ALBERTON – Throughout the day on Tuesday, customers were trying the locked doors at Pridham’s V&S Department Store, then stopping to read the notice on the door.
There, on a folded piece of paper they learned the store on Alberton’s Main Street has closed "due to adverse economic conditions."
“Basically, sales have been declining and I decided it was time to close,” owner Verna Pridham said in a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon.
The store had maintained regular hours right up until closing time on Saturday.
“I’ve been debating for a while and I just made a decision last week,” said Pridham who notified her staff of the decision Tuesday morning.
She said she will take a few days to decide what to do with her stock. The store carried clothing, giftware, houseware and general merchandise.
Pridham started out working for Stedman’s of Alberton 30 years ago and subsequently shifted to Pridham’s V&S, and opened the current store in January, 1994.
She said she almost had a sale for the business a couple of times in recent years but both times the deal fell through.
“We all enjoyed our work there, and all our customers that we got to be friends with,” said Pridham, extending thanks for their support.
The closure shocked both customers and members of the local business community.
Freda Wilson, from Inverness, said she regularly shopped there for yarn and other goods and said she will miss the store.
Della Rix, owner of Alberton Pharmacy across the street, said it is a loss for the town.
“It’s a shock.”
“Less businesses means less traffic, which affects us all,” she said, adding, “It’s very difficult being a small business in a small town.”
“I know it’s the truth,” Pridham said of that small business reality, “and we always kind of felt we should be there.”
ALBERTON – Throughout the day on Tuesday, customers were trying the locked doors at Pridham’s V&S Department Store, then stopping to read the notice on the door.
There, on a folded piece of paper they learned the store on Alberton’s Main Street has closed "due to adverse economic conditions."
“Basically, sales have been declining and I decided it was time to close,” owner Verna Pridham said in a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon.
The store had maintained regular hours right up until closing time on Saturday.
“I’ve been debating for a while and I just made a decision last week,” said Pridham who notified her staff of the decision Tuesday morning.
She said she will take a few days to decide what to do with her stock. The store carried clothing, giftware, houseware and general merchandise.
Pridham started out working for Stedman’s of Alberton 30 years ago and subsequently shifted to Pridham’s V&S, and opened the current store in January, 1994.
She said she almost had a sale for the business a couple of times in recent years but both times the deal fell through.
“We all enjoyed our work there, and all our customers that we got to be friends with,” said Pridham, extending thanks for their support.
The closure shocked both customers and members of the local business community.
Freda Wilson, from Inverness, said she regularly shopped there for yarn and other goods and said she will miss the store.
Della Rix, owner of Alberton Pharmacy across the street, said it is a loss for the town.
“It’s a shock.”
“Less businesses means less traffic, which affects us all,” she said, adding, “It’s very difficult being a small business in a small town.”
“I know it’s the truth,” Pridham said of that small business reality, “and we always kind of felt we should be there.”
