Published July 17, 2020
By GAIL LOWE
MELROSE — Sixty years have come and gone since Amato M. Tozza opened Marty’s Furniture. But now it’s time for Tozza’s sons Joseph (Joe) and John to say “so long” to the Melrose community and the customers who have patronized their store and brought them success for so many years.
The doors will close on Washington Street for the last time at an unspecified date in mid-August.
Tozza said that the city is one of the best, if not the best, community in the state and that the people who live here are loyal beyond measure to local establishments.
“As we put this life chapter behind us, we wish everyone good health and happiness,” said Joe Tozza. “You have blessed us with your loyalty and friendship, and we will never forget that.”
Asked if the store’s closing has anything to do with COVID-19, Tozza said that it does not. “It’s just time,” he said.
The building has been sold, and the new owners will convert it into rental units. While some pieces of furniture remain on the floor, most of the Tozza brothers’ inventory has been sold. What is left has been deeply discounted.
“The prices are much lower than our cost,” said Tozza.
Over the years, the Tozza brothers have been “very aggressive” in keeping up with furniture styles and design as well as customer demands.
“We would attend the furniture shows in North Carolina every year to stay current on what was popular,” he said.
As styles changed, so would they, always thinking about their customers’ needs first and doing their level best to meet them.
When Tozza reflects on the years he spent in the furniture business, his thoughts take him back to a marketing course he enrolled in while a student at Northeastern University.
“My professor was teaching us about retailing,” Tozza recalled. “He told the class to never underestimate a customer.”
During his instruction, the professor said there is no such person as a “shopper” and that if someone comes to a store, it’s up to the owner to give that person undivided time and attention for them to make a purchase.
To illustrate what the professor insisted was true, Tozza told a story about what happened one Friday night just as he was ready to close. It had already been a long day, and he was looking forward to relaxing at home. Just as he turned off the lights the door opened and a woman walked in.
“She was not well dressed, and I was thinking that my time was going to be wasted,” he said.
Even so, Tozza immediately put on the lights and tried to help the woman. He spent more than 90 minutes showing her furniture displays in the living, dining and bedroom sections. After all his attempts to sell, she bought nothing and left.
Undaunted, he thought back to what his professor had taught so many years before.
Sure enough, the following day the woman returned to the store and bought four rooms of furniture.
“She thanked me for being so nice to her, and I couldn’t help but remember what my professor said — to never underestimate a customer and that there’s no such thing as a shopper,” he commented. “I never forgot that.”
In his retirement, Tozza hopes to play more tennis, a game he loves. He is also active in the non-profit organization East Boston Social Center and plans to devote more time there. The Center provides child care, activities, free lunch for seniors and after-school programs and tutoring for teenagers.
Before they turn off the lights for the final time, the Tozza brothers want to give a heartfelt thank you to customers for their patronage and loyalty over the past 60 years.
“The time has come for us to retire and close our family business,” said Joe. “It has been our honor to serve you for decades.”
Marty’s Furniture is located at 99 Washington St., Melrose. Those who wish to enter the store during COVID-19 are asked to wear a mask to meet state guidelines. The number of people being allowed inside the store at any one time is also limited.
