When the Heart Belongs to Carhartt
The New York Times
A beloved store in a small hometown closes, but the residents still need their work wear.
For more than 14 months, Gary Ely has quietly shown up for a job he no longer has at Caplan’s Army Store in St. Johnsbury, Vt.
Caplan’s, a work wear outpost in the heart of town, long enjoyed a loyal base of blue-collar customers, including maple sugarers, railroad workers and grain millers. The store was owned by the same family through multiple generations. Dave Caplan, the most recent owner, moved away from military surplus and introduced more work wear and outdoor gear, for camping, fishing and hunting.
It had weathered the town’s economic challenges, but it couldn’t contend with the pandemic, which crashed the local economy, disrupted the supply chain and forced more commerce online. The store closed just shy of its 100th birthday, on Dec. 31, 2020.
