Zimman's Thrives By Keeping It Fresh: Store Offers More Than Just Fabrics
The Daily Item, October 29, 2002

It pays to be different. Zimman's, the century-old fine fabrics, furniture, and decorative accessories store located on Market Street continues its tradition of originality and old-world elegance.

According to store owner Mike Zimman the Lynn retailer is one of the largest fabric stores in the country. Zimman's patrons include current and former Lynn residents, and shoppers from Greater Boston and New England.

The store is composed of three levels: the first floor is filled with countless floor-to-ceiling rows of rich fabrics in bold colors with complex and intricate patterns. The stairways are a dark polished wood with thick banisters and feature lushly decorated nooks and alcoves.

The second and third floors contain many distinct areas serving as small mock rooms without walls including dining rooms, bedrooms, and sitting rooms. Each is individually and consistently decorated with tones and styles different from rooms adjacent.

The lighting is soft, a mixture of new and antique lamps and chandeliers. The second floor offers a large wall of shelves containing an eclectic array of pillows. The third floor, a smaller version of the second, offers more solid patterns and traditional wood and leather furniture.

In addition to Zimman's unique, high-ended merchandise, the management's strong commitment to value draws customers. "There are plenty of people who shop here who could spend more," said Zimman. "But getting a fair deal just seems right."

"A strong focus on value is part of our history," said Zimman. "Part of Zimman's uniqueness is that it is an old fashioned merchant business. That kind of business culture at the retail level is a disappearing thing. We blow all the high-end design centers out of the water on pricing."

Zimman's grandfather, Morris, arrived in America from Lithuania in 1909 and opened a dry-goods store in Lynn soon after. The original store sold clothes, bedding, and notions in addition to fabric. "Zimman's has been trying to bring good value to people here ever since," said Zimman.

"We are extremely fortunate to have a store like Zimman's in Lynn," said Peter DeVeau, executive director of Lynn Economic Industrial Corporation (EDIC). "As the image and visual appearance of the downtown improves, Zimman's, with its regional prominence and draw of shoppers from across the metropolitan area, will be a key component in broadcasting those developments.

"Like Lynn Woods and Lynn Shore Drive, Zimman's has become a resource and asset we can't afford to lose or ignore," said DeVeau. "It is something we need to build on."

Mike Zimman grew up in Marblehead among five boys. He was obliged to work in the store on weekend nights and during the summer: "I had to work while my friends were going to the beach and having a good time," he said with a wry smile. "In retrospect it was probably a good thing."

After graduating from Bowdoin College, where he was an art major, Zimman taught school for a year while he helped his father, Barry, at the store. This time, working in the family business was more compelling than it had been during his youth. "I had a knack for buying and selling. It must be genetic coding form my grandfather," he said.

When Zimman joined his father full-time, he decided the business needed to specialize and that textiles were the way to go. "We're an urban island here and we have to give people a reason to come," said Zimman. "Textiles have a long shelf life and they appeal to me aesthetically." The change caught on and within a short period of years Zimman's was the biggest fabric store in the region. And it has only grown since then.

Zimman's art background has had a strong influence on the store's inventory. The fabric comes from all over the world; Zimman's works with domestic mills, the top European mills, and print companies in England, France, Spain, and Italy. Silks are imported from India and China. The store stocks cotton fabrics woven in countries like Peru, South Africa, and Sri Lanka.

The business has a similar mix of foreign and domestic furniture sources. "All of our hand-carved wood is imported from places like Mexico and the Far East," said Zimman. "You can't get old-world craftsmanship in the U.S. or Europe anymore."

Although the store has won the Best of Boston award several times and numerous North Shore newspaper and media awards, Zimman seems unconcerned about those types of accolades. "The biggest award is having people come to the store from all over," he said. "I don't think there are many businesses in Greater Boston that draw people from as far and wide as we do."

But don't expect Zimman's to leave Lynn for a more commercial area any time soon. "My father and I are sentimental traditionalists in many ways," said Zimman. "Lynn just feels like home. We couldn't try to duplicate this store somewhere else. It just wouldn't be the same."

There are also other, less sentimental reasons why Zimman's will always remain in Lynn. "I love it when people come into the store and go, "Oh, my God," said Zimman. "I enjoy seeing customers experience the thrill of the treasure hunt. They've been driving through a small city and then they come in and are blown away by what we have to offer…"

Though Zimman says he does not have plans for any serious changes to the business, the Zimman family cannot seem to stop improving upon Morris Zimman's dry goods store.

"The store always grows and evolves," said Zimman. "We don't have a strict laid out business plan. Although the lack of an outline has its downside, it allows for the excitement of unexpected changes."