By Jordan Miller
FPS Editor
Ashton’s 5¢ and 10¢ Store, a cornerstone of Carrollton’s downtown community, will close its doors in 2025 after serving customers for 92 years. Manager Elaine Painting announced her retirement in a heartfelt message shared on the store’s Facebook page, marking the end of an era for the beloved shop.
“I have been blessed to have a job that I really have enjoyed,” Painting wrote. “I have had the opportunity to meet so many people and after all these years call many of you, my friends.”
Painting, who has been the store manager for 44 years, expressed gratitude for the opportunities the store provided her, including the flexibility to balance her roles as a mother, daughter, and caregiver throughout her career. She credited store founder John Ashton for offering her the position decades ago, a job that, she said, “has taught and given me so much.”
The closure comes as retail shopping trends continue to evolve, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Painting noted the challenges of adapting to the dramatic shifts in consumer behavior. “People shop differently, and it’s just time for a change,” she said.
Ahead of Painting’s retirement on March 21, 2025, the store will launch an “Inventory Reduction” sale beginning Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Details of the sale will be posted on Facebook and displayed in the store’s windows.
The announcement has already sparked an outpouring of support and nostalgia from loyal customers who have relied on Ashton’s 5¢ and 10¢ Store for its unique offerings and welcoming atmosphere. Many see its closure as a significant loss for the small-town community.
For Painting, the decision to retire has been bittersweet but inevitable. “So, for all those that have been asking, ‘Are you ever going to retire?’ Yes, it’s time,” she concluded.
The plan is for the store to be closed by sometime this spring/early summer. We will have more on Painting’s retirement in another issue of The FPS.