Excitement filled the Greenwood household when I heard that Hammers was opening in Sevierville. As an Extension Agent in Sevier County, one of the duties of the job was to help judge exhibits at area county fairs. I always enjoyed going to the Anderson County Fair because that gave me the opportunity to shop at the Hammers Store in Clinton.
Hammers opened the Sevierville location in early December and have been going full speed ahead since. Owner Jeff Hammer was actually driving around Sevierville looking for a retail building when he heard the local radio station announcing that Wynn’s Sports World had filled for re-organization. Soon afterward, the Highway 66 building became available and now I don’t have to drive to out of county to shop for bargains.
The Sevierville Hammers has 15,000 square feet of selling space. The store specializes in close-outs, irregulars, broken sizes, overruns, short lots and other discounted inventory. “The stock is very fluid. Don’t miss a week of shopping or you’ll miss a bargain at Hammers,” stated Jeff Hammer.
Men’s clothing items include boots, casual and work wear with a great selection of Carhartt Work Wear. Ladies clothing includes a wide selection of swimsuits, sportswear, co-ordinates and sample shoes. Of course, sample shoes all come in a size 6 but if you don’t have a Cinderella foot there are other shoes sizes available.
The fun thing about shopping at Hammers is you never know what you might find. I remember the day I found a 100% wool designer suit in my size and even in my favorite color of purple. I was in a state of bargain-hunter euphoria.
The day of my visit I found a forest of silk flowers, a brass free standing horsehead mailbox, Calvin Klein leather shirts, tools, rugs, T-shirts, sweatshirts, vases, baskets, towels, handkerchiefs and a large quantity of sleeping bags. Look for merchandise to be displayed on large tables and open bins with an occasional clothes rack.
The Hammer’s clan has ten stores in two states and is an old-time family partnership. A.B. Hammer, Jeff’s grandfather, opened the first family discount store in 1942 in Guntersville, Alabama and his children followed in his retail footsteps. In 1952 Bernard and Helen Hammer, Jeff’s parents, opened the Clinton store. Now sister Margaret helps run the Clinton store and Jeff’s son, Will from the fourth generation is assistant manager at the new Sevierville store.
In a family-run operation, everyone pitches in to do whatever is necessary. It’s one of the few stores I have been in and found the store manager (Dennis Pratt) pushing a broom to clean up the floor after unloading merchandise.
“Sevierville has been a good business climate and we are looking deeper than just tourist appeal,” says Jeff Hammer. “The lion’s share of our business is local folks; that is the heart of our business.”
Hammers is open Monday through Thursday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and can be reached by calling 429-3650.

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