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Baynesville Electronics in Towson to close after 61 years

Posted at 2:18 PM, Oct 12, 2016
and last updated 2017-08-23 19:18:44-04

Baynesville Electronics is shutting down this year after serving customers in Towson since 1955.

Paul Smith, president of the corporation, said the company made the final decision on Oct. 1 and took to Facebook to deliver the news to longtime customers.

“For 61 years, it’s been our pleasure for Baynesville Electronics to serve the generations of families that have come through our doors. These families, as well as, our loyal customers have allowed us to thrive these past years in this wonderful community

Although we have tried to keep up with the changes in our industry and retail sales in general, we have been unable to continue to keep ourselves profitable.”

Smith said the shift toward online shopping led to a drop in sales, which have steadily declined since 2008. Disposable technology also proved to be a tough competitor.

“The customers we’ve talked to, they just aren’t repairing things anymore because their TV’s, radios and computers don’t contain a lot of replaceable parts,” he told ABC2. “We’re a parts store, we sell electronic parts to fix things. Things we’ve sold for decades are just no longer selling.”

Over the years, the company tried adjusting to the changing tide by selling items on eBay, but customer interaction was their biggest selling point—and foot traffic has come to halt.

Customers have lamented the store’s last days, but Smith said once frequent buyers haven’t walked through the doors in years.

“Some customers have even said ‘I’m guilty of shopping on the internet because it’s so convenient,’” he said. “It’s just the way of the world today. Our sales are down, but all of our costs of everything else continue to go through the roof.”

Smith said the Baynesville team is sad about the pending closing, but appreciates recent outpourings of support from the community. Some have posted condolences and memories on the store’s Facebook page, with one user claiming the closing of Baynesville is, “Truly the end of an era, and a legacy. You will be missed.”

Sales at 1631 E. Joppa Road will continue until the inventory is gone, Smith said. He anticipates the last day will be sometime at the end of the year.

“Unfortunately, there isn’t anything we can do. This industry has changed. People’s buying habits have changed,” he said. “We’re all starting to come to grips with it.

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