Wein’s Closing a 108-Year-Old Era

Ron Wilshire

Ron Wilshire

Published September 24, 2019 11:35 am
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CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – The decision to begin closing a 108-year-old business was not due to financial reasons. Business was good, but it was time. They had run out of Weins.

A family business that opened more than 108 years ago after its owners fled religious persecution and massacres from the Czarist Russia is selling its entire inventory and closing its doors as owner Alan Wein announced his retirement on Monday after more than 50 years in the retail industry.

“It’s been a lifetime, and it’s all gone so fast,” said Alan Wein, whose grandfather and grand uncle co-founded the store. “The community has been so good to us. We couldn’t have survived 108 years without that support. We could go on longer, but we know it’s time and it’s very special knowing we’re closing on our own terms.”

Wein’s Clothing, located at 622 Main Street, will be open 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday during the sale. It will return to regular business hours until the remaining inventory is sold.

History of The Weins

To escape Russia, Wein’s great-grandparents had their nine children scattered throughout Europe.

Alan’s grandfather, Thomas, was just 13 years old when he was sent alone to Sweden, learning that country’s language on his own. He moved to Wisconsin because many Swedish immigrants at selected there and continue to speak their native language.

Several other Wein offspring also settled in the United States, including a sister in Reynoldsville and a brother in New York.

“My grandfather’s brother was a tailor. He and his brother wanted to get the family closer. Clarion was a train stop, and that’s how they ended here and opened the store in 1911,” Wein explained.

First called Bizarre Store, the name of the store was later changed to Wein’s Clothing.

Old Wein's

Ironically, after escaping Europe in search of a safer life and operating the local store for nearly seven years, Wein’s grandfather was the first man in Clarion County to be drafted into service for World War I. he was shipped to France, where he spent 18 months on the front lines. He suffered the effects of mustard gas poisoning but returned to Clarion after the war and resumed his role at the store until his death in 1941.

Wein’s grandfather had three sons and a daughter, and his brother also had three sons. All of the men in the close-knit family’s second generation became partners in the business, which eventually grew to two locations. Wein’s father, Maurice, was attending Penn State University when he met his future wife, Sybil, at a dance. After he graduated and they married, they both worked in the family business.

“Not only did all six of the first cousins work together, but their wives also worked in the stores,” Wein said. “I came along 65 years ago. I have two brothers and seven first cousins, but I was the only one who wanted to work in the family business.”

Wein recalled working with the entire family to clean and organize inventory on Sundays when he was just four or five years old. While still only a youngster, he grew eager to begin waiting on customers.

“I started out helping in the men’s area and would try to approach customers. People would say, ‘Aren’t you cute, are you going to work here?’  My uncle would show up to wait on them, and I got so upset with him because he took away my customer.”

Alan Wein Graduates from Pitt, Works at Kaufman’s Department Store

After graduating from Pitt, he went to work at the iconic Kaufman’s Department Store and had been there seven years when changes were brewing in the family business.

“One of my uncles have passed away, another had become ill, and my dad said, ‘What do you want to do? Are we going to sell this place or are you going to come back home?”

Wein Returns to Clarion in 1982

Wein returned to Clarion in January of 1982 and worked alongside his father until the latter passed away in 2003.

“We never had one disagreement about business, but we’d go home and argue about what to have for dinner,” he laughed. “It was a great way to grow up and a special life to be able to work with him and my mom in the store for so many years.”

He noted that the store’s success depended on the ability to adapt to many economic ups and downs, growing competition, and customers changing needs over the decades.

“We used to be a full-line soft goods store – Men’s, women’s children, shoes, bedding, fabric, work clothes, hunting clothes, and more. As other businesses took off, we had to narrow our focus and focus on things we hadn’t done before.”

The store’s success also depended on the skills and dedication of employees in a world customer base.

“My employees have been fabulous. Eric Faulk, our general manager, has been with us for 40 years. His mother worked for our business for over 30 years, and his grandmother worked for us for 20 years. LouAnn Spence has been with us over 30 years. All of our employees -– Eric, LouAnn, Cheryl McMurray, Debbie Thorpe, Sherry Levy, Tina Bauer, and Dan Sharrow — have taken such great care of our customers. I can’t say enough about our employees and customers. They’ve been the best.”

It is ironic that the four-day sale will be held at about the same time as the start of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. It is both a time of rejoicing and serious introspection, a time to celebrate the completion of another year while also taking stock of one’s life. Perfect timing as Wein looks at the next step in his life.

“The decision had nothing to do with financial things or the business climate; it’s a matter of timing, and there are no longer any Weins to continue the business.

“The staff is all older, too, and we took this into consideration. We started talking about this a year and a half ago. It just didn’t happen overnight. I knew five years ago, this day was going to come; it just came faster than I thought it would. My two sons never had any interest in continuing the business. I am here past 65, and it’s just time.”

Wein’s Sale, Future of the Building

Wein said he isn’t sure about the future of the building, and it is not yet officially for sale. There will be plenty to do after it closes in December, sorting out 108 years of history. Some will be donated to the Clarion County Historical Society and other organizations.

The store closing and sale this week is also drawing family members home, including Wein’s sons, brothers, cousins, and nephews.

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“They’re going to help. It’s pretty special. Even though they weren’t in the business, the name and the board still says Wein’s and they’re all Weins.”

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