Footwear Insight

26 • Footwear Insight ~ November/December 2021 footwearinsight.com with our accountant that the time was coming when we'd have to run a GOB and retire, or do something dramatic. We chose the latter." The Reyers team began searching for a new location three years ago, looking in neighboring towns, attempting to stay in Pennsylvania, but nothing panned out. Eventually, the team found the answer 25 minutes to its west, in Ohio, at the Eastwood Mall. "is mall was hailed as the single best mall in Ohio," says Jubelirer. "We took a look, and found a fabulous 14,000 square foot room, brightly lit, bright white, just recently abandoned. We'd feel a little cramped to be sure, but it seemed perfect otherwise. Tons of traffic and destination stores surrounding the mall and within the mall. And traffic was what we craved." e Reyers team was in the middle of negotiations for the mall location when the pandemic hit, delaying the deal for a year, before they revisited the idea in February, 2021. From there things moved quickly — Reyers had relocated and opened for business by August, 2021, bringing every one of their 30 employees along with them. "Leaving Sharon aer 134 years was heart-wrenching, but setting up shop in a viable new venue was life-affirming," says Jubelirer. "We see plenty of our old, loyal customers still, and many more fresh new ones. And we shall learn what this new marketplace demands of us and we shall give it to them." Sustained Success So how does a family-owned, independent store manage to survive and thrive for 100+ years? Connecting with the community, for a start. "We have advertised like crazy over many decades, so the local marketplace knows our name," says Jubelirer. e community also knows the store for its local philanthropy and its staff, who the store owners describe as "great and caring." Reyers does not sell online, though customers can call in toll free and have items shipped. Jubelirer bluntly says he detests e-commerce. "And I really hate it when my vendors sell directly to my customers," he adds. A s for c u r rent c ha l lenge s , w h i le inventory and supply chain issues are top-of-mind, the Reyers team feels ready for what's next. "Our buying team geared up to do more business in Q3 and Q4 any way, since we were moving to the mall," says Jubelirer. "So we bought plenty of product and placed more backups… Reyers has plenty of product. And we're raring' to go." When it comes to Q4, Jubelirer says he is "excited as all get out." Why? "We're in a mall," he exclaims. "And malls major in fourth quarters." As for the biggest lesson of 2021, Jubelirer says it's simple. "is past year has taught us to just keep going. Stay ambitious. Stay in the game. Take care of your staff. And take care of the customer." n GOLD MEDAL SERVICE AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE 2021 When Reyers moved its store a short distance across state lines earlier this year, all of its staff stayed on board. "We see plenty of our old, loyal customers still, and many more fresh new ones. And we shall learn what this new marketplace demands of us and we shall give it to them."

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