Steady on Mainstreet

Despite the shaky economy, sales have remained stable at McNeill’s Appliances. The shop’s been in business for 77 years and has experienced the ups and downs of America’s economy.

“It’s not the worst economy we’ve experienced, but it’s kind of the scariest we’ve had,” said Virginia McNeill, second generation owner of McNeill’s Appliances.

McNeill has been apart of the family business for 46 years. Whether the economy is up or down, rain or shine, McNeill doesn’t miss a day of work.

“Our customer service is why we’re still in business. If we didn’t have strong, professional service, we couldn’t compete with the big corporations,” said McNeill.

With many big corporations going under, it’s the family operated businesses like McNeill’s, that sustain economic hardships by relying on repeat customers. While McNeill’s daughter continues to help run the family business, McNeill said her immediate family and most of her extended family have all worked at the appliance store at some point in time.

“After all these years, I’m not worried. Sales could be better. We always hope for that, but I’m not worried,” said McNeill.

McNeill grew up in the shadow of the Great Depression and remembers hearing about that time period for most of her life. She said this economic recession is the worst that she’s lived throuh.

The recession won’t necessarily effect holiday sales considering this season isn’t their peak. McNeill said summer is busier than Christmas.

“The trend is not so much for the big ticket items for Christmas gifts anymore, not like it was 20 or 30 years ago,” said McNeill.

Even though it’s not the shop’s ‘hot’ season, washer and dryers could be seen leaving the store in a McNeill’s delivery truck. McNeil said she believes sales will pick up.

“I believe we’ll make it alright,” said McNeill.

Her positive attitude  just might make others start looking up, even when everything seems down.

History of McNeill’s Appliances

The end of the Great Depression was the beginning for McNeill’s Appliances.

F.C. McNeill and Dewey Ball each owned and operated a grocery business in Denton in the 1920s. The Great Depression put an end to first generation owner F.C. (Clarence) McNeill’s grocery business, but it sparked the beginning for McNeill’s Appliances. Ball opted for the furniture business. A series of events would eventually lead the two businesses meeting again.

In 1931, McNeill began selling Maytag gasoline powered wringer washers out of his home in 1931. McNeill would load up the washer in his truck, and travel from farm to farm, demonstrating how his product worked. A few years passed, and McNeil was ready to set up a shop. His first shop was located at 229 W. Hickory.

Through the years, McNeill’s made several moves, all in the same proximity. McNeill’s and Ball’s children, Charles McNeill and Virginia Ball married in 1953. They continued the family business and merged the two in 1963 under the name McNeill’s  Furniture and Appliances.

Their daughter, Pam Grimes,  who joined the firm in 1982, heads the operation. The store no longer sells furniture.  The shop is presently located on Denton’s Downtown Historic Square on Oak St. 

To view the full history of McNeill’s Appliances, visit: McNeill’s Web site.

Up on Mainstreet

Rhinestone’s Boutique is one of the many stores that lines the Denton downtownsquare. The shop has been in business for nearly a year and half. Even though the economy is down, sales are surprisingly up. In fact, the boutique has already surpassed their holiday sale projections.

“We’re up by 10 to 20 percent. We’re above what I had anticipated being,” said Kathy Warren, owner of Rhinestone’s Boutique.

Warren attributes Denton’s ‘recession free’ status to the city’s “small town feel” and her shops’s location on Denton’s downtown historical square.

“I think that a lot of North Texas and mayvbe even the whole state of Texas has been cushioned, said Warren.  “There hasn’t been as many layoffs or house foreclosures. It seems people have expendible income here,” added Warren.

Just a few stores down sits McNeill’s Appliances. They’ve been in business for nearly 80 years. Virginia McNeill  in shadow of the Great Depression and has seen the highs and lows of America’s economy.

“I was born in 1934 and heard about the depression all my life,” said McNeill. “But this might be as close to as it as I’ve ever lived, but I believe we’ll make it alright,” added McNeill.

Caty-corner from the appliance store is Ruby’s Diner. Ken Willis, owner of Ruby’s Diner and Beth Marie’s, says sales are up over last year by 20 percent.

“Being homesyle, we’re more of a comfort food,” said Willis. “I think our prices also help, and we’ve been doing a lot of catering,” he added.

Willis said he’s been doing a lot of direct marketing. Meaning, looking in the phonebook and contacting businesses asking them if they’re interested in catering. So far, it’s been working.

He also said that he gets quite a bit of business just by shoppers and out-of-towners dropping in for a quick bite to eat. The diner’s chicken fried steak is a top seller. Maybe it’s those southern smells of home cookin’ that attracts people from the square’s streets into the diner.