PRESTON – After nearly five decades of selling affordable secondhand goods, providing job training and helping local organizations serve people in need, the Deseret Industries store on Preston’s Main Street is preparing to close its doors.
The store, located at 36 S. State St., is scheduled to permanently close Oct. 31, 2026, ending 48 years of operation in the community. The reason for the closure has not been announced.
At approximately 2,300 square feet, the Preston store is the smallest of the 46 Deseret Industries in operation. Despite its size, it has become a familiar stop for shoppers seeking bargains and a resource for community organizations assisting people in difficult circumstances.
Preston Mayor Dan Keller said he expects the closure to affect the community in several ways, including the loss of a local retail destination and an important source of affordable merchandise.
“I think it is going to hurt us,” Keller said. “Retailing in small and large communities is a big economic driver.”
Keller said one of his biggest concerns is the impact on organizations that rely on the store to help people in need.
“The hardest thing about the closing the DI is the positive impact the store had on the community organizations that use it for people in need,” he said. “The churches, the hospital, CAPSA, those helping transients and other organizations use the DI to help people when they need it.”
The store has served as a resource for groups working with individuals and families who need clothing, household goods and other necessities at affordable prices.
Its closing will leave a gap in the community, Keller said, even if the store’s direct economic impact is difficult to measure.
“I don’t know if the DI is an economic driver in our community,” he said. “The dollars and cents may not do that much, but it brings people from small surrounding communities here to shop at the DI.”
The store also has developed a reputation for carrying merchandise suited to the area’s western heritage. During rodeo week, Keller said, the Preston location sells more cowboy boots and Western attire than many other stores in the valley.
For some residents, the store has become part of their daily routine.
One Preston resident, who said she visited the store every day to look for bargains, expressed uncertainty about how she would fill the time after it closes.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do during the day when they close this store,” she said.
A small store with a big-screen connection
Beyond its role in the local economy, the Preston Deseret Industries has another distinction: it was featured in the 2004 cult comedy film “Napoleon Dynamite,” giving the modest storefront a measure of international recognition.
The movie, filmed in southeastern Idaho, helped put Preston on the map for fans who continue to visit locations associated with the film.
For nearly 50 years, the store has remained part of the city’s commercial landscape. Its departure will leave another vacant storefront along the main business corridor.
Employees at the Preston location have been offered the option of continuing their employment at the Deseret Industries store in Logan, Utah, approximately 25 miles away and more than 30 minutes by car.
A mission beyond thrift shopping
Deseret Industries is a nonprofit thrift store and donation center owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Its locations sell donated goods at affordable prices while offering job training and work experience to help people develop skills and prepare for employment.
The church established the program in 1938 during an economic downturn, creating opportunities for people who needed work and job training. The organization has since expanded across the western United States and into Texas, with stores in Utah, California, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Texas.
The Preston store’s closure comes as the secondhand retail market continues to attract consumers looking for lower prices, unique merchandise and alternatives to buying new products.
Resale, consignment and nonprofit thrift stores have become an established part of the U.S. retail industry. Industry estimates have projected that secondhand sales could contribute approximately $83 billion annually to the U.S. economy in 2026.
For Preston, however, the closing is about more than changes in the retail industry. It means the loss of a longtime gathering place for bargain hunters, a resource for local service organizations and a store that became part of the community’s identity.
When the doors close Oct. 31, the smallest Deseret Industries store will leave behind a legacy that extends well beyond its 2,300 square feet.