by DIX HILLS, N.Y. – Morton (Morty) Seaman, the legendary leader of Seaman’s Furniture and co-founder of Rooms To Go, died Thursday, Oct. 15. He was 94.
The following information is taken from his biography from the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame, which he was inducted into in 2004.
Born in July 1932, Morton Seaman started his career in his father Julie’s store in Brooklyn. After his father died in 1954, he went on to build Seaman’s into one of the largest furniture retailers in the Northeast, with 30 stores and annual sales of $290 million. He and his son Jeffrey went on to found Rooms To Go in September 1990.
His outside-the-box thinking created business models and methodologies. He practiced vertical integration, acquiring real estate and manufacturing and in-house merchandising, advertising and sales programs. He excelled at generating desire and passion in the purchasing experience by creating advertising that would imprint Seaman’s on his customers’ minds and hearts. Mr. Seaman, an exciting teacher of the “art of retailing,” has influenced many people in the industry.
The most singular talent at the helm of Seaman’s was expanding the package concept and displaying rooms of furniture along with accessories for the consumer to buy at one price. When he sold Seaman’s in 1988, Morty Seaman became his son Jeffrey’s mentor and partner in establishing the next generation’s new concept in furniture, Rooms To Go.
Today, RTG, has 148 stores and estimated sales of $3.3 billion, ranking No. 7 on Home News Now’s 125 Furniture & Bedding Retailers for 2025.
TO A DEAR FRIEND AND BUSINESS COLLEAGUE, MORTY SEAMAN,
MORTY SEAMAN AND MY FATHER, MARK BRICEL WORKED ALONG SIDE ONE ANOTHER GOING BACK TO THE DAYS OF SEAMAN FURNITURE, MY FATHER PASSED AWAY IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR DURING THE APRIL HIGH POINT MARKET.
I KNOW THAT BOTH OF THEM ARE HAVING A MEETING NOW TALKING ABOUT THE DAYS THEY DEVOTED TO THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY. I LEARNT SO MUCH FROM MY FATHER AND MORTY AND I AM ALSO GRATEFUL TO MORTY WHOM SUPPORTED ME LAUNCHING MY BRAND NAME WITH PRODUCTS, COLOUR CREATIONS , TO HIS ROOMS TO GO STORES IN THE MILLENNIUM. WE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS OVER THE YEARS. THANK YOU MORTY. TANIA BRICEL