A popular store in Massachusetts that has been a stronghold in the community for over one hundred years just announced they will be closing.
Since 1914, customers have been buying office supplies, greeting cards, and college merchandise from the A.J. Hastings store on Pleasant Street in Amherst.
Unfortunately, after 108 years in business, the beloved store will be closing. The last day of operation will be on July 17, 2022. An announcement on the store's website revealed that they are also shutting down online sales in addition to their brink and mortar location.
While the owners did not give a specific reason for the closure on their website, local sources have said that the owners are looking forward to traveling and focusing on other hobbies, which are things that have had to take a back seat while they were running the business.
The shop has always been a family-run operation, and the owners felt it would be too difficult to train others to run the business. So, they decided to close up shop so they could move on to the next chapter of their lives and start enjoying their retirement.
Of course, other challenges over the years have made keeping the A.J.Hastings store open difficult. Large competitors, distributors who required large purchase orders, and the advent of online shopping were all hurdles the small business had to overcome.
It seemed there was no challenge too big that the shop couldn't overcome. They even managed to keep the business open during the pandemic through online sales.
The closing of A.J. Hastings is bittersweet for many locals who came to the store to pick up daily newspapers and other office supplies.
While we are sorry to see this historic business close its doors, we wish the owners all the best as they move into retirement. And who knows, maybe someone will rent the space and keep the tradition of A.J. Hastings going.
Comments / 17