Pants and suits currently hanging in the Hofeller, Hiatt and Clark store last week. The longtime downtown Lima business will close soon.
LIMA — The closing of Hofeller, Hiatt and Clark, a 125-year-old men’s clothing store, signifies the end of an era for the business and the Lima community it served.
The store has been a mainstay in Lima’s downtown, providing formal and casual attire to generations of men throughout the region. The closure serves as a reminder of the changing times and the impact that technology and shifting consumer behavior can have on traditional brick-and-mortar retail businesses.
Hofeller, Hiatt and Clark, a regional retail mainstay since 1898, will sell its entire inventory and close its doors, co-owners Phil Osmon and Jim Gaugh said.
“We’re sad to say that we will be closing after 125 years in business, but it’s been a great run,” Osmon said in a statement. Osmon retired last year after more than 55 years with the company, starting as an employee before becoming an eventual owner.
Hofeller Hiatt and Clark, located 237 N. Main St., will hold its public closing sale from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. The store’s hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday until the remaining inventory is sold.
For more than a century, the store has been on Main Street in Lima, witnessing a thriving downtown, watching businesses moving away from downtown to a reemerging downtown today. Generations of families shopped there, creating a strong bond between the store and its patrons.
The store has also been a source of employment for many people over the years, providing a livelihood for those who have worked there. Osmon has worked at the store for 56 years beginning in the mid-60s.
“We’ve had a lot of customers that have been very kind and complimentary and wished us well, and that’s nice to hear,” Osmon said. “It’s always a pleasure to have people say that you will be missed and that you were appreciated. I don’t think we did anything special. I think we just did what we thought you were supposed to do – good service, take care of the people and treat people the way you would want to be treated if you went into a store – and it kind of worked out.”
While the store has survived and thrived through decades of economic ups and down and changing consumer tastes, Osmon said he and Gaugh have been fortunate that business has been fairly steady during their tenure. Men’s fashion has become more diverse and inclusive over the last 125 years, with a wider range of styles and options available to suit different tastes and body types. Suits with skinny ties were fashionable when Osmon began working at the store. Now men’s fashion has taken a more casual stance, but the store has adapted.
Walking away briefly after working 55 years, Osmon was able to experience a brief retirement.
“The first retirement was very nice, During the summer months, I enjoyed that and had a good time,” he said. “So I’ll look forward to doing it again. I’ll keep retiring until I get it right. I don’t know how many chances I get.”
He realized this time that walking out the door will be different. Saying goodbye to a business institution can be a difficult and emotional experience, especially if it was an important part of your life and work.
“The last time we had sold the store as well as the property, or thought we had, and that unfortunately didn’t happen,” Osmon said. “So we had to come back. But when we walked out, then we knew the store was going to be here. This time when we walk out, it will be a little different because Hofeller’s will not be here. So that’ll be quite different from the last time.
“It’s bittersweet, obviously, because we’re looking forward to retirement. We’ll hate seeing Lima without Hofeller’s because it’s been here for 125 years.”
Reach Dean Brown at 567-242-0409
