Beloved retailer and Staples rival closes its doors for good after 88 years
A BELOVED office supply store and Staples rival will shut down operations and close its doors for good after 88 years in business.
The old-fashioned Oregon-based Cooke Stationery will close at the end of April after serving Salem residents for nearly a century.
The Staples competitor confirmed the news in a statement saying they kept their doors open "longer than they should have."
"It's been a gradual decline," the company's co-owner Colleen Henery said.
"We probably stayed open longer than we should have… I'm trying to look at it as a celebration and a thank you to Salem for 88 years.
"People seem happy around office supplies. Watching them get excited about the hard-to-find item they bought has been fun. I'll miss it."
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As one of the oldest businesses in Salem, Cooke Stationery provides basic office supplies like paper, pens, printer cartridges, and forms at an affordable rate.
Founder James L. Cooke opened the first location in 1935.
He relocated the business five years later to the current Salem location.
However, the small company has struggled to keep up with competitors like Amazon, Target, and Walmart, which offer the same goods.
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Cooke Stationery will close for good on Friday, April 28.
STORE CLOSINGS
States across the country have seen stores shutter their doors by the droves in a phenomenon dubbed a “retail apocalypse.”
The next retailer planning on closing stores is the fan favorite Target - despite opening 20 new locations this year.
The big box will close locations in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Philadelphia, and two in Washington, DC.
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