After serving the community of Paarl tirelessly for the past 101 years iconic shoe shop Economic Shoes will be closing its doors.
For more than a century the Economic Shoe Store in Main Road, Paarl has been a beacon of quality in the town.
This is now truly the end of an era for a local shop that is interwoven with the town’s history.
The store was first opened on 21 August 1921 by Morris and Freda Semer (great-grandparents of the current owner, David Novos,) and has been in the same location ever since.
In 1948, the couple’s daughter and son-in-law, Lorna and Morris Novos, joined the already well-established family business.
In 1960, the shop was re-built and became just about the largest family shoe store in the Western Cape.
As it still is today, the shop was abuzz with customers knowing this was where they would find the best buy in style, quality and comfort.
Malcolm Novos and his wife Ros then joined the business in 1974.
Ros died in 2012 and Malcolm in 2020, leaving their youngest son David to steer the business.
David is the fourth generation of the family to run the business, after joining in 2005.
Under his capable management the store has remained the first choice among shoe retailers for many Paarlites and patrons from surrounding towns.
And the staff of Economics have through the years been tirelessly serving clients with a committed one-on-one service from all the staff.
Proof of the staff’s commitment to the Novos family, most of them have been with the family for more than 40 years, with Christine Ayford having spent 47 years of her life at the store.
But, says Novos, the time has come to say good-bye and move on.
David would like to thank all Economics Shoes’ clientele who over the years chose this little shoe shop in Paarl as their preferred shoe shop.
