By JIMMY LAWTON

MASSENA -- Yankee One Dollar Store’s location in the Hannaford shopping center adjacent to St. Lawrence Centre will close after 20 years in operation, according to the company's president.

"We don't want to pull out of Massena, but the past couple of years we've been seeing very poor sales," Keith Flike, president of the chain said.

Flike said seven employees will lose their jobs as result of the close. Because the nearest Yankee Dollar store is located in Malone, it won't be possible to shift employees to other locations.

Flike said sales have been "soft" for the past few years and he has been working to find a way to keep the Massena location viable.

"Trust me, we enjoyed doing business in Massena and we like the people there. We really wish we didn't have to close," he said.

Flike said Massena's business district has shifted away from the St. Lawrence Plaza and Mall in the past few years. He said big box stores, like Walmart, have grabbed a large portion of the customer base.

"It's a big thing that has happened in our industry," he said. "It's hard to compete."

Flike said 20 Yankee Dollar stores operate in New York State. An additional seven are located in Vermont.

All items will be 75 cents until the store closes Jan. 27.