Iconic Baltimore clothing store closing after 57 years

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    Baltimore, MD (WBAL) — After more than five decades in business, a west Baltimore clothing store is hanging it up in part because of the coronavirus pandemic. The owner said they will miss their customers the most.

For Robbie Silverman, it has been 57 years of the family business — baby shoes, kids’ clothes and school uniforms.

But now, with Jerry, the store’s namesake, in poor health and a changing retail landscape, the decision to shut down Jerry’s Bargains was necessary.

“Everything in its time. Things were slowing down a little bit. COVID didn’t certainly help. The closing of Lexington Market didn’t help. So, we made the decision after 57 years to quietly go out and start anew,” Silverman said.

Silverman runs Jerry’s Bargains on West Lexington Street with his sister, Linda. He said the bulk of their business is school uniforms, and with kids learning virtually, few are shopping. Customers like Beverly Gregory will miss the store once it is gone.

“I have shopped here for years for my granddaughters. Now, I have a great-granddaughter. And the prices are always nice, and the selection is fabulous,” Gregory said.

“I don’t consider customers, customers. I consider them friends. They know me as Little Jerry. I’ve been Little Jerry since I’ve been 10 years old. They don’t know me as Robbie. They know me as Little Jerry,” Silverman said.

Silverman said closing will be bittersweet, saying goodbye to an old-fashioned way of doing business and goodbye to what became a family tradition.

“This was everything. This was our livelihood. My father started with nothing. He started his own business and he’s been successful because he does it right,” Silverman said.

Silverman said he doesn’t have an official date of closing. He’s hoping to sell out of all of the merchandise before officially closing the doors.

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