Of all the stores that have closed in New Jersey, I rarely feel I have to write a love letter to one.

I certainly won’t write a love letter to Bed Bath & Beyond because I’m not sorry about their slow demise. I’m of those people that always felt I could get a better deal elsewhere, and even though it was a fun store to shop in, I couldn’t help thinking that I could get the same thing at Marshall’s for less.

Not to mention those coupons. OMG those coupons. It really bothered me that you could basically have one thousand 20% off coupons, which just proved that everything in the store was marked 20% more than it needed to be.

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I have 20% Bed Bath and Beyond coupons in my glove box, in my nightstand, in my purse, and in my kitchen junk drawer. So, no. I’m not sorry to see them go.

But they're a subsidiary store, Harmon. When they announced they were closing all of their stores ..OMG. If you’re a guy reading this, I don’t think you can relate (although they had plenty of things that men would appreciate.)

All the first aid, the pain relievers, shaving stuff that the big pharmacies have plus household items and the like.

But women were the real Harmon suckers. And I was one of them. It was kinda like the “Target 100,” my name for the experience of shopping at Target where you can’t walk out spending less than 100 bucks.

Originally called Harmon Discount Health and Beauty and then later Harmon Face Values, it’s now just known casually as Harmon. Whatever the name, the store draws you in with its zillion cool little items. And for health and beauty fanatics like me, I could spend an entire day loading up my basket in my local Harmon.

It was like a CVS without the pesky photo center, prescription counter, groceries aisles, (although they did sell some really good snack items.)

But when it came to shampoo, cleansers, body wash, makeup and makeup-related accessories, it was heaven.

And it wasn’t like Sephora or Ulta where you could blow your whole paycheck. It was all the really good drugstore displays and at better-than-drugstore prices too.

But you could also pick up an umbrella, a cute little lunch bag, and a plethora of little organizational containers that you wish you were organized enough to use. In the season, they would even carry cool little shoulder-carry beach chairs.

Before any kind of travel, Harmon was a must-visit for travel, size, bottles, travel cases, makeup organization, bags, sunscreen, even a cute sun hat. If you like browsing, Harmon was the store for you.

I’m going to miss it. I know a lot of other New Jersey women, and some men will, too. And I guarantee you never had 100 oversized Harmon 20% off coupons littering the back of your car.

Harmon isn't the only iconic store to go defunct.

15 Iconic Retail Stores That Don't Exist Anymore (But We Totally Miss Shopping At)

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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12 NJ stores your parents shopped at that are gone now

One of the Top 50 Candy stores in the US is right here in Jersey

Black River Candy Shoppe in Chester New Jersey was selected in Food Network Magazine's “America’s 50 Best Candy Stores” a couple of years back and the story went viral online earlier this year.

I decided to take a trip down there for myself to see what they had to offer. Right, when you walk in you feel like you are Charlie about to take over the chocolate factory. Black River Candy Shoppe is a cute little candy shop offering hundreds of different types of candy.

They have old-school childhood candy as well as an incredible selection of newer candy varieties. Candy is displayed in old whiskey barrels, and a lot of their candy is sold in bulk by the pound. It is located in downtown Chester right off of Main Street. Check out the photos from my recent visit:

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