Ryan Furniture Plans to Close After Over 75 Years in Business

May 11, 2025  by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry   

The store opened in 1948, and according to family lore, following a tour of duty in the Army, Richard Ryan began selling furniture from a truck parked on the side of the road with an investment of $5. The first store was built with excess lumber from Aberdeen Proving Ground, and after acquiring farmland, built the second location where operations have been established since.

Jim Ryan and his brother, Tom Ryan became part of the business and after Jim's son Mike joined the company as warehouse manager, Ryan Furniture became a three-generation operation.

“The retail environment has changed considerably over the past eight decades, and single-store operators are finding it increasingly difficult to compete with national companies and their expansive purchasing power,” Jim Ryan said.

“Like many mom-and-pop operators, Ryan Furniture separated itself from the competition with unparalleled customer service, getting to know its clientele intimately and becoming immersed in the local community. But that formula can only work for so long as customers begin to make decisions based solely on price, unfortunately.”

As with many other independent furniture retailers, growing competition, changing tastes, and ages of the on-site owners were cited as the primary reasons for their decisions to close. Recent increases in shipping costs have also created additional challenges.

Ryan Furniture revealed their plans to end their operations in mid-May and will sell the 28,275-square-foot store.

You can read the full article on msn.com.