After 132 Years, One of Detroit’s Oldest Businesses Is Closing

If you grew up in Michigan in the 70s or 80s, there’s a really good chance you knew the name Dittrich Furs without ever stepping foot inside the store.

You knew it because of the commercials.

They were everywhere back in the day. TV on in the background. Snow outside. And there it was. Dittrich Furs. Fancy. Old school. Very Detroit. Even if you never needed a fur coat in your life, you knew the name.

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And how could you forget those commercials? The ski jump. The woman riding a horse. Completely ridiculous. Totally over the top. And that’s exactly why they stood out.

Now that name is heading into the history books.

After 132 years in business, the family behind Dittrich Furs has announced they’re closing up shop this spring. According to a post on their Facebook page, the reason is simple and honestly pretty understandable. They’re retiring and focusing on their family’s health and well-being.

Dittrich Furs dates all the way back to 1893 and has been passed down through five generations. Over the years, it moved around the city before landing at its longtime Third Avenue location in 1965. The store has often been described as Detroit’s oldest privately held business, and that alone says a lot.

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The store will officially close on April 30, with a retirement liquidation sale happening before then.

To be honest, I didn’t even realize Dittrich Furs was still in business. I mean, if you’re not running commercials with a woman flying through the air on skis in a fur coat, how am I supposed to know?