Marc Levin hoped that Malloves Jewelers, his longtime family-owned store, would last for 100 years in Middletown, but he said he has had enough and plans retire next month.
The 64-year-old said the decision, which has been in the works for the last 18 months, was finalized earlier this year after he visited the grave site of his father, Buzzy Levin.
“A year and a half ago, I said to myself between 64 and 65 I’m going to retire,” Levin said. “I wanted to last 100 years on Main Street with my family. I told my dad eight and a half years ago, before he passed, that my goal was to hit 100 in 2028 and do the retirement sale. I can’t last anymore.”
Levin is the third-generation owner of the family business that was opened in 1928 by his grandfather Max. Marc Levin’s father, Buzzy Levin, eventually took over and owned it until 1992. Marc Levin began working at Malloves in 1982 and took over the ownership 10 years later.
The store’s original location on Washington Street burned down in 1972. There was a temporary location for two years before the location at 404 Main St. opened in October 1974.
“I grew up in diapers here,” Marc Levin said. “We opened where we are now in 1974, 51 years ago.”
Levin said the most difficult part of leaving the business is that “the Levin name will be gone on Main Street.”
“The other stuff doesn’t bother me. I’m burnt out and I can’t do it anymore. It took me about a year-and-a-half to plan it because this just doesn’t happen overnight,” he said.
Levin said the business became more challenging in recent years and “COVID put it over the edge.”
“I said ‘I don’t need this. I’m in good health and it’s time for me to say goodbye,’” Levin said, adding that he, his wife and their four rescue dogs will remain in Connecticut but plan on traveling.
Levin said the store has been “insane” since announcing his retirement.
Levin said people were waiting two hours to check out when the sale started on Oct. 28. “We closed at 5:30 p.m. and our last customer left at 7:40 p.m.,” Levin said. “It was an hour and a half (wait) on Wednesday and Thursday and an hour (wait) on Thursday, Friday and Saturday that first week.”
Levin said the following week wasn’t as crazy, but waits were still about 25-30 minutes to check out.
“It’s so much more than I thought it was going to happen,” Levin said. “They want to make the last purchase from the Levin family. I had so many customers coming in crying. It was like a funeral. It’s overwhelming, and I was just shocked.”
Levin said Malloves has sold 3,700 pieces in two weeks since the retirement sale started. “You name it, it’s selling,” he said.
Levin has five full-time employees on his staff and two-part timers that help during the busy time of the year.
“My wife and my staff, they were all my rocks and kept me going,” Levin said. “I had a great staff. My dad had a great staff. One person doesn’t do this. I treat all of my employees like family because we spend more time here than with our real families.”
Kathleen Kinney has worked under Levin for nearly 30 years in a variety of roles.
“Customer service has made Malloves successful. We treated people the way we would want to be treated,” Kinney said. “Listening to them and having the quality merchandise the customer would like has been big. We are there for the customer during and after the sale.”
Kinney said Levin’s announced retirement has been emotional with lots of hugs and tears “going down memory lane with longtime customers.”
“In the past two weeks, I’ve seen customers from the last 29 years. … People are just stopping by just to wish Marc the best and thank us for the years of wonderful service,” Kinney said. “I’ve seen so many customers and we’ve had people waiting for hours. They are just patient. They want their piece of jewelry from Malloves and support Marc because he has supported the community for so many years giving back to schools, organizations and churches. The customers appreciate that.”
Kinney said since the retirement announcement, customers have been waiting outside before they open the doors.
“It’s definitely emotional,” Kinney said. “We are like family. That’s how we treat the business and respect Marc. It didn’t really hit us until we saw the signs going up. That’s when we felt this is really happening. We wish Marc the best. He deserves it. We support that, but it’s emotional.
“I think Marc was caught off guard how much his family legacy has touched the community,” she added. “It’s amazing the outpouring of care, concern and appreciation that the whole community has shown him the last few weeks. It’s unbelievable. I’m glad. His dad Buzzy is definitely looking down with admiration.”
Levin said the store will remain open for about another month and what moves in next is still being finalized. However, he said he will have a ‘big announcement that will be great for the community a week before Christmas.”
Levin, who now lives in Haddam, said he is so thankful for his hometown.
“Without this great community, we wouldn’t be here,” Levin said. “They have been so good to us. My dad always told me when I took over that ‘If you give to the community, the community will give back to you.’ It is so true.
“What has made us so successful is two words: Customer service,” he added. “A piece of jewelry is a piece of jewelry. It’s the person behind it and selling it that is going to make it or break it.”