CHARLEMONT — For 157 years, people have been shopping at A.L. Avery & Son General Store for just about everything imaginable — including the kitchen sink. And now the store, renowned for its store-made sausage, groceries and ample hardware, is once again up for sale.
Jim and Barbara (MacLean) Sinclair bought Avery’s Store in 2016, and the Sinclairs say the decision to sell Avery’s was very difficult.
“When we bought the business, our plan was to update the store and its inventory and position it for continued long-term success,” Jim Sinclair said. “We feel we have achieved this goal and that it’s the right time to find the next owner. We have enjoyed working with Avery’s team and getting to know our valued customers,’ he said. “We will be here to support a new owner and to help ensure that the business continues to grow and prosper.”
Sinclair said the store is flourishing, and the second-floor, which was completely renovated, has been rented to state contractors for office space and apartment space. Also, the store now does a lot of business with more local farms for locally grown farm produce.
Sinclair said he and his wife, who grew up in Charlemont, will continue living in town and plan to someday retire here. They are looking for a buyer who will “maintain the character of a true general store” and continue offering what makes the store special to customers.
“Our understanding is that Avery’s is the oldest continuously operating general store in New England,” said Sinclair. “Given the extensive growth in the West County economy, related to recreation and tourism, the future for Avery’s is bright.”
He said the employees provide “excellent service and have extensive expertise that you don’t find at most retailers these days,” he said. “The store is a community gathering spot where friends and neighbors catch up on the latest news, and (where) kids get to experience the charm of an old-time general store.”
The business is listed with Mark Abramson of Cohn & Co. Real Estate.
Before the store was purchased by the Sinclairs, it was run for 42 years by Dennis Avery and his wife, Karen Hogness. Dennis Avery was the fifth generation to own this family-run store, which dates back to 1861.