FRAMINGHAM — Yardbird, an outdoor furniture retailer that focuses on environmentally friendly products and designs, will open its first Greater Boston location next month on Route 9.
Yardbird is a Minnesota-based retailer that launched in 2016 by Bob and Jay Dillon as an online site for outdoor furniture. It made furniture using recycled plastic, then sell it directly to consumers. The company states that its wicker furniture is made using ocean-bound plastic, with 430,000 pounds of it used in its manufacturing in 2022 alone. Outdoor Chair and Table
In more recent years, Yardbird has evolved from being a 100% online retailer to providing showrooms in select markets. The Framingham location will be its first in all of New England — the nearest existing location is in suburban Philadelphia.
While the store doesn't have an official date, Anthony Aleman, a spokesperson for the chain, said the Framingham store will open in early March.
The store is opening at 100 Worcester Road, directly across from Ken's Steakhouse and at a former Mattress Giant (and briefly Sleepy's before it was purchased in 2015) location.
Electronics retailer Best Buy Co. Inc., also based in Minnesota, acquired Yardbird in November 2021 for a reported $85 million.
Best Buy, which reported fiscal 2022 sales of $51.7 billion, has been expanding its home lifestyle offerings. Earlier in 2021, the company added the Solo Stove outdoor heater and Weber grills to its website offerings.
Aleman said the Framingham showroom will feature an in-house design expert to work with customers on finding the perfect piece of furniture for their yard or patio.
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"The Framingham location will give residents an opportunity to see and try out everything from outdoor dining sets to sectionals, fire tables, umbrellas and everything in between," Aleman stated in a press release.
Yardbird has been praised for its products' durability and resistance. In a 2021 review, USA Today labeled the furniture as "high-quality and sophisticated."
Outdoor Patio Furniture The company will be joined in Framingham with Blinds To Go, a retailer of window blinds that plans to open its fourth Massachusetts location in the same plaza, also in March.