Business: Lovesac Address: 12 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville Phone/website: 630-883-4403; www.lovesac.com Manager: Manny Saavedra, 38, of West Chicago; Assistant Manager: Ashley Mathew, 24, of Willowbrook Years in business: 3 What does your business do? “We sell basically modular furniture.” Saavedra said. What is modular furniture? “You’re able to rearrange, reconfigure the product. All the covers are machine washable, so you can update the covers as well. (We do) something that other furniture companies aren’t doing, letting you continue to expand on what you started with,” Saavedra said. “If you move into a larger place, say you need additional seats. You don’t have to get a brand-new couch. You just order the missing pieces that you need, continue to expand, continue to build on what you already have,” he said. So, you can move pieces of a sectional around whenever you want? “Correct,” he said. Ashley Mathew, assistant manager of Lovesac in Naperville, relaxes in a lovesac, which is similar to a beanbag chair but uses a foam filling instead of beans. (Steve Metsch/Naperville Sun) How do the pieces stay together? “We use a shoe-and-clamp system. The feet (of each section) go into the shoe. Locks them in. Your clamp locks everything down,” Saavedra said. How long has Lovesac been around? “Almost 26 years. … Our founder, Shawn D. Nelson, made bean bags called lovesacs. … Not filled with the little beans. It has durofoam. It holds you and lets you sink in, almost like you are weightless. … Then he moved on to sectionals,” Saavedra said. Are there Lovesac sites nearby? “Geneva and Oak Brook are the closest ones,” Mathew said. The website lists 14 in Illinois. You opened in February 2021. What was that like with the pandemic? “We had a lot of sales because everyone was home. They were stuck on their couches and realized how much they hated them,” Mathew said. What sets you apart from other furniture stores? “Most of our product ships in one to two weeks. Everything is sold by piece. We’re able to store more units in our warehouse than other furniture companies,” Saavedra said. “There are more than 140 options for the fabrics. … There are technically six types of seats you can choose from. Angled backs, standard backs, soft or firm. Standard seats or deep seats.” What’s new? “StealthTech. It came out two years ago. Surround sound system built into the couch. … This uses wireless technology. Bluetooth, Spotify. Pandora.” Is Naperville good for business? “I think it is. In Naperville, there are people always renovating, updating their space, moving, thinking of buying new furniture,” Mathew said. “Being downtown is key. Say they come downtown for dinner, to restaurant row, make reservations, come in. We get all types of people here,” she said. Is there a busy time of year? “Right before the holidays and during the holidays. … I never thought people would want furniture as a Christmas gift, but you’d be surprised. It’s a gift to the whole family. A brand new couch,” Saavedra said. What do you like best about your job? “Our philosophy is ‘Designed for Life.’ All of our product is designed for real life. Your couch is able to grow with you,” Saavedra said. “The relationships you build with customers or co-workers. It’s a really nice environment,” Mathew said. What are your hours? “Monday through Saturday, we’re open 10 to 7. Sunday from 12 to 6,” Mathew said. The holidays are always a busy time for Lovesac in downtown Naperville, according to the store’s assistant manager Ashley Mathew, left, and manager Manny Saavedra. It’s surprising how many people buy the sectionals and lovesac chairs as a gift for their family, they said. (Steve Metsch/Naperville Sun) What misconceptions do people have? “That we sell couches that are pre-made,” Saavedra said. What challenges do you face? “A lot of people see a storefront with sectionals and think it’s just these three types of couches, that we don’t have variety,” Mathew said. Any favorite stories? “A young couple was just moving in together. They came into our Geneva store and bought a simple two-seater back in 2020. Then, in 2021, they came back, ordered an additional piece because they moved into a townhome. … Then a year after that, they came back, ordered four more pieces. (They) had gotten married and moved into a bigger home,” Saavedra said. “For me, it’s when they send pictures of their setup when they fully decorate it. Blankets and pillows. Or when I explain the product, the light bulb goes off. They understand,” Mathew said. What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “Honestly, I think in this time, some people are afraid to open their own business. But if you have that motivation to put out whatever product you’re inspired by, then you have the drive,” Mathew said. “One of the biggest lessons would be you have to have grit. Like Ashley said, you have to have that drive. Put your head down. Grind it out. Put in the work, the effort, the long hours,” Saavedra said. Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you’d like to see profiled in Down to Business, contact him at [email protected].