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Hernando Today

Local Big And Tall Clothing Store To Close Down

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By TONY HOLT

Hernando Today

Published: March 22, 2009

SPRING HILL - Thomas Rosenberger was buying clothes in bulk.

He visited the Big and Tall Men's Wear in Spring Hill during the weekend and stocked up on shorts, pants and shirts because he knew he wouldn't get another chance.

The store will probably close in less than a week.
Rosenberger will return to mail ordering the next time he goes shopping. He isn't thrilled about it.

"I'm quite disappointed," he said. "Now I don't know where I'm going to go."

The store, located at 4136 Commercial Way, opened in 1991, during another famous recession. There were many then who doubted the store would survive, but it established a loyal clientele early.

The industry has changed considerably since then. Several tall and husky men order their clothes online. The number of vendors has dwindled and fewer snowbirds and vacationers have shopped there during the past couple of years, said Kenny Chefan, 27.

Chefan runs the store, but his father, David, owns it. His failing health has kept him from being there day after day. His son also said that was a contributing factor in the store's decline.

He said his grandfather was a pioneer of the big and tall men's store business. He opened chains in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.

David Chefan wanted to manage one in Florida and made it happen in spite of the questionable timing.

"We're very personal and we know our customers," said Kenny Chefan. "We've been around for 18 years and we have lots of regulars."

His father not only owned the store, but the property. He is hoping to sell it.

Losing out on a specialty store means going back to the riskier days of buying clothes for Rosenberger, who lives in Fort Pierce. He loathes having to buy clothes from a catalogue. He prefers to try on pants before he buys them.

He has a 60-inch waist, but sometimes pants sizes vary. One 60-inch pair of slacks might fit perfectly while a same-sized pair made by another manufacturer would slide off his hips.

"It's very hard for people like me to find pants," he said.

The store, which will close Saturday, is selling its inventory for half price. Cash is accepted, but no credit cards.

One collared shirt was sold off the rack for less than $10 Saturday. No other store in Hernando County sells men's clothes that are size 4x or larger, Chefan said.

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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