Ashley Jay calls it a day after 25 years

140515PBAshleyJay TERESA and Ken Pfeffer are giving shoes the boot for a life after retail. PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS

By the end of next month there's going to be a hole in Victoria Ave.
Ashley Jay Shoes is going to close after more than 25 years in business and footwear retail in Wanganui will never be the same again.
The lease runs out on May 22 but Ken and Teresa Pfeffer have been given a month's extension to clear the stock.
By last Thursday they were down to about 550 pairs of shoes in the storeroom, where usually there are about 3000 pairs.
And when customers learn the store is going to close, the reaction is, "Why?" says Teresa. The fact is, Teresa wants to do other things and she and Ken want to spend more time together. A couple of health scares have hastened the decision.
"I'm past the age of retirement and I've had enough," she says.
"It was a good time to go," says Ken, "It's right in our buying pattern time, so Teresa decided just before we needed to buy for summer that she wanted out, so we haven't bought any new season's stock. It makes closing the shop a better option than trying to sell it."
"It might have sold," says Teresa, "but I didn't want to take that risk."
There's no denying that Ashley Jay is a successful business and it is the last of its kind in Wanganui.
"Over the years we've stayed with footwear; we haven't dabbled in anything else. Footwear, service and footwear accessories, and, of course, Teresa has all that knowledge which she imparts. We have people come here from all over the country," says Ken.
During the interview in the storeroom, the shop buzzer sounded frequently, sending Teresa out to the customer then back to the storeroom, emptying boxes of shoes and making sales. As they depart they'll hear a familiar ... "Enjoy wearing those" from Teresa. "I'm confident they will enjoy wearing them," says Teresa. "There are two things in life I can guarantee; I'm going to die ... and you're going to get comfort out of these GOwalks [a Skechers shoe]. There are days when I would sell up to 14 pairs."
"It's the end of an era of true footwear specialists," says Ken. He praises his wife's concern for the customers' welfare. "She won't sell them shoes that don't fit properly; she's completely honest."
Teresa has found a home in Wanganui for a brand that's a particular favourite; Skechers.
"I'm very protective of that brand," she says. She recommended that Jane Hayman at Posh Comfort take over the brand in Wanganui.
"We've always been sticklers for buying good product," says Ken, "And it takes experience to tell the difference."
So where did the name Ashley Jay come from?
"Double banger names were in vogue," says Ken, "And 'A' puts you near the top of the listings in the phone book, so it was an easy one. It became Ashley Jay, but it doesn't actually mean a thing. I've had the odd person asking me if I was Ashley ... "
For a while the store was called Shoe Biz, just to hold the lease before Ashley Jay moved from its original Trafalgar Square location.
Customers still have time to get into Ashley Jay and say goodbye. Ken and Teresa are planning a few trips to see grandchildren and take in other parts of the world, and Teresa wants to get involved in voluntary work. "And we're looking forward to being able to be together again," says Ken.
"I want to thank all those who supported Ashley Jay over the years," says Teresa. "I have a bucket load of memories that will last forever."