The Uniform Shoppe in Tulsa has been a family operated business since 1962. They are truly pioneers in the industry, having been one of the first boutique type stores to sell
uniforms in the country.
The early years consisted of Albert Weise toting his wife and young daughters around the entire state calling on hospitals, clinics and vocational schools that had a need for uniforms. Having left his native Oklahoma for Chicago when his family was young, Weise’s brother-in-law made a trip to see him in hopes of persuading him to go into business together. The rest, as they say, is history. Jody Weise fondly remembers riding in the back of her father’s station wagon with her younger sisters. They laid a foam mattress in the back in case a nap was needed during their long days driving around finding customers.
She and her middle sister would often accompany her father to work and had
fun filling catalog orders in the backroom. The first shop was opened in Tulsa
and eventually expanded to have a second location in Oklahoma City. At one point there were nine locations, however, Jody shared that it made more sense operationally to have two big super stores in each city. When her father and uncle’s business began to grow, they created an association of other uniform industry businesses called the Professional Apparel Association. It would later be changed to the Uniform Retailer’s Association. The URA is active today as a non profit trade association supporting and educating independent uniform retailer’s growth and profitability.
Jody attended college at Oklahoma University in Norman and moved to Houston afterwards.
She was hired as the manager of a department store and was able to forgo
the typical training required as she was way ahead of the game having grown
up helping in her parents’ shop. While there, one of the Tulsa stores suffered a devastating fire and Jody was asked to come home and help them rebuild. She has been there ever since. She and her mother are the current President and Vice President. Her father actively worked until he was eighty-eight and sadly, passed away one year later after a fall. Jody credits his values and ability to build and maintain customer relationships with the family’s long success. She did not intend to make a career out of working in the uniform business, but has now been there for more than forty years. The Weise family remains invested in customer service and meeting the needs of every person who comes into the shop.
When asked why someone would want to shop at her store, Jody stated that
they stay up to date on the latest trends in materials, comfort, sustainability and affordability. The Uniform Shoppe provides personal service by knowing their products well and helping people decide what is best for their needs. They offer sizes ranging from XS all the way up to 6X and will customize if needed beyond that. They are constantly researching and listening to what their customers say and want. Their customer base is local, national and international. They also share feedback with the URA and listen to what other members of the association have learned. Additionally, their employees are like family with several over the years having worked for them for more than twenty-five years.
The industry continues to grow. Jody is happy to see new brick and mortar retailers open up.
While The Uniform Shoppe has occupied the same location in Tulsa for decades, they found themselves in need of more warehouse space. At the end of January they will be moving a mile and a half north of the current location to an industrial park. They will still have a retail showroom up front and welcome customers in to continue meeting their needs. Shopping can always be done globally or locally on their website. Visit us at www.theuniformshoppe.com.
