In 1982, independent retailers captured nearly half of all retail spending. Historically, that independent retail’s share of total US spending has declined as larger chains and franchises have grown.
The closings have hit hard those “Mom & Pop” stores, known for offering unique products, personalized service and a focus on the local community, unlike large corporations run by central management and often only profit-driven.
It’s those independent shops that give a place its charm and character. They have a soul, a story to tell.
By the 2000s, their share fell to about 31 percent and then to 28 percent as larger chains grew faster, according to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, based on U.S. Economic Census data.
These days, even larger chains are struggling, as nearly 20 retail brands have closed stores across the country, totaling more than 4,100 locations by 2025. Last year, UBS analysts estimated that the number of U.S. store closings could rise to 45,000 by 2029, according to small companies.
It is an amazing achievement that some of the independent companies have managed to survive for decades, or even a century. During that time, an independent retailer had to face a number of challenges, including the Great Depression, World War II, several recessions and periods of high inflation, changes in consumer trends, and pandemics, among others.
An independent retailer that has managed to survive all this is undoubtedly one that has offered high quality service and products – key traits that have kept customers coming back.
Now, one such independent home improvement and gardening retailer with over a century of service to the local community is being forced to close its doors for good as national players like Home Depot and Lowe’s continue to dominate the industry.
Downtown Home and Garden has been a staple for more than 100 years.Mulevich/Shutterstock.com” loading=”eager” height=”540″ width=”960″ class=”yf-lglytj loader”/>
Downtown Home and Garden has been a staple for more than 100 years.Mulevici/Shutterstock.com
Ann Arbor’s Downtown Home and Garden welcomed and served customers for the last time on Christmas Eve. Then, it closed its doors for good, saddening generations of customers, WXYZ Detroit reported.
The home improvement and gardening retailer located on Ashley Street near Liberty Street opened in 1906 and has been a staple in the community for decades.
Over time, it has “evolved from a stable and feed mill into an urban emporium for garden plants for your home (and seasonal plants for your garden and home), classic housewares, durable outdoor apparel, quality dog gear and unique kitchenware,” reads the description on the Downtown Home & Garden About page.
The store’s history dates back to the 1890s, when the building was built for Mann and Zeeb Elevator, a supplier of field seed to farmers and poultry grain. In 1906, the Hertler family bought it and renamed it Hertler Bros. In 1975, Mark Hodesh, who opened a restaurant nearby, bought the property and the store. In 1997, Hodesh, who had since sold the business and then bought it back, renamed it Downtown Home and Garden.
About 10 years ago, Hodesh sold the business to Kelly Vore, one of his employees, but retained ownership.
“In one form or another, it’s always been a general store that has served the needs of the community at large,” Vore said.
Downtown Home & Garden was popular for its wide offering of a variety of brands in different categories such as outdoor apparel, kitchen and home brands, outdoor cooking, pet and dog equipment brands, outdoor accessories and more.
LL Bean
Muck Boots
Damn cool
Fox River Socks
The Kromer storm
The creche
Twin JA Henckels
Look alive
Big Green Egg
Kingsley Beats
Charming
Local Lowe’s rival Home Depot announced the August 2025 closing on its Instagram page, saying, “To echo the message of another beloved Ann Arbor small business that closed in May, ‘the financial burdens became insurmountable.’
The owner, Kelly Vore, explained in a post that the pandemic had a huge impact and that the business faced “pre-pandemic volume with post-pandemic expenses. That makes a strict formula even stricter.”
Rising rent prices and changing consumer spending were among the major factors driving the store closures.
“When I opted for a 2025-2029 lease renewal, I was given one year (2025) with conditions: Circumstances had to improve to absorb a rent increase of 26% in 2025 and +12% in 2026. So even with the progress we’ve made, reducing expenses and reducing rental rates is not, therefore, pushing Arbor to reduce market rates, so Arbor does not align with sustainable rate reductions.”
Vore told WXYZ Detroit that “it’s not that this type of business can’t be successful in other places, but right here, right now, that’s the natural course.”
The owner added that community support in the months leading up to the closure proved better than she expected.
“All of our knowledge of people’s affinity for this place and what we do is about a million times greater than we imagined,” Vore said.
Instead of focusing on the sadness surrounding the closing, Vore chose to express his gratitude for a successful century-long operation by saying goodbye to longtime customers and loyal staff.
“It’s really hard for everybody. And especially as free and cavernous as we are right now, a lot of times people come in and it’s like the tears are flowing,” Vore told MLive.
Longtime customer Ron Pisoni came to say goodbye, saying he was sad it was closing.
“It was always such a welcoming place,” Pisoni told the press. “This is a truly unique place,” he said, adding that the store and the people who made it special will be missed.
Downtown Home & Garden employees also shared their gratitude for the historic building and the value it has brought to the community.
“The physical building itself is amazing. It has served so many people for so long. It brings so much to the city and it will be sorely missed,” said Daryl Strong, a staff member.
Vore said that in the past two weeks he has had unforgettable meetings with long-term buyers.
“The customers have been phenomenal. The response to our coming out has been the full range you’d expect. We’re going to miss everyone a lot,” Vore told MLive.
Property owner Hodesh said the location will most likely become home to a new bar or restaurant.
The announced closing spread quickly on social media, where longtime customers and locals expressed their frustration at the news. In a Reddit thread, a number of commenters expressed their feelings that the closing is a loss to the community and frustration at how the current economic conditions make it impossible for local stores to survive.
“Oh no! DHAG is my favorite place to shop downtown, I go there all the time… Everyone there is so nice and helpful. This is a real loss to the community,” said user We_Four.
User groggu was one of many unhappy at the idea of seeing another bar or restaurant instead of the home and garden store. “Pretty much the last of the old downtown businesses. I used to buy plants, containers, clothes and pets there all the time. Now there’s going to be another failing bar there next spring, sad.”
A number of users just wrote ‘Ugh’, ‘Devastating’ or ‘Horrible’, while others focused on trying to figure out who was to blame for this.
Utilizatorul holyd1ver83 a scris „Heartbreaker. Pierdere proastă pentru oraș. Acea creștere a chiriei ar trebui să fie al naibii de ilegală.”
More closures:
E-commerce has dealt a significant blow to many industries, including home and garden retail.
According to Deborah Weinswig, CEO of Coresight Research, “Inflation and a growing preference among consumers to shop online to find the cheapest deals will impact brick-and-mortar retailers in 2024.”
“Last year saw the highest number of closures since the pandemic. Retailers who were unable to adapt their supply chains and implement technology to reduce costs were significantly affected, and we continue to see a trend of consumers taking the path of least resistance,” Weinswig said in a statement.
This trend affects both small independent stores and larger chains. Business Insider reports that retailers including Party City, Big Lots, Walgreens and Macy’s have announced large closing programs this year, illustrating that economic pressures and changing consumer habits are reshaping the retail landscape.
Small independent stores often can’t match online prices or offer the seamless omnichannel experiences offered by larger retailers, making their fight for survival even more difficult. As consumers increasingly turn to online shopping for convenience and lower prices, independent retailers face increasing pressure that directly affects their ability to serve their local communities.
Beyond economics, smaller independent stores play a critical role in the consumer experience. Not only do they maintain closer relationships with their customers than corporate chains, but they also offer distinctive, unique products. With these businesses closing, consumers lose access to original items and personalized service that cannot easily be replaced by larger retailers or online shopping.
The disappearance of independent shops like Downtown Home & Garden marks a noticeable loss of variety, heritage and character for the local community.
Related: 73-year-old furniture chain closes stores for good, customers upset
This story was originally published by TheStreet on December 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the Retail section. Add TheStreet as a favorite source by clicking here.
