CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A well-known Charleston business is closing. Sport Mart Superstore told its workers Tuesday. A liquidation sale will begin Aug. 1.
Sport Mart is family-owned. It was founded in 1930 in downtown Charleston and then moved across the Kanawha River on MacCorkle Ave. to a larger building in the 1980s.
In a news release company officials said the closing is the result of “ever changing demographics, competition from big chain stores, the Internet and the local economy have all contributed to sales erosion.”
The business has been for sale for many months but no one has stepped forward to purchase it. Sport Mart said it would continue to entertain offers.
Along with its retail shop, the business has provided sporting equipment including uniforms to hundreds of community sports teams and schools for decades.
“This is a very sad time for the Sport Mart family as most of our employees have been with us for 20 years or more,”said Sport Mart President John Smallridge. “Sport Mart has a long standing relationship with the local school systems in Charleston and surrounding areas and plans to honor all of its commitments for merchandise sold to those schools.”