The announcement started circulating over the weekend, as the family that owns the John Leidy Shop told customers that it would be closing in February.
The store - located on East Liberty and a 58-year fixture in Ann Arbor - faced a number of challenges in recent years, including changes in how independent home goods retailers access inventory and competition from its vendors, which often sell directly to consumers.
The closing also represents a pending retail vacancy for downtown Ann Arbor near the South State corridor - which is changing quickly these days, thanks to the pending opening of the University of Michigan's North Quad dorm and recent city approval for construction of a CVS drug store behind a historic facade.
The Leidy family - Liz Arsenault, Peter and Ann - didn't want to speak about the closing yet.
But they did send a statement to AnnArbor.com:
"It has been a truly wonderful and fulfilling fifty eight years. The shop, customers, and employees have been a gift to our family. "We understand that many people will wonder “why?” Some factors that led to this difficult decision are changes in how people shop, requirements by suppliers, competition from suppliers that sell directly to the public, and increased freight costs. "We are sad to be closing, and we are grateful for the friendship of our loyal customers and the Ann Arbor community."
Related Content
-
Hot weather draws crowds, but Memorial Day weekend may bring cooler temps
An early blast of summer-like temperatures and sunny skies this weekend has kept cash registers ringing for many Ann Arbor businesses ahead of the long Memorial Day weekend. While temperatures are likely to cool off ...
- Top 5: Forbes’ predictions on where you won’t be shopping in 2010
- February closing of the John Leidy Shop will mark end to an Ann Arbor tradition
Get the Ann Arbor RSS Feed
AnnArbor.com