THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 3, 1996 TAG: 9604020154
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover story
SOURCE: BY LORI A. DENNEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 146 lines
BY THE TIME Sidney A. Snyder paid the rent and bought fixtures for Sidney's, his new women's clothing store, he didn't have any money left to buy dresses.
So the young entrepreneur traveled to New York, charged merchandise, brought it back and prayed it would sell quickly - before the payment was due the following month.
Snyder operated that way for six years until he was finally able to pay for the stock beforehand.
``At the time I didn't know any different and it's a good thing I didn't,'' said Snyder, a Norfolk native and resident. ``The struggle was unbelievable. Luckily I was 22 and single. I used my father's credit in the New York market.''
Since then Sidney's, an upscale women's clothing store that started in the middle of the Great Depression, has moved from Norfolk to Chesapeake to Virginia Beach and Snyder, now 82, has retired from active duty in the family business. But some things have stayed the same - Sidney's flair for personal service and its reputation for fine clothing.
Lacinda Snyder, 42, is the fourth in a long line of Snyders to operate Sidney's.
For 60 years, in five locations, the business has offered and sold dressy, casual and professional clothing to women all over Hampton Roads.
Three years ago, Lacinda Snyder became the boutique's sole owner and operator. One of the first things she did as owner was move the business from its long-time Laskin Road location to La Promenade, also on Laskin Road.
With that move there came a new Sidney's, a more contemporary store with a gold, black and silver decor as well as clothing that mirrored Lacinda Snyder's savvy fashion sense.
She doesn't offer a lot of separates, but concentrates on sets such as pant suits, skirt and jacket ensembles and three-piece outfits.
``I give you an entire outfit,'' said the Virginia Beach native. ``I found if you buy separates, you don't know what to put with it.''
Snyder also offers dressy clothes such as mother-of-the-bride suits and dresses as well as a host of accessories, including handbags and belts. She said the median price for an outfit is about $250 and that includes designer clothes with labels like Andrea Jovine.
Snyder makes it a point to know her customers, their sizes, likes and dislikes. Often, she'll have a list of items that customers want with her when she goes on buying trips to Atlanta and New York.
``She has a real rapport,'' said Pam Stanton, a customer for nearly 10 years. The petite interior decorator and author said she's found a level of service as well as a quality of clothing that can't be matched elsewhere. ``She knows I don't like anything sleeveless and she knows what style I like. When I go in, I don't have to spend 15 minutes going through everything in the store. Lacinda will go and pick out what she thinks I'll like - and she's right.''
Snyder herself has seen changes in the retail business. Women today, she said, are a much harder sale.
``Everyone wants quality, but they aren't willing to pay $500 for a suit like they used to be,'' said Lacinda Snyder, who has two young daughters. ``They're willing to pay $250, but they also want good quality and something that's going to last.''
Above all else, Snyder said, she wants her boutique to be a place where women can browse without being hassled by salespeople but still get the help they need when they need it.
``I won't shop in department stores,'' said Stanton. ``There's infinitely more service in boutiques. In a department store, you're lucky to get someone to direct you to the area you need.''
Sixty years ago, when Sidney A. Snyder opened his doors for the first time on Church Street in Norfolk, the business concept was much the same as now.
The Norfolk native wanted to offer women personal service and good, quality clothing at a reasonable price.
Snyder often tells the tale of the time when he first opened his business. A downdraft in the chimney sprayed soot all over a batch of new merchandise.
``I blew and blew,'' said Snyder, recalling the incident. ``You couldn't rub the stuff. You could only try and blow it off. I blew until I was red in the face, but I got it all off.''
Eventually, Snyder moved his boutique to the Freemason area of Norfolk. After just a few years, World War II broke out and he was called to serve his country. He had 14 days, he said, to sell his store and pack for his trip to Pearl Harbor. The day after he was drafted, his father died.
Three years later, Snyder returned to Norfolk with three Purple Hearts earned during his wartime service and bought the business back. It's been in family hands ever since. When Snyder married Sherry Snyder some 50 years ago, she also came into the business, working full time as a salesperson while the couple paid someone to care for their three children: Helen, Tom and Sid.
Over the years, Sidney Snyder was joined at different times by his two sons. Tom Snyder was instrumental in opening a Chesapeake location on Sparrow Road and closing the Freemason store when downtown Norfolk shopping business fell off. That's when the elder Snyder became a behind-the-scenes player, tending to the administration of the business and no longer working on the floor six days a week selling garments.
When the Chesapeake store closed and the business moved to College Park, younger son Sid Snyder also became involved in the day-to-day operations.
In 1979, the family opened Sidney's on Laskin Road and Sid Snyder was responsible for running and operating the boutique and did so for a number of years. The College Park store was eventually closed.
Lacinda Snyder had a career in hotel management when she met her husband, Tom Snyder, 14 years ago. The two married and eventually had two daughters. She quit the hectic hotel business after their second daughter was born and began working in the Laskin Road store part time as a way to pass the time.
It wasn't long before the family realized she had a following of her own in the business.
When Sid Snyder tired of the retail business, Lacinda Snyder quickly stepped in and offered to buy it. Which she did, almost three years ago.
``I think she looked at it as being an opportunity for her to get in and re-energize the business to continue a tradition,'' said her husband. ``The one thing Sidney's has always stood for is nice-looking, fashion-oriented ladies clothes at a good price. Lacinda has a very keen sense of fashion and very distinctive taste.''
Although the Sidney's founder officially retired years ago, Sidney A. Snyder still offers advice and puts in his two cents' worth.
Ever the businessman, he now volunteers as a Norfolk SCORE counselor helping others to start their own businesses, just as he did all those years ago. ``I am so proud I could burst,'' he said. ``The fact that it's 60 years old and still going . . . '' MEMO: Sidney's is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at La
Promenade shopping center on Laskin Road.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by VICKI CRONIS
Sidney A. Snyder, at right, founded Sidney's 60 years ago during the
Great Depression. With him is his wife of 50 years, Sherry Snyder,
who has helped him run the business from time to time. Now 82,
Snyder has retired from active duty in the family business.
Staff photo by DAVID B. HOLLINGSWORTH
Owner Lacinda Snyder has moved the Laskin Road store to La
Promenade, where she has given it a more contemporary decor as well
as clothing that mirrors her strong fashion sense.
KEYWORDS: CLOTHING STORES by CNB