More than 30 years of business coming to an end.
Customers are making their final purchases at a local Hallmark store before it closes.
Kim’s Hallmark has been a Traverse City staple for more than three decades, but say they have to shut down.
9&10’s Caroline Powers and photojournalist Jeremy Erickson found out why the store is closing and who’s upset over it.
“I’ve actually been in this plaza longer than any other tenant that’s in here right now,” says Kim Kierczynski. “So it’s been a long ride.”
34 years. That’s how long Kim’s Hallmark has called the corner in East Bay Plaza home.
“I really see myself as kind of your local neighborhood card and gift shop,” Kierczynski says. “Most of my customers are local people that live right around here in the neighborhood. Many of them have been coming in since the day I opened.”
But a recent hike in rent has forced Kim to close her doors.
“Right now I look around the store and it just brings tears to my eyes because it’s just so empty now and it doesn’t seem right,” Kierczynski says.
Kim says the decision was a difficult one, and came as a shock to many of her loyal customers, like Gabby Thompson who has been shopping here for more than 20 years.
“It’s been here and it’s a mainstay. I always knew I was going to find what I was looking for when I came here,” Thompson says. A card, wrapping paper, or even smaller gifts. It was always a clean store, well-run, friendly staff.”
Even with a near-empty store and vacant shelves, people say that this place is still full of precious memories, love and friendship.
“A lot of tears in the last couple weeks. People coming in and just coming in to give us hugs,” says Dawn Bruce, Kim’s Hallmark store manager. “Ya know, you don’t get a lot of customers that just come in to give the sales people hugs because they’re closing.”
“It’s very sad to see it go,” Thompson says.
Kim’s Hallmark closes January 31.
Everything in the store is 65% off.
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