Business & Tech

Traders Neighborhood Store Closing

East Atlanta Village anchor business shutters doors after 15 years.

Traders Neighborhood Store, an early pioneer business in the East Atlanta Village that helped draw other businesses, is closing, the Georgia Voice reported.

It's not immediately clear why the furniture and home goods store — a staple in the EAV's business district for 15 years and one of the anchor retailers that helped the neighborhood in its renaissance and revitalization — closed.

Owners Shawn Ergle and Michael Knight had , following the economy's sharp downturn.

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The two, who also are life partners, owned Area at the Edgewood Retail District, in October 2005. But the economy took its toll and consumers pulled back on high-end merchandise Area offered. They closed Area four years later.

"I would personally like to thank every one for supporting TRADERS for the past 15 years. I will always cherish the years I spent here in the EAV and the friendships made. ... Shawn," the Voice reported, quoting Ergle's posting on his personal Facebook page.

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"All good things must come to an end and unfortunately TRADERS Neighborhood Store will be closing in the next couple of weeks. Michael and I want to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for supporting TRADERS. ... We hope you will remember TRADERS as a store that CARED. We hope you will remember us, Michael and Shawn because we CARED."

The closure comes as the East Atlanta Community Association has spent the last several weeks meeting with various business owners and managers in the Village to help reconstitute the now-defunct East Atlanta Business Association.

Traders was active in the neighborhood's civic affairs, helping or spearheading efforts to prevent things residents thought detrimental to the community.

Several years back, when the city planned to put parking meters along Flat Shoals Avenue — going as far as installing the metal poles for the meters — Traders successfully led the fight to keep the EAV parking meter-free.


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