UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio — After 57 years of operation and 32 years of current ownership, Jeff and Patty Brown have announced plans to retire and close Brown's Shoes.
"I started when I was 12, washing windows. I started selling shoes when I was 16. I'm now 67," Jeff Brown said.
Jeff's parents opened the store in 1964. He bought the business before his father passed away in 1990.
"Now it's time to take the money off the table and enjoy the rest of our lives," he said.
The "sit-and-fit" shoe store is one-of-a-kind in central Ohio. Jeff said he watched as similar stores like Easton Shoes close their doors as shopping moved from in-store to online.
"Unfortunately, the products and services that we provide are kind of a dying breed. It requires too much capital, too much labor and the return on investment is too low. So, most new businesses are not interested in this segment of the marketplace," Jeff said.
Brown's Shoes is a local favorite and has been there to provide the perfect fit for nearly six decades. The store is mostly aimed at senior citizens and other individuals who require orthopedic footwear. It has provided shoes for many generations, offering brands including SAS, Clarks and New Balance.
"We get people with lymphedema in here, we get people that have strokes, and things like that. So when you get a person that comes in and you can be helpful to them so they can walk, that makes the day," Patty said.
The good news about this is that shoes will be on sale through the end of the year when the store closes. While special orders remain at full price, in-stock items are discounted. They plan to sell everything before they close.
A retirement sale ad reads, "Due to our age, health, staffing and supply chain issues, now is the time to close this chapter in our lives and move onto full-time retirement."
As for what's next, Patty said they plan to spend more time traveling and visiting family.
"We love it. But it's just time for us to move on and retire," she said. "It'll be nice to travel. We kind of want to travel and go around the United States and see some of the state works and that sort of thing."
For more information about the store, click here.