'It’s just time': Corydon Hardware to close its doors after 75 years

One of Winnipeg’s last locally-owned hardware stores is packing it in after three quarters of a century.

One of Winnipeg’s last locally-owned hardware stores is packing it in after 75 years.

Corydon Hardware has been a neighbourhood staple since it opened in 1949 and long-time customers said the loss will leave a hole in the community.

“It’s frustration. I’m going to be upset for a little while,” said Dean McLeod, who’s been shopping at the store for 32 years.

Store owner Robert Benson started working at Corydon Hardware when he was 15 years old. Back then, it was owned by his father. Now, as Benson nears his 60th birthday, he said he’s been thinking about retiring for some time.

“I’m done. I’ve had enough,” Benson said, adding that financial pressure “doesn’t make it that hard of a decision.”

That financial pressure includes a drop in sales and the number of customers coming in because of big box stores and online shopping. According to retail experts, it’s something many small businesses struggle with.

"They're dealing with debt that they've accumulated to keep their doors open during the pandemic, they're dealing with higher costs, both labour and supplies,” said Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce president & CEO Loren Remillard. “It's just really a perfect storm of challenges.”