Showing corporate loyalty right to the bitter end, the manager of the Stratford Home Hardware closed the door on a Guardian journalist Wednesday as the reporter spoke with the last remaining employee of the store.
"No, just direct (questions) to Home Hardware head office," said manager George Birt, yanking on the chain that held open a bay door at the auto service centre.
The reporter had seen the employee pacing the floor of the auto service bays talking on his cell phone.
"There was no indication that we were going to be closing," he said after opening a bay door a bit to chat. "It's a shock."
It was then that Birt came striding out from the back of the service centre to shut down the conversation.
A public relations firm acting for head office issued a statement late Wednesday saying the Stratford Home Hardware store is closing permanently.
Employees were told at 3 p.m. and the doors were then closed to the public.
"Home Hardware is committed to being 100 per cent dealer owned and operated," said the statement. "The Stratford Home Hardware Building Centre had been corporately run as we searched to find a suitable owner for this location.
"We have subsequently chosen to wind down the operation over the coming weeks. With 11 nearby stores in P.E.I., Home is happy to continue serving customers in the area."
"I'm not particularly surprised," said a resident, who pulled up to the store only to find it closed.
She didn't want to be identified.
"There is more staff in the store than there is patrons most of the time," said the former customer. "I'm sad for all the employees, particularly this time of the year."
"You don't see a lot of vehicles there, maybe as much as there should be for the size of the building," agreed Brian MacLeod of Vernon River.
He was shopping next door at the Sobeys. It was just last month that the province completed work on the Kinlock Road to align the entrances to the Home Hardware and the Sobeys parking lots.
If appearance is everything, Kevin Garvey of Stratford has a theory about the closure. He and his son Jonah were also at the Sobeys next door.
The Stratford Home Hardware used to have a small Tim Hortons shop right inside the main store, said Garvey.
"It seemed like it was a hangout and it was more of a community hub when the coffee shop was there," he said. "There was the appearance of a lot of traffic in the store.
"When the coffee shop left, it didn't seem like it was as busy."
Stratford town councillor, Keith MacLean, was also heading into Sobeys. He stopped to say that even town council was shocked at the news.
"As a town we are trying to get more commercial business here so when we lose one that size, it is disappointing."
MacLean said work will begin by the town to seek a tenant for the store.
Showing corporate loyalty right to the bitter end, the manager of the Stratford Home Hardware closed the door on a Guardian journalist Wednesday as the reporter spoke with the last remaining employee of the store.
"No, just direct (questions) to Home Hardware head office," said manager George Birt, yanking on the chain that held open a bay door at the auto service centre.
The reporter had seen the employee pacing the floor of the auto service bays talking on his cell phone.
"There was no indication that we were going to be closing," he said after opening a bay door a bit to chat. "It's a shock."
It was then that Birt came striding out from the back of the service centre to shut down the conversation.
A public relations firm acting for head office issued a statement late Wednesday saying the Stratford Home Hardware store is closing permanently.
Employees were told at 3 p.m. and the doors were then closed to the public.
"Home Hardware is committed to being 100 per cent dealer owned and operated," said the statement. "The Stratford Home Hardware Building Centre had been corporately run as we searched to find a suitable owner for this location.
"We have subsequently chosen to wind down the operation over the coming weeks. With 11 nearby stores in P.E.I., Home is happy to continue serving customers in the area."
"I'm not particularly surprised," said a resident, who pulled up to the store only to find it closed.
She didn't want to be identified.
"There is more staff in the store than there is patrons most of the time," said the former customer. "I'm sad for all the employees, particularly this time of the year."
"You don't see a lot of vehicles there, maybe as much as there should be for the size of the building," agreed Brian MacLeod of Vernon River.
He was shopping next door at the Sobeys. It was just last month that the province completed work on the Kinlock Road to align the entrances to the Home Hardware and the Sobeys parking lots.
If appearance is everything, Kevin Garvey of Stratford has a theory about the closure. He and his son Jonah were also at the Sobeys next door.
The Stratford Home Hardware used to have a small Tim Hortons shop right inside the main store, said Garvey.
"It seemed like it was a hangout and it was more of a community hub when the coffee shop was there," he said. "There was the appearance of a lot of traffic in the store.
"When the coffee shop left, it didn't seem like it was as busy."
Stratford town councillor, Keith MacLean, was also heading into Sobeys. He stopped to say that even town council was shocked at the news.
"As a town we are trying to get more commercial business here so when we lose one that size, it is disappointing."
MacLean said work will begin by the town to seek a tenant for the store.
