After 60 years of providing quality shoes and clothing, a well-known family-owned business in St. Thomas, Ont., is closing its doors due to the growth of online shopping.
Mugford’s Shoes & Clothing, which once had eight stores in the London area, will shut its last location at the end of August.
The shop at 429 Talbot St. is coming to a close during a time when big-box retailers and online shopping dominate the market. However, co-owners emphasize that it thrived on personal connections with customers through in-store service, custom fittings by knowledgeable staff, and a focus on current fashion trends.
The business was founded in 1965 by Donald Mugford, who passed away eight years ago at the age of 81, along with his wife Merle. Over time, they expanded to include locations in London’s Richmond Row-one of which closed in 2020-and another at Westmount Mall that shut down earlier this year.
CBC News visited Mugford’s this week as Donald’s and Merle’s daughters, Patti and Jodi, worked on selling off the remaining inventory. Both have fond memories of growing up around the store.
“We have been thinking about it for a while,” Patti said regarding their decision to close. “COVID truly affected us and the rest of the retail world, and we’re getting older. We want to do other things and the face of retail has changed drastically.”
This significant change includes an increased shift towards online shopping that has impacted all retailers-even larger ones.
“We’re old school,” said Patti. “We still measure your feet. People come in, they sit down, they want us to put their shoes on for them. That’s us-that’s where we come from.”
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Patti Mugford, left, and her sister Jodi in front of 429 Talbot St., which is now for sale. (Kate Adach/CBC News)
The shoe store felt like home for them as kids growing up.
“We were always in the store-probably since I was 11 years old-answering telephones on Saturdays, and we always came up here after school,” said Patti.
Patti shared her frustration over recent years when helping customers only to see them buy from an online retailer instead.
“They put the shoes on-they fit great-they say ‘I’m going to think about it,’ and then next thing you know they’re taking a picture and buying it online. It’s happened numerous times.”
Patti recalled how hard their parents worked at the store. They traveled to Europe for buying trips to ensure their stock kept up with trends and even created their own product lines.
“He would design the shoes with his customer in mind,” said Patti about her father Donald. “I’m sure there are still people around London and St. Thomas who have shoes labeled ‘Donald Mugford’ hanging out in their closets.”
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Donald Mugford Shoes opened at 429 Talbot St. in 1965. (Kate Adach/CBC News)
Even though they’re closing their business, Patti feels optimistic about St. Thomas’s future with plans for an electric vehicle battery plant set to open within two years.
The family still owns the building that’s currently for sale-a chance for another family to take over and create new traditions.
“I think St. Thomas is going to boom,” she said. “And there are tons of young families here now. We would encourage a family to come take over our store; there will always be room for it.”
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