At least in the crafting/fabric world.
Yesterday was my last day as an official employee of Beverly's. I didn't know what to expect when I got word I was only going to work 3 hours. An email went out on Monday saying everything was 90% off so figured it was going to be crazy.
Store had hand scrawled signs saying 'Store Closed' when I got there.
I took a few pictures and wished I had taken some of the last four of us that helped box everything up.
Not many people have the experience of closing a store down and after being there for 18 years, it was an emotional rollercoaster. I have had the privilege of working with the same manager and one of the most intuitive, understanding amazing women. Peggy Leslie was a manager for that store for 31 years. Let that sink in. How good does a company need to be that a manager of a retail store stays that long and loves her job? The work ethic that was passed down from the top to us through her was the key.
Now, we didn't have everything but what we had was enough for those that came in looking for what they needed. It was the smallest store and the furthest south location after many of the other stores had closed. That's also a testament to our location and Peggy as a manager working as many hours as possible to make the store successful.
It just wasn't enough though over the last four or five years of decreasing traffic and increasing costs, suppliers being bought up by the competition and general downturn of the crafting and sewing hobbies.
I have a wealth of skills both retail and crafting that I have learned as a result of working there and will carry them forward as part of the legacy I lived in that environment.
Here are some pictures of the tear down and as sad as that is, in the same day I got to meet up with Katie again and watch her being fitted for her wedding gown then we went out to dinner. That was the rainbow and sunshine after the grayness of the store being empty.
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