulating interiors that gave shoppers lots of decorating ideas and showed furniture as if it were in someone's home. By 2000, four of the five locations were made Superstores (Scripps Ranch, San Marcos, Chula Vista, and San Diego). In 2000, the original downtown store moved to the former Levitz building on West Morena Blvd.

A notable achievement for Jerome's is its involvement in the creation of the super premium, Sleep Therapy mattress brand. The company has been actively involved in mattress design since Jim Navarra suggested that a manufacturer quilt its mattresses in the 1950's. Recognizing the need for a future generation mattress product, Jerome's worked with a major supplier to create the revolutionary new concept, Sleep Therapy Mattress. It is a true breakthrough in unparalleled comfort and durability. Incredibly successful, the design has been mimicked by the largest names in the mattress industry.

Today Jerome's leads the local furniture industry. It has a fleet of over thirty delivery trucks, the largest stores in San Diego, one of the largest inventories west of the Mississippi, complete wood and upholstery service shops, and a knowledgeable staff with years of furniture retailing experience. As the third Navarra generation joins the company, Jerome's remains committed to continually improving its ability to better serve its customers.