12/09/2019
SQUIRE FINE MEN'S APPAREL TO SELL ITS INVENTORY
AND CLOSE DOORS AS OWNER RETIRES
BROOKFIELD, Wis. ‒ Squire Fine Men's Apparel will sell its entire inventory and close its doors as owner David Matsudaira winds down his decades-long career in the retail industry.
"It's been a good run. It's a very difficult decision but it's time,” Matsudaira said today. "It's time for me to start to divest."
The upscale clothier's retirement sale opens to the public on Thursday. Squire Fine Men's Apparel, 3885 North Brookfield Road, will be open 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday during the sale. It will return to normal business hours after the sale until the remaining inventory is sold.
Matsudaira started working in his father's men's clothing store, which opened in 1976. He worked the sales floor, acted as a buyer and helped manage the store during its 13-year run. His career took him next to The Bon Marche department store chain, which was founded in Seattle in 1890 and eventually came under the Macy's brand. During his 11 years at the venerable retailer, Matsudaira moved from the sales floor and a role in the buying department into a management role. He moved to Gottschalks, a Fresno, Calif., retailer, before joining the Bon Ton Stores in Milwaukee.
"When I was at Bon Ton, I was invited to be the president of Suiters a men's clothing store in Brookfield. We had record growth and profits during my first holiday season but the store's owner eventually needed to close," Matsudaira said. "Everything was sold to a liquidator, but I wanted to keep the store going and keep everyone employed. The community really needed a store like that. I bought the inventory I needed and the same retail space, hired the Suiters staff and opened Squire in 2011."
Matsudaira moved back to Seattle in 2016 when he acquired a stake in Butch Blum, the first European menswear specialty store in the Northwest that opened its doors in 1974. He brought in Timothy Smasal as president and general manager to lead Squire's day-to-day operations.
"Tim and our entire staff have done an exceptional job relating to customers and responding to their needs," Matsudaira said. "I appreciate everything they've done to deliver the stellar customer care that has been Squire's hallmark from our first day to our last. It's the reason we were voted the best men's store in southeast Wisconsin for a number of years."
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Matsudaira said his favorite memories all revolve around that commitment to customer care.
"Whether it was a ball player who can't exactly buy off the rack or anyone else with a challenging fit, the best memories for me were when they finally had something that was made for them. The look on their faces is priceless when that happens," he said. "When we've done something for a customer they've never experienced before and they leave with a smile on their face, that's a great feeling," he said. "Those are unquestionably the most satisfying moments."
While Matsudaira is looking forward to new challenges, more family time and a few more fishing trips on his schedule, he'll miss the connections with Squire's in-store and online customers.
"Our e-commerce business has been very hardy and we've had customers in all 50 states because we've been a true specialty store with brands and lines not available elsewhere. Although relationships built with customers around the country has been fantastic, the many wonderful customers with whom we've had the pleasure to build relationships and serve one-on-one in our Brookfield store have been the reason for our success year in and year out," he explained. "That's something I'm very proud of."
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