The Suburban Hardware Store in Bryn Mawr is shuttering its doors after almost a century serving the local community, writes John Ryan Barwick for Philly.com.

66 year old Charlie Waters, the co-owner and manager, has helped countless residents of the local community bring their homes to life over the years with his diverse range of hardware.

The store also provides other helpful services such as fixing locks, cutting keys and replacing watch batteries.

“It’s been emotional,” said Waters. “People think it’s going to stay here forever, but downtown hardware stores are becoming a thing of the past.”

[uam_ad id=”51712”]

Advertisement 

Waters had hoped to sell the store to keep the legacy going but no buyers came forward. This follows the national trend for small independently owned hardware stores that are rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

According to the U.S. Census, between 2007 and 2012 the number of these traditional stores had decreased by 15,500 or 6.1 percent nationwide.

According to Waters many millennials now use the internet instead of stopping by a hardware store. That Suburban Hardware stayed open for as long as it did is a tribute to “loyal customers,” said Waters. “But customers get older.“

Read more about Suburban Hardware’s closure at Philly.com by clicking here.

[uam_ad id=”52088″]