Clyde Hatch at Ease ending 90 years of business in Leamington

It’s been a tough couple years for Leamington, ON.

 
The historic Heinz plant closed two years ago which caused its citizens to worry about the future of their town. This week another long standing Leamington staple is closing their doors after over 90 years of business.

 

Clyde Hatch at Ease is the latest business to close in the small Southwestern Ontario town. The women’s clothing store on Talbot Road W. has been doing business since 1921.

 
The store’s owner Dean Short was deeply saddened when he realized he had to close the store.

 
“It hurt me because I love the town and I love the store,” said Short. “The store is beautiful but people just weren’t coming downtown.”

 

When the store opened in 1921 Canada was a very different place. The First World War had just ended, William Mackenzie King was prime minister and gasoline cost 30 cents a gallon.

 
Short owns two other clothing stores in Tecumseh, ON: a women’s boutique bearing the same name and the men’s retailer At Ease. Dean Short and his wife Debbie purchased Clyde Hatch in 2009 from Leamington natives Walt and Anne Dyck, adding the name of their men’s clothing store to the original name creating Clyde Hatch at Ease.

 

 

Three other downtown shops have closed down in the last month. The clothing store Mordrigal, Liddle Treasures antiques and collectibles and the Italian restaurant Sale e Pepe. Short credits Clyde Hatch’s longevity to its unique, high end merchandise.

 
“You have to be different than other people,” explained Short. “Clyde Hatch is different it’s an upper end store so anyone who wanted nicer merchandise would go to Clyde hatch.”
Some business owners may see Clyde Hatch’s closing as a bad omen for downtown Leamington, but Kris Smith, owner of ATO gaming on Mill St. isn’t too worried.

 
“They’ve been here for 90 years you don’t know if it’s time to retire or anything like that,” said Smith. “It also worries you a little bit because of the economy you don’t know how much it’s going to rebound back.”

 
Smith opened ATO Gaming in February 2014 and has been seeing steady business since. ATO is a trading card and hobby shop and the only one in Leamington. Smith credits the store’s success to offering a unique service and giving the customers what they want.

 
“Really you have to focus on what your market’s going to consist of, make sure you get a lot of advertising out there and just hopefully everyone just comes in,” said Smith.

 

“Just cater to the customer and you should be fine.”

 

Clyde Hatch will be closing at the end of February and having a going-out-of-business sale until their stock runs out. The property will be going up for sale after that giving other entrepreneurs a chance to make their mark on Leamington’s downtown core.