Running a family business for 50 years requires a lot of sacrifice.
I grew up in a family business, Lynn Ladder & Scaffolding, which has actually been around longer than that. When it’s your family’s business, there is little separation between working hours and off hours.
As a child, I remember late nights when the alarm went off at corporate headquarters, and my father had to call the police to find out what happened. As I got older and spent four years working for a business, I experienced bringing product to job sites early in the morning to keep customers happy, and I learned that blending family and business has its challenges.
To run any family business for nearly 50 years, you have to have a passion for it, and this was Ronnie Sylvester, known as “Mr. Boots” in the country and western industry, for western clothing.
His store, Sylvester’s Western Wear, served locals from the Louisiana store and was a regional destination as well as a tourist attraction. Sylvester ran the shop until his death in 2020 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease.
His wife, Lisa Sylvester, has been running the business ever since.
“My husband worked so hard. He’s a legend. I wanted to keep going for him, but now it’s time in my life that I put my family first,” Lisa Sylvester told Fox 8 Live.
The store will close for good on January 5th.
Lisa Sylvester told Fox that changing shopping habits have affected local businesses like hers for a long time.
“It definitely affects local businesses that have been here for many years,” she said. “You know it’s the turn of the world.”
“Globally, e-commerce retail sales will reach estimates $6.42 trillion Representing in 2025 20.5% of all retail commerce,” according to e-commerce data from Capital One.
The report showed the impact of online shopping, which has hit chains like Sylvester’s Western Wear, which has a very limited website without an e-commerce business, particularly hard.
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above 2.77 billion People all over the world shop online.
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Projections indicate that prices will rise $8.91 trillion In 2030.
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Business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce spending will total $62.2 trillion By 2030.
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eCommerce sales will grow in 2025 6.86% From total e-commerce retail sales in 2024 ($6.01 trillion).
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For 2025, US retail e-commerce sales are expected to total $1.47 trillionabove 9.78% ($1.34 trillion) by 2024.
While shutdown plans weren’t made official until after Christmas, Lisa Sylvester hinted at some coming changes in a pre-holiday Facebook post.
“A shop for constant savings! Thank you again for your love and support over our 50 beautiful years. Can’t wait to see what the future holds! Merry Christmas everyone! Thank you,” she wrote.
The store offered up to 50% off during the Christmas season, which certainly suggests its owner is thinking about closing.
More retail:
E-commerce sales are growing, and research shows that big players like Amazon and Walmart operating out of distribution centers affect local retailers.
“The establishment of an e-commerce fulfillment center reduces retail job growth in the host county by an average of about 1,000 jobs per quarter,” the National Bureau of Economic Research reported.
The loss of a locally owned store has a profound impact on the community.
“In a week, 91% American consumers shop at small and local stores, including upscale 122 million home shoppers,” another Capital One study showed.
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68% or $68 out of every $100 Spending in local shops stays in the local economy.
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American shoppers spent an estimated $3.74 trillion In local stores in 2024, par 51.5% of all retail sales.
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8.67% American small businesses are retailers (3.01 million 34.8 million out of total small businesses).
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Founded in 1976: According to Manta, Sylvester’s Western Wear operated out of Kenner, Louisiana, as a local staple in western clothing and footwear for decades.
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Powered by Sylvester’s Western Wear 2600 Williams Blvd. in Kenner, LASelling shoes, western wear, and accessories to locals and visitors for decades, according to the Chamber of Commerce.
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A community staple with a strong in-store reputation: According to Sylvester’s Western Wear, in recent years, many customers have appreciated the store’s personal service, wide selection, and friendly staff, as opposed to big-box options.
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Decades later December 2025: A family owned shop After decades in business it closed its doors, with local news noting its importance in the community As a longtime retail fixture, according to Fox 8 Live.
Sylvester’s Western Wear was the only place to buy shoes and belts. It was a local body.
Customers praise the store”Friendly, helpful staff and a wide selection of shoes“Qualities that keep shoppers coming back for decades. Even out-of-towners note”Personal service and welcoming atmosphere“Making it a standout among local retailers, according to comments made on the area’s chamber of commerce website.
Related: Popular gift retailer closes stores, cuts jobs over holidays
This story was originally published by TheStreet on December 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the Retail section. Add TheStreet as a preferred source by clicking here.
