'Downtown Dealz' comes to Gravette

Photo by Susan Holland Downtown Dealz owners Russ and Laura Matney pose with their children, Alyssa, 4, and Chris, 8, in front of the store they recently opened on Gravette Main Street.
Photo by Susan Holland Downtown Dealz owners Russ and Laura Matney pose with their children, Alyssa, 4, and Chris, 8, in front of the store they recently opened on Gravette Main Street.

GRAVETTE -- A new business, Downtown Dealz, opened July 11 on Main Street in Gravette. The store is a family business operated by owners Russ and Laura Matney and their children, Chris, 8, and Alyssa, 4.

Russ moved to Gravette 17 years ago from Tulsa. He has several years of retail sales experience, having been a district manager for Dollar General for two years and manager of the Gravette Dollar General for seven years. He has also been a part-time mail carrier with the Gravette Post Office. He said he decided to go into business for himself because he wanted to spend more time with his family and find something they could do together.

Russ is a 2000 graduate of Gravette High School, and Laura a 2003 graduate of Gravette High School. Laura was hired to work in the bookkeeping department at Bank of Gravett while still a teenager and worked there several years, but she has been a full-time mom since the birth of her children.

The Matneys' new enterprise offers a variety of products at bargain prices. They purchase most of their stock from liquidation and overstock sales online. They have a good selection of office furniture, including desks, chairs and file cabinets, as well as beds, tables, chairs and other furnishings for the home. They currently are offering 25 percent off all furniture.

Store inventory also includes clothing, small appliances, cleaning supplies, paper goods, toys, snacks and personal products such as shampoo and hand soap. The Matneys will soon add a cooler with drinks.

Downtown Dealz is located at 105 Main Street S.E., just east of the old Care and Share store. Business hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The business phone is 479-787-1099.

General News on 07/23/2014