Let the Wal-Mart death tally begin.

After 15 years in the Bayshore Mall in Eureka, the locally owned Toy Barn store will be closing at the end of the month, owner Sandy Powell announced today. In a press release, Powell said she reached the decision after learning that Wal-Mart is moving in. The store has four employees, she told the Journal, only one of which is not a family member. Toy Barn will continue virtually, selling its wares on Amazon.com.

Here's the press release:

Longtime local business the Toy Barn is closing its doors at the end of this month in anticipation of Wal-Mart's opening later this year.

After more than 15 years in the Bayshore Mall, owner Sandy Powell faced the tough decision of closing the business after learning that Wal-Mart will be opening a few stores down from the family owned toy store.

"The mall has treated us well over the years but with the opening of Wal-Mart we feel as if we cannot survive, so we are relocating online to be able to still serve our loyal customers and keep the store alive."

Powell opened her fist business, Blackberry Creek, in 1998 and has since become a staple in the community, opening stores such as 9 Months Later and the Toy Barn.

While closing the location at the Bayshore Mall was not in the plans, Powell feels that moving the store onto Amazon.com will give her business more opportunity to grow.

"Moving the store onto Amazon will allow me to sell a more broad range of items and be able to reach more people. I can take what people loved about all the stores I have had and sell it in one convenient place. We understand that sometimes online shopping can seem impersonal as there is no 'face-to-face' interaction; we will miss the opportunity to stand across the counter from you and personally thank you for your purchase but hope that you will continue your support by shopping with us online."