Tiffany Woody, manager of our Spruce Pine location, shopped at Hickey’s Supermarket as a child with her grandmother. “I did not realize at that time how special those memories would be to me one day,” she said, remembering this monument of her childhood. “I feel that Uplifting Deals has taken its position as a pillar of the community as Hickey’s once did in its day.”
Uplifting Deals moved into the former Hickey’s Supermarket location in 2012 under the name, The Price Is Right Discount Warehouse. Recently, the store refreshed its look and changed its name to Uplifting Deals to align the stores with their parent company as well as emphasize their vision of service to their clientele.
Woody, a lifelong resident of Spruce Pine, remembered those shopping trips as a special time. “I can recall mom and I going to pick grandma up, she didn’t drive, and going to Hickey’s,” she said. “I was very young and I always wanted to help grandma shop. Grandma would hand me her list and I would run to grab the things she had written down as we went through the store.”
As an adult, Woody began shopping at Uplifting Deals (then named The Price Is Right Discount Warehouse) in an effort to save money and provide for her family. When a job opened up in February of 2020, she jumped at the chance to work in this place with so many fond memories.
“I still remember seeing the sign that was at the back of the store way up high above the meat department, it was red and blue with a bull head painted on it. Hickey’s always felt so enormous to me as a child, its towering ceiling with fans suspended from it that were always slowly spinning.” Even with this refreshed look, the things that make the building feel like home to Woody won’t be changing. “The red and blue sign is still in there. Each day, I get to see that sign and those high ceilings. I feel very lucky and privileged to have this opportunity! I doubt many people get to revisit childhood memories when they go to work.”
Along with the name change, Uplifting Deals discount stores have a refreshed look with a new logo and store makeovers. As Joseph Bollini, owner of Uplifting Deals, LLC, says, “If you’re a regular, have no fear, the products, great prices, and friendly people will continue. If you haven’t been by in a long time or have never been, come check us out. Our inventory changes all the time so you never know what you’ll find. And it’s not just groceries, not by a mile! Our liquidation buying allows us to get housewares, toys, televisions, cleaning products, paper, clothing, and more at prices that are a lot less than any other store or website.”
Visit Tiffany Woody and the refreshed Uplifting Deals retail store in person at 929 Oak Avenue (next to the Post Office) in Spruce Pine.