End of an era as shop selling ‘traditional jeans’ to close after 50 years

The end of an era is approaching for many denim lovers as a town clothing store is set to close its doors this summer.Gearchange, located on the corner of Church Street in Lynn, has announced its closure after owner Thomas George decided to take a step back at the age of 75.It is also the end of a long career for manager Steve Brown, 67, who has been working at the clothing store for 43 years and is a recognisable face to many.

The shop has stocked numerous brands over the years, including Levi and Pepe, to name a couple.It now stocks Wrangler jeans for men and women, but also a range of belts and tops.Mr Brown, who will be retiring once the shop closes, prides himself on offering a bespoke one-to-one service, helping customers find the perfect fitting pair of jeans they want.

Customers come from far and wide for the service he provides, with some travelling from as far as Wales. Steve said: “A lot of customers liked the way I served. It is flattering when they say that.“I think people are going to miss me, but also the service we provide. “We provide a quick service.”

Steve started working at the British clothing chain John Colliers at the age of 17 before being offered a job by Mr George.“It has come to that point where Mr George has decided to close. We could have carried on for a lot longer,” he said.“We have a lot of people come every year when they’ve come here on holiday. People pop in on a regular basis and buy their jeans.” Reflecting on his time at Gearchange, Steve recalled a time when Lynn once had a competitive retail scene.“We haven’t changed that much over the years. But once there was a time when there was a lot of competition with us between Jean Genie, Jean Station and Yanks.“All of those eventually came to an end, and we were still here.”He added: “We used to talk with other businesses and help each other because we were in the same trade. They were not your enemies; you could help their customers and they could help yours.” Gearchange will be closing at the end of July. The majority of stock is currently 50% reduced.Steve said: “I want to thank people who supported us. We wouldn’t have been here for 50 years without them.“If we had not had these people, we wouldn’t have survived all of these years.“I shall miss chatting to people.”