Great Eastern Furniture Closing After 17 Years in Same Location

Blaming the recession, Great Eastern Furniture, an importer of furniture and Oriental rugs, is shutting down after 17 years in business at the same location, a spokesman said Wednesday.

Owner Ding Woo, who was not available Wednesday for comment, closed his Garden Grove store earlier this year because of high overhead costs and low sales. His Santa Ana store, a block north of South Coast Plaza, is holding a liquidation sale to try to unload $750,000 worth of inventory by the end of the month.

Spokesman Moses Kashi said Great Eastern tried to hold out for an economic recovery but eventually gave up.

“We were optimistic, but that doesn’t sell furniture,” Kashi said. An inability to meet sales quotas and an excess amount of inventory drove the store out of business, he said.

“It’s always disappointing to see someone going out of business,” said Diane Pritchett, executive director of South Coast Metro Alliance, a nonprofit marketing association. She said the company’s closure is not an indicator of the fiscal health of the area.