Peyton Dunaway
Ledger Independent
On Thursday, July 30, Glik’s will hold its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new location in Maysville. This will be the fifth-generation clothing store’s first location outside of the Midwest.
According to current CEO Jeff Glik, Glik’s was founded in St. Louis in 1897 by his great-grandfather, Joseph Glik. The business continued to expand into the late 20th century, with his father taking over after World War II and the fourth generation joining in 1980. Today, Glik’s owns 70 stores in 12 states, including Kentucky.
“Less than 3 percent of fourth generation businesses survive,” Glik states on the company’s website. “Yes, a 97 percent chance of failure. Well, the fourth generation, and now the fifth generation, join the great people at Glik’s to ‘beat the odds.’”
In an interview with The Ledger Independent, Glik stated that he has waited three and a half years to own the lease on the Maysville location.
“Maysville is amazing. It is absolutely amazing,” he expressed. “When I came to that town, I was so blown away by the friendliness, by the cleanliness, by the whole community and the beauty on the Ohio River. I was blown away.”
Glik’s offers casual and athletic fashion from major clothing brands, including Patagonia, The North Face, Birkenstock, Vans, Simply Southern and Free People.
When asked what makes Glik’s unique, Glik stated, “So, our goal is to be the fashion leader in every community that we serve. And we go to all of the fashion, you know, we go to most of the fashion shows, our buyers. We go to LA, we go to New York, which are markets — separate markets — and we really pride ourselves on being fashion-first.”
He added that Glik’s participates in the chamber of commerce of each community it resides in, including Maysville’s. The company’s website notes that it also supports Life for Life Academy, The Little Bit Foundation, the Jewish Federation of Southern Illinois and United Way, and holds annual Glik’s Give Back Tuesdays, during which it donates 10 percent of its sales to a local charity.
“We believe the chamber is so important to the community, and it’s a big part of the reason why we’re there, is that they have built a very strong community effort,” Glik stated.
The grand opening will begin at 9 a.m. at 403a Market Square Drive in Maysville. The event will feature a symbolic ribbon made of 129 dollar bills to commemorate Glik’s 129 years of operation, as well as former news anchor and philanthropy director Erica Bivens. Ten percent of the day’s sales will benefit Maysville Hands of Hope.