Old Firms that are Tremendous

[Guy Profumo]

Henderson's
Bassett's
Taylor's (Betty's)
Fox's

[E10 Rifle]

Celtic 6-2 Rangers in August 2000

[elguapo4]

JP Mullen is an sports shop on Mary street in Dublin,specialising in boxing, martial arts,darts and snooker, the type of place that you'd walk by without a second glance. However it is one of only four businesses, apart from pubs and hotels, that are still trading in the same position since 1900.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Pearson's in Sutton, the oldest bike shop in the world (or so they say) with a slightly more modern frontage:

[Hot Pepsi]

In our downtown, there aren't many old businesses left. Of course there are no hardware stores, furniture stores, electronic stores, first-run movie theaters, or department stores downtown any more. Everything like that has moved out to the periphery or put out of business by big boxes and Amazon. Even The College Diner, which seemed eternal, failed due to poor management and is going to be replaced with a different kind of burger joint. Bars regularly change their "theme" or change owners or lose their license and then the alumni come back and are incensed that where they went to college didn't stay exactly the way it was during the four years they were there. But it's hard for anything to last too long because most of the customer base turns over every four years so it's hard to sustain brand loyalty.

But Jim's Army Navy - where you can buy chinese throwing stars, nunhucks, and all kinds of drab green canvas things, is still in business downtown even after it was displaced from its original location about 25 years ago. The block it was on was demolished and replaced with the new municipal building, so it moved into a place that was a camera shop (those don't really exist any more). I have no idea how it stays in business, because most of the kind of stuff you can buy there can easily be bought even cheaper from China online. But there it is.

We also have a bike shop - called, helpfully, The Bicycle Shop - that has been in its current location since the 60s. Bike shops seem to be somewhat internet-proof. We also have a store that sells running shoes, etc, that manages to survive only because it offers very good service. But I suspect when the proprietor retires, it will become something else.

[ursus arctos]

Most every Italian city of note has a local association of Botteghe Storiche or Negozi Storici that are virtually always worth at least a look through the windows.

This is an introduction to those in Milano, many of which I can vouch for personally.

[Eggchaser]

My firm is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year.