ATG Stores is the trade name for Allied Trade Group, Inc., an e-commerce company which began in 1999 with the launch of its first website

Website

A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...

, Lighting Universe. ATG added 50 niche stores in the beginning of 2008
and presently encompasses around 120 websites in multiple home furnishings categories, specializing in product sales of a variety of name brand manufacturers, and has 3 retail locations throughout Washington state

Washington State

Washington State may refer to:* Washington , often referred to as "Washington state" to differentiate it from Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States* Washington State University, a land-grant college in that state- See also :...

.

The company currently operates niche online stores in lighting

Lighting

Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...

, plumbing

Plumbing

Plumbing is the system of pipes and drains installed in a building for the distribution of potable drinking water and the removal of waterborne wastes, and the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures in such systems. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping...

, furniture

Furniture

Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...

, outdoor furniture, office furniture and home improvement

Home improvement

Home improvement, home renovation or remodeling is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home.-Types of home improvement:...

 under the ATG Stores brand. ATG Stores features different manufacturers each month on their homepage.

History

Lighting Universe was formed in 1999 with the intent to consolidate lighting catalogs and pricing online for designers and lighting specifiers, as well as homeowners and contractors. In 2000 LightingUniverse.com went live with a catalog of around 5,000 products. Two years later ATG Stores launched FixtureUniverse.com, targeting plumbing fixtures and decorative bath products. In 2003 Allied Trade Group, Inc. was formed as the parent company

Parent company

A parent company is a company that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control management and operations by influencing or electing its board of directors; the second company being deemed as a subsidiary of the parent company...

 of Lighting Universe and Fixture Universe with the goal to grow into a full line home furnishings supplier.

ATG Stores opened their first brick and mortar showroom in May 2004 with its first store in Kirkland, Washington

Kirkland, Washington

Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is a suburb of Seattle on the Eastside . The population was 48,787 at the 2010 census makes it the 9th largest city in King County and the 20th largest city in the state...

 their second showroom was purchased from The Lighting Co in August 2004. ATG Stores began selling flooring and home decor with the launch of KnobandHardware.com and DecorUniverse.com in November 2005.

ATG Stores has received placement of their Lighting Universe, Fixture Universe and Knobs and Hardware divisions on Bob Villa in June 2006, HGTV

HGTV

HGTV , is a cable-television network operating in the United States and Canada, broadcasting a variety of home and garden improvement, maintenance, renovation, craft and remodeling shows...

 in July 2006, Cooking.com in October 2006 and TrueValue.com in January 2007.

ATG Stores has been on Inc. Magazine's fastest growing companies list twice. Once in 124th place in 2006 and once in 412th place in 2007. They have also received local recoginization by the Puget Sound Business Journal

Puget Sound Business Journal

The Puget Sound Business Journal is a weekly American City Business Journals publication containing articles about business people, issues, and events in the greater Seattle, Washington area. The publication also publishes a technology news website named TechFlash...

, in 2006 they were ranked #16 and in 2007 ranked #31 on their list of fastest growing companies in the Northwest.