Benny’s Bromberg Says Family Tried to Sell the Company — GoLocal LIVE
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Amazon, size of the chain, and failure to adjust to a digital age were all factors in the demise of the 93-year-old chain Benny’s.
“Retail environment is changing…its going online and it's not the only thing, but a big part of it,” said Arnold Bromberg, VP of Benny's, on GoLocal LIVE.
Benny’s did not sell online, for the most part, did not market online, and continued to run Sunday inserts in local newspapers.
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He had worked at the company since he was in high school. He started by building bikes in the summers on the third floor of the Benny's then-located in a house on North Main Street in Providence. Today, he is 66-years-old.
Last Friday, the family announced they would be closing all of the stores — located in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut — by the end of 2017.
As a result of the stores closing and the chain's demise, more than 700 full and part-time employees will be laid-off.
Related Slideshow: Retailer Store Closings in U.S. Thru June 2, 2017
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