A New Chapter for Piper Classics – Community Fixture Closing After 35 Years

Local business evolves with the changing retail climate and will close store to focus on catalog and online businesses

Piper Classics, a store featuring home decor and gifts, and a fixture in bucolic Pipersville, Pa for more than 35 years, will close the doors of their retail store in March 2013 to focus on their online store and catalog business.   

Famous for its jaw-dropping displays, this is the last Christmas season customers will enjoy the homespun magic of Christmas in their Pipersville retail store. 

The decision to close the retail store was extremely difficult, as Piper Classics has enjoyed an extremely loyal following of customers over the years.  However, during these challenging economic times owners Dave and MaryLee Chittick realized the difficulties of sustaining the retail location due to declining sales and increasing overhead costs. 

“As sad as we are to close the retail store, we are viewing this change as acelebration of our past and an exciting move forward,” said Dave Chittick.  “We are proud of our daughters Janine and Brenda and their staff who since 2003 have made our online store a nationwide success.  We are confident the business will continue to keep up with the needs and tastes of our customers, while continuing to grow and prosper in the online and catalog marketplaces.”

Owner MaryLee Chittick expressed gratitude to their loyal customers. “Piper Classics would not be what it is today without all of our faithful customers!  Every one of us at Piper Classics sends heartfelt thanks to our customers - for their patronage, and in so many cases, for their friendship. It has truly been a joy to all of us to serve our customers by assisting them with their home decorating and gift giving needs.”

As of March, 2013, Piper Classics will serve their customers through their websitewww.piperclassics.com and their catalog, published and mailed out twice a year.

Customers who are not currently on the Piper Classics mailing list are encouraged to visit the website and sign up to receive the catalog along with emails about new items, sales and more.  

Piper Classics will not be selling large furniture items online.  Customers interested in purchasing furniture should do so now, as most in stock furniture in their warehouse and showroom (including display items) will be available for purchase at a significant discount beginning December 2012.  

For more information about Piper Classics or to inquire about a product or share a concern, contact their online customer service department at  888-766-7925.

About Piper Classics:

In January of 1977 Dave and MaryLee Chittick established Piper Second Hand, a business of buying and selling used furniture, antiques and collectibles.  The original two-story masonry building was purchased from Moyer’s Upholstered Furniture.  A portion of the store was rented to Piper Natural Foods for many years.

A major and unexpected turning point came in 1981 when reproduction furniture by William Draper was introduced.  Customer response for the new furniture was extremely positive and both businesses began to build very rapidly. At one time William Draper Furniture was built in an outbuilding at Dave and MaryLee’s home.

In 1986, after several years of selling used furniture, antiques, reproductions, oak furniture and gifts, a decision was made to concentrate entirely on reproduction furniture, gifts and decorative accessories.  At this time the name was changed to Piper Classics.  The business was incorporated in July of 1995.

Multiple additions have been added to the store over the years and extensive renovations have been made.  In addition to building a separate warehouse, a larger parking lot was established and paved.  The most recent addition of a sixth showroom and new office space was completed in 1996. 

In 2003, as online shopping was becoming more popular and convenient for many consumers, daughters Janine Bosh and Brenda Jones decided to create a new business which would do business as www.piperclassics.com.   

With this new avenue of sales, Piper Classics was able to reach many more customers across the country and even in different parts of the world, as well as find new customers in the local area. 

They began by renting a small warehouse area from a local business but quickly outgrew that space.  In 2004 they moved into their current location, conveniently located 1 mile from the store. 

Customers were very happy with the website, but they often asked for a catalog.  So in 2005 they produced the first Piper Classics catalog.  They currently produce two catalogs every year with supplemental catalogs for the fall and Christmas season.  The website offers over 3500 items.