Sleighters Furniture & Sleep Shop, located at 5 Lincoln Way West, has been a New Oxford staple since 1947. Sleighters held its grand opening on August 21, 1947. The business was originally located in 1/3 of the building that now houses Martin’s New Oxford Hardware on the square of New Oxford.

Sleighters was founded by Charles R. Sleighter and C. Robert Sleighter. Charles’ wife Elva and Robert’s wife Sarah were also heavily involved in the evolution of the business. The store is now in its third generation of family ownership. Sleighters is currently owned and operated by Charles’ granddaughter Sally and her husband Jerome Smith.

The business started when Charles and Robert decided to go into business together. With knowledge of multiple trades, Charles hoped to start a floor covering store. Charles and Robert began their search in their place of residence – York. Because of the economy at the time, store space was difficult to find. Eventually, they made their way to New Oxford, finding a prime location right on the square.
At the time, the building that currently houses Martin’s Hardware was divided into three separate businesses. At the beginning, Sleighters rented one of the three spaces for $35 a month before eventually expanding to fill two of the spaces. At the time, Charles’ brother owned a furniture store in Everett, Pennsylvania and suggested that Sleighters sell furniture in addition to floor coverings. After testing the market by putting a sofa up for sale and finding quick success, the family decided to expand their floor covering business to also include furniture and bedding.

As the business continued to grow, the family looked for an alternate location. Sleighters found a new home at 5 Lincoln Way West, holding a grand opening on May 7 and 8, 1954. After moving into the new location, the business continued to expand. A back section was added several years after the grand opening, and a second floor was added in the early 1960s. The second floor served as an apartment for Charles and Elva as well as storage space for the store. Charles passed away in 1969. Sally and Jerome bought the business after Robert suffered a heart attack in 1988.

With a desire to be in business for 50 years, Robert continued to have a presence in the business until the 50th anniversary in 1997. At this time, he retired. Sally has been involved with the family business for 50 years. With a degree in accounting, she worked at an accounting business before returning to her family’s business. Before coming to work at Sleighters, Jerome worked in real estate.

Today, Sleighters is the oldest family-owned furniture store in the area. The store continues to evolve to fill the needs of local consumers. Sleighters owners and staff pride themselves on the personalized touch they provide to customers. At Sleighters, customers are able to try out products and find the best fit for their needs with one-on-one assistance from the store’s staff. The store currently has six employees – three sales associates and three warehouse/delivery associates.

Sleighters offers a variety of furniture and sleep-related products, with a focus on health and wellness. Among the store’s offerings are organic bedding and lift and recline chairs that focus on multiple issues such as lumbar pain. Sleighters products fulfill a need in a local market that is home to multiple senior living facilities.

Sleighters is proud to call New Oxford home. Sally and Jerome enjoy getting to work in the same community they live in. They also enjoy the opportunities owning your own business can provide, including flexibility, the ability to take risks and make your own decisions and being able to work with customers first-hand while also working in-sync with one another.

In 2022 Sleighters moved to an online store and open by appointments for some items. We also offer local deliveries and service for our customers.

Thank you for visiting our site today.