03.08
The one block stretch of Washington Street in downtown Brownsville is home to a half-dozen used and tiffany cufflinks clothing shops tucked neatly between Mexican restaurants. On a recent rainy weekday, the stores-all coincidentally owned by members of the Licona family-were conspicuously without customers.
“We’ve been super bad all summer long,” admitted Jeannette Licona, manager of Aylin’s Corner Shop. “We were hoping once school started and people got back on their feet, things would pick up.”
If anything, Jeannette added, things have gotten worse. Despite a tightening economy and its proximity to the University of Texas Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, many store owners in downtown Brownsville say business has hit an all-time low.
The financial crisis that has gripped Wall Street is being felt by consumers on Main Street, forcing consumers to change their behaviors in myriad ways, not the least of which is where they buy clothes. It has been widely reported that Goodwill Enterprises and the Salvation Army have witnesses record customer traffic.
Instead of dropping hundreds of the latest fashions, shoppers are spending their dollars on discount clothing. In some cities, the shift has thrust stores that depend on donations, like the Goodwill, into uncharted waters where demand could outpace inventory.
That has not been the case in Brownsville.
Jeannette opened her store nearly five years ago. At first, she envisioned a store that sold kitsch purses,tiffany money clips and accessories, but her merchandise didn’t sell at least enough to turn a profit. A few weeks ago, she introduced a couple rows of clothing in the hopes of attracting customers. So far it hasn’t.
“How long has it been slow?” Jeannette asked an employee. Neither could remember.
Jeannette is the pregnant mother of two and a student at UTB-TSC.
She says Aylins Corner Chop brings in just enough to pay the bills. To cut her losses, she asked her parents, who own Lusylette, a repo furniture store next door, to assume ownership of Alyin’s. Lusylette has not fared much better. A hand-written sign taped in the window announces that all patio furniture has been marked down 50 percent.
Once she completes her degree, there won’t be much incentive to keep her business going, Jeannette said.
Farther down the block, Lorena Licona runs Karry’s, a vintage and used clothing store.
Her story mirrors Jeannette’s: To minimize losses she leaves the air conditioner and lights off for as long as possible. She is also considering another option — subletting a portion of her store.
The infrastructure is already in place.
“I tried to sell new cloths, but they want name brands,” Lorena said.
Marta Gutierrez walked through the isles of Karry’s, shirts and pants folded over one arm. Winter clothes for my kids, she said.
From Matamoros, Gutierrez represents the majority of downtown shoppers, Lorena said.
“I’ve always bought downtown,” Gutierrez admitted. “It’s just more economic, and the quality is better.”
But earlier this week, Gutierrez was among less that six shoppers at Karry’s. She said Matamoros is not immune to a slowing U.S. economy. But that’s not the only problem, Guitierrez said. Long lines at the border and greater scrutiny from border agents have discouraged many from shopping in Brownsville.
Francisco Perez is owner of Rio Grande Store, a fabric and tapestry shop on Washington Street. He relies on his regular customers, but after 40 years of operating downtown, he said times have never been tougher.
The current environment is perhaps worse than the peso devaluation a generation ago, he added.
“When the peso devaluation hit, we could offer a discount and people would still buy,” Perez said. “tiffany pendants, with a discount, people aren’t buying.”
Perez said high rents only add to the problem.
“They want $4,500 a month,” he said, motioning to a vacant building across the street.
After a quick calculation, he said, “You’d have to make $375 per day just to pay the rent. That’s just for rent, not the air conditioner or anything else.”
Ask around and you’ll find the pressures are manifold, not the least of which is the discount superstore Ross, according to Christina Licona, owner of El Cid.
“(Customers) say why should I pay $7 for a used shirt when I can spend the same for a new and a name brand shirt at Ross?” Christina said.
When she opened for business 16 years ago, she fared well, even managing to owe taxes. However, there has been a steady decline dating back several years. Now, come tax time, she relies on her tax refund.
With the arrival of Ross, her business went from bad to worse.
“From one day to the next, everything changed,” she said.
Christina helped a customer zip the back of a lime green dress while describing the fundamental challenge hers and other vintage stores face.
In a different market, surely her store would be successful, but that’s not what most downtown shoppers are looking for, she said.
“People here want name brands,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s used as long as it’s a recognized label.”
Amid racks of vintage clothing and collectibles that crowd her shelves, it seems El Cid is the antithesis of Ross, which sells name brands at a discount.
Christina says she was raised to see the virtues of owning her own business, but her struggles have fueled her frustration and led her to counsel her kids to pursue higher education.
The future of El Cid is uncertain. She hopes to ride out the storm, but if sales continue their decline, changes could be in the offing.
“If things get worse?” Licona pondered for a moment before responding. “I guess I’ll go tiffany earrings at Wal-Mart.”