CINCINNATI — For years, Cincy Shirts has been a fixture in the Tri-State, with brick-and-mortar locations in Fort Mitchell and Loveland where customers can get custom apparel made on the spot.
"Any size you need, any kind of shirt, they make them right then and there for you," said customer Nancy Duff, a Loveland resident.
The local apparel company has built strong community ties over the years.
"They are very much, very much involved. Helping us find spots for extra events and really making sure they've got specials throughout the day," said Sherry Fining, another Loveland resident.
But behind the familiar hum of t-shirt presses, co-owner Josh Sneed says the business is facing mounting challenges.
"It's right after Christmas, you know, not exactly T-shirt weather," Sneed said.
Watch Cincy Shirts co-owner discusses the situation the business is in:
In January 2025, the company closed its Hyde Park location, reflecting a broader trend affecting some Cincinnati retailers.
The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows Cincinnati lost between 11% and 13% of its brick-and-mortar retail stores in recent years, with many businesses moving to online sales.
Sneed pointed to several factors creating a perfect storm: cold weather reducing foot traffic, rising material costs and an uncontrollable variable: local sports team performance.
"It does," Sneed said when asked if Cincinnati teams' success affects his business. "Because some of our big moments over the last few years are tied to sports moments, the success of the Bengals in the past, or, you know, the calling up of Elly De La Cruz or other players, if they're exciting, or FC Cincinnati being one of the top teams in the league."
The company gained national recognition in recent years for viral designs tied to Cincinnati sports moments. Designer Kyle Mitchell created the popular "Run, Hubbard, Run" shirt, celebrating Sam Hubbard's 98-yard fumble return touchdown for the Bengals. The design process, which can take anywhere from 15 minutes to three hours, often starts in the team's group chat, where ideas are shared.
I asked Sneed about designs and some of the changes over the years, including how, if at all, artificial intelligence comes into play.
"I hope what separates us is the design process," Sneed said. "We don't use it for creating; we have two full-time graphic designers on staff, plus my business partner is an artist himself. We take pride in the fact that these [designs] are done by humans.
While his business is at a crossroads, Sneed emphasized that the situation isn't desperate yet.
"We're not going out of business," Sneed said. "We're not in a scenario that it's dire straits for us. It's more just, like I said, reminding people that we're out there."
The company plans to continue operating its Fort Mitchell and Loveland locations.
