After 224 Years In Business, America's Oldest Store Is Saying Goodbye

oh boohoo the oldest lesson in the world is simply this - adapt or die

If the owner wanted it bad enough he would have found a way.

Originally posted by jude11
Inherited the store only one Month ago and now selling it?

Perhaps sonny boy is broke and needs some cash instead of a life running a general store?

Over 200 years and after ONE Month of ownership it's not viable and he sells? hmmmm.

Even with a bigger business down the road it's still possible to survive. Take out the soda fountain, put in a gelato machine, stop the johnny cakes and bring in specialty cupcakes...be original because that big box store can't do everything and many people still want the personal touch.

Nope, I believe the property value was the motivator here. Nice paycheck to end a legacy.

One Month? He didn't even try.

Peace

edit on 30-7-2012 by jude11 because: (no reason given)

I agree. The son is a loser. He just wants the $.

Actually there's a pub in Ireland, which according to archaeologists and historians and the Guinness Book of World Records is the oldest pub in Europe, at least. It has been a pub since c900 AD. So, it's over 1100 years old.

Take that, 200 year old grocery store.

reply to post by iiXiK


His dad could have been running on fumes for years. Paid his house off back in the good days ect. His son gets in it and finds that the store isnt even producing 300$ a week over cost. That may have been fine for dads day.....a sort of retirement for dad.

Originally posted by circuitsports
oh boohoo the oldest lesson in the world is simply this - adapt or die

If the owner wanted it bad enough he would have found a way.

Maybe Jr was making twice what the store pays in a week at his job. Its just bizz. Maybe he works at Walmart.

And remember how hard it is these days. Once the big boys started buing all the made in China stuff.....heck the small shops cant even get that stuff at the same low price as Walmart.

From a strick bizz perspective....adapt means going to work for Walmart. These small shops are not a good bizz move over all these days. Have you checked out the prices in these places? You could spend 50$ more a week shoping there over some big joint.

Mom and pops for the most part just can keep up unless.....unless mom wears that halter top with those short shorts and dances on the counter.

reply to post by Logarock

Originally posted by Logarock

Originally posted by circuitsports
oh boohoo the oldest lesson in the world is simply this - adapt or die

If the owner wanted it bad enough he would have found a way.

Maybe Jr was making twice what the store pays in a week at his job. Its just bizz. Maybe he works at Walmart.

And remember how hard it is these days. Once the big boys started buing all the made in China stuff.....heck the small shops cant even get that stuff at the same low price as Walmart.

Jr. is a 21 yo college student. I don't know if he works at Walmart.

Dad's store was an old house with a storefront that he used to sell antiques (old crap no one wants)

He was not trying to compete with anyone except other antique stores.

This should not even be a story. It stopped being a general store years ago.

Originally posted by jude11
Inherited the store only one Month ago and now selling it?

Perhaps sonny boy is broke and needs some cash instead of a life running a general store?

Over 200 years and after ONE Month of ownership it's not viable and he sells? hmmmm.

Even with a bigger business down the road it's still possible to survive. Take out the soda fountain, put in a gelato machine, stop the johnny cakes and bring in specialty cupcakes...be original because that big box store can't do everything and many people still want the personal touch.

Nope, I believe the property value was the motivator here. Nice paycheck to end a legacy.

One Month? He didn't even try.

Peace

edit on 30-7-2012 by jude11 because: (no reason given)

How do you know all this? Pretty quick to demonize the son without knowing the whole story, it seems.

Maybe the store had been losing money for many years and the elderly owner would NOT admit to the store's impending demise. A business that does not produce profit is a debt magnet. Maybe the son inherited not just the father's dream but a business, DOA, with a hefty side of DEBT.

I have a small business. I know how hard it is to compete out there. If things go south, though, it is important to keep a clear head and know when to pull the plug. A dream is all nice and dandy, but you shouldnt hang yourself with it.

Once again, we cant just jump the gun on assumptions.

Originally posted by circuitsports
oh boohoo the oldest lesson in the world is simply this - adapt or die

I'm afraid if I have a terminal decease, I can't use your advice (or rather the first part of it). Same applies to archaic and outdated business models e.g. mom-and-pop stores.

reply to post by Zarniwoop


Yea but some attitudes poped up out of the preception folks ran off with.

I live a few miles from this store. Don't blame the son or his deceased father for their decision. Blame the corrupt politicians in the state of RI who couldn't care less about a small business like this. Red Tape BS prevented this type of business from having any hope of survival and it's only getting worse. It's not a coincidence that we have the 2nd highest unemployment rate in the country. Nothing but a bunch of stooges running the show, from the governor all the way down. See the recent 38studios failure as one of many examples......Two or three Schilling/Red Sox fans tossing plenty more than $75million of taxpayer's money at a guaranteed to fail business plan.
When the son finally sells the land he'll be lucky to have enough to pay for his education. 224 years in business, over 100 years in the same family and what's to show for it in the end? Most likely absolutely nothing. Thanks Rhode Island! Thanks America! Now get back to the TV...I think American Idol is on.

Originally posted by Gatorman3
I live a few miles from this store. Don't blame the son or his deceased father for their decision. Blame the corrupt politicians in the state of RI who couldn't care less about a small business like this. Red Tape BS prevented this type of business from having any hope of survival and it's only getting worse.

Care to provide detail?

Originally posted by Gatorman3
I live a few miles from this store. Don't blame the son or his deceased father for their decision. Blame the corrupt politicians in the state of RI who couldn't care less about a small business like this. Red Tape BS prevented this type of business from having any hope of survival and it's only getting worse. It's not a coincidence that we have the 2nd highest unemployment rate in the country. Nothing but a bunch of stooges running the show, from the governor all the way down. See the recent 38studios failure as one of many examples......Two or three Schilling/Red Sox fans tossing plenty more than $75million of taxpayer's money at a guaranteed to fail business plan.
When the son finally sells the land he'll be lucky to have enough to pay for his education. 224 years in business, over 100 years in the same family and what's to show for it in the end? Most likely absolutely nothing. Thanks Rhode Island! Thanks America! Now get back to the TV...I think American Idol is on.

edit on 7/31/2012 by Gatorman3 because: (no reason given)

And yet no mention of how a single payer healthcare system would've stopped him from even considering the sale in the first place, as he wouldn't have had runaway medical bills.