Hoy’s 5&10 Celebrates 75th Anniversary

At a time when a gallon of gas cost just 10 cents and a loaf of bread a couple of cents less, Hoy’s 5&10 first opened its doors to the public.
The year was 1936 and founder Bernard Joseph Hoy had already put in several years at Woolworth’s. He was ready to try his hand at his own enterprise.
Little could he have known at the time that Hoy’s 5&10 would not only be a successful family business, but it would become a treasured memory for many visiting the Jersey shore — one that still continues today.
This year, the family-owned and managed Hoy’s 5&10 celebrates its 75th anniversary, a milestone for any company but especially so amid the recent economic downturn that has put so many others out of business.
“When my grandfather started the business, there were no chain stores or large shopping centers,” said David Hoy, now co-owner with siblings Susan Hoy, Elizabeth Furculum, and Georgene Luttmann. “It was the Great Depression, so the idea behind Hoy’s 5&10 was the buying power we had.”
Hoy opened the first store on Lancaster Ave. in Wilmington, DE. It was a success, and he soon moved to a larger location on South Union Street, then North Union Street.
One location led the way to two, and eventually 18 different stores open at any given time in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. Hoy’s current locations are in Stone Harbor, Avalon, and Ocean City.
No matter where they were located, Hoy’s 5&10 carried a wide variety of merchandise that was sold at first for five and 10 cents and a bit more. Anything you needed for the home, you could find at Hoy’s.
There were house wares and hardware, jewelry and make-up, toiletries, hats, sweatshirts, lamp shades, toys, candy, souvenirs, and when the store was located close to the shore, supplies for the beach.
Early stores had a soda fountain where customers could get an inexpensive breakfast, lunch or snack. Up until the 1970s, Hoy’s 5&10 stores also had a pet department that included such exotic animals as alligators and monkeys.
Today, you might see a collection of hermit crabs. The store is also known for carrying the latest fad or popular item. Over the years, this has included the hula hoop, pet rocks, Cabbage Patch dolls, and Webkinz.
Over the years, generations of families have passed down the Hoy’s tradition to their children, and their children’s children. Founder Bernard Joseph Hoy passed the store down to his sons, Bernard Joseph Hoy, Jr. and William R. Hoy.
They in turn passed it to David Hoy and his siblings. David is an integral part of the day-to-day management of the stores
Throughout the year, Hoy’s will feature items that cost five or 10 cents at each of its locations, in honor of this special anniversary. There also will be large anniversary cards displayed for customers to sign.
Employees will be recognized throughout the year and in addition, Hoy’s will amend its popular slogan, “Ship Ahoy Shop A Hoy!” to include “Hoy’s, the fun place to shop for 75 years!”
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