After 56 years, one of downtown Huntsville’s most beloved businesses, One Stop General Store, has decided to close its doors.
Since opening in 1968, the business has changed hands a number of times but has always remained a general store, providing visitors with cottage-related odds and ends such as ice and fireworks, but also necessities, like snacks and cold drinks.
But earlier this year, owners Cory and Andrea Clarke were approached by an investor interested in purchasing the building. After consulting with their staff, the couple made the decision to say goodbye to their business of 16 years.
“It’s bittersweet,” says Clarke. “Customers come in and say they feel like they’re losing a part of the downtown, but these last couple of years have been tough, and a lot of our staff are wanting to slow down and retire as well, so we thought it was the right time.”
Clarke likened running the store to the TV show Cheers. “I loved getting up everyday and going to work where we knew everybody’s name,” he says. But like many brick and mortar businesses, the shift to online shopping has had a significant negative impact on the general store.
This, along with what Clarke sees as over-regulation from the government on things such as tobacco and cigarettes driving customers to purchase elsewhere, and much of his long-term staff being ready to retire, is what Clarke says was the “nail in the coffin.”
Since announcing the closure via a letter posted to the store’s Facebook page, Cory and Andrea have been focused on getting rid of inventory, which has meant a storewide 50 per cent off sale. The shop will be open until supplies last, which they predict will be around early June. The couple does not know what the investor plans to do with the building.
As for Cory, he’s looking forward to what’s next. “I haven’t had more than a day off in 16 years,” he says. “I’m looking forward to a slower pace of life, and I know our staff is too.”
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