Commitment to quality lives on: Schroeder sisters vow to continue store's century-plus tradition

By: Charlie Mathews, Herald Times Reporter

TWO RIVERS — Her father has died and his business partner has moved on to a new career, but AJ Schroeder believes the foundation for future success at Schroeder's Department Store remains the same.

"Real Quality … Real Value!" will continue to be the marketing slogan and commitment to customers, the new boss vowed Tuesday.

John Schroeder, died of cancer at age 60 in December after more than four decades at the downtown landmark. In 2008, John's first cousin, Tim Schroeder, took a teaching position at Roncalli High School after
many years at the store.

"My dad and Tim were a good balance," said AJ, who joined the family business full time in 2002 as its marketing and women's clothing manager.

"Theresa and I are a good balance," AJ said of her new running mate and sister, 27. By virtue of inheritance, the duo and their younger sister, Liz, 25, are part of fourth-generation ownership that includes other relatives.

"We are surrounded by so many good employees," AJ said, quickly crediting nine full-time staff members and 20 part-time workers.

All are expected to provide the kind of friendly expertise in apparel, footwear, alterations, and window treatments that will earn continuing customer loyalty.

Repeat or new business also is linked to economic factors.

"Our prices are competitive when you compare apples to apples, whether it's Birkenstock, Dansko, Keen or Etnies," AJ said of different footwear lines.

After her father's death, AJ's title has become general manager, though employees and the store's board of directors simply call her "the boss," she said.

Her responsibilities have expanded to include women's and men's shoes and men's outerwear.

Theresa works nearly 40 hours a week while completing a court-reporting program at Lakeshore Technical College. Eventually, she hopes to work at the store and do freelance legal work at home.

Theresa said her father turned over many management and buying responsibilities when AJ returned to Schroeder's after working in Plymouth in advertising.

"You try to give AJ a job to do, and she's already done it before you even ask her," Theresa said.

Liz is a utility worker at Point Beach Nuclear Plant, and is on-call in addition to closing the store on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

Full-time staff includes Rose Waskow, Lois Krueger, Jerry Randall, Angie Meyer, Suzie Monka, Nic Bornemann, Shannon Fitzgerald and Lori Tess.

'Not a fuddy-duddy'

"This is a very conservative area, but we do follow fashion trends," AJ said. "We're not a fuddy-duddy business."

Indeed, AJ has assigned Theresa to update the store's Web site and improve its Facebook, MySpace and Flickr social networking sites that potentially can draw customers online or to Two Rivers.

The sisters said they strive to carry shoe and clothing designs or lines not available at Kohl's, J.C. Penney, Younkers or other stores in the area.

Schroeder's features men's apparel from Hart Schaffner Marx, Palm Beach, Levi's, Carhartt, Woolrich, Columbia, Wigwam, Duofold, Haggar and Enro.

Women's clothing lines include Pendleton, Woolrich, Cuddldud, Duofold, Northern Isle, Columbia Sportswear Company, Tribal and Koret.

On Tuesday, Liz was wearing a white Columbia jacket with green accents, a copper-colored Alps turtleneck sweater, Ethyl jeans, and Keen mid-calf leather boots. "She had the family discount before she was born," Theresa said.

While Liz doesn't spend many hours in the store, AJ said the three Schroeder sisters do bounce ideas off each other each week.

"Our customers don't want us to have what every other store has," AJ said. "We try to have both fun and safe stuff … it's a crap shoot."

Smiling face everywhere

Photographs of a smiling John Schroeder can be found in several locations throughout the three-story, brick building.

All three daughters started working for him at about age 10. They know he was a respected businessman, and well liked in the community for his volunteer activities and Two Rivers booster spirit.

They enjoyed his fondness for finding fashionable women's shoes in red.

AJ said their father was open-minded, and always trying to educate himself on current developments in apparel and footwear.

"He would say, 'Look at this trend … we saw these shoes at the boot show,'" AJ recalled.

John's cancer treatments prevented him from playing an active role in the store after last July.

AJ reminisced about how proud her dad was last year when she introduced the Stormy Kromer line of men's shirts, coats and caps in the store.

"They are made in the U.S., in Ironwood, Mich.," she said. "We try to carry labels that we can represent well.

"We all want to see the store succeed another 118 years by maintaining the values set by our founders, including quality and service."

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