Iowa City men’s clothing store to close

IOWA CITY - A men's clothing store rooted in downtown Iowa City for more than two decades will soon close its doors. Paul Smith, owner of Austin Burke Clothiers, announced plans this week to shut down business at his shop on Clinton Street across from the University of Iowa pentacrest.

Smith said with his lease coming to an end and sales slowing, the time feels right.

'The young guys that we used to get a lot of business from, they just shop in a different way than they used to,” said Smith. 'When it came time to buy a graduation or interview suit, they gave me a chance. Now, they use online media to find where they're going to buy their suit.”

Smith also cited rising rent costs and a societal shift away from formal wear as reasons for closing.

'The world is just a more casual place for men than it has been in a long time,” Smith said. 'When you start seeing bankers and financial guys dressing casual for work, they just don't need the clothing they used to.”

Closed Tuesday, Smith's store will open for a special sale starting Wednesday for past customers. On Thursday it will reopen to the general public. Smith said he expects to be open for a couple more months while inventory remains, but will be out by the end of the year.

'We hate to see a retailer go out of business, but it also provides a great opportunity for that building owner to get a new tenant,” said Nate Kaeding, Retail Development Director for the Iowa City Downtown District.

Kaeding said the occupancy rate of downtown Iowa City remains around 98 percent.

'Really our goal is to continue to get more quality down here, whether it's designed really well, or it's a really cool focused chef-driven restaurant, or it's a retailer where there really isn't that offering in the marketplace right now,” he said.