BURLINGTON – Two longtime downtown Burlington businesses are closing their doors for good.

Although Alamance-Andrews Drug Company and McPherson Hardware have been in the downtown area for decades, an ailing economy is making it impossible for the two businesses to stay open.

McPherson's has been the general store on Main Street since 1977.

"It's more like people can come in here and they're more like family," said McPherson’s owner Sandra Moore.

While the owners of Alamance-Andrews Drug Company said the decision to close was based more on personal reasons, Moore said her hardware store took several punches in recent years from an economy under strain.

"The stuff we were getting was going up but we might have been still getting the same amount in," Moore said.

Downtown shoppers said it will be hard to deal with the absence of the stores.

"I cannot drive because I am visually impaired, so I live not too far from here," said shopper Amy Moore.

While city officials said they are sad to hear about the closings, they said the small city is going through some big-time growing pains.

"I think more than anything it's just an evolution of businesses ebbing and flowing over time," Councilman James Butler said.

But they say they will do what they can to preserve the rich heritage in downtown.

"To sustain our downtown as it is," he said.

The city is right now working with the chamber of commerce to hire a liaison of downtown economic development. That person would be responsible for attracting new business while at the same time stimulating the growth of existing business in downtown Burlington.

McPherson Hardware owner Sandra Moore expects the liquidation sale to last about four more weeks.

City officials also took time to point to some uplifting news from downtown. LabCorp is expanding its operation, which is expected to bring some 125 jobs. And Pitt Printing recently expanded its downtown operation as well.