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    Friday, May 10, 2024

    A sad farewell from a Benny's fan

    It’s not a stretch to say that every room at our house, extending to the basement and garage, the dog pen, garden and yard, has one or more items bought at Benny’s.

    As many commenters on our sad Sept. 8 story on Benny’s announcing its closing have said, and as Maria Miranda put so succinctly in her piece in Monday’s Day, there’s something special about Benny’s.

    Benny’s is like Dr. Who’s TARDIS, a small variety store that’s bigger on the inside. Benny’s isn’t really a department store but a section store, with one or two aisles per category and just enough of everything to find what you need, along with a few surprises.

    Unlike many women, I’ve never been a “shopper.” Like Danny Kaye in “The Court Jester,” at most stores I like to “get in, get on with it, get it over with and get out.” But I love to shop at Benny’s, grabbing that tiny shopping cart and cruising the aisles. I love its crammed and busy shopping flier that comes in Thursday’s Day.

    Our Benny’s stuff runs the gamut from the throw-back hand-crank can opener bolted to the wall to the new LED outdoor Christmas lights and flood lights on the deck. Kitchen rugs, outdoor mats, extension cords and garden tools, the blue kiddie pool our dog loves, picture frames, Pyrex baking dishes, a toaster oven, sweatpants and hoodies, and even pillows.

    My family has been buying bikes and board games at Benny’s for 70 years, including two I bought for great nieces a few years back. Assembled.

    It’s not just the stuff on the shelves, it’s the experience. Benny’s staff members greet you near the door, and you know they mean it when they ask if they can help you find something. I often go in with the flier, point to the sale item, and they direct me to it.

    My sister often complains that Benny’s never has enough of a great sale item. But just ask the staff, and they will look it up, tell you when the truck carrying it will arrive, and offer to call you when it gets there.

    Benny’s was out of the big five-shelf storage unit I wanted a few years ago. They let me buy the display model and helped me load it in my Legacy wagon. Service.

    I will miss my favorite store.

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