Hackettstown Trading Post-Closing
I just got a letter in the mail stating that the trading post is being forced to close it's furniture showroom. It's unfortunate that they're leaving and also I am concerned about having a huge empty building right on Main street. Hopefully a nice new store will come along.
LngVly22 I really think their over priced for the quality just my opinon...
maybe a furniture consignment shop would do great there :)
sunny is it really closing or is it just a vendor closing in the showroom? when they have their "store closing - everything must go" sales, it's always been because a certain vendor is closing...but not the store itself. Personally I prefer their consignment store on the other end of town. the furniture is just as good for less than half the price
NoUseForAname 
mistergoogle 
Ms Fishy I figured it was just another of their bogus sales scams. I am sure they are not closing completely. Probably closing for a week vacation.LOL
happycamper Unfortunately, it is a sad but true. The Hackettstown Trading Post Furniture Gallery will be closing its doors. The Appliance and Bedding store (159 Main Street) WILL REMAIN OPEN. The Furniture Gallery will be closing our doors forever.
In the next week we will be initiating a "Store Closing Sale". With respect and appreciation to all of our customers who have outstanding furniture orders, ALL orders will be honored.
We would like to take a moment to send out a HUGE Thank YOU for over 51 years in business. We have enjoyed being a part of this community and our grateful to all of our customers who have supported us over the past 51 years. We look forward to continue to service our customers in Appliances and Bedding for many years to come.
Warm Regards and Thanks,
The Berkowitz Family
Amy Berkowitz 
mansfield mama 
Christine I am Sad to know that The Furniture Gallery is closing, but happy the appliance and bedding business will continue to operate. Best Wishes to the Berkowitz Family!
Mrs. Pipes Two generations of our family have purchased furniture from your showroom.
We all were pleased with your service and products. Your store brought many people into town that otherwise would have shopped elsewhere. I am happy to hear Bedding and Appliances will continue to operate in Hackettsotwn. I wish them many more years of business.
Spring Fever I received the card in the mail today as well and am happy to hear that despite the furniture annex closing its doors at the Trading Post....the appliance and bedding departments will remain open. I think every appliance in our home including a recent purchase of a new dishwasher is from the Trading Post. For as long as I can remember...The Trading Post has been a landmark in Hackettstown. Wishing The Trading Post many more years doing business in our town.
joyful So sorry to hear this news. Over the past 30 years, we've purchased all our living room furniture, mattresses, TV, A/C's and kitchen appliances from the Hackettstown Trading Post. In the future we'll need to replace all our kitchen appliances and will remain loyal customers. Good luck Berkowitz Family
Chickadee Thank you Amy for your reply. I also was saddened to receive the letter in the mail today. I am happy you and your staff will be staying in H'town. I remember how much Jerry and Joel helped us back in the 60's and 70's. And later on you and Jeff. I wish you all good things in the future.
That is very sad and truly upsetting news. I feel for the Berkowitz family as I can imagine that this is terribly devastating. I hope that one day, in the future, the Trading Post reopens it's furniture gallery. Most of the furniture in my home is from there and I was expecting it to always be that way. To tell the truth, I would be less upset if the Appliances and Electronics section closed down instead. I do wish the family and the workers the best of luck. Hopefully the furniture section will reopen someday.
Amy, just the other week you helped me decide on a new sofa and recliner, both of which look great in my living room. Little did I know it would be the last furniture purchase from Trading Post.....you have furnished my home for years. I, too, wish the furniture gallery was remaining.
wonderful 
singlemaleinnj The space would make a great indoor flea market,and bring business to the town,lets try something new.Trading Post will be missed,bought many, many things there over the years.
Lobo It was long overdue! You can only treat your customers and employees poorly for so long. Its a shame that Jerry and Jeff worked so hard for Joel and his family to let it fall apart. Greed only holds you over for so long. They can't last much longer unless they have another "cash" or "closing" discount sale.
Htown Res. It is sad to hear of this announcement since I totally dislike buying furniture from big box stores where customer service is poor. We haven't purchased furniture from HTP since Dale left. He helped us with our family room furnishings and matched prices I got from a store in NC and only charged me for the local delivery. I will miss the local buying experience.
mike l 
English Major Like others, I've given the Trading Post several opportunities to make a sale. Unfortunately, they wouldn't budge a cent from their posted prices. I felt they were over priced. No negotiation, no sale. Sorry the business is failing, but that's the way it goes.
Cindy This is not a flea market or ebay. Sorry you feel it was overpriced, but demanding money off in a retail store is rude.
Terry2 
Booster90 Try doing that in Fortunoffs, Macys or JC Penneys. They don't budge. I have always been treated fair and when ever I asked can you do better they offered me free delivery and setup or a spray on furniture to avoid spills. Always been happy with them and even my parents bought from them way back when it was just appliances.
Any store that sells big ticket items no matter what, including high end electronics, furniture, and appliances negotiates today. It might be throw in's like extended warranties, etc. like Christine suggested. But retail in that market has changed since 1954. Even big box stores negotiate.
GC They've always negotiated with me. They even matched a price from Sam's Club for me. And it wasn't even an exact item, it was on a comparable one. I'm so sorry to see them go.
Tanya Amy, I would like to know if the clearance center is closing as well? Are you opening another store someplace else. Would love to know. Thanks!!
Carolyn Brads We've purchased furniture from HTP (living room and family room.) While we had some issues with our leather recliner, HTP did go out of their way to get us a replacement (even though it was the manufacturer's fault.) Unfortunately, Berkline went out of business and the couch has endured like we expected BUT it wasn't HTP's fault. They did what they could. We've been happy with the other furniture.
HTP did negotiate prices with us. They also matched prices from Suburban. It's ridiculous to say it's unreasonable to not negotiate. We also have stuff from Macy's & Raymour & Flanigan. They both negotiated too. Almost all do.
Personally, I hate the whole negotiation process. I wish everyone would just sell things at a fixed price and be done with it. It ends up being a stupid game (like car dealerships.)
emaxxman I'll add, I wish they weren't closing. That's going to leave a big empty store on a Main Street that was just starting to improve. Bea's, the brewery, and Topo are just some of the great recent examples.
Is it realthere's a big difference between a store closing and them going out of business. They are keeping the bedding and appliance store on Main St and moving all their furniture down to their Mountain Ave building. They are going to have one of their typical Sales event and in a few months just move everything down to Mountain Ave and maintain business as usual.
darwin These guys have gone out of business, feinted, and re-emerged a number of times.
I wish them well whether they are closing for good (the furniture store), just having 'another' sale phrased in a different way, staying in business, moving everything to their Mountain Ave. location or doing something else that may benefit their business interests ... Good Luck to Them. I don't know any of the Berkowitz family personally, but I do know that over the many years they were in business they took part in many things meant to benefit Hackettstown. Hopefully, those things/events benefited the Berkowitz Family business too. Again, Good Luck Berkowitz Family.
I heard from a *pretty* reliable source that a salvation army store is moving in..."shrug"...we'll see.
just the facts maam At the risk of being politically incorrect: Yea, a place for the daywalkers to shop and another reason not to go to Main Street.
if that happens Hackettstown might as well give up on that side of town,on top of the day laborers that the town does nothing about,hanging out right under the no loitering signs.
it's pretty early to speculate what is going in that spot. HTP will probably be in there until the end of the year.
ramone michaels It means they don't own the building and their landlord must have raise their rent to the point where they didn't want to pay it.
This is disappointing to hear. I love HTP. It's been the staple on the corner for a very long time. Sad to see part of it close. I felt the prices were fair there. I wish I could say the same for their used store on Mountain Ave.
I truly hope a another quality business moves in to that location. It is big shoes to fill!
A sporting goods, different department store would be nice! We don't need anymore thrift shops or consignment shops. I hope the salvation army store is a rumor!
Mistergoogle, lol "daywalkers" sad but true! Add "drunken" to label!
I would love to have the old Bach's drug store back, right in that spot. sigh..
They had a bit of everything.
You know you're old when you can SEE things in your head and they just aren't there anymore!
hktownie Well to me they were pretty slimy, but then again I never went back in there after they tried to sell me an appliance and offered to back date the receipt if I bought it right then, so that I could get a rebate that expired a day or two prior.
Now these classy fellows have their windows covered with big colorful gaudy signs again.
Later schmucks!
Reggie Voter Who said they never purchased the building? Being forced out doesn't necessarily mean they paid rent, the economy may be the reason. Just saying ......
Outsider A Salvation Army would be awesome. The nearest one is Dover which is a drive. And that one's not as good as it used to be.
"Who said they never purchased the building?"
I did. Because they do not own the building. Not "just saying" Not speculating..I'm stating facts.
Big B Realty Corp owns the building
http://njparcels.com/property/2108/67/17#property
Reggie, How is that slimy? They were trying to help you save money. Not sure I understand why that would make you mad. So ..... perhaps you lost out on a deal.
Just read it may be yet another Quick Check. The town feels we could use a 4th or 5th in a 2 mile radius.
It would be a great opportunity for M&M Mars to put in a full size M&M store! It has the size and exposure to facilitate a very large inventory.
I popped in last night and the salesperson I spoke to said they wouldn't actually be closing until October. The round of mailings that everyone got is the first of a series. I got the impression they mailed to former customers first, then will mail out to a wider audience next.
Jersey Girl that's what i heard too Jersey Girl... 1st mailer is for their old customers, then another mailer and sale for general public. Like i said they will be there for awhile.
Most furniture retailers mark their prices up by 80%!
Your an idiot if you pay full price...
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/10-things-furniture-stores-wont-tell-you-1296850666159
RU According to the State of New Jersey, someone from the family owns, or is partners in Big B Realty Corp. Click on "Principal Name", type in Berkowitz and Hackettstown.
https://www.njportal.com/DOR/BusinessNameSearch/default.aspx
Coconuts I took a peak at their "consignment" stuff, looking for a desk I could refinish.... now that stuff was way over priced and for stuff that had dings and broken draws.
I too miss Bachs drugs being there!!!! Did I see someone say they heard another QC is going to go there? Where the hell did you hear that. How ridiculous would that be, lol.
Smack They do own the building. They bought it in the early 2000's from Bach's. Thrift Drug had a 10 year lease deal on the building and had to approve the deal. Thrift was paying rent on an empty building because they had moved to Mountain Ave. Big B Realty Corp must include a Berkowitz.
observer3 I don't get it. They are closing the Main Street store to move the furniture over to the Mountain Ave store? Yes? No? Does anyone really know the story?
USAfirst 
notafan 
Bessie Over priced. Horrible customer satisfaction! Found sofa set cheaper and they wouldn't price match. basically told me to hit the road and I did..I told lots of people of my experience and guess their sucky attitude finally caught up to them..glad to see them fail!
steve o Do I understand this correctly? They are not going out of business. They are simply closing one of their two furniture stores in this town and they are also keeping their Appliance store open. What is all the hub bub about?
Rich We went in to look at furniture and it's more expensive on "close out" prices than other retailers with booming business. :P
Challah It will be a big empty store on a major corner of town. If the former bank (where the brewery is going into) is an indication, a store that big may take some time to get a new tenant. That's not good for the town.
I suppose that everybody should write a letter to their favorite store and ask them to review the site for a new store. I'll be writing to Barnes and Noble's as well as Trader Joe's. Let's get a jump-start on getting a new store.
Neither trader joes nor whole foods will open here. They require a certain amount if ppl per square mile which we don't even come close to. =(
Do you people REALY think a grocery store will even think about moving into a small corner store with no parking? That is why we only have small junk shops in this town and thats all that will ever be here.
D-ManPV LOL Dadof3, you got to love everytime a store closes down everyone suggests a Trader Joe's or Whole foods for it. But Wegmans are larger than most Shop Rites, so I'm with you i don't know how anyone could suggest puttign a Wegman's in that small building
The other thing is that most of the buildings on main st have basements in them and the wooden floors could not support the weight that would be needed.
Res2 Dadof3- so the weight of a furniture store is less than a grocery store???? Also I've never had trouble parking in any of the three municipal lots surrounding the store. Nit that I think we even need a grocery store. But you're not making sense
Grocery stores have a lot more weight then a furniture store. Think about the cans alone 3 to 5 shelves high. Although I would love a grocery store back in Hackettstown proper there is just no space other then Bergen Tool and I would not like to see it there.
It would be great for different kind of grocery store. One that carries different ethnic foods. Asian, Latin, polish, etc. All the spices, different items we have to travel far to get. Perfect size IMO. Or better yet maybe Have Fruitmex move their and expand their store.
How are you going to get your shopping cart to your car? The parking lot is in the back on the lower level behind HTP. We want shopping carts all over Main Street? We want people crossing Main Street with their cart to get to the municipal parking lots. People have a hard enough time crossing main st as it is
There is an Indian grocery store in Parsippany where the carts are rigged so as that you can't take them out of the store. I think an ethnic food store would be great. They tend to have much fresher vegetables and a lower price. In this area, you wouldn't buy all of your groceries there so you wouldn't need an entire cart. I do think the HTP location is a big too big for one though.
I love Trader Joe's, whole foods etc. Too bad there's not substantial parking for a store like that.
Wegman's, really .... waaaaaay too small of a facility for a major grocery store chain to move in ... you would need a huge parking lot and much larger facility. (Weis sized)
I like the idea of an M&M store. That would be great. It would put a Hershey PA spin on the town and perhaps give someone a reason to shop on Main St.
A sporting goods store.
Lngvly22 - Great idea - letters to the stores you'd like to see would be interesting.
The only food chain that I would think is anything close to 'right-sized' is The Fresh Market stores -
http://www.thefreshmarket.com/
for the umpteenth time - M&M will not be putting a store in.
Sporting Goods would be great so that TSA teams can get quality equipment and outdoors types that need fishing gear, tents etc. can get what they need too.
Again, the letter writing might work.
trekster3- 
ianimal My son always negotiates with any one who works on commission basis. When he graduated college I wanted to buy a suit for him. I took him to a very nice store in Bridgewater Mall. I was so embarrassed when he started his negotiations, I had no clue, he was going to do this.
I gasped and said to him "stop, we are not at a flea market", I then dropped back into a chair totally humiliated by his behavior.
He wound up with 2 suits, with a very nice trench coat and alterations thrown in.
He told me he learned it in school.
I don't like to go shopping with him, he is fierce in his methods. When he purchased his new car, he went back so often to get his price, I joked with him they they would call the police.
He got his price, I think they did not want to see him again.
He is do Is doing well as CPA, I am sure he works just as hard for his clients too.
susan An NFL stadium might be a bit too much Imal, but maybe Andy can get that minor league baseball team he always wanted to move into that lot. It has that nice baseball shape to it already
kb2755 
fitter "Costco, NFL staidum" lol
I just heard it is going to be a new Great Adventure theme park, with a official NASCAR Track inside.
trekster3- "for the umpteenth time"? What? You are the first to say they are not moving in. How do you know they are not? Huh? Huh? .....HUH? lol
To Darwin, HTP was owned by three Berkowitz family members. Two were forced out by the third member and his children. The two that were forced out, do in fact, own the building. It is in building owners best interests for HTP to do well and thrive. Unfortunately, this has not happened for many reasons.
Wondering if anyone has been to the store since their closing sell started..curious if prices were that good. Thinking of buying a new sofa.
Just bought two chairs there last Sunday, got two for around $1,150. Actually the wife wanted them and I footed the bill. Had them in stock and picked them up on Tuesday at the Mouintain location. No complaints here.
I stopped in looking for "sale" prices but didn't see any. I just experienced the usual overly aggressive sales techniques that kept me away from there before.
My husband and I purchased a couch, with 4 pillows included, for $500 and it fits our space well, the quality is not poor, and so far in the few weeks we have had it, it seems to hold up well against our teething pets!
ab90 
luvjazz Over the years we have bought furniture there, some dressers, a two person recliner, couch and loveseat set, bookcase and another storage unit. All have held up well except the recliner on which the arm broke. We were looking to replace the recliner and were not impressed with the prices on them. As a previous poster said they don't look like sale prices for a place going out of business.
MK I was in the store last week just to check it out. I overheard a worker in the phone saying that they were keeping their appliance business there and just getting rid of the furniture sales. We have purchased many things from them over the years and have gotten good prices and quality products. They are not friendly people at all but I will take service over a smiley face
I just wish they would stop all the crazy advertising and signage. They have pulled the "going out of business card" too many times.
Move your furniture out to your other location and get on with business
hack in town 
Firefly LOL!!! This seems to be their ANNUAL GOING OUT BUSINESS SALE. They are "downsizing" the big showroom & will have the rest of their stores stay open including the big rip-off center on Mt. Ave.
At this point is anyone taking them seriously? They already own half of main st.
Mr.Sunset I heard BOB"S Discount furniture is coming in, that would be a nice change,real discounts,no waiting,people salaried not commission ! So not pushy !
5catmom My son went there over the weekend and saw a chair he liked but didn't like the upholstery it was in. They offered to order it for him in a different choice. If you're going out of business, don't you want to clean out and not bring more in?
I do hope it's Bob's. They have exactly the kind of furniture I like-looks don't matter, but they're really comfortable. Not sure if my wife feels the same.
btownguy Looking for a new couch before end of the year - is this place actually closing? Any update info, news or rumors?
av111ks 
CR37 I drove by yesterday and thought the same thing. What a bunch of idiots. Close up or shut up.
Greg 
Spence It's tough to run a business when the "protection money" you pay to the various arms of government keeps going up every year. It's also nice that the business has helped support the local radio station for so many years.
So, in my book, they got that going for them.
My personal experience with CTP...and later HTP....was not good. I remember buying a gas range there once (after the electronic temperature sensor on my less-than-three-year old gas range burned-out) and the nice gentleman assured me that the model we were looking at had an old-fashioned thermostat. He even called the supplier, while we were there, and (loudly) confirmed it.
You can guess what we ended up with, but we needed a range so...thanks for nuthin'.
Later, my mother's over-the-range microwave needed replacing. So much for free delivery...or even store delivery... I had to go pick it up, days later, at their warehouse. Shoulda' gone to Home Depot.
Then, last June, what do I see driving back and forth at my daughter's HHS graduation? (eliciting snickers from the assembled crowd)
A sign truck screaming that they were closing forever.
Nope, I don't like them......and the two appliances in question lasted less than three years.
jjmonth4 av111ks - they're only closing the big corner lot - their Mountain Ave location is staying open so I'm guessing what inventory is left when they close will go there anyway.
From what I hear it'll be closing in December (not positive though).
Saw their commercial on TV last night and I believe the fine print at the bottom said, " Sale ends Jan 31,2015."
Blackcat Trading Post ....Please take the obnoxious going out of business signs down. They certainly don't enhance the beautification of Main Street.
pitbullover4life I agree with jjmonth4, put a fork in it already, obnoxious signs not conducive to anything productive down town, prices still include a hefty margin (flat out overpriced) and although local completely disconnected, certainly not in the best interest of our beloved town. BTW I bought a whole bunch of stuff from them and I too have been underwhelmed.
jmo517 The rumor a while ago was that they were only moving the furniture out and we're going to keep the appliances at the corner location. I am not sure if this is really the case.
Whatever their plan is, they need to remove all the tacky signage.
Most people get The point by now, just have a little class trading post.
BrandyB - The corner location is closing - they're keeping the appliance location and Mountain Ave. location as is - we have heard that they will be closed by Dec. 1st or shortly thereafter.
Wendy @ Hkt BID Most businesses get customers in the store via use of "huge sale or going out of business" advertising. This generates a significant amount foot traffic. Once they trick the consumer into coming into the store like clueless cattle, they then 'cleave' the consumer by selling you goods at no real 'discount'. Thus making the slaughter complete, so to speak. Lol, Don't blame them, it happens everywhere ... It's called sales/business and it obviously works. Just be a smart consumer and negotiate for a deal you feel is fair.
Who cares about the "obnoxious" signs ... I'd rather see the signs the another empty store on Main St.
Usually the empty store's obnoxious signs are only slightly worse on the mistergoogle visual depression assessment scale known as the VD indicator.
FYI - It will not remain empty, there is a tenant coming in after some renovations.
iJay I hope the new tenant is something we can use and not "El Supermercado" or something...
number 10 number 10 - definitely not from what I've heard --- I need to confirm before I'll say anything (I tend to get in trouble if I do) ---
Joe Fisher Funny Joe :)
and no not a Rite-Aid --- I'm checking if I can start blabbing yet ---
Wendy-
Even if you can't tell us what it will be, can you at least tell us the store type? Thanks!
The signs are enough already.I have been in the store 5 times looking for deals.They actually marked up the price on a coffee table I was looking at.I dont see a a clearance at all.What a joke! Wish it were an honorable business.
Sierra 
Denis Oh yeah, sorry about that - Longtime is absolutely correct - Real Estate Office - but really a full-service kind - from what I've heard they'll have Mortgage Brokers, Home Inspection, Insurance, etc. etc. to make property selling and buying much easier...
that place must have really screwed alot of people over the years to take a beating like they are in here..
tunnel rat I don't think the Trading Post actually screwed many people. To me, that would mean that they didn't meet their end of the agreement. I don't think a business stays in business for as long as they did if they made a practice of cheating customers.
What I think is creating animosity is that people had an unrealistic expectation that HTP was always going to give them the best price available. It was/is a furniture where you could haggle on the price. It's just like a car dealership. Some people think that HTP, being a locally owned business, shouldn't act like that. A ridiculous notion for sure.
They did a great job of not only meeting an internet price but beating it by 10%. people just need to know how to get a deal. Cheers to them
nutty nikki i just saw a sign on mountain ave. for the trading post..it said--- hurry up final days up to 70% off.....
M&M store makes zero sense. That place would be absolutely dead. How often would anyone here stop in a friggin m&M store? Out-of-towners will not drive so the can buy a stuffed M&M. Please stop saying this. Its absurd.
Dtrain, you obviously never went into the pop up store they had in town or never seen the merchandise fly out of Walmart when they have it.
"Out-of-towners will not drive so the can buy a stuffed M&M."
When I was in that pop up store, parking spots were only available near Rich Fix It because it was so packed. And the license plates said Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, and Ohio. Yes, someone inside said they drove 7 hours to get to the store. Oh yes they do.
Will the out of staters do it all year long is the $64.000 question . Maybe maybe not.
I would think it could work if they did something like the crayola store and have an activity place for kids.
Whip tunnel rat - Yes final days of the furniture gallery - they will be closing at the end of November (confirmed).
Does anyone know what happened to the leftover stock now that they are closed? I'm wondering about things like lamps and the decorative plants/trees.
I saw them loading the remaining store goods on one of their trucks this afternoon. Yes probably headed to their new clearance
location.
H-Town LAX parent 
Nature Lover Anyone notice the HTP consignment on mountain ave is now called Berk's? Another one of theor rebrandING ideas?
tootsie121 
bowie I remember the original owners. The kids have taken over thru the years and things have changed. They are young and full of ideas.
The "new" place on Mountain Ave is the same as before.
Bernie 
Rebecka Maybe Berks is s shortened version of the owner's name. Was suprised to see the new sign.
Now I get a letter saying the appliance and mattress store is closing as well.
I received that letter as well yesterday, old time townie, in the mail. The letter states that it is a private showing/sale for a definite going out of business sale. It also says we can attend this private showing/special price sale on, Fri, Sat, and Sunday but does not say the dates of this private sale on the letter. Also a coupon to fill out for a drawing for a free weber grill but that also says in fine print something about (see store for details). I am in hopes that this is really what the flyer says it is this time and that we really are going to see some really good bargains when we go in....
They have used this same tactic in the past so many times. It could be just another way to drum up sales for items or brands that are going to be discontinued. I think they have cried " wolf " once too often.
I got it also! Wonder if everything will be going to Bergs on Mountain Ave like all the other stuff.
teenie Oh my god...will HTP or Berks or whatever they call that dump just GO AWAY ALREADY!
NoHopeForHumanity I chuckled when I read "Enter to win a free Webber Grill." Weber, if it is in fact the same product is spelled wrong. Toss....
Unfortunately I bought a FIVE YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY on my whirlpool
over under washer drier....it has broken AGAIN...(this thing is a real lemon) and I have spent three days trying to find out if the warranty exists and if so where....or should I just go to PC Richards and buy a new one.
Very frustrating...would have been nice to be notified...
Anyone know a good washing machine repairman in hackettstown?
Bonnie Haynes I had someone come for my refridgerator. He was excellent. He diagnosed and repaired it very quickly and was very reasonably priced. His name is Gary telephone number 908-464-0284. Good luck.
Just a word of advice, I got this guy by calling a number saying Hackettstown Appliance repair. They required a $75.00 deposit, which I assummed would be deducted from my bill. It turns out they are just a service and they send out whomever they have on their list. That's how Gary came to me. He gave me his number and told me to call him directly for any future needs. That $75.00 was over and above his fee.
Parental Unit If you need a repairman, do a Forum Search at the top of the Forum page. There are several threads on local companies.
After reading ALL of the comments on here, I find it a wonder that ANY business in Hackettstown NJ could survive! It seems to me that all of the people commenting here are not only retailing geniuses, but they are also all savvy buyers, real estate moguls, tax/accounting experts and top notch customer service experts! I'm willing to bet that 90% of you have absolutely NO experience at all in retailing, or knowing what it's like to deal with the very "fickle" Hackettstown public! Here are some simple facts. Sellers and buyers have, or SHOULD have, responsibilities to "each other". The seller should not oversell the quality of an inferior product, nor should the buyer have higher "expectations" of the same!
1) If you don't truly support your local businesses rather than simply use them as a "convenience" ...they will not survive.
2) you can buy a couch from the aforementioned furniture retailer for $500. You can buy a couch at Ethan Allen for over $2000. How in the world could you ever have the same expectation for these products?
3) take a look around you. You have an inordinate amount of fast food joints, you have the big box home centers, Marshall's, a Kohls a Walmart and a Target and other assorted smaller "low end" retailers. As we all know, retailers ( at least the smart ones ) respond to the "demand" of the area!
4 it would appear to me that the demand in the Hackettstown area is for "low end" products, and that must be what you wanted right? But you say no... What I REALLY want is high quality products for a low price!
5 THAT IS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN! ... You may THINK from time to time that it does, but sadly, there really are no free lunches Hackettstownlifers!
I say on behalf of the Community thank you to the Berkowitz family for their many "good" years. They always supported and invested in Hackettstown and employed many local people over the years. In return, I supported them. Every appliance in my home came from them. I always received courteous service and never had very high expectations for that $359 dishwasher so I didn't feel I should trouble them when it died! And you know what guys and gals the Berkowitz family will still be paying taxes on those vacant properties, so again I say Thank You
A lurker Oh yes just one more thing... All of you out there taking "pot shots" at their advertising strategy...How much of your own advertising have any of you done?
How many of you found your cash flow position dangerously low due to falling sales when your rent taxes, insurances and payroll has to be made. How many of you have had to lay off a friend or family member? There's a fine line between genius and desperation, and I know many times I prayed that my "desperation" would bring out my "genius". If you all think these were "desperate attempts" perhaps you're correct and perhaps you're not...but if you ARE correct I hope that none of you are in control of the "lifesaver" if I'm ever drowning!
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