Newsroom
A long-standing family business that has been part of daily life in the mountain villages of Kambos and Tsakkistra for almost 80 years will close its doors next month, bringing to an end a tradition that has spanned generations.
The Sergides family announced that Michalakis Sergides Stores Ltd. will cease trading on 1 August, describing the decision as a painful one. The family said personal circumstances, together with the increasing pressure faced by small independent retailers competing with large supermarket chains, left them with little choice but to shut the business.
For decades, the shop was far more than a place to buy everyday essentials. It became a familiar meeting point where residents exchanged news, placed orders and caught up with neighbours. In their farewell message, the family recalled the once-common question asking whether the delivery vehicle from town had arrived with bread and milk, a reminder of a time when supplies reached remote communities only at set intervals.
The business has a history dating back several decades. According to the Kambos community leader, the family's involvement in retail began before the middle of the 20th century, when Diogenis Sergides operated a clothing and general goods shop at the Amiantos Mine. He also ran a similar business in Mylikouri for many years.
In an era when shopping options in rural Cyprus were limited, the Sergides store stocked clothing, fabrics, shoes, household goods and bedding, providing local residents with products that were otherwise only available in larger towns.
The business was later taken over by the late Michalakis Sergides, who continued the family's work until his death in September 2017. His wife, Dora Sergidou, and their children, Omiria, Danae and Diogenis, chose to continue operating the shop for another nine years.
Danae Sergidou balanced her job in Nicosia with helping to run the family business, travelling to Kambos each Thursday to support her mother. The family said their commitment reflected not only a sense of responsibility to the business but also a desire to continue providing an important service to residents of Kambos, Tsakkistra and neighbouring Mylikouri.
With the shop preparing to close, residents will lose one of the area's oldest family-run businesses, ending a chapter that has been closely linked to village life for nearly eight decades.
