Brother's on the Boulevard, 101 Arnould Blvd., was packed with customers Wednesday, a day after Ed "Brother" Abdalla announced he would close the store after 43 years in business.

First opened in 1976, the owners are "closing their doors for retirement" and will shut down by Dec. 24 or sooner if all the $800,000 in retail merchandise is sold before then. Brother's offers clothing, shoes and accessories for men, women and children and lists itself as the only locally owned, family-operated specialty store in Acadiana.

The news came after the longtime Lafayette store Bell's Sporting Goods announced earlier this month it will close after 73 years in business.

“It has been bittersweet coming to this decision because we love our customers and have thoroughly enjoyed dressing them over the years,” Abdalla said. “We are forever grateful for the support we have received throughout the years and would like to thank the Acadiana area for their loyalty. We are retiring from the retail business to focus on the family real estate business.”

To that end, Abdalla, 67, said he and his son, Adam, 39, met with real estate advisers Wednesday. Their plan: Remodel the store and strip shopping area and get into the real estate business full time.

The elder Abdalla declined to call his plans a retirement; instead, he said, they mark a "transition."

Store officials marked down prices on inventory Wednesday morning, and Abdalla said, business was brisk all morning.

"I didn't think we'd be this busy today," he said.

Abdalla owns Belle Realty of Lafayette, LLC, which owns the On The Boulevard Shopping Center.

The Abdalla family's business interests in Acadiana date back more than a century. Ed Abdalla previously operated a store at the mall, he said, for about 15 years.

He said retail has its "ups and downs" but he's loved selling. Initially, he said, malls were imposing competitors but, he said, Brother's weathered those. He said shoppers like to pull up in front of a store, like they were doing Wednesday afternoon during heavy rains.