Repair shops busy as customers look for ways to save
Published: June 28, 2009
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share thisRather than pay $150 for a new pair of orthopedic shoes, Plains Twp. resident Frank Williams chose to pay $40 to replace the soles on the pair he has worn for more than three years.
A diabetic, Mr. Williams brought his shoes to Esposito's Shoes in Exeter. The repair shop is experiencing a boom in business repairing and modifying shoes as frugality has become chic during the recession.
Owner Edward Esposito said his sales are up by double-digits. In addition to serving clients who bring in shoes for clinical reasons, Mr. Esposito and certified pedorthist Charles Falchetti say they see a growing sector of women willing to pay more to replace their heels or soles.
"We have not seen a recession," Mr. Esposito said, holding up an $800 pair of Neiman Marcus shoes that will receive new heels.
Mr. Esposito is a third-generation family member to take over the business that started 81 years ago. He believes in the old adage you have to spend money to make money and has invested thousands of dollars in technology, including a computerized system to measure a client's foot length, width and pressure areas and a system to manufacture custom arch supports.
"We didn't cut corners," Mr. Esposito said. "Most people have come to the realization that the cheaper shoes are no bargain if they feel good for a few days and then begin to hurt."
Esposito's is just one of many local repair shops buzzing with business as they cater to customers who want to save money by repairing rather than replacing everything from appliances to shoes.
Paul Leonard, owner of Leonard's Appliance Repair in Scranton and the Poconos, has been so busy repairing appliances that he considered hiring an extra technician, but he said the economy stopped him from doing that. With gas prices up again, people losing their jobs and having their incomes cut, he finds people are watching how they're spending money and holding out longer instead of buying new appliances.
Mr. Leonard, who has 40 years of experience in the repair business, also sells used appliances and finds the number of people buying them has increased as well. With a new washer costing an average of $600, the $150 he charges for a used washer is a huge savings for people during the tough economy.
The recession and high prices of appliances were the reasons David and Jessica Harvey opened Mr. Appliance of Lackawanna County earlier this month.
The Scranton appliance repair business has already received many calls from people who want to fix their appliances, Mrs. Harvey said.
Jim Tassey, owner of A1 Computer Services in Scranton, has also seen a rise in business as people are choosing to repair their computers instead of buying a new one. While people can purchase computers now for as low as $350, a drop from an average of $500-$600 years ago, many find it is more cost-efficient to repair the computers they have so they can keep them a few more years, he said.
Other repair shops in the region, however, have not noticed an increase in business during the recession.
When people learn it will cost $50 for the service call, they often choose not to repair it, Dave Long, owner of Kingston Appliance Service said.
"The old saying is when times are hard, people tend to repair more than replace, but I think that theory only goes so far," Mr. Long said. "During a slight downturn, people repair more than they replace but as bad is it is now, people don't repair or replace. If one of their four burners on their stove is down, they let it slide. If their dryer is down, they hang clothes outside. The prices of repair are what they are and they don't have the money."
Michael Meoni, owner of Meoni's Auto Service in Olyphant, said business has been steady, but he doesn't see a change from last year in the number of people repairing vehicles. Many clients recently have purchased new vehicles instead of repairing their old ones because the prices for new vehicles and interest rates have become attractive, he said.
Tony Bonczewski, who has owned Jordan National Shoe Repair in Wilkes-Barre for the last 45 years, said he will see a spurt in business at times, but it's not like it was years ago when he was busy all the time.
"There are too many shoes out there that are non-repairable," said Mr. Bonczewski, who charges $5 up to $45 to repair shoes. "There are a lot of cheap shoes. Even expensive shoes are poorly made. They don't want you to go to the shoe repair guy. They want you to wear them out and buy new ones."
Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com
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