Victor News on Park Street, Lewiston. Sun Journal staff
LEWISTON — It will be hard, for some, to imagine downtown Lewiston without Victor News.
After 114 years in business, owners of the popular store on Wednesday posted on Facebook to announce that they would be closing up shop for good.
“It is time for us to retire,” wrote Nancy Bazinet St. Pierre, who owns the store with her husband, Phil St. Pierre. “After 114 years of serving our customers in Lewiston, Victor News will soon be closing its doors. Phil and I thought long and hard before coming to this decision.”
The store was first opened by Victor L’Heureux, the store’s namesake and uncle to Phil St. Pierre. The mom-and-pop operation has survived the Depression, numerous recessions, changing demographics and even urban renewal — due in no small part to the family spirit.
“Victor was a remarkable person,” Phil St. Pierre Sr. said in a 2005 interview.
The store, tucked in next to the Salvation Army between Park and Lisbon streets, boasts “3001 items,” which range from bizarre souvenirs to household items everyone needs. It also offers a wide selection of newspapers and magazines, beer, tobacco and lottery tickets. Not to mention key-making, photo copying and a massive array of greeting cards.
Some longtime customers took to Facebook Wednesday night to mourn the news.
“That’s where I got my first Mad magazine,” wrote Steve Darling, of Leeds.
“Another gem gone from Lewiston,” wrote Joline Gagne.
Even store employees were already lamenting the pending closure.
“I loved it,” said longtime Victor News employee Stephanie Brown, “it was the best place I ever worked and they were the greatest bosses.”
In her post, Nancy Bazinet St. Pierre waxed nostalgic about the iconic store and the many people who have frequented its aisles.
“Our faithful customers are people we know by name,” she wrote. “We see and talk to them regularly … We’ll always treasure the memories we’ve made.”
According to the post, the St. Pierre family expects to close by the end of the year, after a few weeks of liquidation.
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