Business & Tech
Parkade Health Shoppe In Manchester To Permanently Close
The coronavirus pandemic and continued popularity of online shopping ultimately took a toll on the Manchester business, the owner said.
MANCHESTER, CT — A beloved community health food store in Manchester will soon close for good. After more than a half-century in business, Parkade Health Shoppe announced via social media Monday plans to permanently shut down its store.
"I fully accept that the Parkade Health Shoppe is at the end of its 65 year journey of serving our community, and I'm immensely grateful for serving you and for your loyalty and patronage for all these years," said Erika Dworkin, the store's owner, in a video posted to the shop's Facebook page.
According to Dworkin, the coronavirus pandemic and the continued popularity of online shopping ultimately took a toll on the business. Her father, Michael Dworkin, PD, CCN, founded the business - first as a drug store in 1956 and later as a health food store in 1970, becoming one of the largest independent, family-owned health food stores in the Greater Hartford area of Connecticut.
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"It has been my immense privilege to carry on my father’s legacy. Getting to know and help those who have walked through our doors has been fulfilling and rewarding, and I am deeply grateful for every one of our customers who shopped with us throughout the years," she said.
As it prepares to close, the shop kicked off a liquidation sale Monday, with an extra 20-50 percent being taken off all purchases. While Dworkin hasn't said what day her store will officially close, she promises her customers that when it does that it won't be "goodbye" — but merely "see you again soon."
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"My angels have given me the courage to look for other ways of serving you, and when I land, I will let you know where I am," she said. "As a board certified nutritionist and certified lifestyle educator, I remain committed to helping those who will continue to need nutrition and general wellness guidance in our community. For this reason, I am working on plans that will enable me to continue both to be readily accessible to you through various means and to offer a wide range of dietary supplements."
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