After 33 years, the Lasalle Uniform Shoppe in North Bay is closing.
Owner Andrew McLeod says declining sales are the reason.
Lasalle Uniform Shoppe began operations in North Bay in 1985 when McLeod bought Angel`s Uniform and Maternity Shop.
Angel`s in turn had been in business for 40 years.
McLeod re-named the business to reflect the name of the family run business in Sudbury.
McLeod says policy changes in how hospitals cover their employees’ uniforms and school policies on dress codes impacted the local shop.
He says for example the hospital nowadays provides scrubs to several departments.
“So in ICU you get free clothes,” he said.
“Before this in the past, nurses had to come to my shop or a competitor to buy their own uniforms.”
May 15th is the last day for Lasalle in North Bay.
Leading up to that time, shoppers expecting to find bargains will be disappointed.
“Starting Tuesday I’ll be loading up my van and transporting uniforms to the Sudbury shop,” McLeod said.
McLeod is keeping the Sudbury shop open because it’s holding its own and has not seen a drop in sales.
He says closing the local shop was not an easy decision to make.
However from a family point of view it gives McLeod and his wife Jackie more time to pursue other interests.
McLeod says they’ll be semi-retired because the Sudbury shop will see him drop by a couple of days a week.
McLeod said before deciding to close the North Bay location, he did try to sell it.
However he says there were no takers.
