Recently in mom-and-pop Category

The economic downturn is hitting local stores especially hard. Saddest among those affected are the decades-old establishments suddenly facing bankruptcy or liquidation. Recent news affects numerous local stores with particularly long histories:

• 1868: that's when long Strouse's department store in Evansville, Ind., first opened, and the family-run business has been run by the founder's great-grandson for the past 47 years. But Strouse's is beginning liquidation this month and closing around the end of the year.
• Across the border in Ohio, Holcomb's KnowPlace is ending a 137-year-run and closing its last 10 locations. The chain has been slowly closing locations all year.
  
• 89 years: that's how long Hunter Furniture in Birmingham has been open. But current owner Bob Hunter is closing up shop with a final sale starting next week. Hunter cites a combination of factors in the decision to close.
• Compared to the stores above, 1977 sounds like yesterday. But 32 years is a long time for a hometown hardware store to thrive, so in Milwaukee, residents of Edgar are stung that Hardware Hank hasn't found a buyer and is planning on closing.
  

The economic downturn is hitting local stores especially hard. Saddest among those affected are the decades-old establishments suddenly facing bankruptcy or liquidation. Recent news affects numerous local stores with long histories:

• In Ogdensburg, N.Y., 99-year-old Hulett & Sons Jewelers is closing up shop. The jeweler, which is part of the larger Hacketts store, is selling its inventory to help Hacketts stay afloat. Hulett & Sons first opened in town in 1910.
• Alma, Michigan's Miller's men's shop is folding after 47 years in business. Owner Duane Stacey blames clothing trends and shifting shopping habits as driving forces of the closure.
  
• And legendary Memphis music store Pop Tunes closed both locations this month. Pop Tunes dates to 1946 and was not shy to discuss its demise, noting the "rampant illegal downloading ... low margins, big box retailers" and other factors as factors in the closings.

The economic downturn is hitting local stores especially hard. Saddest among those affected are the decades-old establishments suddenly facing bankruptcy or liquidation. Recent news affects numerous local stores with long histories:

• Syracuse, New York, home furnishings retailer Goldberg's is closing after nearly a century in business. Goldberg's, which once operated seven stores across upstate New York, first opened in 1910. Descendants of the founder include the owners of the Raymour & Flanagan furniture chain.
  
• In good ol' Gothenburg, Nebraska, 43-year-old Hometown Variety is closing this autumn after clearing out inventory. Longtime owner Merle Honerman cites rising costs and declining sales as the usual culprits, and says he was unable to find a buyer for the business.
• Kent Hardware in Kent, Ohio, is ending a 125-year-run next month. A sister store will remain open in a neighboring town, but Kent is now left without a hardware store.
• And in Vinton, Iowa, Mahood's Shoe Store is closing after 63 years of operation. Bob Mahood plans on continuing shoe repairs after the clearance sale is complete.
  

The economic downturn is hitting local stores especially hard. Saddest among those affected are the decades-old establishments suddenly facing bankruptcy or liquidation. Recent news affects regional chains with long histories:

• Colegate Food Center in Marietta, Ohio, is closing up shop after 52 years in business. "We're not closing because we want to be closing," said owner Glen Antill, who has been working at Colegate since 1955, two years before it turned into a supermarket.
• Next Friday is the last day for Crocodile Pie, the 20-year-old children's bookstore in the Chicago suburbs. The store was bought in a rescue maneuver last year but sometimes fails to generate as much as $100 in sales in a day. Chicago's 35-year-old Prairie Avenue Architecture Bookstore is also closing if it fails to find a buyer by September 1.
• In Grand Junction, Colorado, Appleseed Health Foods is closing after a 31-year run. The official reason is the owner's retirement, although the store tried to sell itself for two years without success.
  

In a move sure to sadden music and garden merchandise fans alike, the iconic Fountains of Wayne closed this spring. Located in Wayne, New Jersey, Fountains of Wayne had been selling outdoor items since the 1960s. The store closed in March and underwent an inventory liquidation in April.

The store attained a new level of fame when a power pop band from the region adopted its name. Fountains of Wayne, the band, has had a celebrated career including the pop hit "Stacy's Mom." The store also appeared in "The Sopranos."

The economic downturn is hitting local stores especially hard. Saddest among those affected are the decades-old establishments suddenly facing bankruptcy or liquidation. Recent news affects a variety of beloved and longtime stores around the country:

• Washington, D.C.'s Apartment Zero is closing its District location after 10 years in business. The owners vow to continue online and may open another location, but in the meantime, the items in store are being liquidated.
• Out in Billings, Montana, Sutton's Sportswear is closing, two and a half years after its original owners sold the store. Sutton's, which made its own line of clothes, had been around since 1981.
• Aurora, Illinois' Montgomery Ace has started its going-out-of-business sale. The store, which had been a go-to for hardware and housewares, had been operating since the 1970s. [added 2:09 p.m.]
• And in Decatur, Illinois, 121-year-old Wyker's Toys closed for good on Tuesday. Wyker's had been family-run since 1888, when it first opened as a hardware store. The owners cite the economy and changing shopping habits as contributing to the store's demise.

The economic downturn is hitting local stores especially hard. Saddest among those affected are the decades-old establishments suddenly facing bankruptcy or liquidation. Recent news affects a pair of stores in the midwest with particularly long histories:

• In Wisconsin, Conkey's Bookstore is closing for good. The store is 113 years old and on its fifth owner. While the store is beloved in town, the loss of a college textbook contract to Barnes & Noble was a fatal blow to its profits.
  
• Out in Minnesota, Schneiderman's flagship is closing after 40 years in business. The Duluth location has outperformed the one in Meadowland, which is liquidating its inventory.

Famed stationer Mrs. John L. Strong is ceasing operations and closing its store and catalog. For 80 years Mrs. John L. Strong was a high-end purveyor of paper and cards; debutantes and celebrities from Oprah to the Dutchess of York were known to use its stationery, which could cost more than $5 per card. Economic conditions and changing social norms forced the closure of the business, which was still family-owned.

The economic downturn is hitting local stores especially hard. Saddest among those affected are the decades-old establishments suddenly facing bankruptcy or liquidation. Recent news affects a pair of stores with particularly long histories:

• Up in Troy, N.Y., residents are girding for life without a hardware store, as Trojan Hardware is closing up shop. Trojan, the last hardware store in town, has been operating since 1915 and occupied a site that has sold hardware since the Civil War.
• And in Dallas, Siegel's liquor store, which has touted a famous neon sign since the 1950s, is closing after 50 years in business. (Timely Demise notes with a smirk that the sign seems to be more lamented than the store itself.)

A-Boy Supply, a plumbing and hardware retailer in and around Portland, Washington, is closing four of its six locations in June. The company cites general profitability concerns as the driver of the closings. A-Boy has been in business since 1960 and once had as many as nine locations.

The economic downturn is hitting local stores especially hard. Saddest among those affected are the decades-old establishments suddenly facing bankruptcy or liquidation. Recent news affects several notable stores with long histories:

• In Westchester County, New York, Chappaqua's Second Story bookstore is closing after 37 years in business. Its owner, a former president of a national booksellers' association, is retiring and not selling the business. Second Story counts Bill and Hillary Clinton among its patrons.
• In the Denver suburbs, Andrisen Morton is closing its women's store after 30 years in business. Its men's outlet remains open, but the women's business has been declining since the recession picked up steam.
• And if you're trying to practice your way to Carnegie Hall, Joseph Patelson won't be able to help you anymore. The longtime sheet-music retailer is closing its doors after six decades in business.
  

The economic downturn is hitting local stores especially hard. Saddest among those affected are the decades-old establishments suddenly facing bankruptcy or liquidation. Recent news affects regional chains with long histories:

• In Charleston, Luden's is closing its doors. As its website states, "established in 1867 as a ship's chandler, J.J.W. Luden's is the oldest retail establishment in Charleston." Its owners cited an expiring lease as the main factor in the decision to close, along with economic conditions. (Timely Demise finds this odd--Luden's surely endured many other expired leases and tough years over the past 142 years.)
• Specialty retailer The End Result in State College, Pa. is closing after 38 years. Downtown State College has seen numerous retailers depart in recent months, like many town centers, although its economy is buoyed somewhat by Penn State students.

If only tenure existed for textile companies: After 120 years as a community staple in Pennsylvania's Columbia County, Bloomsburg Mills is closing its doors on May 31st, hurt by economic forces and imports. Bloomsburg Mills started as a silk weaver in 1889. It has been a high-quality manufacturer of fabrics used by a variety of industries now acquired elsewhere.

So very, very, very, very many—and all fascinating stories, these are just a few of the going-out-of-business plans of mom-and-pop stores:

De Jong's Furniture of Brantford, Ontario.
Music City Gourmet of Nashville, TN.
Objets Trouvé of New Orleans, LA.

The economic downturn is hitting local stores especially hard. Saddest among those affected are the decades-old establishments, many involved in housing and home goods, suddenly facing bankruptcy or liquidation.

Some recent changes of note:

• In Canton, Ohio, 85-year-old Art's Diamond Jewelers closed on Valentine's Day. Art's had 10 locations not long ago but the slowly declining business reached an end in the recession.
• Dearborn, Mich.: local booster Adray Appliance is closing after more than 50 years as a local presence. The owners are mulling options, including reopening in a smaller space, and refuse to call this "going out of business."
• Worcester, Mass. is saying farewell to 136-year-old M. Steinert and Sons. The piano dealer has two other locations in Massachusetts.
• And in Port Washington, N.Y., on the north shore of Long Island, the historic Knickerbocker Yacht Club has closed and put itself up for sale. Declining membership has hurt the club, which has a strong reputation in the sailing community.