Find all you need in ‘one stop’ at Johnson’s
At the newly remodeled Johnson’s One Stop in Seneca, third- and fourth-generation members of the Johnson family stand proudly in front of the new hardware counter, made with repurposed galvanized steel from the old feed mill that once stood where the store is today. Pictured (from left) are Brad, Debbie, Brandon, Artie and Jordan. (Submitted photo)
By Correne Martin
The scope of products and services at Johnson’s One Stop has evolved continually since it originally opened as a general store in Seneca in 1937. In fact, its most recent remodel, which began a year ago in May, was finished before Johnson’s annual spring sale this April.
Robert and Avis Johnson established Johnson’s One Stop nearly 80 years ago about one block north of where the current building stands today. When livestock feed became a big seller, in the early 1960s, the business moved to its present location, near a feed mill, and constructed a new facility on top of farm land. More emphasis was also put on hardware and farm hardware at that time.
In the late 1970s, the feed portion of the business was sold to allow for expansion of the growing hardware market. Then, in the late 1990s, as building materials sales grew, so did Johnson’s once again. Of course, all the while, groceries have been a strong part of the business as well.
Through the years, two additional generations of the Johnson family have run the store, first Terry and Trudy and now Artie and Debbie.
“Like my dad, I started here in high school, went to college, met my wife Debbie, came back and bought the business,” noted Artie, who took over ownership in 2009.
Artie’s brother Brad returned to Seneca about five years ago to help manage the grocery department at Johnson’s. Artie’s sons Brandon and Jordan, the great-grandsons of Robert and Avis, also recently joined the family business, in the building materials and meat and grocery departments, and are poised to take over from their parents someday.
That friendly, family-owned, smalltown feel is exactly why just as many generations of Johnson’s customers have patronized them so loyally. Besides that, it really is a one-stop shopping center. Patrons can find everything from groceries, household necessities and giftware to paint, flowers and plants, lawn mowers and home remodeling supplies.
“I think we surprise a lot of people. We’re constantly hearing people say ‘wow,’ when they come in here,” Artie expressed. “The term one-stop makes people think it’s a convenience store but we’re so much more than that. You can do your grocery shopping and buy all the supplies you need to build a new home, all at one place.”
Artie said customer numbers and sales are up since the remodel was complete a month ago. He said it’s apparent that a modern, new look is what Johnson’s customers wanted; everyone seems to be responding positively.
Johnson’s goals in remodeling were to give the grocery department more space, feature the building materials department in the middle of the store, close in the former warehouse space to house all the hardware store products, and to simply improve the flow of the shopping experience from one end of the store to the other.
“We wanted wider aisles and better lighting in the store. We also improved our selection of groceries, got new carts and revamped our checkout area,” Artie said. “We replaced all of our refrigeration units and put in all LED lighting to give the store a nice, clean look.”
The fresh produce and meat departments are popular among all customers and they’re growing all the time, Artie noted. “We kind of have a locally-famous meat department. We move so much of [the product], it’s always fresh,” he stated.
During the remodel, every item in the store was moved, yet business kept going the whole time. Employees and customers were easy going through it all.
“We have the absolute best staff. It is a family business and everyone is treated like family,” Artie continued. “We are very fortunate to have the area communities support us as well as they do.”
A neat part of the remodel involved incorporating the galvanized steel from the feed mill portion of the 1960s Johnson’s store into the current, upcycled hardware counter. An old Johnson’s One Stop sign was hung behind the counter to enhance the nostalgic feel.
As word spreads about Johnson’s One Stop based on customer experience, the base of shoppers seems to be multiplying too. Certainly, the store is also benefitting from its updated website (johnsonsonestop.com) where weekly ad flyers can be accessed, its engaging Facebook page, and its new text marketing campaign for exclusive customer deals as well.
“A lot of our success has to do with our location,” Artie said. “We are 20 miles from any major shopping center. We feel we have to be strong in all of the major departments to bring people here; that’s important to us.”
