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Pocono News Section
Furniture Store to Shut Down
Furniture Store to Shut Down - Monday, December 1, 2008 at 3:48PM EST
MARSHALLS CREEK - Bill O'Neal put nine years of labor and love into Durham trading. "Because I enjoy it," he explained. He designed the building, then scoured the globe searching for unique and special items to fill it with.
He said, "I bring things in by the container load from China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand. Mexico."
Now he says the economy is forcing him to shut his doors. "It's affecting almost everyone," he said. He first noticed the problem about two years ago. O'Neal said, "It was interesting watching people come in here and walk around spend hours looking at things and not buying anything."
Shoppers like Lota Salgado started to buy only what they need, not what they want. She said, "I just want to get pieces - and before everything had to match." And while Salgado loved the look of some of the high end items, she couldn't bring herself to pay the high end price. "I'm really feeling guilty buying retail," she explained.
Even on sale, Salgado wasn't sure she'd spend the money. "Maybe I'll come back in another week or so until they really lower down," she said.
O'Neal will keep the store open until he sells everything. He has a warehouse full of special gifts from around the world waiting for new homes. He said, "I'm not happy about closing it but perhaps one day things will turn around."
He hopes he won't have to lay off any workers. He will try to find them new jobs in his home sales and construction business. | |
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