Fritts Sporting Goods, the downtown Winnetka fixture that has supplied local families with everything from bicycles to local school spirit clothing, is closing after 37 years.

“I started this store from scratch,” said store owner Tom Fritts, who said he bought what had been a hardware store in the late 1970s to start T.L. Fritts.

Tom Fritts said he posted the “store closing” signs in the front windows Tuesday, which he said actually marks a happy milestone in his life.

“We’re retiring,” he said. “It’s a wonderful thing. We’re just going to have fun now. It’s all good.”

The North Shore Scuba Center, adjacent to T.L. Fritts, has been a scuba training center since 1987. Fritts, who also owns the scuba center, said it will remain in the downtown Winnetka location and the center’s current instructors are taking over that portion of the business.

Tom said he plans to officially close the store in December.

Tom Fritts, a 52-year Winnetka resident, said he plans to stay in Winnetka after retirement so he can continue to do volunteer work in the community. He said he has enjoyed serving the Winnetka community, where he reared a family and got to know countless members of the community over the decades of T.L. Fritts’ time in business.

While Tom is looking forward to retirement, the closing of this chapter for his business is bittersweet for longtime customers.