The town of Greenwood is about to lose a Mom-and-Pop business that has been a fixture in the community for nearly a century under a variety of owners. Yoder’s Country Store is closing its doors for good on Christmas Eve. WDDE Morning Edition Host Areka Spencer examines what made the business special and why it’s saying good-bye now.
[audio:http://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/YodersClosing.mp3|titles= WDDE Morning Edition Host Areka Spencer looks at the closing of Yoder's Country Store in Greenwood.]
Yoder's Country Store's closing will leave a hole in Greenwood - a town of 973.
"I believe that people are gonna miss it because its been here a long time," said Yoder’s Country Store cashier Donna Jones.
Jones also believes it will be missed because of the personal touch Yoder's provided customers. She says her job extends well beyond ringing up orders. She feels connected to the customers she serves.
"We’re small enough that we can have a personal touch for our customers that come in. We have regular ones that come, so we can know them on a more personal basis," said Jones
And the loss of that connection has the locals in Greenwood already feeling the impending loss of their neighborhood store
“They’re asking a lot of questions. Why? What are you going to do? Will these products be available and where am I going to go to get this?" said Ronnie Yoder, who is closing after owning and operating the business over the last eight years.
He recognizes the Country Store has sentimental value to Greenwood because it's been in place under a variety of owners for more than eighty years.
“ The store itself was built back in 1933. At one time they cut up hogs and beef here and sold fresh meat That was quite a while before my time. Then, over the years, it just morphed into a regular deli and grocery store,” said Yoder.
What has kept Ronnie Yoder in business as long as he has been was capitalizing a couple of emerging niche markets, serving people who were looking for natural foods, and unique candies.
“It’s things they can’t get just anywhere," said Yoder. "Also I handle the all-natural Bell and Evans Chicken, and those customers are very emphatic that they can keep getting their chicken. They’re very loyal."
The 59 year-old Yoder says some customers are known to drive from miles around for the Bell and Evans Chicken he sells because it’s not processed and doesn’t contain antibiotics.
“It’s an all-natural chicken that has been raised on an all-vegetable diet. It does not have some of the products in the feed that people don’t like. It’s a very clean chicken, and it very popular around this area,” said Yoder.
But Yoder concedes that was not enough to sustain the business.
“I think most people know that small Mom-And-Pop shops are having a difficult time making a go," said Yoder. "And it’s getting harder all the time”
Greenwood City Manager John Macdonald says he understands the pressure Yoder faces and how its grown recently. :
"I’ve been in Municipal Government for about twenty five years now and I hate to see any small business get, shall we say run over by the big box stores," said Macdonald. "It will be a definite economic loss to this town but I believe that between Royal Farms, and Dollar General, and even Walmart down in Seaford, they have impacted Yoder's to the point where they cannot continue their business profitably."
But Ronnie Yoder isn’t wallowing in the reality of going out of business, in fact he’s mindful of the people he’s met through the country store – and the strong bonds developed as a result.
"I want to thank those that have been loyal to me over the years and I feel sadness for those that we have built relationships with over the years," said Yoder "I'm also sad for my employees. "Some of them are a little concerned about where they’re gonna work, but some of them will adjust to the change."
Yoder's closes its doors for good Christmas Eve.