Lenny's new store opens in Barre
Toolbox
By David Delcore Times Argus Staff - Published: April 7, 2005
BARRE – It's still a work-in-progress, but Mark McCarthy thinks folks will be pretty impressed when they check out Barre's newest anchor store.
"I know I am," McCarthy said Wednesday, surveying the spacious showroom that Lenny's Shoes & Apparel now calls "home."
"We're pretty proud of it," he said.
This week, Lenny's, a popular sportswear store that McCarthy's father, Lenny, opened on the southern end of North Main Street 15 years ago, made its much-anticipated move into newly renovated space located in the old Grand Union plaza.
McCarthy said the frenzied move from one end of North Main Street to the other was finished in less than three days. He "unlocked the doors" to the new store late Wednesday afternoon and planned to "open for business" first thing this morning.
"It has been quite the Herculean effort but it's come together nicely," McCarthy said hours before Wednesday's soft opening. "It's just what we had hoped."
It should be.
Lenny's half of what was once a local supermarket was completely gutted and renovated to McCarthy's specifications by the owners of the Brooks Pharmacy chain.
"They've been great to work with," McCarthy said of Brooks, which recently consolidated its two Barre pharmacies into the "super store" that now occupies the other half of the old Grand Union.
"Everything is new," he said, "The electrical, the air conditioning … they basically started from scratch."
As a result, McCarthy said he got a store that is designed to accommodate a growing business in what has evolved into a small family-owned chain. In addition to Barre, Lenny's now has stores in St. Albans and Williston.
For the past several years McCarthy had maintained there was nothing wrong with the Barre store that a few extra thousand square feet couldn't cure.
"It's amazing we squeezed as much as we did in there," McCarthy said of the old store, which had about 4,400 square feet of ground-floor retail space above a basement storage area.
"We had things crammed everywhere," he said. "Now, we finally have the room to really market what we have."
McCarthy pointed to the 900-square feet "concept area" that is dedicated exclusively to Carhartt merchandise. From coats and caps to jeans and shirts, there are extensive displays of Carhartt clothing that are tastefully arranged in an uncluttered way.
"As a customer you really get a chance to see what we have," McCarthy said.
The new store also features an expanded women's apparel area and prominently placed displays of children's clothing. McCarthy said both are designed to take advantage of two of the fastest growing sectors of the casual clothing market.
"A lot of this stuff we've always carried … you just had to look for it," he said. "Now it's all right out in the open."
McCarthy said he plans to monitor sales, consider customer requests, and "grow into" his new 8,500-square-foot showroom.
"There's still room to put a lot more in here," he said, adding: "That's my game plan."
Lenny's has always featured an extensive selection of athletic shoes, boots and other footwear, as well as sportswear, and casual clothing. McCarthy said that mix won't change.
"We're going to keep doing what we're doing," he said. "I think we're going to be able to do it better."
McCarthy said he believes customers will appreciate the carefully arranged and accessible displays, and the modern air of a store that features three computerized cash registers with room to add a fourth.
"We don't want people waiting in line," he joked.
McCarthy takes personal pride in the layout of the store, from the series of mezzanine offices built over the storage area to the elaborate wooden checkout counter that he designed and was crafted by Sparky Potter of Wood & Wood in Waitsfield.
"We've really tried to do this right," he said.
According to McCarthy, the new store, which will employ 10 full-time and eight part-time workers, will feature expanded hours. The store will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.
According to McCarthy, Lenny's will, at least temporarily, maintain a part-time presence on the other end of North Main Street by operating an outlet store at its old location. Starting next week, he said, the outlet store will only be open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays – providing the three-store chain with a place to sell its left-over merchandise at cut-rate prices.
McCarthy said he is committed to the concept for the next two months, but is seriously considering making it permanent.
"As long as it doesn't affect business here (at the new location) we'll continue it," he said.
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