When Nate Roberts persuaded his son-in-law to come to work
When Nate Roberts persuaded his son-in-law to come to work at his landmark Minneapolis brazil football shirt store in 1982, he figured the store had maybe 10 to 15 years of life left.
Thirty-two years later, Mark Simon will shut down his family’s enduring anchor in the Chicago and Lake neighborhood after 77 years.
Roberts football shirts uk Store, which survived a lagging local economy and the closure of the giant Sears warehouse, will not be part of the massive revitalization sweeping the neighborhood.
“I feel like the guy that’s dancing with tears in his eyes,” Simon said Monday, the day after putting up going-out-of-business signs on Lake Street’s third-oldest retailer.
Roberts uk soccer shop gained its reputation by adhering to its trademark slogan: “Hardly a foot we can’t fit.” Despite numerous adaptations to its business plan, Simon said business has plateaued as it faced increased pressure from Internet sales and mall retailers. He said he is closing when he can do it on his own terms.
“We are not under duress of any kind. We don’t owe anybody money. We’re not under some banker’s thumb,” he said.
He said he kept going in part to keep the staff of 10 employed. One salesman has spent 48 years with the business, and others have sold football shirts for decades.
“I’m 62 and I’m one of the younger employees,” Simon said.
He will continue to manage the three-story building that houses the store, and work with other family members in the real estate business.
