The Closet Inc
Meet our Tenant Of The Month, Robert Farrell, owner of The Closet Inc. now open at 551 Richmond Street.
We love his back story of determination, tenacity, and living out his dream here in London, Ontario. Robert Farrell was born in Chatham, Ontario, where he was raised by his mother and grandmother, calling them “two of the most important women in my life”. They taught him early that if he wanted to succeed at something, it was up to him to make it happen. Starting at just 16 years old he promoted concerts with a variety of chart-topping artists, including Terry Clarke and Outkast. It was an experience he credits with teaching him “a lot about business”.His daughter Marsaydees became his impetus to success. “I wanted to be the father she deserved and was motivated knowing there was another life I was responsible for”.
Always interested in clothing, Robert and a friend would regularly visit the U.S. to do their shopping. When the American dollar started to rise they recognized a real opportunity to open a store of their own in Canada. They contacted distributors from all over the country, and their product lines began to solidify. “We were able to land exclusive footwear and apparel that you cannot find in your large corporate chains. That still stands today, and its what sets ‘The Closet Inc.’ apart.”
In 1998 Robert was 18 years old and he and his partner first opened their doors in Chatham. Business took off and continues to grow.“In 2005, My partner left the business to pursue other interests and I took over the company.”‘The Closet Inc.’ has since created a strong online presence, with more than 115,000 Instagram followers, and counts artists such as T.I., Dej Loaf,Yo Gotti and Kevin Hart as valued customers.
“We pretty much skyrocketed to the top of the game in boutique lifestyle footwear and apparel for all ages and all walks of life. Today, we carry Nike,adidas Originals, Air Jordan, CONVERSE,Timberland, PUMA, Under Armour… and more to come.” But it hasn’t all been roses. In the past year Robert lost both his mother and grandmother within eight months of each other. It was a terrible loss and hit Robert hard. But the work ethic they had instilled in him kept him going. “I knew they would have wanted me to build my business and keep moving forward, and that’s exactly what I did.”
“Since 2002, I have dreamed of opening a store at 551 Richmond Street. I could imagine my storefront inside those windows– but nothing was available. When it was time to begin looking for locations in downtown London, 551 was not available, and I couldn’t find anything that attracted me as much. But I didn’t lose hope and amazingly a unit at 551 Richmond Street came available.
“I met with a representative from FHC on-site and was attracted by their obvious commitment to tenant service. We signed a very reasonable lease shortly after. The entire process with FHC was straight-forward, a real breeze, and I am now happily in my dream location, living my own personal dream in London, Ontario.”