'Dying' family clothing business in Brockton receives help from Barstool Fund

BROCKTON — A family-owned clothing business that recently closed its Roslindale store and had to lay off more two dozen workers is receiving help to survive the pandemic.

L&M Bargain, located in the Points West Plaza at 21 Torrey St. in Brockton, is one of the latest of more than 100 businesses to receive financial support through the Barstool Fund.

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who began the fund with $500,000 of his own money, has raised more than $22 million through more than 173,000 donations to support small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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On Sunday, L&M Bargain co-owner Stuart Salzberg became one of the latest business owners to receive a call from Portnoy pledging help from the Barstool Fund.

"We got your story, your email, your video about your clothing store — based out of Brockton, right?" Portnoy said in the video. "Obviously, hard times, sounds like you guys could use a little help. That's why we created the fund."

L&M Bargain, which was opened in 1951 by Holocaust survivor Lewis Salzberg, is now owned by his two sons, Stuart and Mark.

The store, which sells discount clothing and specializes in school uniforms, was first located at 593 Centre St. in Brockton, but has been on Torrey Street since August 2015.

L&M originally opened in Roslindale, but the company announced in late December that it would be closing its doors there.

"We want to keep it going, but we hit a hard road," Stuart Salzberg told Portnoy in the emotional call, adding that, "We're dying."

L&M's best time of the year for business is usually the fall with back-to-school sales because they have contracts with Boston-area schools to provide uniforms. Many of those sales didn't happen this school year with most schools remote due to the coronavirus.

"During this time of the pandemic, our business has been devastated," Stuart Salzberg said in his video applying for funding. "Our most important quarter is the third quarter, which is back-to-school season. We were destroyed and we were unable to really function without the back-to-school season. The economic loss that's impacted L&M Bargain Store has been tremendous."

He said L&M would use the money to restock its inventory, maintain employees and work with its vendors who have been supportive throughout the years.

"We are looking for a new location that is more affordable and works within the new business model that now exists," Stuart Salzberg said. "While we have reduced capacity in stores, we need to have reduced expenses."

Stuart Salzberg's 4-minute video is serious, with him sitting inside a home and looking into the camera as he explains L&M Bargain's situation. But it ends with a short clip of him outside, with Gillette Stadium in the background.

"And, of course, in Belichick we trust," he says, referring to New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and playing to Portnoy's love of the team.

As of Sunday night, the goal of raising $40,000 for L&M Bargain had been met.

Stuart Salzberg said the company had to lay off about 25 to 30 employees last week.

"If we can bring them back, that's going to be awesome," he said.

"I think you'll be able to do that," Portnoy said.

Senior reporter Cody Shepard can be reached by email at cshepard@enterprisenews.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @cshepard_ENT. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.