The recent rain might have you thinking about doing some spring gardening and right now, you can score some deals at Smithland Pet and Garden Center. That’s because they’re going out of business.
The Manchester is one of seven in the state set to close by the end of June. The store, which may be better known by some as myAgway, started closing sales Tuesday and customers say they were caught off guard by it.
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WATCH HEREAt the entrance of Smithland Pet and Garden Center in Manchester, customers could be seen getting supplies.
“We used to get dog food from here and it was always nice to walk around and check out the plants and stuff like that, pick up little ones,” Daniel Patnaude, of Wethersfield, said.
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SIGN UP But they won’t be able to shop much longer after the company announced it would be closing all 13 of its locations, seven of which are in Connecticut saying it was a difficult decision.
“It’s shocking because you see there are so many people here on a regular basis. It’s crazy, especially with how good their pricing is,” Rachel Tarbell, of Wethersfield, said.
The timing of the closure comes as people are tending to their gardens.
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“Over the summer and into spring, because I garden a lot, we maybe shop here once a month,” Tarbell said.
University of New Haven business professor Brian Marks said a tough business environment, with post-COVID recovery and tariff uncertainty makes it difficult for smaller local chains to compete with bigger brands.
“The bigger box may have more access to capital than the smaller operations,” Marks said.
Smithland Pet and Garden Center locations in Connecticut have been owned by a private investment firm since 2022. Marks said the decision to close likely hinges on whether the investment was worth it.
“It's also an investor needing to get a return on capital and looking to deploy that capital in the most efficient, most effective way,” he said.
Now, customers are trying to take advantage of the mark-downs in the stores’ final days.
“Well, let’s look at soil, let’s look at plants. They said they’re marking down a bunch of things, so we’re going to see if we get any deals,” Tarbell said.
The company said anything bought on or after Tuesday will be a final sale. We’re still waiting to hear back on how many jobs will be impacted.
