The Andersons General Store: Remembering a Store Like No Other
The Andersons General Stores brought hardware, garden supplies, specialty foods, and unexpected finds together under one roof. Explore their Ohio beginnings, Columbus locations, distinctive shopping experience, and final closures in 2017.
Opening
A trip to The Andersons could begin with a home-improvement project and end with something for dinner.
The stores brought together departments that shoppers might otherwise visit separately. A historical company profile describes home-project supplies, automotive products, leisure merchandise, and a specialty department called The Uncommon Market, featuring gourmet foods, wine, and flowers.
That assortment helped explain the retailer’s description of itself as a “Store Like No Other.” When closures approached in 2017, The Blade reported that customers struggled to imagine a direct replacement.
The general stores are gone, but their story remains part of Ohio’s retail history. Their closing ended the company’s retail division—not The Andersons’ entire business.
At a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Place | The Andersons General Stores |
| Also known as | The Andersons; Andersons General Store; originally The Andersons Warehouse Market |
| Historical location | Retail roots in Maumee, Ohio; Columbus-area stores near Brice Road and Sawmill Road |
| Category | General merchandise retailer with garden, hardware, and specialty-food departments |
| Opened/established | First Warehouse Market opened in 1952 |
| Columbus expansion | Brice General Store opened in 1986; Sawmill General Store in 1987 |
| Closed/disappeared | Remaining four retail stores closed in 2017 |
| Current status | General-store division closed; parent company continued operating |
| Remembered for | An unusual department mix, garden supplies, specialty foods, and browsing |
The retail opening dates come from company histories. The company’s 2017 announcement documents its decision to leave retail.
How It Began
The Andersons’ retail story grew from agriculture.
Harold and Margaret Anderson established The Andersons Truck Terminal in Maumee, Ohio, with their family. The business served farmers through grain handling and related operations.
In 1952, the company opened its Warehouse Market. It offered farm-related merchandise, including seed, livestock feed, fertilizer, and motor oil. Farmers bringing grain to the terminal could purchase supplies before returning home.
The assortment expanded as the business reached more customers. What began as a practical service for farmers developed into a broader general-store experience.
Columbus gained the Brice General Store in 1986 and the Sawmill General Store in 1987.
What Made It Special
Several shopping trips became one
The Andersons combined departments with different purposes.
Customers could browse home-project materials, garden merchandise, automotive supplies, and specialty foods during the same visit. The company developed a “store within a store” approach, giving departments their own character inside a larger building.
That variety encouraged exploration. A visit did not have to end when the original shopping list was complete.
Specialty foods added another reason to visit
The Uncommon Market helped distinguish the stores from conventional hardware retailers.
Its gourmet-food, wine, and flower assortment introduced a different kind of shopping alongside practical household purchases.
The contrast was part of the attraction. A store associated with tools or gardening could also become a destination for finding something special to serve or give.
Garden departments reflected its roots
Gardening connected the retail stores with the company’s agricultural background.
The business developed garden centers and lawn products as it expanded beyond grain handling. Those connections helped make outdoor projects a natural part of the retail identity.
For customers, the stores offered reasons to return as projects and seasons changed.
Columbus had two familiar destinations
The Central Ohio locations served different parts of the area.
Contemporary closing coverage identified one near Brice Road and Interstate 70 on the East Side, and another at Sun Center near Sawmill Road and Dublin-Granville Road.
Customers could develop a connection with a particular store while sharing the broader experience of shopping at The Andersons.
The Final Chapter
The company announced its retail exit
On January 15, 2017, The Andersons announced plans to close its remaining four retail stores.
The company reported more than $20 million in retail pre-tax losses over the preceding eight years, including earlier asset impairments. It had already closed three stores during that period.
The announcement described a difficult decision affecting approximately 1,050 employees across the Toledo and Columbus areas.
Customers prepared to say goodbye
The stores continued operating while selling their remaining merchandise.
The Blade’s April 2017 reporting captured customers’ sadness and their sense that the assortment would be difficult to replace.
The loss involved more than finding another retailer for a particular product. It ended a familiar place where unrelated errands and discoveries could come together.
The remaining stores closed in 2017
June 2017 reporting documented the final closing weekend. The first retail store had opened 65 years earlier.
The company continued beyond the general stores. Its official history records the retail exit as one chapter within a much longer business story.
What’s There Now?
The former stores have separate property histories.
In August 2017, Columbus Business First reported that Farber Specialty Vehicles was moving into the former East Side Andersons space. That establishes a reported reuse after the closure; it does not independently confirm the property’s present condition.
The current use of the former Sawmill store has not been verified for this overview.
A location-specific follow-up should check the exact address against current tenant information, property records, and dated photographs. Later renovations may have changed how recognizable the former store remains.
Current-site verification: Historical reuse reporting reviewed October 12, 2026. No former retail property independently verified through current records or a site visit.
Do You Remember The Andersons General Store?
Did you shop at the Brice Road or Sawmill location? Which department usually drew you in—and what unexpected item did you leave with?
Share your memories in the comments, including the location and approximate year.
If you worked at The Andersons, tell us about your department or a memorable part of the job.
Have old photographs, advertisements, receipts, shopping bags, or employee keepsakes? Tell Forgotten Spots about them. Please include any known dates and whether you own the material or have permission to share it.
Your contribution could help preserve the details that made this store different.
Sources and Credits
- The Andersons — Official company history: Family origins, business development, and the retail exit.
- The Andersons — January 15, 2017 retail closure announcement: Primary source for losses, remaining stores, employee impact, and continued nonretail operations.
- FundingUniverse — History of The Andersons, Inc.: Warehouse Market development, Columbus opening dates, and department mix.
- The Blade — Local shoppers sad, nostalgic as Andersons layoffs draw near: Contemporary reporting on customer reactions.
- 13abc — The Andersons stores close this weekend: June 2017 closing coverage.
- Columbus Underground — The Andersons Closing All Retail Store Locations: Central Ohio location details.
- Columbus Business First — What is next for The Andersons off Brice Road?: Reported reuse of the former East Side space.