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 existed for longer than that. When it’s your family’s business, there’s little separation between work hours and off hours.

As a kid, I remember late nights when the alarm went off at corporate headquarters, and my father had to go meet the police in order to figure out what happened. When I got older and spent four years working for the business, I experienced early mornings bringing product to job sites to keep customers happy, and I learned that mixing family and business has its challenges.

To make any family business last nearly 50 years, you have to have a passion for it, and that’s something Ronnie Sylvester, known as “Mr. Boot” in the Country and Western industry, had for Western clothing.

His store, Sylvester’s Western Wear, served locals from its Louisiana store and was a regional destination as well as a tourist attraction. Sylvester ran the store until he passed away in 2020 following a battle with Parkinson’s disease.

His wife, Lisa Sylvester, has operated the business since.

“My husband worked so very hard. He’s a legend. I wanted to carry on 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 5.

Changing customer patterns hurt Sylvester’s Western Wear

Lisa Sylvester told Fox that shifting shopping habits have affected longtime local businesses like hers.

“It sure does affect the local businesses that have been here for many many years,” she said. “You know it’s the way the world’s turning.”

“Worldwide, e-commerce retail sales will reach an estimated $6.42 trillion in 2025, representing 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, especially hard.

  • Over 2.77 billion people worldwide shop online.
  • Projections indicate that value will increase to $8.91 trillion in 2030.
  • Business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce spending will total $62.2 trillion by 2030.
  • eCommerce sales in 2025 will be up 6.86% from total e-commerce retail sales in 2024 ($6.01 trillion).  
  • U.S. retail e-commerce sales for 2025 are expected to total $1.47 trillion, up 9.78% from 2024 ($1.34 trillion).
Western wear remains popular in parts of the United States.

Shutterstock

Sylvester’s Western Wear hinted at a closure

While the shutdown plans were not made official until after Christmas, Lisa Sylvester has hinted at some coming changes in a pre-holiday Facebook post.

“One shop for continued savings! Again, thank you for your love and support through our 50 beautiful years. Can’t wait to see what the future holds! Merry merry Christmas to everyone! Thank you,” she wrote.

The store offered discounts as much as 50% during the Christmas season, which certainly suggested its owner was thinking about closing.

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E-commerce sales have been growing, and research shows that big players like Amazon and Walmart, which operate out of distribution centers, do impact local retailers.

“Establishment of an e-commerce fulfillment center reduces retail employment growth in the host county by an average of almost 1,000 jobs per quarter,” the National Bureau of Economic Research reported.

Local stores closing hit communities hard

The loss of a locally-owned store has deep impact on a community.

“In one week, 91% of American consumers shop at small and local stores, including over 122 million household shoppers,” another Capital One study showed.

  • 68% or $68 out of every $100 spent at local stores remains in the local economy.
  • American shoppers spent an estimated $3.74 trillion at local stores in 2024, equivalent to 51.5% of all retail sales.
  • 8.67% of American small businesses are retailers (3.01 million out of 34.8 million total small businesses).

A quick look at Sylvester’s Western Wear’s history

  • Founded in 1976: Sylvester’s Western Wear operated from Kenner, Louisiana, for decades as a local staple in western apparel and boots, according to Manta.
  • Sylvester’s Western Wear operated at 2600 Williams Blvd. in Kenner, LA, selling boots, western apparel, and accessories to locals and visitors for decades, according to the Chamber of Commerce.
  • Community staple with strong in‑store reputation: In recent years, many customers praised the store’s personalized service, wide selection, and friendly staff, contrasting with big‑box alternatives, according to Sylvester’s Western Wear.
  • December 2025 closure after decades: The family‑owned store closed its doors after decades in business, with local news noting its significance to the community as a longtime retail fixture, according to Fox 8 Live.

Sylvester’s Western Wear was more than just a place to buy boots and belts. It was a local institution.

Customers praised the store for its “friendly, helpful staff and wide selection of boots,” qualities that kept shoppers coming back over the decades. Even those visiting from out of town noted the “personalized 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 shuts stores, cuts jobs over holidays