After close to 50 years in the business a local hardware store will soon be closing its doors for the last time.
Armadale Hardware and Building Supplies owners Darren and Roy Green made the announcement earlier this year displaying a large ‘closing down sale’ sign out the front of their Commerce Avenue business.
Darren Green said his grandfather, Norm Ladner, bought the hardware store from Green and Saws Building in 1970 and employed his son-in-law Roy to help with the day-to-day running of the business.
“Bev Green, Roy’s wife, has been doing the accounts work from the 1970s and still continues today,” he said.
“When Norm passed in July 1972 Roy carried on the business for the family and Norm’s wife Jean.”
Darren joined the family business after he finished school in 1989 and the company has since employed more than 30 staff, including Kevin Davey who will retire when the store closes after 42 years of service.
Darren said he first started seeing the foot traffic through the doors decline when Commerce Avenue was upgraded about 15 years ago.
“The four shops next to ours facing the train station went from over 20 possible parking bays to stop and shop to seven bays and that is if someone doesn’t park there all day and catch the train to work,” he said.
“If you can’t get a customer to park you are never going to get their business… They will just keep on driving.
“I feel for the older community who live at Dale Cottages who have always been able to walk to get the things they need and they are now concerned as to where or how they will get the answers they need to solve or aid them in their hardware needs.”
“Also, a lot of country people who have always relied on our stock levels of products that the modern stores won’t carry.”
The store will close at the end of June this year.
