The family feeling is strong at Julian Gold.

The high-end retailer known for its personalized service and attention to detail is celebrating 80 years this year. How the company arrived at the milestone anniversary is rooted in its founding as a family business and its familial approach to customer service.

“We like to consider ourselves a generational experience,” said Courtney G. Percy, vice president of marketing at Julian Gold. Generations of families have shopped there, she said. And many continue to purchase their favorite designer wear, formal dresses and trendy outfits at the specialty shop in the heart of Olmos Park’s business district.

“You have to have those relationships. You can’t just make that up,” she said of the long-standing association the store’s sales staff has with its clientele, which goes beyond knowing a client’s favorite designer and most-flattering style.

“They know these families, what organizations they’re involved in, when somebody gets married, when somebody’s having a baby,” she said. 

Such personalized service is what store owners pledged to its customers when Julian Gold opened its doors.

Julian Gold, along with his wife, Dorothy, founded the namesake specialty shop in 1945, opening the initial location on North Main Avenue. The store was considered one of San Antonio’s first suburban retailers since it wasn’t downtown.

Before opening the namesake store, Julian worked for Wolff & Marx Co., one of several downtown retailers that also included Joske’s and Frost Bros. Dorothy was a former fashion model with a great sense of style. Together, the couple forged ahead with their vision to sell top designs to discriminating customers, and to do so with outstanding service that would keep them coming back.

Julian Gold moved to a larger site near San Antonio College as plans got underway to move operations to the store’s current location at 4109 McCullough Ave. Opened in 1962, the store was initially a dress shop that also sold coats and a few separates. The store evolved by the early 1970s to include more sportswear and coordinated separates, reflective of the popular styles of the time.

 

Photo by Chris Stokes

By the 1980s, the flagship store added hats and cosmetics to its inventory, with owners eventually deciding to offer everything a woman would need to be put together, head to toe. Soon, the store’s reputation for impeccable service and its distinction for carrying top designers, including Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera, helped make it one of Texas’ top fashion retailers.

Through the years, Julian Gold has hosted several events for its clientele, including designer trunk shows and lively fashion shows highlighting the latest styles for Fiesta. There also have been appearances by popular designers, including shoe designer Donald Pliner, who consulted with clients and signed autographs.

Over the years, Julian Gold expanded to other Texas cities: Corpus Christi and Midland in the 1950s; Austin in 2002; and Lubbock in 2022. Owners have expanded the flagship store to include a second floor that houses a bridal salon. A small menswear section also was added.

Today, the company employs 66 people at its five locations. Some of its employees have been with the company since the 1990s.

In January, Julian Gold will launch its “80 Years of Elegance” campaign to celebrate its milestone anniversary. Numerous style shows and in-store retail events are planned at all five of its retail locations. Throughout 2025, Julian Gold will highlight some of the most sought-after designers and trends for men and women, including an extensive collection of high-end bridal designs.

While some retailers have scaled back operations, Julian Gold has maintained its brick-and-mortar presence. And it’s kept the amenities that set it apart, including complimentary gift wrap and on-site alteration services.

 

Photo by Chris Stokes

“Our clientele is fiercely loyal,” said James Glover, president and CEO at Julian Gold. Making sure customers have what they need, as well as making them look good, will make them happy, he said, and that will keep them coming back.

Glover, who has been with Julian Gold since 1988, worked under Bob Gurwitz, the son-in-law of Julian and Dorothy who was married to their daughter, Gail. Gurwitz took the helm of the company in the 1960s and is credited with helping build Julian Gold into an industry stalwart. He passed away in 2022. His widow, Gail, passed in August.

Glover, whose daughter Courtney is the company’s vice president of marketing, assumed the helm of the company a few years ago.

He says the “family vibe” that Julian Gold staff and customers experience is part of what makes the retailer special.

Courtney, who grew up at the store and as a teen worked in its gift-wrapping department, now oversees strategy, public relations and communication for the five Julian Gold stores in Texas. Her mother also works at Julian Gold, serving as one of its buyers.

For Courtney, the “family vibe” at the store is strong. And she agrees with her father that the sense of family is felt by everyone with long-held ties to the store. 

“People want that personal interaction,” she said.

 

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