Lincks Clothing & Shoes celebrates 20th anniversary

One of the businesses here in Salem that serves as a staple in our community just turned 20 years old! While their actual anniversary was January 30, Lincks Clothing & Shoes (15 Public Square, Salem) is celebrating its 20th anniversary with festivities on January 31 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. So, while you are out and about for the grand opening of the new Marshall Monuments location just down the street, you can stop by and see the fine folks at Lincks Clothing & Shoes to help celebrate 20 great years of doing business in our great community.

Lincks Clothing & Shoes

Rita Lincks, owner of Lincks Clothing & Shoes, was kind enough to sit down with me to talk about the upcoming event as well as some history about the store.

“Well, we started in 2006,” said owner Rita Lincks. “January 30, 2006 was our first day. We actually started out by the dollar store because we bought a bankrupt business that used to be a men's clothing and shoe store. We were out there for three years, and then this building came up for sale on the square. So, we decided we needed to be in a more prominent location. Whenever we bought this building and moved to the square, we did it in one day, with the help of all of our friends and family. We moved absolutely everything. It was Labor Day weekend in 2009, and we moved on Saturday and opened on Tuesday. So, we have been on the square since 2009, and it has been unbelievable how much our business has grown.

“We started doing the screen printing in 2008 out at our old location, and then we moved everything here,” continued Lincks. “That business has grown tremendously because at that time, there was hardly anybody in town that did that. It's probably 60% of our sales. And then we added embroidery because we could do that as well. Our lady that did it previously, she couldn't keep up with everything because it was so much. So we ended up buying three embroidery machines. We started out with one, and then we bought two more. So, all that's in the back, and that's where we do all of our work.”

Lincks Clothing & Shoes also offers tuxedo rentals, and they have their Federal Firearms License (FFL). If you venture down into their basement, you will find plenty of guns and hunting equipment also available for sale.

“We also do all kinds of things in the community,” she added. “We do all kinds of benefits and fundraisers, and one of our big things that we do is the Jumpstart program. We provide shoes at cost to six schools. We do Salem, West Washington, and Eastern. And we do Orleans, Paoli and Springs Valley. It's their back to school program to help kids that are less fortunate. So, whenever the kids come, they get a pair of shoes, they get socks, they get all their supplies, and they get screenings from the doctor and the dentist and the chiropractor. They also get haircuts, and we have been doing that for 18 years. That has grown tremendously. We usually do 500 to 600 kids each year.”

Rita Lincks then began to discuss the 20th anniversary celebration taking place on January 31.

“It'll be tomorrow from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. We have special pricing on different items such as $20 items for our 20th year. We're going to have cupcakes by Kim Kiefer, and some drinks and all kinds of door prizes,” said Lincks.

Door prizes include t-shirts and hoodies with their 20th anniversary celebration logo as well as Lincks gift cards.

“We're just thankful for 20 years and thankful to all of our great customers and our family and our friends because without them, we wouldn't be here today,” concluded Lincks.

Between the grand opening of the new Marshall Monuments location and the 20th anniversary celebration at Lincks Clothing & Shoes, there is plenty to do on North Main Street. So be sure to stop by Lincks Clothing & Shoes and Marshall Monuments to welcome in a new beginning, and to celebrate a large milestone.