A close look at stores on National Department Store Day

Oct. 16 is Department Store Day. Although their popularity is clearly in decline, there’s little doubt their influence plays a major part in our daily lives. Although online retailers such as Amazon provide almost everything in one place – similar to a department store but on a larger scale – it doesn’t stop us from having fond memories of the many stores that have been and gone.

On Time Fashion

On Time Fashion has been in business for more than 40 years. Owners Mary Rantisi and her late husband Ellis Rantisi ran the store for 37 years. She has been on her own running the store since he died eight years ago. 

After the death of Mary’s husband, she had thoughts of shutting the store down but says “her customers asked her to keep it going”.  The store offers men’s wear, which includes men’s suits, Stylish hats, socks, ties and leisure suits.

Rantisi is very proud of the people in the area because she gets support from the people of Vicksburg and surrounding areas, which include Port Gibson, parts of Louisiana and Natchez, just to name a name a few.

Mary Rantisi has been operating her business for almost 40 years. (Photo by Marcus James)

 Meci-Kouture

While department stores are on the decline, many shoppers still enjoy browsing through the latest styles, testing out the newest electronics and having someone assist them with the details of a purchase.

Many shoppers couple the advantages of comparing online shopping catalogs, then visit their department store for the real-feel decision.