A longtime furniture store and rival to PC Richard has announced its closure after 78 years in business.
The owners of Herman Brothers, a home appliance store, have shared the news of the store’s closure due to age and a lack of family members to run the business.
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A popular store and rival to PC Richard has announced its impending closurePhoto credit: Google/Mike Powers
The impending closure was announced with a sign on the front door of the store that read: “Well we just got old!”
Gene Herman’s father and uncles started the business after serving in World War II, according to the Finger Lakes Times.
Herman Brothers, which sold washing machines, dryers, ranges, refrigerators and more, opened in Lyons, New York near Rochester in the early 1950s.
Herman, 70, decided to join the family business in the mid-1970s.
At the age of 30 he became head of business and at 35 president of the company.
What originally started as a repair shop has grown into an appliance store over time, Herman told the outlet.
“We didn’t give customers 1-800 numbers,” he said of the store’s early days.
“We took care of it.”
The store has done well during the pandemic because of its large inventory, Herman told the Finger Lakes Times.
“We had a lot of stuff, and luckily we had that,” he said.
Although the store has been announced to be closing, there is no official date.
“I have a huge amount of product in stock, so I have to liquidate everything, and I can’t tell you when that will happen,” Herman said.
He also said business has been stable since the announcement and subsequent liquidation sale.
“You’re sad,” Herman said of his clients.
“I would guess that everyone in the village has bought from me before. In fact, we’ve had people arguing with us, “You can’t close.”
“They have relied on me and my family to take care of their needs (furniture and appliances) for many, many years.”
Herman Brothers will be the second such store to close in the area in recent years, following Barbara Jean’s Furniture, which went out of business in 2019.
www.the-sun.com
https://www.the-sun.com/money/7992382/beloved-furniture-appliance-store-pc-richard-rival-closing/
