It’s been one of the hardest things she’s had to do, but on Saturday, Denise Spires is closing the doors on her shop in historic Downtown Covington.

By Tuesday, all of Spires Interiors’ merchandise and displays will be packed up, put onto a truck and taken to the Spires’ home in Covington. And while her husband, Rick, is out looking for a new location for the store, Spires is already turning her attention to building an online customer base.

In the meantime, all merchandise in the store has been marked down 75 percent, and all purchases must be paid in cash. 

Spires will still be in business, but for now, it will be an online store at shopspires.com.

“I’ll be running a lot of inventory online and I’ll offer the same gift wrapping services that I offered here," Denise Spires said. That, the personal touch, seems to missing in online service.”

She’s also become one of only three merchants in the U.S. authorized by Troll Beads to sell online.

“I’ve enjoyed the time in Covington, and the luxury of getting to know its residents,” she said. “I appreciate them for letting me serve them and want to thank them for their support.”  

For more on this story read Sunday's The Covington News.