A hot-seller emerges in Fischer’s final days

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 August 2015 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Gary Withey was inundated this morning with customers wanting the newest item at Fischer’s News Stand, which is closing on Sunday after more than a century as a fixture in downtown Albion.

The store is selling Fischer’s T-shirts in red or blue with the store logo. One of Withey’s friends, Jack Burris, dropped off 100 this morning at 7. By noon there were 20 left.

Withey is pictured at the store with employee Missy Schening. They are wearing the new shirts.

“It’s insane,” Withey said about the rush on the shirts. “I’m speechless and I’m never speechless.”

Burris is giving the proceeds from the shirt sales to Withey. If all 100 sell, Burris expects he can give Withey $1,000.

Withey has owned the store for 20 years. Other news stands closed in Medina, Batavia, Rochester and other Western New York communities. Withey kept his going in a challenging business environment.

“I’ve been self employed for 25 years and it’s tough,” Burris said. “I give him props for sticking it out for 20 years. I have nothing but respect for him for what he did the past 20 years.”

Gary and his wife Denise became owners of Fischer’s in January 1995. They ran the business as a team. Last October, Denise suffered catastrophic kidney failure. She was on dialysis until her death at age 51 on Feb. 27.

Her husband will start a new job in September as a medical courier for ACM Medical Laboratory in Buffalo. Withey won’t have to work holidays and weekends in the new job.

He said he is thankful for the community support, including the latest push to buy a Fischer’s shirt.

The supply is nearly gone, and Burris said he will order more from Digital Ink Arts. D.J. Button at Digital Ink turned the shirts into a reality on Tuesday evening, after Burris had the idea only on Saturday.

“This is just to show support for Gary,” Burris said. “The shirts look really cool.”

Fischer’s will be open until 1 p.m. on Sunday. For information on getting a shirt, go to the store or email fischerstees@gmail.com.