Closing the doors after 95 years 

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Closing the doors after 95 years 

Just before Thanksgiving, Tom Weekly learned that the building Whalen’s Furniture leased on Business 83 in McAllen had been sold and the lease lost.  He made a tough decision: after 95 years, Whalen’s, the oldest family-owned, continuously operated furniture store in the Valley, would close Jan. 31.  That date marked the end of an era which comprised four generations of customers and begin with a store that grew from a backyard enterprise.

When Whalen's lost its lease, Tom Weekly decided to close the furniture store, which his uncle Bill Whalen started in the 1920s.
When Whalen’s lost its lease, Tom Weekly decided to close the furniture store, which his uncle Bill Whalen started in the 1920s.

“The story starts in 1920 when Bill Whalen came from Nebraska to farm. This was frontier country then,” said Weekly, 86.  Whalen opened a small store in Alamo where he sold kerosene cook stoves (two for $14.95), radios and Frigidaire appliances. In 1934, he was honored as a top Frigidaire salesman, the same year his 4-year-old nephew Tom Weekly and his older brother came from Missouri to live with him and his wife.

“Bill Whalen was one of those guys who really worked for the good of the community. He had other enterprises, including a finance company,” said Weekly. In time, he followed in Whalen’s footsteps in many ways: community service and multiple enterprises.

At age 12, Tommy Weekly began working after school at Whalen’s furniture store in McAllen. Other than time away getting a degree in business at University of Texas and serving in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Weekly devoted his working life hours to Whalen’s.  After the Whalens were killed in a car wreck in 1972, Weekly and manager Paul Wagner became owners of the business.  Weekly became general manager when Wagner retired.

“I’ve enjoyed coming over here and working.  There never was a dull time.  You have peak times,” said Weekly, noting his vacations were only three to five days long. “As a business owner, as manager, you have to work the number of hours it takes to get it all done. Sometimes that’s 80-90 hours a week. The long shadow of the owner at the business is the best security.  Even then, you can’t know everything that goes on. Over the years, we’ve had our share of inventory shrinkage.”

Nevertheless, the furniture store survived the Depression, the disruptions of World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam, freezes, floods, peso devaluations, and the surge of criminal activity in Mexico. But then complications arose from an unexpected quarter.

Bill Whalen began selling radios 95 years ago prior to expanding into furniture at Whalen's.
Bill Whalen began selling radios 95 years ago prior to expanding into furniture at Whalen’s.

“Starting about 2007, the McAllen Chamber of Commerce did their job very well, bragging all over the country about the high sales in dollars per square foot” that retail stores were pulling in, Weekly said.  “McAllen now has 42 furniture stores.”  Coupled with the decline in customers from Mexico, it became difficult to stay solvent, he recalled. “We fought it for a number of years and had it pretty much turned it around last year.”

The sale of the building and eviction notice gave Weekly the opportunity to close the business on a good note. “We’ve had a strong presence in the Valley for a long time. Mission in particular has been a really good town for us over the years.”

Mary Belamares, a former owner of a Red Wing Shoe Store who came to check on the sale items, recalled buying furniture at Whalen’s in 1953 as a newlywed. “It was good furniture and lasted forever.” But merchandise was only part of the attraction, she said, as Weekly rolled up a rug she had purchased.  “It’s because they treat you well here. People keep coming back. I’ve known Tommy since I was 20.”

In early January, Whalen’s remaining furniture was clustered in the center of the huge store.  Lamps, comforters, rugs and accessories were grouped on the floor instead of arranged in vignettes.  Orphan chairs, china cabinets and dressers had prices slashed, waiting for good homes.

“We had over 500 La-Z-Boy pieces on Dec.1,” Weekly said. One month later, only a few pieces remained.  “Selling is easy if you sell it cheap. But advertising is hard when you are closing down. All you can do is talk about the event, not specific furniture.  In a week, everything can change.  It’s all subject to prior sales.”

Whalen’s had carried furniture from manufacturers such as Broyhill, Kincaid, Natuzzi and Restonic. They filled numerous special orders for upholstery on those lines. “Customers are very loyal once you treat them right,” Weekly said, wrapping up his long career.

This story by Eileen Mattei can be found in the February 2016 edition of Valley Business Report. 

Freelance writer Eileen Mattei was the editor of Valley Business Report for over 6 years. Her articles have appeared in Texas Highways, Texas Wildlife Association, Texas Parks & Wildlife and Texas Coop Power magazines as well as On Point: The Journal of Army History. The Harlingen resident is the author of five books: Valley Places, Valley Faces; At the Crossroads: Harlingen’s First 100 Years; and Leading the Way: McAllen’s First 100 Years, For the Good of My Patients: The History of Medicine in the Rio Grande Valley, and Quinta Mazatlán: A Visual Journey.

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