Era ends in Whitman: Joubert's Clothing will close after 59 years as a downtown institution

By Debbie Seele, Enterprise correspondent

WHITMAN — After 59 years as a Whitman institution, Joubert's Clothing is closing its doors, leaving residents saddened by the loss of the family owned and operated clothing store in the center of town.

"I'll probably never walk into another clothing store where someone will say, 'Hi Nancy, how are you today?' " said Nancy Feakins of Whitman.

"They shouldn't be sad," said Edward Joubert. "It's been a lot of years and we have to look at it positively."

Joubert said closing the store was a difficult decision, but a realistic choice after years of competition from larger chain stores, and people getting more used to traveling out of their downtown area to shop.

"In order for us to survive, we can't be a general family clothing store. You have to specialize. For me, it was the right time to move on," said Joubert. "I have a lot to be thankful for and I'm proud of what I and my family have done, but it is time for us to go on to something new."

Joubert said he looked into the possibility of specializing in just one kind of clothing, but after 40 years of working in retail, he decided the move was not right for him or his family.

Instead, Joubert worked out a lease deal with Family Dollar Stores that will enable him to retain ownership of the building and lease two-thirds of the space to the discount store chain. He will maintain an office and reconfigure the rest of the retail space for a new tenant by spring.

"I had to look at what to do to survive and go forward, and I had to decide what was the right thing to do," said Joubert.

But the closing of a business feels personal to many people who can't remember a time when Joubert's wasn't a part of Whitman center.

"I was absolutely stunned. It is sad. It is the end of an era. They have been here forever," said Mary Beth Carter, 43, of Whitman.

Carter began working at Joubert's in her junior year of high school in 1978 and stayed on to become the buyer of women's clothing until 1985.

"I was employed by Joubert's as a buyer and manager for seven years and was always proud of their wonderful reputation and excellent service," said Carter. "The closing of such a high-quality, family-owned business will be a great loss to Whitman as well as surrounding communities."

Longtime employee Natalie Powell's "Hi, hon" greeting to customers entering the women's department has been part of Joubert's charm since the late 1970s. Powell now works just one night a week and said the closing is hard to get used to.

"It's like another chapter in my life is gone. It got me through a big part of my life," said Powell, who grew up on Lantz Avenue.

Powell remembered shopping at Joubert's with her high school friends when it was a men's store.

"I can remember going to Joubert's in high school in the 1960s to buy felt belts and sweaters for boys. And they were known for their Barracudas. That was their main thing," said Powell.

Both Carter and Powell said service was the hallmark of Joubert's, whether it was the free gift wrapping at Christmas or the wine-and-cheese nights when the store helped men shop for the women in their lives.

"We would wrap and deliver $1,000 orders, and I remember delivering to Mrs. Thrasher on Harvard Street. You did these little extra things," said Powell.

Joubert said that whether small stores can survive in downtown areas depends on the people who live there.

"It is going to depend on how people want to shop, if they want the service and personal attention," said Joubert.

Life was different in 1945 when George Joubert opened a men's clothing store in Whitman center, just after the war when goods were in scarce supply. The store was located across the street from its current location.

The store was a success at a time when people flocked to their downtown areas to shop and socialize.

"Friday nights were a social event," said Joubert. "We had several small restaurants and ice cream fountains. It was a different way of life."

Over the years the store thrived and expanded, with George's children — David, Mike, Ann and Edward — involved in running the business.

Eventually Edward took over as sole owner and operator, and his children are now in high school.

In 1969, Joubert's bought the First National grocery store and moved to its current location.

Whitman police officer Frank O'Rourke worked at the store then and remembers helping move the store to its current location at 661 Washington St.

"I remember cleaning out freezers from downstairs," said O'Rourke. "Working for the family was fun. I got clothes for a discount and I got a lot of nice clothes. I got the money to get my first car."

In 1979, the Jouberts purchased the Wales-Anderton funeral home and Winnfreds Dress Shop next door and added the women's and children's clothing departments.

Then, people's shopping habits and options changed, Joubert said.

"We saw the advent of Mammoth Mart and Kings, and with suburban sprawl people got used to traveling further," he said. "You have to be a pretty large-volume store to survive in this market."

At Duval's Pharmacy at the other end of Whitman Center, the news of the store's closing hit hard Tuesday. Both Duval's and Joubert's are third-generation family businesses in Whitman.

"A woman just came in to buy Kleenex because she was crying when she saw the (going-out-of-business) signs there," said Craig Duval, 41.

"As long as I can remember, especially in the holiday season, people would be walking from one store to the other," said Duval. "We have always been friendly and it is just disappointing to see another family business go out of business."

Joubert's is also the place where Duval met his wife, Lisa, when she worked at the store.

"My wife worked in the women's department part-time there in college, and I'd go up there shopping," said Duval.

As for the addition of a Family Dollar Store, Duval wishes the owner the best of luck, but said it will be hard to have the same feeling for any business replacing Joubert's after all these years.

"I hope it does well, but it is just not the same as a family-owned, local business," said Duval.

Edward Joubert said he'll keep his office in the building, and will remain an active member on the Mutual Federal Savings Bank board of directors. Since Monday, he has been preparing for a liquidation sale set to begin today. Club members can still use their credits to buy items.

"It will be the biggest and best sale we have ever had," said Joubert. "We will take care of all of our customers for one last time and say goodbye. My family is proud. We've put a lot of blood and sweat into the store and it is something to be proud of."

©Brockton Enterprise 2004

 

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