Publication select ▼
ST. CLAIR SHORES — Connie’s Children’s Shop, a staple in the community and for many families, is turning 70 years old, and the owner is proud of how far they’ve come.
Denise Kort, owner of Connie’s Children’s Shop, said her parents, the original owners, were 18 when they got married. They had her sister, Connie, when they were 19 and when Connie was a year old, they opened the shop which moved a couple times before its current location on Greater Mack Avenue south of Nine Mile Road.
“Connie is now 71, so we’re here 70 years,” Kort said.
Kort has three older sisters and they all worked at the shop when they were in high school and college.
“After I graduated college, my parents had a manager that wasn’t working out, so they offered me a job,” Kort said.
She started at the shop 35 years ago in 1989. Around 2000, her parents retired to Florida.
“I just ran the business and then, sadly, both of them have passed and it just became mine,” Kort said.
Kort has seen thousands of children come through her shop to get uniforms, first communion outfits and other items of clothing and accessories. Some of those children come back as adults to buy outfits for their own children and grandchildren.
Right now, the shop is in its first communion season, Kort said, and some of the grandmothers who buy the outfits say they got their first communion dresses from the shop.
“It’s repeat business from many generations,” Kort said. “It’s nice.”
Kort is incredibly proud of how far the shop has come.
“How many brick and mortar, independent stores have been in business 70 years?” Kort said. “Yeah, so I am very proud.”
She is also proud of her employees. Melissa Chunn, the shoe manager at Connie’s, has been with the business for around 30 years. Kort said she started when she was just 15 years old.
Chunn said she likes working at the shop.
“Denise is like family to me,” Chunn said. “She’s like an older sister to me.”
She said Kort has been with her through everything from high school to babies and everything in between.
Chunn had a couple different jobs, but she always stayed in the shop.
“I think it was the family aspect and the closeness and I just can’t leave her, and she needs me too much,” Chunn said with a laugh.
Kort added that Chunn came back nine days after her babies were born.
“I’ll be here forever, until we’re done,” Chunn said.
Chunn is very proud of how far the shop has come in the time it has been around.
“Seventy years is a huge thing in this day and age,” Chunn said. “Especially with online (shopping) and everybody buying online and other stores shutting down because Amazon takes over. I mean, this is a huge feat.”
Several other employees have been employed at Connie’s for multiple years as well. Kort said she trusts them and that she’s very lucky.
“They’re awesome,” Kort said.
Kort said if she didn’t have loyal customers, she wouldn’t have made it this far in her business.
“I’m lucky, because the internet is a killer,” Kort said.
She went on to say online sales and websites have taken a toll on her business starting around 2000. Other uncertain times include the 2008 recession and 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That was very scary, and we were closed for 2 1/2 months,” Kort said. “But once we opened back up my business was booming. People didn’t want to go to the malls, they wanted to support local.”
Kort said she isn’t sure what the future holds for the store. Her nieces and nephews have their own careers, and she is the last family member involved in the business.
“Eventually, I’m going to want to retire,” Kort said. “So I would either sell the business or have my employees run the business. I’m not sure.”
Connie’s Children’s Shop is located at 23240 Greater Mack Ave in St Clair Shores.
