Jim’s Clothing, A Columbus Retail Mainstay Since 1971, to Sell Entire Inventory and Close Its Doors as Owner Retires
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: JIM DAVIS (662) 328-8816
or ERIC WOOLSON (515) 681-3967
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2025
COLUMBUS, Miss. – Jim’s Clothing, a regional retail mainstay for 54 years, will sell its entire inventory and close its doors, owner Jim Davis said today as he announced his upcoming retirement.
Jim’s Clothing, located at 1301 A Highway 45 N., will hold its public closing sale from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 5:00 p.m. Sunday. The store’s hours will be 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5:00 p.m. Sundays until the remaining inventory is sold.
Davis credits his wife, Janice, for playing an instrumental role in the store’s success, dating back to its earliest days. She returned to the store after her retirement as a teacher at Heritage Academy. “She’s done it all, including running the store at times. Her involvement and support have meant everything and I’m so grateful to have her with me every step of the way.”
Davis, 81, noted that the store, which he opened with two partners in 1971, has been temporarily closed recently. A former Starkville High School football coach and math teacher in the 1960s and early 1970s before partnering with Dorris Jones and Metz Holcomb, Davis has been sidelined by recent health issues.
Jones was an established area clothier while Holcomb was a Georgia clothing salesman when the two saw an emerging fashion trend: the advent of polyester that brought a wave of more-affordable, wrinkle-resistant double-knit slacks and leisure suits in brighter – in some cases, even gaudy – colors. Because polyester was inexpensive, consumers could also afford more outfits, and clothiers’ business boomed. Eager to open a new store in Columbus, Jones approached Davis and persuaded him to leave the teaching profession to go into the retail business.
Davis eventually bought out Jones and Holcomb. He capitalized on the area’s need for a big-and-tall store, which proved to be another wise business decision and an integral part of the store’s sales. A sole owner for about 20 years, Davis eventually sold a minority stake in the business to then-employee Bruce Markham. Markham would remain with the business until 2015 when he struck out on his own, founding a custom clothing company.
“Several of our employees went out on their own like Bruce. We’re very proud of all of them and the success they have achieved on their own over the years,” Davis said. “It makes me feel good, too, because I hope it was a reflection that I was a good teacher and coach for them in teaching them how to work closely and efficiently as a team.”
Like any business with more than five decades under its belt, Jim’s Clothing has seen its share of ups and downs as national and regional economies rose and fell. The Great Recession, which began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009, and the COVID-19 pandemic that brought the economy to a standstill in 2020 where two challenging periods. But Davis said the business has been thriving since the economy rebounded from the pandemic. “If I was younger – or could sell to a younger person – I would because business has been very strong,” he said.
Through the good times and challenging ones, Davis said his decision to change the store’s early focus from an “off-price” clothing store to one focused on exceptional customer care and “quality goods at better prices” was the foundation of its success. The result, he said, has been a customer base that spans generation to generation. “I can’t thank those folks enough because they made Jim’s Clothing the success that it was,” Davis said.
He added, “It’s been a great run but like all good things, there’s a time when it has to come to an end.”
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