A family-owned, independent hardware store in Hunterdon County will close after serving customers for more than a century.

Joseph Finkle & Son Inc. Rachel Finkle, owner of the establishment, known around town as Finkles, told NJ Advance Media on Tuesday that it will close permanently on Dec. 31.

His grandfather, Joseph Finkle, He opened the Lambertville store in 1917. He said some people spelled the store’s name as Finkles, while others wrote it as Finkle’s.

Rachel Finkle, who started working at the store in 1990, touched on the difficulties faced by large retailers and specialist distributors when explaining the decision to close.

“During my 30 years we have seen the business shrink. Finkle said it’s incredibly difficult for independents to survive against the market forces of these large conglomerates.

Finkles will be at least the third long-standing hardware store in New Jersey to close in recent months. Cerbo Lumber and Hardware in Parsippany It was closed in September after 76 years. Saunders Hardware in Montclair Announced its closure after 131 years in May.

Finkle said he sold his store’s Coryell Street location three years ago and continues to operate through a lease.

Finkles has 10 employees, including Rachel Finkle and her husband Sven Helmer.

“I am very grateful to my long-time salespeople. They are so knowledgeable. Each has their own little area of ​​expertise and a roster of clients that follow them. It wasn’t just my family that made this happen,” Finkle said.

His grandfather, the store’s founder, was a Russian immigrant. The store started as a scrap business and has grown into “the world’s most extraordinary hardware store,” as advertised on its website.

Specializes in lighting, electrical, kitchen and bathroom supplies; pipes, valves, fittings and other plumbing equipment; decorative cabinets, doors, gates, windows and industrial hardware; and a wide selection of nuts and bolts.

Last year, it promoted eco-friendly ice melting and children’s sleds on social media. He also offered a restored, entirely hand-stitched, $2,000 loveseat and a $300 chisel sharpener.

Although the store has not made an official announcement that it will be closed, Finkle said customers and employees have received numerous notifications.

“We are not closed (yet)! Please continue to shop at Finkles,” read a post on Instagram in September.

On October 3, the store launched an “out of business” clearance sale, with many items currently 25% off.