State College sweeper, sewing retailer set to close after more than 20 years
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- Frye’s State College shop will permanently close after Aug. 15.
- The State College shop is running store‑wide sales to reduce inventory before closing.
- Frye’s will continue operating its Altoona location at 1400 Valley View Blvd.
A regional sweeper and sewing retailer will close its State College location next month after more than 20 years in business.
Frye’s Sweeper & Sewing Center is running store-wide sales on floor models of sewing machines, cabinets, vacuums and more as it works to reduce its inventory of appliances, fabrics, sewing goods parts and accessories. The shop, located at 1011 E. College Ave. in State College, will permanently close after its last day in business on Aug. 15.
Robert Frye, whose father founded the business more than 80 years ago, said several challenges led his team to close the State College shop.
“The cost of operations keeps going way up,” Frye said. “We’ve lost some help and had trouble getting good workers. There other things is [that] I’m 78 years old, and I’d like to cut back some.”
Frye’s will remain open in Altoona, where it has maintained a sweeper and sewing center since 1968. Customers can continue receiving service at the Altoona location once the State College shop closes in August.
The business expanded to State College in 2005 when Frye’s opened a shop at 25 Decibel Road near the Nittany Mall. Operations moved to a spot along Shiloh Road by early 2007 before settling on East College Avenue in 2011, where it remains today.
Frye reflected on more than 20 years of business in State College — a market he said was sometimes challenging but often rewarding.
“Things were never quite as busy as our Altoona store, but we’ve been here [in Altoona] a lot longer,” Frye said. “We’ve had success in State College and enjoyed serving all the people who supported us over the years.”
Frye’s closure in State College marks the latest sewing goods retailer to shut its doors in recent years. Joann Fabrics, the national fabric and crafts retailer, closed its store at 505 Benner Pike in State College in early 2025.
Frye’s State College location is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. The Altoona location, found at 1400 Valley View Blvd., is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
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