SALISBURY – Whether it is a plastic bin, birthday wrapping paper, office supplies or a reflective jacket that keeps you and your dog safe after dark, Tom’s Discount Store is your go-to store.
In the 15,000-square-foot store on Rte. 110 with 32,000 different items, everything from reading glasses to garden soil, shopping at Tom’s is an adventure. You never know what you will find as you wander its many aisles.
“A great place to shop and save a ton of money,” wrote Tom (no relation) from Georgetown on Yelp social media. “Looking for household products or have a tool you need? Chances are Tom’s Discount will have it. I’ve recently purchased Hi-Visibility jackets for use while I ride on my motorcycle. These are great jackets that you can’t buy anywhere for under a $100. At Tom’s, buy them for less than $50.
Tom’s, which opened its doors in 1996 at the Crossroads Shopping Plaza, is thriving in a retail sector that seems to be dying. When Tom Newman opened his mom-and-pop discount stores, one of the major suppliers in Manchester, NH, had 65 to 70 similar stores in the area.
Today, Tom’s is one of only five or six discount stores in the region, and the Manchester supplier has closed its doors.
The reasons: Covid, Amazon, and to a lesser degree, chain stores like Walmart in Seabrook, NH.
But Tom’s is different, primarily because Tom and Maryann Newman, then John Byrne, Tom’s cousin, who now owns the store, take pride in providing service, helping customers find something they are looking for or something they didn’t know they were looking for.
When a customer buys something heavy like bags of Coast of Maine garden soil, Byrne or one of the employees load it in the car. If a customer needs an inflatable balloon for a party, they blow it up that day, waiting to make someone happy. When a customer is wandering aimlessly through the aisles, expect one of the five or six other employees on the floor to ask if they need help.
When did that happen at a big box store?
Tom and Maryann, who now live in Florida, started the discount store when his Dad’s print shop was not making enough money. He created scratch paper pads out of waste paper and sold them on weekends at a flea market. The first weekend he made $500 and he was hooked on the discount store business.
Soon, Tom opened a 4,000-square-foot store selling scratch pads and a variety of other items. When demand for his wares outstripped that space, the Newmans bought the defunct Sailor Bills party house and opened an 8,000-square-foot discount store at 175 Elm St. in Salisbury.
Maryann remembers how they used money they didn’t have to place full-page newspaper advertisements promoting the soon-to-open store. They maxed out credit cards to buy products to stock the shelves. And they created a sense of mystery by covering the windows with brown paper.
On opening day, to their surprise, they opened the door to a crowd of customers 10 deep.
Tom’s Discount has been creating excitement at Christmas and throughout the year ever since.
More than two decades later, customers who danced and dined at Sailor Bill’s now delight in shopping at Tom’s, John Byrne said.
Tom and now John, quickly became experts at buying close-outs, boxes and pallets of products unsold in the large chain stores. Byrne said a large box store rotates its products in a matter of weeks, but Tom’s stocks the same wares until they sell out.
For example, a chain store that may sell Sterlite plastic bins stock only five or six different sized bins. Tom’s has a container in back full of Sterlite in 50 to 100 different size bins.
“When I shop at Tom’s I almost always find at least one item that I didn’t know that I needed until I saw it,” wrote customer Ann G. from Newburyport. “Major categories are kitchen items, cleaning and party supplies, plastic storage containers, and tools. A few months ago, a 4pk of energy efficient lightbulbs was $1.99, and on Amazon the same ones were $20.
“If one keeps an open mind and enjoys browsing, it’s a great place to find a bargain.”
Tom’s has always been an integral part of the Salisbury and Triton community. Tom and Maryann were active in the Lion’s Club. They sponsored youth athletic teams, the Triton band, and sports teams. Every year they donated a senior scholarship.
“We were known as the business that was always good for a donation,” Tom said.
Three years ago, Byrne, a veteran landscaper, bought Tom’s from his cousin just after Covid shut down the retail world. It was a grueling lesson for him in how to be agile.
Today, if there is a shortage of plastic bags because a Gulf Coast plastics manufacture goes down, John buys more Coast of Maine soil for the season because it is bagged in plastic and won’t be available. When a chlorine plant blew up in Texas last year, he stocked up on chlorine for the summer for his customers who own pools.
“We have something for everyone. Seriously, no matter what your project is Tom’s can help you save a buck. We have been family owned since 1996 and counting!” the web site states.
Shopping at Tom’s is an adventure, Maryann said. The customers agree.
Frannie Z. from Haverhill wrote that unless she is headed to the beach for a day of sunbathing, “Tom’s is going to be a pit stop. It is a great place to putz and find stuff you didn’t even know you needed!” ♦