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After 90 Years, Linden Hills' Bayers Hardware Closing Up Shop

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A neighborhood store that families have turned to for nearly 90 years is closing up shop.

Bayers Hardware in Minneapolis' Linden Hills neighborhood will say goodbye to customers at the start of September after 89 years.

A liquidation sale begins Thursday and ends Sept. 1 when the store closes.

"We'll have some great prices," Bob Bayers said.

New competition opened up around the corner -- an Ace Hardware that is double the size.

To compete, Bayers opened up "The Pantry," a convenience-style grocery. While it was popular, Bayers says a mild winter and a tough economy finally forced him to close his doors for good.

"It's time to hang it up," he said.

Said former customer Pam Owen, "Today, when we came through, we were really surprised to see this is closing."

"I think it's cute, small, it's nice and close to my house," says former customer Ellie Kirkpatrick, who was hoping to pick up supplies for a wedding shower, only to see the store was closed until Thursday.

When Settergren's Ace Hardware moved in, Bayers got a new, bigger neighbor.

"We didn't come, at all, to put him out of business," says Mark Settergren.

The Settergren family has run a hardware store about mile away since 1895. They saw a new opportunity in Linden Hills, less than 25 feet from Bayers' store.

"We came in and made an offer to him to buy him out," Settergren said. "He didn't accept it. We opened up our hardware store and it's been really good for us."

Said Bayers, "I have seen everything come and go."

Now it's Bayer's customers watching him leave.

"I just hate to see a store close," Owen said.

Bayers name might sound familiar.

He has been organizing the 9/11 tribute concert at the Lake Harriet band shell since 2002.

That, however, will still go on.

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