After 107 years of operation, a downtown Timmins anchor is closing its doors for good.
Jan. 10 was the final day of operation for Gerry Desrocher and staff at Tweed & Hickory.
The building, at 227 Third Avenue, has been open since 1934. The company itself has operated since 1907, before Timmins was officially a city.
For decades, the store was known as Bucovetsky’s. In 2006, the name was changed for more recognizable national branding.
Desrocher, the store’s manager, has many fond memories of the building.
“I’ve been in Timmins for 26 years, but I’ve worked for the company since I was 18 years old,” he said. “I worked in the Kirkland Lake store for many years. Not all stores had the same name.”
In June of 2014, the decision was made to close the Timmins storefront.
“It was a decision that was made at head office. You don’t close a store of this size overnight. This is a big building,” Desrocher said. “I was hoping it was going to last a couple more years, but it was not to be. But, hey, they have to do what’s best for the company.”
One of the major draws of shopping at the store was simple, quality clothing that were made to last.
“With all the online buying today, there are a lot of people looking for cheaper goods. They're not looking for the same quality as they used to,” Desrocher said. “Mind you, we have many devoted customers who still want quality items.”
“The economy has changed, too. A lot of people are shopping online. People that are shopping online aren’t supporting local businesses,” he added. “We believed in supporting a lot of local organizations, which we did over the years, but it came to a point where the cost of operations is pretty high on a building of this size, and it was time for the company to move on.”
There has been a noticeable trend in retail over the past decade; in particular, where consumers would prefer to pay less for garments, knowing full well that the quality is subpar and it won’t last nearly as long, he said.
“There’s a lot of people who’ve told me that they’d prefer to buy something cheaper and not have it as long, much like when they buy their furniture,” Desrocher said. “They’re told that their couch is only going to last five years, and they say ‘I only want it for five years. Then I’ll be tired of it and want something new.’”
The building is currently up for sale. Desrocher says there has been some interest but he realizes that due to its size, it may be a tough sell.
Before closing, residents had an opportunity to snap up some incredible deals on merchandise.
“Everything is 75 to 90 per cent off,” Desrocher said. “It’s been a madhouse in here.”
This story originally appeared in TimminsToday.com.
