Marilyn Jackson, owner of Marilyn Jackson’s Gifts, is retiring after 38 years in retail. NEWS/TALK 101.5 FM, 93.1 & La Poderosa 105.3 – visited with Marilyn for a question and answer session to discuss her career and what her future hopefully holds.

Marilyn is married to State Sen. Ed Jackson. They have three children and four grandchildren.

Question: First, a little background information. Where are you originally from, family and education?

Answer: I was born in Milan. My parents were Haywood and Zena Western. I was educated at Milan High School, University of Memphis, and the University of Southampton, England.

I also spent a semester at sea, touring 10 countries on the Mediterranean and studying their cultures.

Question: Several people associate you with your retail store – Marilyn Jackson’s Gifts, 405 Vann Drive. How did you decide to go into the retail sector, the merchandise you offered, and how long were you in business overall?

Answer: I wanted to attend all my children’s activities and I needed to work. So, I started a jewelry business on my dining room table. If I was home, the store was open.

When my children went away to college, I moved to the Shoppes of the Painted Lady in downtown Jackson.

After a few years, I decided to get my own retail location. I moved to 405 Vann Drive and I was in the center of the shopping strip. After about five years, I moved to the end of the same location and became an anchor store. I have been in he gift business for 38 years.

Question: What was or what were the deciding factors that you decided to retire and close your business?

Answer: COVID hit small businesses hard and it became more difficult to stay open. In fact, we had to close for two months. Being closed means no income, and more and more people depended upon online shopping.

It’s hard to compete with – or impossible to compete – with that. My lease was up, grandchildren were starting those same activities that I did not want to miss with my children, and I certainly don’t want to miss theirs.

So it was time to retire.

Question: When will the store close for good, and did you consider selling the business?

Answer: We don’t have a final day set for our closing. We want to clean the shelves. Everything must go including fixtures and displays. We also want to take care of people with gift cards. We ask that you please come in if you have a gift card while we still have a great selection of items.

Remember, starting Tuesday, January 17, our retirement sale starts. Cash or check will be 40 percent off, credit or debit sales are 35 percent off.

Credit fees are three-to-five percent, and I had rather give that discount to my customers instead of me paying fees to a credit card company.

Question: What has Marilyn Jackson got in store for retirement?

Answer: Retirement plans for me … I just plan to BE a wife, mother and grandmother.

I will definitely spend more time seeing grandchildren and attending events with my family. I have no exciting travel plans, but I do have helping in carpool plans.

I have loved my job, I have loved my customers. I have made friendships with people I would have probably never met if they had not come in my store.

I thank everyone for your business and may God Bless You All!

(PHOTO: Marilyn Jackson)