80-Year-Old Hoboken Store Announces Closing With Poignant Plea

HOBOKEN, NJ — A family-owned store that provided Hoboken athletes with trophies and uniforms for 80 years will soon close, they announced Monday.

"This is a hard one to write," wrote the owners of Stan's Sports Center, which opened in 1946. "After 80 years, we have made the decision to close the Stan's Sport Center retail storefront in Hoboken.

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"Generations of families have walked through these doors. The city has changed. The sporting goods industry has changed. The way people shop has changed. And over the years, our business has had to change with it. We've held onto our retail storefront for as long as we could."

They said that while the storefront — located in the middle of the city's Main Street, Washington Street — will close due to changing times, they will still supply to schools, teams, cities, and organizations.

A Poignant Plea

"We're incredibly fortunate to be able to write the next chapter of a family business that began in Hoboken 80 years ago," the owners wrote. "We also know that many small businesses never get that opportunity. So if there is one thing we hope people take from this, it is to support the local businesses you love while they are still there."

Fans of the store were surprised by the announcement.

"Sad to see it go," wrote a social media commenter. "80 years is a great long run."

Stan's Message

Below is the rest of the Stan's message:

"There is history here, and walking away from something that has been part of our family and this community for eight decades is incredibly difficult. But the reality facing small businesses today is very different from the one Stan's was built in. Local storefronts simply don't see the foot traffic they once did, and at some point, holding onto the past can jeopardize the future.We aren't willing to let that happen. So this is not the end of Stan's Sport Center. In fact, it's the opposite.

"Our company continues to grow and evolve, with our focus now on serving schools, athletic programs, municipalities, organizations and teams as an authorized team dealer and full-service sporting goods vendor. We're incredibly fortunate to be able to write the next chapter of a family business that began in Hoboken 80 years ago. We also know that many small businesses never get that opportunity.

"So if there is one thing we hope people take from this, it is to support the local businesses you love while they are still there. Stop in. Buy something. Recommend them. Choose them when you can.

"Those decisions matter. To everyone who has supported Stan's in Hoboken over the last 80 years: Thank you. Whether you bought your first glove here, ordered a team uniform, picked up a varsity jacket, brought your kids in years later, worked behind the counter, or simply stopped in to say hello—you are part of our history.

"Hoboken will always be where our story began. 1946–2026. Thank you for 80 incredible years. The storefront is closing.Stan's is moving forward."