Terry Thornton is doing his part to keep Bowling Greens economy rolling. Thornton, owner of Thorntons Furniture in Bowling Greens retail sector, is planning an expansion this fall that will increase his stores showroom at 1895 Cave Mill Road. Construction is under way and the new addition should be open in time for the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in November. We feel like the time is right, Thornton said. This expansion will allow us to greatly increase our current presentation of furniture and accessories from existing suppliers, while adding several well-known brands to our lineup.Expanding the showroom by 35 percent gives customers a greater selection by expanding the stores inventory. It also means Thorntons will get better pricing from suppliers as a result of the added volume. Its all a part of the $25-billion-a-year furniture industry. If the store keeps up its present success, it will need the inventory on hand for shoppers coming to Bowling Green to find a better selection. People are cocooning more now, Thornton said. Theyre spending more money on their homes and surroundings. Thats why stores like Home Depot are expanding as well.He said he expects 2002 to be the best in the stores history, with a 12 percent to 15 percent growth from a year ago. Last year, the store had its best year to date with a 12 percent increase at a time when most furniture stores were seeing smaller increases in the range of 3 percent to 4 percent.The store fits industry standards of a middle-sized store, he said. Industry standards indicate Thorntons description of his store means its reaping between $2 million and $5 million in sales annually. When it comes to bigger-ticket items like furniture, Bowling Greens attraction as a shopping hub seems to continue to grow. A much higher Tennessee sales tax is a contributing factor, he said. Were talking about 9-3/4 percent versus Kentuckys 6 percent, Thornton said. Bowling Green has a chance to capitalize as a lot of people will come here to buy goods and services to save money.On items such as furniture and accessories where its not unusual to have tickets of $2,000 to $2,500 from out-of-state shoppers that sales tax disparity can make a huge difference, Thornton said. The expansion also will mean two to three more full-time sales and staff support personnel will be added. The store has nine full-time associates. It will take more of a payroll, but it also means we will be able to service more people, Thornton said. Fridays figures indicating a 0.8 percent growth in U.S. retail sales last month the third month in a row support Thorntons optimism about the economy. Augusts figures follow increases of 1.1 percent in July and 1.4 percent in June, indicating that consumer confidence is still thriving, even as parts of the economy try to shake off recessionary times. If everyone would have a more positive attitude, things would be even better, Thornton said. Business reporter Jim Waters can be reached at 783-3269.