Opening Set For Homesense Store In Vernon

VERNON, CT — Homesense is scheduled to open its latest Connecticut store in Vernon Thursday.

The announcement was made Wednesday afternoon. Vernon Economic Developement Coordinator Shaun Gately said the building has been ready for a better part of the year but the opening was delayed in what seemed like an ever-changing Connecticut business environment amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The sign has been up for months.

The inside was put together in about a week. The 23,370-square-foot store store is located at the Tri-City Plaza off Route 83.

Homesense is a sister store to HomeGoods. There is also a TJ Maxx store in the plaza.

All three are owed by TJX Companies.

Homesense carries an array of items that include furniture, a rug emporium, a lighting department that includes hanging chandeliers, and a "general store" featuring everything from hardware to storage needs.

Seasonal items include outdoor furniture, garden-related goods, entertaining "essentials," and holiday decor.

New merchandise shipments arrive weekly.

"Homesense to brings customers even more of what we know they love – beautiful, quality home merchandise at incredible values," said John Ricciuti, the president of HomeGoods and Homesense in the U.S. "We are thrilled that Homesense brings a vast and unique selection for customers to discover and curate the homes of their dreams."

Thursday's opening is slated for 8 a.m. The local address is 35 Talcottville Road.

The store features "updated health and safety practices to help protect the health and well-being of customers and Associates."

Those practices include:

• Requiring face coverings (except for young children and those with health conditions that prevent them from wearing a face covering)
• Enhanced cleaning protocols
• Frequently cleaned carts
• Protective shields at the registers
• Encouraging social distancing

To learn more about the Homesense safety protocols employed during the pandemic, visit https://us.homesense.com/customer-info.

Regular hours have been posted:

• Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• Sundays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Senior Shopping Hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 to 10 a.m.

Homesense will be making a donation to the Hockanum Valley Community Council's food pantry in con junction with the opening. The HVCC Food Pantry is an emergency food source for residents of Vernon, Tolland, and Ellington.

HVCC programs include emergency food assistance and a before- and after-school children's snack program.

Homesense operates more than 30 stores in the U.S.

____

Want to get free breaking and local news from Vernon? Subscribe to Vernon Patch by clicking here.