Ron Brodeur once thought his namesake custom men’s clothing store Brodeur Carvell Fine Menswear might be finished.
The Great Recession kicked into high gear across Southwest Florida, which along with Las Vegas, became the epicenter of the housing crisis. Foreclosed homes sprouted up across the region, and real estate deals screeched to a halt.
With the economy in shambles in 2008-09, it wasn’t that Brodeur had fewer clients. He said he suddenly found himself without any clients at all.
“Our clients stopped buying clothes altogether,” Brodeur said. “For at least a year. We had three stores at the time. One here in Fort Myers, one in Naples and one in Bonita. We ended up closing the stores in Bonita and Naples.
“We did what we called a fight for survival sale in Fort Myers. That event just helped us survive in Fort Myers and helped us regrow over time.”
More than a decade after his company’s biggest scare, Brodeur and his business also endured COVID-19’s repercussions on live events, changing retail trends and then the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
The business has survived all of those challenges and just celebrated its 30th anniversary as it closes in on one year at its newest location, 6420 Plantation Park Court, Unit 104. It fronts Daniels Parkway, between Metro Parkway and Plantation Road in south Fort Myers. The store is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Michael Smith is Brodeur’s only other employee.
Brodeur Carvell differentiates itself from Men’s Warehouse, Jos A. Bank and department stores with the products it offers, Brodeur said.
“The fittings and getting the clothes to fit them really well is what keeps them coming back to get more clothes,” said Brodeur, who travels to Naples at least once a week to fit clients for clothing. “One thing we do, is we work with brands that are exclusive to better men’s stores, independent clothing stores around the country. They don’t sell to like your Dillard’s and your Macy’s and places like that. It’s all men’s stores. It’s got a better fabric. It fits better, and it’s got more quality to it. And it lasts longer.”
Brodeur began his professional journey in 1993, fitting clients remotely until finally landing his first brick-and-mortar store.
The new store is about 1,200 square feet and has two sections. The front section has an array of casual clothing and accessories, such as belts and ties.
The back section is stocked with suits. Brodeur is bringing in starter suits at $525, but most of his suits start at $825. A high-end manufacturer from Canada has suits starting at $1,595. The prices can go as high as $3,000, depending on the maker and the fabrics used.
“When I first started, I was on my own,” Brodeur said. “I had a little, just a little custom clothing business. I would just go and see people at their offices. Mostly attorneys and bankers and financial advisors. And, you know, I was in a little apartment. I did that for six or seven years, strictly by appointment. Seeing clients in their offices mostly.”
Brodeur’s business has continued to survive despite changing retail and even formal dressing trends.
“It’s a lot more casual, especially down here in Florida,” he said. “And a lot less business professionals wear a suit to work every day like they used to. But there’s also a lot less competition, because most of the better stores, and a lot of the bigger stores have all closed and left the area.”
The loyalty of his customers and word-of-mouth have helped, too, he said.
“We almost closed our entire business in the spring of ’09,” Brodeur said. “It was a tough year. We made it through that with a lot of praying and help from a few private lenders—let’s call it that—and we’ve done well, because of that. It’s definitely a bona fide small business in Florida.”
