A POPULAR retailer has announced it will close for good this month as fans blame online shopping.
Customers have just a few days to take advantage of settlement agreements before the 15-year site closes.
The closure of the store, Hobbytown USA, will affect residents of Tallahassee, Florida, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
With the official end date of operation set for May 5th, shoppers should act quickly to get discounts of up to 50% on select merchandise.
Some fans of the toy store chain are devastated by the news, blaming the rise in e-commerce as a supposed reason behind Tallahassee’s closure.
“Another causality of online shopping”, they stated in a post on Facebook.
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Another added that he was “very sad” about the shutdown.
Someone commented that they “didn’t even know any of them were left anymore.”
Hobbytown is a retail franchise with nearly 100 locations nationwide.
The shuttered store at 1812 Thomasville Road was purchased by owners and U.S. Navy veterans Vanessa and Michael Brodhead in 2014.
When the coronavirus pandemic severely impacted in-person shopping in 2020, the couple attempted to sell Hobbytown but received no satisfactory offers.
Sales also began to improve over a period of time as the store’s indoor games, including puzzles and other activities, became increasingly popular during lockdowns.
Years later, the Broadhead family said they are still trying to get rid of Hobbytown and make a change.
MOVING
“We’ve been doing this for 15 years…” Vanessa told the Tallahassee Democrat.
“Retail is not the same as it was years ago.”
The closing Hobbytown doesn’t just offer sales on all of its merchandise, including toy planes, boats, drones and helicopters.
Store fixtures, including furniture and displays, will also be available for purchase.
There will be no more Hobbytown stores in the city after May 5th.
Three others remain in the Sunshine State.
They are all located in and around Clearwater and Tampa.
For more related content, check out The US Sun’s coverage of a beloved supermarket’s closure after 28 years.
The US Sun also broke the story of a sporting goods store that confirmed plans to liquidate after more than 45 years in business.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story