WEST HARTFORD--A popular sports store is shutting its doors after 44 years of business.
Herb's Sport Shop in West Hartford has been in its La Salle Road location for decades, but will say goodbye to its fans by the end of October.
Andrew Sheintop, the owner of Herb's, says the store's location is just too expensive to maintain/
“The retail climate in the [West Hartford] center is very difficult," Sheintop said. "It is not an inexpensive place to do business. At one time, you could make a nice profit – but those days are long gone. The way people shop has changed.”
And it's not just West Hartford that hasn't made business easy, according to Sheintop. “Connecticut is not easy. The taxes put on the backs of businesses these days are not easy. Between federal, state taxes--it is hard to absorb that and I am trying to recoup some of that money in the price of goods.”
Sheintop also said that the changing climate of business in general has made making profits difficult.
“Things have changed in the business model. Brick and mortar stores are getting hampered. The whole marketplace is a different place now...you can buy a pair of Nikes anywhere,” he said.
An employee at the store can't believe its run has come to an end. Rob DeSantis said of the store's fans that "they're sad to see it go...A lot of them have been shopping here for, jeez, 30 years."
A second location in Bristol will remain open, but fans of the West Hartford location say they're still sad about the change.
The store is offering a 50-percent discount on all remaining merchandise from now through closing. If everything is sold, then the store will close earlier than expected.
