Elmer Jewell and his brother, Melvin, sold outdoor furniture door-to-door from the back of a pickup truck before opening Jewell Brothers Furniture on Main Street in downtown Anderson in 1931.
The brothers went different ways a few years later, with Melvin keeping Jewell Furniture and Elmer going down the road to buy out Hampton Furniture. An Anderson institution, Hampton Furniture celebrates 90 years in business in 2021 as Ashley Jewell Collins assumes the role of third-generation owner succeeding her father, Darryl Jewell.
A lot has changed over nine decades. For one, Hampton Furniture outgrew its Main Street location and moved to Whitehall Road where it operates from a 40,000-square-foot building with five showrooms. And last year, a worldwide pandemic forced most business owners to look at their operations in a different light.
“A lot happened in 2020,” Collins said. “I think for everybody, we all saw anything and everything that we were doing in our lives, our businesses, our careers changing right before our eyes. I’ve had to learn to run a different business.”
With more people spending time at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic, furniture is in high demand as consumers invest in their nests. And while supply chain issues are causing delivery delays for retailers in many industries, Hampton Furniture is an exception.
“I can remember the day we closed, and I remember the day that we opened back up,” Collins said. “We have been busier than we’ve ever been. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Collins says she’s thankful for her foresight to purchase additional inventory in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.
“When we opened back up and the traffic was like it was, I called all of my reps and I said, ‘we’ve got to buy furniture,’” she said. “Actually, we ended up having to buy a second warehouse last year because we bought so much.”
And while wait times can be considerable for custom orders, Hampton has a large inventory of furniture in stock that can be taken home immediately, Collins said.
Maintaining a small-town feel
A hometown company, Hampton Furniture works hard to maintain a small-town feel in a growing city.
“When you walk in this door, we want you to feel comfortable. We’re here to help you make the best decisions for your home,” Collins said. “We’re a third-generation company and we’ve worked with our customers through generations, too. It’s been really neat to see the business grow that way, as well.”
Another way the business has grown is in its offerings. Hampton recently added nursery furniture to its inventory and is now the largest La-Z-Boy gallery in Anderson. The showroom also features lines such as England, Best Home Furnishings, Liberty, Vaughan Bassett and Laurel Mercantile, a brand owned by Erin and Ben Napier of HGTV fame.
Want to visit?
Hampton Furniture, 809 Whitehall Road, Anderson SC 29625, (864) 305-5604, info@hamptonfurniture.com.
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.
For design tips, hot buys and more, follow Hampton Furniture on Facebook and Instagram.
