A women's plus-size boutique will shut its doors for good this month, but economic pressures are not the main reason for its end.

On Dec. 24, Kelley Clark will close Mimi's Plus in Southwest Roanoke County, a store that has been at The Forum retail center on Starkey Road for 15 years.

Clark said she's shuttering Mimi's for personal reasons related to her family's health. She declined to disclose details.

The shop's regular customers have received postcards in the mail, informing them of the closing.

Some walls already are bare at Mimi's, where all merchandise is marked down by 50 percent. After this weekend, it will be discounted 65 percent. The store's fixtures also are for sale.

Clark said she'll miss retailing, but the past year has been rough for her store. The national recession forced some clothing manufacturers to go out of business, a move that affected the apparel mix at Mimi's.

"It got to be a little difficult in trying to inventory the store with clothing that would appeal to the plus-size customer," Clark said.

Late last year, Clark, who previously managed Mimi's, took over ownership of the shop from her mother, Carolyn O'Dell, who also ran a Mimi's Plus in Greensboro, N.C.

O'Dell retired last year and closed the North Carolina store.

Roxann Dillon stopped at Mimi's on Wednesday for a final time. Dillon, who lives in Bassett, said she shops at Mimi's about every two months when she is in Roanoke for doctor's appointments.

"I was doing fine until I saw the postcard," said Dillon, 76, when she walked into the store and Clark greeted her. "I could cry."