In the era of online shopping and big box stores, a general store is, well, dated.

Davoll's, American's longest continuously operated general store, has seen its inventory change over the years but is still very much a general store. Shelves once lined with grain and farming equipment now hold antiques, gifts and books. And that feels likely to continue even as owner Joseph Glennon tries to sell the business.

“It was a general store when we first started. All they had was grocery store items, hardware and they sold some blue jeans. That’s it. From that, we evolved slowly,” said Glennon.

This evolution trended toward gifts, including Byer’s Choice figurines and other Christmas ornamentation. A shed that adjoins the main rooms of the store was renovated, and the supply of grain, sawdust and hay that occupied the space was replaced with clothing and collectibles.

“When we became a non-agrarian society, they had to do something to keep the store going, and they really liked collectibles,” said Marjorie Souza, who’s worked at the store for 13 years. “At that time, people were into collectibles — not so much anymore.”

Turning to the future, Souza said certain items are trending right now, and the shopkeepers plan to adjust inventory accordingly. This includes phasing out figurines and clothing to make way for a more robust antique collection, which she said is a big hit with summer tourists.

Currently, the old house behind the shop, where Raymond Davoll used to lived with his wife and four children, has been transformed into an antique showroom. The old kitchen and pantry way are now filled with Depression-era glass and porcelain dishware.

While the store still carries candy, soda, sweets and coffee, Souza said the grocery section has been greatly reduced. Throughout the store, shoppers can find baskets of yarn and fabric.

“A lot of people have gotten back into knitting, and quilting has become popular again,” Souza said. “Timing is everything. You have to evolve.”

While consumer trends are ever-changing, Glennon said the store has experienced some bigger adjustments in the past year. In May 2014, the postal service that shared space inside the shop left. More recently, Glennon decided to sell the shop.

Glennon can’t predict how new owners might change the store or change inventory, but he said Davoll’s will continue operations in the historic Russells Mills Village for the foreseeable future. He hasn’t received any offers yet, but he said three or four different groups are considering buying the space.

“I hope that somebody will take it over and keep the character that it has now,” Glennon said, noting that the building had been used as a general store since 1793.

Until that time, he intends to continue the store’s long history of changing with the needs and trends of shoppers.