After 118 years in business, rural Nebraska retailer is closing up shop for good

When it comes to small-town businesses, Lukasiewicz Furniture, Flooring and Appliances has always been the exception.  As the bank, the grocery store and even the gas station closed up shop in this Polish farm town of 122 people, the furniture store thrived and even expanded over the decades.At its peak, the business employed a dozen people and occupied 12 storefronts on both sides of the main street in town. “The Farwell mall,” it was called. Five generations of the Lukasiewicz family drew in customers with the promise of quality merchandise, competitive prices and good service. They came from as far away as Burwell, 60 miles to the north; Broken Bow, 50 miles to the west; and Grand Island, 30 miles to the south.But soon, a business that has called Farwell home for 118 years will lock its doors.Those who work with rural communities and main street businesses have heard this sad story before.As farms became bigger and fewer, as rural areas lost population and saw young people move away, as it became easier to commute and shop in bigger cities, small town retail stores have died off. Now, sales over the internet, which often go untaxed, are adding to the woes of main street and mall businesses.“The Amazons of the world are huge,” said Jim Otto, Nebraska Retail Federation president.“I call it ‘bricks versus clicks,’” Otto said, referring to brick storefronts and clicks of a computer mouse.