Several longtime businesses closed their doors in 2023.

A former movie theater at the Carbon Plaza Mall in Mahoning Township closed earlier this year to make room for a Marshalls store.

Marshalls will eventually occupy the space where the former Mahoning Valley 8 was located until it closed.

Marshalls would move into the former Mahoning Valley 8 - formerly Mahoning Valley Cinema - which closed on Sept. 14.

Ronda Love, president/owner of FunTime Cinemas Inc., said that “the decision to close was basically the landlord requested a lease termination for some very good reasons.”

Love said the building owner is Larken Associates.

The former operators of Mahoning Valley Cinema announced in April 2020 they would be closing the theater immediately. Before that, the theater had been operating at Carbon Plaza for more than 20 years.

Work remains underway to renovate the space.

In October, Cassidy Kelly, marketing supervisor said in an email, “We anticipate that the new Marshalls store in Lehighton, PA will open in the future.”

Kelly said information on a grand opening news release would be made available when it is ready for distribution closer to the opening date.

Marshalls is a chain of off-price department stores owned by TJX Companies, and has over 1,000 American stores.

The parent company also owns TJ Maxx and HomeGoods stores.

The store carries clothing for men, women and children; shoes, home goods and gift items.

Shea’s Hardware

A cornerstone of the Palmerton community closed its doors this year after well over a half-century in business

After nearly 70 years in operation, Shea’s Hardware, located at 266 Delaware Ave., shuttered its doors on Oct. 14.

Bernie Shea, owner/president, said the real estate and all the buildings have been sold to local businessman Mark Stemler.

Shea, who did not disclose the sales price, said that the time had come for he and his wife, Debbie Shea, co-owner, to retire.

He said his father, Donald Shea Jr., bought the business from Bert Shipe in 1954.

Shea said both buildings burned in a fire in May 1962 and his father rebuilt in 1965 to the original footprint of the store.

Within eight years, Shea said his father added two large additions.

From there, he said the business expanded in the early 1980s after it purchased the former Segal’s by the Bridge Dept. Store.

The business was a go-to stop for paint, hardware, plumbing and electrical items, snow shovels and Christmas decorations.

Additionally, it was a top seller of school sports shirts and uniforms, as well as shoes and sneakers and other sporting goods items.

Flower shop

A flower shop that had operated since 1942 at the edge of Tamaqua closed in May.

Edwards Flowers, which has a mailing address 501 E. Broad St. in Tamaqua but is in Schuylkill Township, began liquidating its inventory in the spring.

For the past 32 years, the shop was owned by Ed and Donna Smith. The Smiths were living in Bucks County when they decided to buy the shop from its founder, George Edwards.

The couple decided to keep the name.

In the beginning, Ed Smith said the store was busy with weddings, proms, funerals, holidays and dances. It also took care of cemeteries throughout the area, cutting grass, planting flowers and filling urns with colorful arrangements.

It also operated on-site greenhouses.

Ed Smith said that over the years, things began to change. Flower tents began popping up to sell flowers for Easter, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day and other holidays. Churches that had ordered altar flowers each week began closing, and when COVID hit, there were shortages of flowers and supplies.

The couple decided to retire and sell the shop. They said they will miss their customers and those they came to know over the years.