Written by: Karen Alberg Grossman
Harry Rothman’s dad was tragically killed by a horse-drawn carriage when Harry was 15. Needing to support his family, Harry dropped out of school, then opened a tiny shop on Bleeker Street in 1926. Brothers Ken and Jim Giddon have been minding their stores, now in Bronxville, Scarsdale, and Union Square, for 40 years (Ken) and 35 (Jim). Here, we speak with them about challenges and opportunities.
Since you two have been running the stores, what have been the best of times? The toughest times?
Ken: From 9/11 to Hurricane Sandy to the George Floyd riots, it seems there’s always something that disturbs the flow of business. I believe the best of times is now, but it lasts only until the next bump in the road. The best we can do is take the hits and get right back up.
Jim: I agree that the best of times is now: we’re hitting our groove and running on all cylinders. Our customers know that they can trust us. We still have to prove ourselves every day, but we no longer have to start from scratch. The toughest time was Covid. We were closed for six months, but we still had to work hard every day, even though we had no sales. We did everything we could just to stay afloat. Anyone can run a business when things are good, but the real challenges occur during difficult times.
What lessons did you learn from your parents/grandparents?
Ken: Unfortunately, our grandfather was not well when we got involved in the business; he never lived to see us run things, but I like to think that he’d be proud.
Jim: His legacy remains to treat everyone with respect, starting with our own people, and then of course our customers. From Harry we learned to not take ourselves too seriously: we’re not curing cancer, just selling pants.
What do you see as your greatest challenge as a retailer today?
Ken: The greatest challenge is giving customers a reason to buy from us when so many stores and websites are selling virtually the same stuff.
So why should they buy from you?
Ken: Because we’ve managed to out-service everyone else.
Jim: I see our online business as our biggest challenge. Our vendors have become our biggest competitors since they have a huge pricing structure advantage.
Your greatest opportunity?
Jim: Our greatest opportunity is to convert the on-line shopper to an in-store customer. This will give us opportunity to highlight the in-store difference and show them the advantages of hands-on service, guidance, and advice.
What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in business?
Ken: Our big mistake was never trusting our ability to succeed so we never bought a building in New York City.
Jim: We also made the mistake of paying rent that was simply too high, for too many years. One of the positive results of Covid was our ability to re-negotiate the terms of our lease. Thanks to a generous landlord, we no longer feel like we’re working for the landlord, but rather for ourselves.
Your plans for Rothmans this next decade?
Ken: We will continue to build our team, and give them more decision-making power as Jim and I get older…
Jim: We plan to keep doing our best, for both our employees and our customers. Our staff is top-notch, so we need to retain them and move forward together. Also, we’ll always consider a new location if the right opportunity presents itself.
If you weren’t doing this, what might each of you be doing?
Ken: I would run for Mayor of New York City.
Jim: I’d be manager of the Boston Red Sox…
What keeps you up at night these days?
Ken: Old age!
Jim: I used to take every problem home with me at night. But I now sleep better, thanks to a great team to worry about details for me.
What’s the best in-store event you’ve had lately?
Ken: It wasn’t an event but since the Knicks won the championship, we’re selling a lot of Knicks product. The folks at Fanatics expect it to be a five-year run…
So what’s planned for the next decade?
Jim: We plan to continue the legacy that Harry Rothman built. We want to do our absolute best to make him proud of us every day so we’re planning our commitment to quality, service, and community for the next 100 years.
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