Final answer:
Ashley Furniture is an example of a specialty store, concentrating on furniture and home décor, unlike department or discount stores that have a broader product range. .
Step-by-step explanation:
Ashley Furniture is a prime example of a specialty store. This type of retailer focuses on a specific category of goods, offering a variety of brands and products within that category. Unlike department stores, which sell a wide range of different items, specialty stores concentrate on a select type of product. In the case of Ashley Furniture, that category is furniture and home décor. This contrasts with discount stores like Woolworth's, which sell a broad assortment of goods at lower prices, or department stores that emerged as part of a shift in consumer buying patterns, offering a diverse selection of goods and a fixed-price policy.
L.L. Bean represents another retail model, which operates mainly through mail-order, telephone, and online sales, focusing on overcoming the challenge of imperfect information. Customers can't physically examine products before purchasing, so L.L. Bean's success relies on their reputation for quality and a customer-friendly money-back guarantee. Ashley Furniture, on the other hand, allows for an in-store experience where customers can see and feel the products before making a decision, characterizing it as a specialty store.