R&S Floral owner plans to close retail shops

R&S Floral, with its 1312 S. Glenstone and West Plains locations, will close as early as August after more than 40 years in business, according to manager Susan Brewer. Owner Russell Schweke plans to retire.

The floral, gift and memorial shop employs 10 locally and four in West Plains.

“We’re kind of Springfield’s little hidden treasure, I hate to see us go,” Brewer said. “I feel so bad for our customers who are just heartbroken. They’re like family.”

Brewer said several individuals have inquired about purchasing the local store but she has seen no real interest. She would not disclose a purchase price.

Schweke was unavailable for comment.

FM Stores, a fabric and decoration store, was one party that inquired about buying the shop but hasn’t committed to anything, said FM co-owner Todd Arbeitman. He said his company has made inquiries with other businesses as well but has no concrete plans to move from its location at 1368 E. Sunshine.

“We’re not wanting to move, but our lease is up in 2008, and the city will be voting on something to widen our little street over here in 2007, and I think eventually St. John’s might work their way through the city,” he said. “So we’ve just inquired about other things just in case and getting ready to (move) if we have to.”

Brewer said R&S Floral’s unique approach to selling flowers at discounted prices and limiting its delivery services to local funerals may make it hard to find fitting owners.

“It’s just a different type of business,” Brewer said. “Someone would really need to know what they were doing when they came in.”

R&S Floral does have plans to keep its memorial-manufacturing service after its retail store closes. Schweke and his son open as many as 20 satellite stores in Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas for six weeks each spring to produce floral memorials for Memorial Day. Those products are created locally at a facility on Highway 266, Brewer said.

Prices of all products at R&S are reduced for a closing sale, Brewer said, and many are marked down by 50 percent. Inventory includes seasonal and holiday decorations, pottery and vases, fake and real flowers and garden items.[[In-content Ad]]