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Jamesville, N.Y. - After 46-plus years of operating his small business in Jamesville, Robert Powell is retiring. At 76, Powell said he decided it was time to close Jamesville Hardware, a fixture in the community at the hamlet’s busy four corners. Powell sold the building to someone who he believes is setting up a photography business. He is winding down operations and selling the last of his inventory in a liquidation sale. He will be open until he cleans out his stock. Then he’ll close up shop. “I’m going to do what you are supposed to do when you retire - nothing,” Powell said. “That’s not what my wife has planned however. She has stuff for me to do around the house.” Along with operating a retail hardware store, Powell also performed repairs of small appliances and engines, snowblowers, lawnmowers, chainsaws and more. Powell started out as a heating and air conditioning contractor in the late ‘70s when he saw the shop at 6515 E. Seneca Turnpike was for sale. He then decided to try retail sales. He actually lived above the hardware store for about 20 years before he got married. He figured retail would be relatively smooth. “I got the product, you give me the money and then you’re on your way,” he said. He did well until he started getting competition from the big-box stores. That hurt sales, he said. “I weathered the storm, but changed my focus to using my skills to do repairs,” Powell said. “That shifted to almost 90 percent of my sales.” Powell said he has many regular customers and will miss them. But things are different today. “I used to have a lot of farmers as customers, and I don’t have them anymore,” he said. “Allied Chemical also was one of my biggest customers until they went out of business.”' Powell said most of his regular customers have moved away or passed on. “Customers used to become your friends,” he said. “It’s very different today.” Read more retail news Central NY won this military family’s hearts. Now they are opening a bookstore to give back Original Grain closes in Downtown Syracuse, but owner plans ‘new concept’ in new location A Syracuse group is out as ShoppingTown developer, putting project in doubt Another Crumbl Cookie location set to open in Onondaga County Salt City Market’s Jamaican stand will expand with full-service restaurant in downtown Syracuse "
