Toledo, OH, June 30--Jun. 28--Dillard's will close its home stores in Southwyck Shopping Center and Westgate Village Shopping Center at the end of July, exiting the furniture business in Toledo, as reported in the Toledo Blade.
The move will leave the Little Rock chain with two stores in Toledo, down from five just three years ago. It closed its North Towne Square store in May, 2000.
Sales per square foot have been lower in the 80,000-square-foot Southwyck home store than in many Dillard's home sections and the furniture store sales have hovered near break-even, said Mark Stevens, manager of both Dillard's Southwyck stores.
"I could tell a big difference after 9/11," said Nancy Shrewsberry, a longtime sales employee at the Southwyck furniture department.
Officials at Westgate and Southwyck declined to comment on how the home stores' closings would affect their shopping centers.
Neither move was unexpected. The home stores were a remnant of the Lion department store chain Dillard's bought in 1998, and industry observers questioned how long the owner would keep them operating. Plus, Dillard's plans to expand its Franklin Park store, and some expect furniture lines could be added there.
Home store employees are being offered jobs in the Toledo department stores or in Cincinnati, the closest Dillard's furniture store. However, furniture salesmen work on commission and have had the chance to earn more than in the hourly positions some will be offered.
The Southwyck home store will start moving tableware, linens, luggage, and other housewares to the second floor of the Dillard's department store in another wing of the mall on July 21, Mr. Stevens said.
A crew was painting and laying flooring there yesterday.
Housewares employees at Westgate said the department will move to Franklin Park by July 31.
Much of the furniture at Southwyck has been sold since the clearance sale started June 13 and the Westgate furniture sales floor is even sparser.
Markdowns ranged from 20 to 75 percent off yesterday.
"It's been a good job for me. I hate to see it end," said Natalie Day, a furniture salesman at Southwyck who said she hopes to move to Dillard's shoe department at Franklin Park.
