COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO -- Monday afternoon Shewmaker's Camera store was busy with what's become a rare sight -- customers.
As employees rang up customers' merchandise the store filled with familiar, but lately forgotten sounds of receipts printing, cash register doors slamming and phones ringing.
Unfortunately, the store's owner Lanonah Krumanocker explained the crowds are only a result of their going out of business sales. "Previous to this we would maybe go for an hour and a half or two hours without customers in or the phone ringing," said Krumanocker.
Like many other retailers a weak holiday season was the last straw. Shewmaker's announced its closing after 72 years in the city. "We tried offering packages, great discounts, free things, coupons. Some of it worked, but a lot of it didn't," said Krumanocker.
In the past 72 years the store has been able to weather the various ups and downs of the economy and come out alright, but this time in this kind of industry it's different. "It just seems like… the service and expertise and knowledge is really not what customers are looking for. They're just looking for the bottom dollar price," offered Krumanocker.
Nationally, economists predict 2009 will see a record number of stores going out of business. Locally, Shewmaker's is the latest store added to the list which includes, among others: Circuit City, Western Warehouse, Macy's, Jake's At The Peak Life Is Good Shop.
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