In New Iberia, Bealls Department Store, formerly owned by Stage Stores, Inc based out of Texas, was once a go-to shop for all of a family’s clothing needs, and though it’s no longer here, Clarence Babineaux remembers shopping there when he was younger.

Born and raised in New Iberia, Babineaux, now a Shreveport resident, is a practicing architect. While he’s been away from the Teche Area for some time now, he still has roots in the community.

When he was a young boy, Babineaux was a member of the Boy Scouts of America, and he remembers that Bealls Department Store carried boy scout gear.

“Before that, you had to go to the Heymann’s Department Store in Lafayette for Boy Scout uniforms but Bealls started carrying it, so it made it a lot more convenient,” Babineaux said.

But it wasn’t just Boy Scouts of America uniforms at Bealls, Babineaux said. It was a general department store.

“They sold men’s clothing, women’s clothing and when I got older, I bought dress clothes there,” Babineaux said. “They concentrated on apparel.”

Once located in Torrido Village, Bealls Department Store opened in the late 60s, according to Babineaux.

The first Bealls of Texas opened in 1927.

Though it’s no longer open in New Iberia, Babineaux said the store’s legacy stands the test of time for what it did for the community and its people.

“The fact that you could walk in and see people you knew,” Babineaux said. “Knowing your customer and just being able to converse with them and build that personal relationship.”

Sales in any capacity, according to Babineaux, is about building those relationships that last a lifetime and Bealls Department Store in New Iberia was once one of those places.