It’s a tough business, retail, but one close-knit Auburn family knows just how to keep going – even in the most trying of times.
A downtown business anchor, iconic Rottles Apparel & Shoes, remains a good fit for a community of loyal shoppers who grew up in size with the independently-operated store.
Rottles is a survivor, having withstood the test of economic times – doing so as swiftly and methodically as chasing the latest fashion trend.
Committed to the success of the downtown core, Rottles stands as the unmistakable, flag-bearing business on narrow Main Street. Considered the largest independent clothing store in the Green River Valley, there are few of its kind doing business in corporate, chain-heavy America.
Mention downtown shopping, you mention the familiar and trusted name. Shoppers continue to come from afar to buy a specialty item at the destination store.
Today, as it celebrates its 70th anniversary, the reputable store remains as true to its cause as it does to serving its generations of customers, many of whom are welcomed on a first-name basis. The store continues to offer something unique, something new – reliable brands in all kinds of wear.
It is that kind of flexibility that has served Rottles well over the years.
Really, there’s no secret formula to surviving the retail racket, and the Rottle family has followed a tried-and-tested game plan all these years.
“Really, it’s about listening to our customers,” said Jim Rottle, who co-manages the store alongside his twin brother, John. “We realize that the only thing constant is change, but we remain dictated by our customers. We listen to their needs.”
Added John: “I’ve learned that customer is king. If you treat them fairly, they’ll remember it.”
That approach and versatility helped sustain the store in its infancy. Today’s two-story store is a far cry from the retail shop the Rottles’ grandfather Abdo, a Lebanese immigrant, opened just down the block from the modern day site. Groceries, hardware and other necessities stocked the shelves during those lean years into World War II.
Several other Rottle brothers opened mercantile stores from Portland to Aberdeen, but only Abdo’s store survived.
In 1939, Abdo moved his family and his business to Auburn. It was a modest operation. The store occupied only 3,500 square feet and employed three.
Back then, credit was extended through a handshake, and Abdo worked aggressively to build his inventory and customer base.
When Abdo retired, his son Don took over the store in 1953. Nine years later, he moved the store from where the Auburn mini-mall stood to its current location.
Over time, Rottles became the go-to apparel store, carving out a family-friendly niche with its customers in the teeth of larger competition. In time, the store underwent renovations and grew from 8,000 to about 13,000 square feet in space. Its inventory also changed with the changing tastes of men and women shoppers.
Today, the store employs a staff of 30.
Just as Don did when he was young, John and Jim began to work for their father and learn the business from the ground up. As teenagers, they worked in receiving and swept floors.
After each went off to school and earned business degrees, they returned to help the family patriarch.
Don officially retired in 1997, but maintains a presence at the store, monitoring the procession of invoices, pricing and purchasing at the tender age of 85.
As third-generation proprietors, Jim and John are compatible and complementary. Jim excels at merchandising, and has a photographic mind when it comes to customers and what they have in their closets, John contends.
John, meanwhile, handles administrative duties.
Together, they work long and hard hours to keep the family tradition alive.
“We get along remarkably well,” John said. “We understand that business comes first when we are here. Our business is multi-faceted enough that we divide up the many responsibilities.”
Rottles has survived the times by making immediate changes, whether they be in inventory, merchandising or overhead. Such mom-and-pop retailers nationwide have seen national chains with big stores, large volumes and low prices invade their communities.
By acting quickly to changing conditions, Rottles has kept its doors open.
“It’s been an uphill battle to stay in business,” John said, “but we worked at it and bucked the trend of those family-owned-and-operated business that have closed.
“It’s a tough business,” John added. “There’s a lot of choices out there. The local markets are overstocked.
“It’s tougher than it’s ever been, but we pretty much have adjusted.”
And despite the sacrifices, the family continues to enjoy the business and the customers.
Some things will never change.
Rottles will remain grounded, a reliable place for quality sales, in a downtown ripe for new business.
“We feel we have a responsibility to the downtown and to our community,” Jim said. “The future of the downtown depends on local ownerships … and the support of the city.
“It’s been (quite a ride) but not without its sacrifices,” he said. “We would just like to thank those who supported us.”
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Celebration
• Rottles’ 70th anniversary:
• Location: 226 E. Main Street, Auburn
• Hours: 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday-Friday; 9:30-5:30 Saturday; noon-4 p.m., Sunday.
• Information: 235-833-2750, www.rottlesclothing.com
