Far from the Glory Days of brick-and-mortar, these Charlotte retailers defy the odds
“Wildly successful.” That’s how JD Harris described the opening of his new store, Glory Days Apparel, this past weekend in the heart of South End.
Glory Days creates nostalgic Charlotte apparel. Harris wants the clothes to be conversation starters and memory makers.
After four years of online sales and pop-up stores, the owner opened his store Saturday to a line of customers, also known as “fans.”
“It was incredible. I’m so grateful for all of our fans,” Harris said. “There was a line down the entire block to get in when we opened, and it stayed slammed throughout the day. They lined up and waited. That means so much for people to be that dedicated.”
The not-so glory days of retail
The coronavirus pandemic is being called “catastrophic” for American small businesses, especially when it comes to retail stores.
It seems almost weekly another high-profile retailer files for bankruptcy protection. S&P Global Market Intelligence has tracked 43 retail bankruptcy filings so far this year. That’s more than eight of the past 10 years, and we still have four more months to go in 2020.
Even prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, economists predicted doom and gloom for brick-and-mortar stores.That’s why the timing seems highly unusual for a couple of Charlotte small businesses to open their first physical stores.
“Haha, wasn’t planned that way,” chuckled Harris. “The process of looking and actually closing the deal on a store happened well before the pandemic occurred.”
While bucking the retail trend, Harris isn’t alone.
A couple of doors down in the same Centro Railyard building, CLT Boutique also held a grand opening celebration this past weekend. The boutique is most well known for its iconic glamper that you’ve also seen at pop-ups across Charlotte.
“After growing my business for several years, the natural next step was to have a physical store,” owner Britt Gooding said in a CharlotteFive article in March. “It has always been my ultimate ‘shoot for the stars’ daydream goal.”
These daydreams quickly turned into a nightmare for these entrepreneurs as they prepared to open their stores with so much uncertainty surrounding restrictions from the coronavirus.
“It’s not anyone’s preference to open during a pandemic, but we’re going forward with the hand we’re dealt. Everyone is dealing with the complications and hardships of this thing, and all we can do is worry about the things we can control with our store,” Harris said.
Trading his suit for a T-shirt
The story of how Glory Days started is about as nostalgic as the shirts the owner sells. Harris moved to Charlotte in 2005 and worked in the financial industry for about 10 years.
“I just wasn’t fulfilled in what I was doing, so I decided to take initiative in doing something that made me happy,” Harris said. “I’ve always had an appreciation for nostalgia and clothing. I feel that everyone has at least one or two shirts that has a memory attached to it for that person, and I wanted to help celebrate that for people and create new memories in our clothing.”
We all have that T-shirt we pull out when heading to “social distance” with our neighbors. It’s that shirt that says I really didn’t try to get dressed up, but I did.
Harris proudly admits his products are created by the people of Charlotte.
“It’s their spirit and energy that drives this brand. It’s their passion for our brand and products that inspires our creativity and wanting to create products that make them proud of our brand and representing Charlotte,” Harris said.
Save it or shave it?
In his four years in business, Harris has created a strong connection with the community helping multiple nonprofits with fundraisers.
“Glory Days Apparel wants to do more than just make shirts. We want to give back to our community that is so good to us,” Harris said.
The company has already created specialized T-shirts for CLT Strong, Habitat for Humanity of Charlotte, Brooks Sandwich House and now the Jeff Gordon’s Children’s Foundation. The company is in the middle of its “Save It or Shave it” campaign where donors to JGCF get to vote on whether Harris gets to save his freshly grown mullet and dye it blonde or shave it. Those who vote are also entered to win a prize pack. Voting on the #GLORYiousMullet campaign ends Aug. 15.
More than just a T-shirt
For a city that often struggles with its identity and a seeming lack of respect on the national front, Harris hopes to change that with his T-shirt designs.
“This weekend’s awesome turnout was a big indication of our brand’s reach and ability to unite fans,” Harris said. He hopes it helps to unite the city, as well.
As demand built for his product, Harris realized his dream of opening an actual store would become a reality. He also hopes his story will inspire others to chase their own dreams.
“I think the response has always been one of admiration for having the courage to take a risk on doing something I was so passionate about,” Harris said. “Early on, there were people that I’m sure were concerned for me taking such a gamble on myself but since have been so proud of where the brand has gone and my own personal growth. It’s my hope that I can help inspire others to follow their dreams.”
Glory Days Apparel
1425 Winnifred St.
Mon-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday, noon-5 p.m.
CLT Boutique
1425 Winnifred St.
Mon-Thursday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Fri-Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
This story was originally published August 4, 2020 at 3:57 PM.
