FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Miriam Handel

PR Writing
miriamhandel@my.unt.edu

J.T. Clothiers embraces familiar values for a solid business

(DENTON, Texas – Sept. 21, 2022) On August 10, 2021, J&J’s Pizza closed business permanently. On

June 2, 2021, Drug Emporium also shut down, after decades of serving Denton customers. What do these

two staples of Denton have in common? They closed due to the COVID pandemic’s impact on sales and

the local economy. It’s not an understatement to say that many businesses struggled during the pandemic,

but what is there to say about the stores that fought back and stayed in business throughout the toughest

obstacle many small business owners had to face?

J.T. Clothiers, the family run specialty retail store located on the square, didn’t let the pandemic

frighten them. The retailer took advantage of their less than ideal situation, and relied on their loyal

customers and hardworking employees to remain a Denton staple.

J.T.’s, founded in 1970 by James Tritt, has been a landmark in Denton since it opened. Beginning

as menswear only, it wasn’t until 1979 when James’ wife Nancy came on board that they started selling

product for women as well. In a world of fast fashion and low quality product, J.T’s has continuously

sold not only high quality product, but provide its customers with high quality service.

“We’re not the Gaps of the world, we’re not Target,” says Jimmy Tritt, the current owner of

J.T.’s. “ We know how to fit clothes. We are a customer service business, and while we’ve been here for

53 years, we take care of our people and still do things the way they did them decades ago.”

Tritt, the son of founder James, beams with pride when asked about his business. When a

company has loyal customers going back decades, it isn’t hard to tell that they’re doing something right.

-more-
 A large amount of J.T.’s success comes from the loyalty that their customers show them. The

store has seen many different locations, starting on Sunset Boulevard, eventually moving to a spot by

Golden Triangle Mall, all before finding a home on the square. These relocations might be a problem for

a lesser business, but for J.T.’s it’s just a chance to grow and further foot traffic and sales.

“It’s been nice, this location is paying off.” Tritt explains. “Not only do I have my loyal customers

that come to us every year and will hopefully continue to, but I’m getting a whole new age group coming

in.”

When walking into the store, you’re immediately met with a welcoming and familiar feeling.

Employees greet you immediately, customers bustle around making sure to find all of the newest and

most fashionable outfits, and the scents of their new fall candles fill the air. Environment is key, so when a

pandemic that shuts down the nation hit, J.T’s took a step back to reassess the business.

The City of Denton tried to help during the pandemic. The Paycheck Protection program gives

loans to business to help them stay afloat, but Tritt explains that even before that, he took action to make

sure that J.T.’s continued to thrive.

As more and more began to be shut down, frustrations were rising over J.T.’s lack of ability to

serve the community.

“When we finally reopened, I was setting appointments, doing the six foot distancing and had

sanitizer all over the store,” says Tritt. “We did everything we could to make it feel like a safe

environment and wee used this time to transition and launch an online store.”

There’s some hesitation in Tritt’s voice as he explains the online shop they opened. The business

prides itself on its customer service, something that an online store lacks, but for all the trouble the online

storefront may have been, it kept J.T.’s open, something that not every Denton storefront can say.

There isn’t much wrong with J.T.’s. There’s good clothes, good people, and good service. “The

most important part of the business is the customers and staff,” Tritt explains. It takes a level of

extreme care to keep a small business afloat, and luckily J.T’s has it in stock.

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Jimmy Tritt organizes the front display at J.T. Clothiers.
Jimmy Tritt hangs up a custom fitted suit in the menswear section at J.T. Clothiers.

Appendix:
NT Daily- Students on campus are constantly looking for things to do in Denton, and the article offers
an option for shopping. J.T.’s location on the square also makes it a hotspot for students and families of
the school.

Denton County Magazine- A local magazine that highlights Denton culture. They have a section
dedicated to shopping and style, and it seems their demographic would be interested in a high end
boutique.

Tweet:
Local business owner Jimmy Tritt discusses the success story of J.T. Clothiers, and shares the secrets
behind running a Denton landmark throughout even the toughest of times. #DentonSmallBusines