Johnson’s Appliances & Bedding Celebrates 70 Years in Business

In a day and age where small businesses face more competition than ever before, a local business is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2015. Johnson’s Appliances & Bedding is a local landmark that has been an integral part of the community for seven decades.
Its story began in post World War II, when many young servicemen returned home to rebuild their lives. Eager to start his own enterprise, Samuel Johnson decided to partner with his brother Irvin. They opened Johnson’s Electric at 917 Asbury Ave. in Ocean City, N.J. They couldn’t know it at the time, but they had begun a family legacy that would employ four generations.
Today, Johnson’s Appliances & Bedding has two locations—in Ocean City and North Wildwood, N.J. It has overcome periods of recession, changes in consumer preference and a couple of hurricanes. Don Johnson, Samuel’s son, is at the helm on the occasion of this anniversary.
It is a true family enterprise. Samuel and Irvin’s father, also named Irvin, worked at Johnson’s during its 70-year-history. Samuel’s grandson Brett recently joined the family business after earning a degree from the University of Oregon.
“It’s been a labor of love,” noted Don Johnson, who never worked anywhere else. He started working summers at age 14, and joined the staff full-time in 1971. By that time, the business had already undergone a few changes.
“My father was trained as an electrician, so initially that was the focus of the business,” explained Don. “But in 1951, we became a franchise GE appliance dealer and moved down the street to 944 Asbury Avenue, which gave us the additional space that we needed. We strictly carried GE appliances. Back then, you had to choose which manufacturers you carried. It was like being a car dealership for a certain brand. We didn’t diversify until 1972 when the market changed and allowed us to carry multiple brands.”
In 1971 when Don joined the staff, the business moved to its present location at 930 Asbury Ave. in Ocean City, N.J. “At the time I started, there were nine stores selling appliances in Ocean City,” he recalled.
Customers included year-round residents and summer visitors, traveling from as far down as lower Cape May County. Johnson’s also served a dedicated clientele in the Greater Philadelphia area who discovered the business while they were down the shore. “They liked our pricing, our knowledge and our customer service,” noted Don.
The family acquired an existing appliance store location in North Wildwood in 1999, as they saw the need to serve a growing customer base in that area. In 2000, they added bedding to their offerings at both locations, a natural expansion of the home-based products that they provided.
What does keep customers coming back is the value that Johnson’s provides. “We pride ourselves in offering great discount pricing,” said Don, “but that’s not the only value that you get when you buy here. We’ve got a very knowledgeable staff. We send them for in-depth training and also do weekly updates. They know these products inside and out, and can answer any questions that you have about them.”
Another selling point is Johnson’s quick delivery, usually next day. “We belong to a cooperative that keeps $11 million worth of inventory, which gives us easy access to whatever we need.” Most customers choose to come into the stores to make a purchase, but Johnson’s also has added online shopping to its website for 24/7 convenience.
The access to stock proved to be essential during Hurricane Sandy, later labeled a super storm. “The hurricane was truly a family affair,” he said. “The whole family came in to help clean up and salvage what we could. We were in at 5 a.m. and doing business by 11 a.m. We were out and delivering the next day.”
The cleanup took a lot longer than that of course. The Johnsons had to replace the carpeting in the Wildwood location, which had 1.5 feet of water. But it wasn’t the first storm the business had weathered. Don remembers the storm of 1962. He was eight at the time, and called upon to come in and help clean up in Ocean City. “It’s what families do,” he said. “In our case, we’re not only accountable to our family to keep the business going, but to our customers who were in real need during these challenging times.”
Don continues to look for ways to serve his customers, many of whom are repeat—including some who have bought from Johnson’s for generations. There’s a working kitchen in the Ocean City store, and for a time—from 2011-2013—they hosted a cooking show.
This remains a business near and dear to Don’s heart. “Very few people think about replacing an appliance until one doesn’t work,” he said. “In that way, it’s very gratifying to know that we’re helping someone make an essential purchase—something they have to do rather quickly, but we’re still able to give them the information to make a good decision. If we do that well, then hopefully they’ll be back.”
Johnson’s Appliances & Bedding is located at 930 Asbury Ave., Ocean City, N.J. and at 2510 New York Ave., North Wildwood, N.J. The business specializes in home appliances and bedding. For more information, including the featured brands carried by the business, visit http://www.johnsonsappliances.net or call (609) 399-1598 or (609) 522-1421.