The End Result, a longtime fixture on Allen Street, will be closing its doors after 38 years.
The End Result -- a gift, greeting card, and specialty shop --announced on March 23 it would close and liquidate its inventory toward the end of July, owner Laura Herman said.
Herman's parents opened the 109 S. Allen St. store in 1971, she said, and it has been a family-owned store ever since.
"It was a very emotional decision that it had to be closed," Herman said.
Herman owns the stores Crushed Ice, 358 E. College Ave., and The Roost, 346 E. College Ave. Because these stores are close together, the closing would help to consolidate her businesses, she said.
"The economy is not good, as everybody knows," Herman said. "Since I do have other stores, I needed to cut back ... instead of being stretched so thin."
Although Crushed Ice announced it would be closing in January, Herman intends to reopen the store under a different name to sell new inventory. She declined to comment on the details behind the new store.
Jody Alessandrine, executive director of the Downtown State College Improvement District, said he is sorry to see the established store close.
The End Result joins the likes of The Artisan Connection, 135 E. Beaver Ave., Uni-Mart, 200 E. College Ave., and Quaker Steak & Lube, 2235 N. Atherton St., all of which have closed recently or are closing.
"You hate to see that happen," Alessandrine said. "While we hate to see them go, we have to be happy for the time they gave to the downtown and their sacrifices for the community."
When told about the closing, State College Borough Council President Elizabeth Goreham said with gasp, "That was one of my favorite stores."
"It lends a special touch to our downtown," Goreham said. "We need more locally owned stores -- the only way to have them stay is for us to really support them."
Herman said she encourages residents to shop downtown, even though there are better deals outside of the town limits.
"Local people say they are sad that the store is closing," Herman said, "but they have to understand that they need to support their businesses in town."
Although times may seem discouraging, Alessandrine said, downtown State College is still faring better than other areas of the country.
"As long as you have an economy that doesn't suffer the extremes that some other places do," Alessandrine said, "we will be able to survive those ebbs and flows with us being in a better situation with each high tide than we have before."
-Collegian Staff Writer Zack Feldman contributed to this article.
