Beloved Allentown jewelry and present shop ending brick-and-mortar functions soon after 68 yrs | Try to eat, Sip, Store

ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A longstanding Lehigh Valley retailer is bidding farewell to its bodily store and transitioning to a only on line organization.

C. Leslie Smith, a silversmith store known for its handcrafted jewelry and gifts, is setting up to close its retailer at 311 S. Cedar Crest Blvd. in Allentown by Monday, operator Charles Leslie Smith III mentioned.

The small business, founded in 1955 by Smith’s late father, Charles Leslie Smith Jr., will carry on providing things on its web site, which is finding revamped in the coming months.

On C. Leslie Smith, Inc.’s Facebook web site, Smith on Thursday announced the retail store dropped its lease and all objects have been discounted 50% to 70% off their primary price ranges.

He attributed the selection to conclude brick-and-mortar operations to a few variables, like a transforming retail local climate that has an growing selection of clients procuring on line and ongoing discord with the purchasing center’s landlord.

“We’ve been battling with this landlord for a even though,” Smith said. “We observed the composing on the wall. We just didn’t assume it to take place really so abruptly.”

A spokesperson for Toronto-based Slate Grocery REIT, which owns the searching centre, did not quickly return a concept seeking comment.

C. Leslie Smith was recognized in 1955, when Charles Leslie Smith Jr. resolved to changeover from a teaching job in cherished steel craft at the Philadelphia University of Art to a whole-time gig building exceptional silver jewelry, in accordance to a historic account on the business’ web site.

The initial retail outlet was situated in the lessen stage of a barn in Allentown’s West Close, in the vicinity of Trexler Park.

The business’ handcrafted silver and gold jewellery, that includes an artistic aptitude and “refreshing tactic to design, body weight and top quality,” grew to become increasingly well known, major C. Leslie Smith to outgrow a couple of other Allentown areas before it settled into a 2,200-square-foot room at 921 Hamilton St., in the coronary heart of downtown Allentown, in 1963.

This Hamilton Street area was the business’ foundation of functions for more than 30 decades, and several now-shut satellite suppliers had been opened through the late 1960s and early 1970s, which include locations in downtown Bethlehem and Peddler’s Village in Buckingham Township, Bucks County,

In 1982, Charles Leslie Smith Jr. noticed an chance to open a new satellite keep at Village West, a then-new strip shopping mall at Cedar Crest Boulevard and Tilghman Avenue in South Whitehall Township.

This keep swiftly surpassed the declining sales of the downtown Allentown retail outlet, top to the 1995 conclusion to move out of Center City Allentown and target solely on the recently expanded Village West shop.

Pursuing Charles Leslie Smith Jr.’s death in 2008, the business enterprise was handed to his son, who experienced been heading operations considering the fact that all over 1998.

In 2014, Charles Leslie Smith III and his wife, Nadine Smith, moved the retail outlet yet again to its latest locale in The Outlets at Cedar Place for more area.

“We are hoping that this will be a transient hiatus ahead of we can start up all over again,” Charles Leslie Smith III mentioned of the store’s future closure. “We have obtained to keep up with the occasions, and sad to say, brick-and-mortar suppliers have sort of went the way of the dinosaurs. Issues have altered more than the decades, especially immediately after COVID, with men and women purchasing on the internet extra.”

Subsequent the business’ on the internet announcement on Thursday early morning, an inflow of shoppers came into the shop to take gain of the discounts and extend warm wishes to the Smiths.

Indivduals also commented on the business’ Fb article.

“So extremely sorry to hear this!” just one human being wrote. “I have shopped C Lesley Smith due to the fact the 70’s! Hamilton St place.”

“Sorry to listen to these kinds of news, all attractive points you both had in the shop,” a further man or woman commented. “Wishing you both of those the extremely finest on whichever the future chapter will be.”

C. Leslie Smith is recognised for its handcrafted jewellery, primarily its silver items.

The small business also carries other artisan wares, such as pottery and hand-blown glass creations.

“Seventy to 80% are created in the United states of america,” Charles Leslie Smith III explained. “We do have some imports.”

C. Leslie Smith’s storewide sale will proceed all over the weekend, with the retail outlet opening at 10 a.m. and remaining open “right until people today prevent coming in,” Charles Leslie Smith III mentioned.

“We’ve experienced a quite faithful and wonderful shopper foundation around the years,” he additional. “We are quite, really grateful for all of their patronage.”