The Store: A Towamencin Institution

Businesses come and go. Some succeed, and some just fade away. Then there are those that not only succeed, but they go on to become an institution in the neighborhood. 

at Towamencin may just be the oldest family-run business in the Lansdale area, with its inception dating to 1952 when Irv Lopoten opened for business in almost the exact location of today’s store on Allentown Road near Forty Foot Road.  Today, The Store is run by Irv’s sons, Ron and Joel Lopoten.

Back then, Irv was a salesman, and he had his eye on a building that was operating as a general store at the time.  After convincing the owner to rent the store to him, Irv began what we know today as The Store, which sold a variety of merchandise—from clothing to household goods to a wide assortment of toys.  Years later, the original store was torn down to make way for the current store and the Towamencin Shopping Village. 

Ron noted that things were very different in the early years mostly because of the wide range of goods that the store carried and the lack of big box stores and malls. Their customer base was very varied because of its diverse offerings.

For many years, The Store location remained in a rural area, attracting many local farmers looking for work clothing and everyday necessities. According to Ron, because of its country location, some customers would even arrive on horseback, tying their horses to a nearby tree while they went inside to shop. 

Some customers called the establishment "The Mill" because of an adjacent building that bore the name. There was even a pond out front near the parking lot that today has been incorporated into one of the water retention basins in the shopping center.

Many area residents have fond memories of visiting The Store to check out their large selection of toys since they were always able to keep a supply of the most popular ones in stock. At Christmas time, the trip wasn’t complete without paying a visit to Santa, who entertained the children with his innovative, one-man band.    

Today, they carry the area’s largest selection of high quality, affordable men’s work clothing and footwear suitable especially to those in the construction, landscaping, farm and factory trades. They also carry basic items and accessories.  Some of the lines that they carry are Carhartt, Carolina, Dickies, Timberland, Columbia and Duofold. 

The Store also has a large selection of dance wear and dance footwear, including  Danskin, Leos, Eurotard, GK Dance, Dasha, JD Karam, Tias, Steps and Sassi.

The Store owes its success to being able to change with the times and reinvent itself according to the customer’s purchasing trends, as well as carrying reliable lines of merchandise, having great prices and selection, and most important, giving friendly and knowledgeable customer service.

The Store is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.;  and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.