NEWPORT, R.I. (WPRI) — An Army Navy Surplus store that’s been in business for more than eight decades will officially close this summer.
Owner Jay Patel said he’s personally owned the Newport store for 12 years, and said they’ve been struggling to pay their bills.
Sales have decreased 15-to-20% over the past four years, Patel said. He said that they can no longer compete with the online market.
“As everyone knows, Amazon is really getting a lot of mom and pop retailers,” he said. “There was no hope of survival.”
Since 1937, the store has been in three locations with three different owners, selling all types of military apparel.
Patel said he will miss the thousands of customers that have come from across the country to visit.
“Every single one of them saying they’ve been coming for generations,” he said. “That’s the sad part that I’ll be missing the customers and they will miss this store.”
Patel said that he will sell the rest of the merchandise over the next 30-to-60 days. BeDazzled, a local jewelry store, will take its place.
