9:21 p.m.: Graham's Furniture closing

By Barrett Newkirk

March 26, 2008 09:58 pm

— CHESTERFIELD — Graham’s Furniture, a town fixture for more than five decades, is closing piece by piece.
Owner Phil Graham said he decided to close the store after the death of his father, Charles Graham, in January. The dad and son had managed the shop on Main Street together for 33 years.
“Furniture was all I knew,” Phil Graham, 54, said, “I just felt like I wanted to try something new.”
Signs for the store’s closing sale went up March 19, and Graham said the sale will continue until every recliner and sofa are gone.
“I’ll be here until everything sells,” he said. “After that, I’ll be preparing for a new career. I don’t know in what yet.”
He added that he has no plans to open another small business or extend the going-out-of-business sale by sneaking in new furniture shipments.
When Graham was 14, he began helping his father as a delivery boy. Over the years, he said there have been some changes, like profits, and some constants, like loyal customers.
“The economy is such that we can’t compete with the big box stores,” he said. “Of course, styles change. But everything comes back again in about 25 years.”
Foot traffic into the store during the past week has been brisk, Graham said, but the store’s sales have declined in recent years.
Clara Hicks of Chesterfield purchased three dinette sets.
It’s closing saddened her, she said.
“I always knew if I wanted something, I could go up there and it would be good quality.”

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