diff --git a/src/zarr/abc/store.py b/src/zarr/abc/store.py
index 7771a10464..e74e13d95a 100644
--- a/src/zarr/abc/store.py
+++ b/src/zarr/abc/store.py
@@ -75,10 +75,6 @@ async def _open(self) -> None:
             raise FileExistsError("Store already exists")
         self._is_open = True
 
-    async def _ensure_open(self) -> None:
-        if not self._is_open:
-            await self._open()
-
     @abstractmethod
     async def empty(self) -> bool: ...
 
diff --git a/src/zarr/storage/local.py b/src/zarr/storage/local.py
index 1e1f3beec1..88b4d50cd9 100644
--- a/src/zarr/storage/local.py
+++ b/src/zarr/storage/local.py
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ def __init__(self, root: Path | str, *, mode: AccessModeLiteral = "r") -> None:
             root = Path(root)
         assert isinstance(root, Path)
         self.root = root
+        super().__init__(mode=mode)
 
     async def clear(self) -> None:
         self._check_writable()
diff --git a/tests/v3/test_buffer.py b/tests/v3/test_buffer.py
index 60816d764e..0ab5a69b80 100644
--- a/tests/v3/test_buffer.py
+++ b/tests/v3/test_buffer.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ async def test_async_array_prototype() -> None:
 
     expect = np.zeros((9, 9), dtype="uint16", order="F")
     a = await AsyncArray.create(
-        StorePath(StoreExpectingTestBuffer(mode="w")) / "test_async_array_prototype",
+        StorePath(await StoreExpectingTestBuffer.open(mode="w")) / "test_async_array_prototype",
         shape=expect.shape,
         chunk_shape=(5, 5),
         dtype=expect.dtype,
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ async def test_async_array_gpu_prototype() -> None:
 async def test_codecs_use_of_prototype() -> None:
     expect = np.zeros((10, 10), dtype="uint16", order="F")
     a = await AsyncArray.create(
-        StorePath(StoreExpectingTestBuffer(mode="w")) / "test_codecs_use_of_prototype",
+        StorePath(await StoreExpectingTestBuffer.open(mode="w")) / "test_codecs_use_of_prototype",
         shape=expect.shape,
         chunk_shape=(5, 5),
         dtype=expect.dtype,
diff --git a/tests/v3/test_config.py b/tests/v3/test_config.py
index 62907588c7..559ec350cc 100644
--- a/tests/v3/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/v3/test_config.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
     register_ndbuffer,
     register_pipeline,
 )
+from zarr.sync import sync
 from zarr.testing.buffer import (
     NDBufferUsingTestNDArrayLike,
     StoreExpectingTestBuffer,
@@ -199,8 +200,8 @@ def test_config_ndbuffer_implementation(store: Store) -> None:
 def test_config_buffer_implementation() -> None:
     # has default value
     assert fully_qualified_name(get_buffer_class()) == config.defaults[0]["buffer"]
-
-    arr = zeros(shape=(100), store=StoreExpectingTestBuffer(mode="w"))
+    store = sync(StoreExpectingTestBuffer.open(mode="w"))
+    arr = zeros(shape=(100), store=store)
 
     # AssertionError of StoreExpectingTestBuffer when not using my buffer
     with pytest.raises(AssertionError):
@@ -218,7 +219,7 @@ def test_config_buffer_implementation() -> None:
     data2d = np.arange(1000).reshape(100, 10)
     arr_sharding = zeros(
         shape=(100, 10),
-        store=StoreExpectingTestBuffer(mode="w"),
+        store=sync(StoreExpectingTestBuffer.open(mode="w")),
         codecs=[ShardingCodec(chunk_shape=(10, 10))],
     )
     arr_sharding[:] = data2d
@@ -226,7 +227,7 @@ def test_config_buffer_implementation() -> None:
 
     arr_Crc32c = zeros(
         shape=(100, 10),
-        store=StoreExpectingTestBuffer(mode="w"),
+        store=sync(StoreExpectingTestBuffer.open(mode="w")),
         codecs=[BytesCodec(), Crc32cCodec()],
     )
     arr_Crc32c[:] = data2d
diff --git a/tests/v3/test_indexing.py b/tests/v3/test_indexing.py
index 38ca24a7bb..fd5c78aa12 100644
--- a/tests/v3/test_indexing.py
+++ b/tests/v3/test_indexing.py
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ def test_get_basic_selection_0d(store: StorePath, use_out: bool, value: Any, dty
     slice(50, 150, 10),
 ]
 
-basic_selections_1d_bad = [
+basic_selections_1d_bad: list[Any] = [
     # only positive step supported
     slice(None, None, -1),
     slice(None, None, -10),