SpongeBob Draws Big Crowds to Nebraska Furniture Mart

Launching of new Nickelodeon Furniture Line

The opportunity to be in a photo with SpongeBob SquarePants drew thousands of families to Nebraska Furniture Mart here and hundreds more to its flagship store in Omaha, Neb.

Partnering with manufacturer Lea Inds., NFM helped launch the new Lea Nickelodeon Rooms youth bedroom collection at retail, offering free photo ops with the life-size character.

The event started at the retailer’s giant store in Omaha Friday, Aug. 13, with a ribbon cutting and then a charity event before a three-hour meet-and-greet photo session.

It moved to the Kansas City showroom for another charity event Saturday and then a Sunday photo session, which drew some 2,400 families, said Bob Batt, executive vice president of the Omaha-based retailer, part of Berkshire Hathaway’s furniture division. As consumers stood in line waiting for their photo opportunity, the retailer provided entertainment including coloring stations, music and movies, and served Krabby Patty candies.

Batt called it a “perfect family deal” and said he only recently realized the appeal of SpongeBob and the other Nickelodeon characters including Dora the Explorer.

“We had a very good weekend because we had a lot of traffic,” Batt said. He noted that the weather lately has been beautiful, which puts added pressure on retailers to come up with appealing promotions that can bring consumers into stores.

He said it’s too early to say how well the Nickelodeon line is doing.