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Livonia Mall; Value City Closing?
Topic Started: Feb 3 2008, 10:03 AM (1,487 Views)
goodheart
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Did anyone see the Value City ad in the Local News section of today's paper? "Everything is on Sale, Every Item, No Exceptions - three locations only (Livonia included) All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges. It's business as usual at most other value city stores."

Is the store closing??? Or have they become a temporary clearinghouse for all their other stores' junk?
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tburr
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Value City to ax 5 Mich. sites
Stores in Roseville, Wyoming, Warren, Livonia and Saginaw among 30 nationwide slated to close.
Karen Bouffard / The Detroit News
LIVONIA -- Discount retailer Value City announced it is closing more than half of its stores in Michigan by March, leaving hundreds of workers unemployed.

A spokeswoman for VCHI Acquisition of Columbus, Ohio, which acquired an 81 percent stake in the chain Jan. 23, confirmed the closings Sunday.

Stores in Roseville, Wyoming, Warren, Livonia and Saginaw are among 30 nationwide scheduled to close. The Westland, Taylor, Flint and Lansing stores will remain open, VCHI spokeswoman Robin Hepler said. She didn't know how many employees would be affected by the Michigan store closures, but said Value City has 8,600 employees nationwide.

Hepler said VCHI has decided to keep only those stores it feels can survive competition from other close-out retailers, like Marshalls and TJ Maxx.

In September, Burlington Coat Factory announced it would purchase 24 of the chain's 113 stores ; later it committed to buying only 12 locations, Hepler said. None of those locations are in Michigan.

Of the remaining stores, only 53 Value City locations are on the list of those that will stay open. The rest are in limbo, Hepler said. "Stores are moving from one list to the other each day," Hepler said.

On the corner of Middle Belt and Seven Mile on Sunday, a man in a coat hoisted a sign on a stick promising enormous discounts inside Value City at the Livonia Mall. Inside, shoppers poured through racks of deals, like a pair of beige Liz Claiborne pants, originally priced at $78, for $19.99. All sales were final.

In Livonia, employees either didn't know their store is closing or declined to talk about it.

Gail Pryor, 56, of Westland asked a cashier if the store was going out of business.

"All (the cashier) said was, 'We're under new management,' and then she held up her hands with her fingers crossed," Pryor said of the cashier. "You know they're closing it down."

Farmington retail consultant Fred Marx, a former retailer and partner in the marketing firm Marx Layne & Co., said the store closure might have more to do with the crowded retail market than with Michigan's sour economy.

"Value City is one of the weaker players in the segment that's already dominated with expansion by Wal-Mart, Target, Meijer and other players," Marx said. "Value City doesn't have the clout or the ability to have a strong enough footprint in this marketplace.

"It's still a market of 5 million people in southeast Michigan, stronger than some other states."

In Livonia, patrons said closing the Value City would likely spell the end of the Livonia Mall, which has slowly declined since the loss of anchor tenant Crowleys, which went out of business in the late 1990s. Mervyn's also closed its Livonia location, and the chain eventually left the Michigan market.

The only remaining anchor after March will be Sears.

"It's going -- there's hardly anything here anymore," said Barb Heckman, 61, of Redford Township. "Sears and Value City are the only things keeping it going.

"Our shopping options in this area are very limited. Now we'll have to go to Farmington or Westland to do our shopping."

Livonia Mayor Jack Kirksey is looking on the brighter side. The city wants to see the mall torn down and redeveloped.

"I'm not concerned at all," Kirksey said. "This is very exciting."

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...D=2008802040396\



Althought I understand that something needs to be done with this area, I'm not so sure that as Mayor I would like to be quoted as saying 'I'm not concerned at all', especially in this economy. :(
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Mrs.M
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Livonia Mayor Jack Kirksey is looking on the brighter side. The city wants to see the mall torn down and redeveloped.

"I'm not concerned at all," Kirksey said. "This is very exciting."


Redeveloped into what...more empty NEW storefronts/buildings? At least there was an active business there. How many more empty stripmalls does this area need. Drive past the beautiful corner strip mall at 5 and Haggerty, 2 businesses leasing, all the other buildings empty...soon to be empty at 5 and levan, former Frank's Nursery and soon CVS
I'd agree with you, but then we'd both be WRONG.
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Mr.Bean
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Could always put up a Walgreens and a half empty strip mall...it would complement the abandoned Farmer Jack across the street.
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crazy_cat
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I agree with the mayor. Maybe this will force Sears to cooperate with the owner of the mall as far as redevelopment.
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BrokenRhino
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I hope this is the leverage that they need to get sears to cooperate. I love having a sears there but I hate the mall. Sears could surivive as a standalone, that is what is it is effectively doing right now.
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Spanky
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I live in a part of Livonia that is pretty much in between Westland Mall and Livonia Mall. Although I might be able to say Livonia Mall is a bit closer to me. That said, I NEVER go to the Sears at L.M....ever. I have not been in that store in at least 4 years or more. The reason? Not nearly as nice as the Sears at W.M., IMO.

If Sears hopes to continue doing business there and thrive, they need to do something about the whole package, inside and especially outside!
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Summertime
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speaking of the 5 and Levan area....does anyone know what is going in at the former Value Video? On the northwest corner. Just curious.
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Spanky
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I know VV is gone and they are working on the inside of the place. Don't know what is going in, though. I'm thinking, short of an adult book store, just about anything would be better than another empty building.

I'll tell you what, I would love to see another grocery store go in at 5 and Newburgh. As dumpy as that F.J. had become, it sure was convenient to run in for a gallon of milk or loaf of bread :(
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Otis B.
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Livonia Mayor Jack Kirksey is looking on the brighter side. The city wants to see the mall torn down and redeveloped.

"I'm not concerned at all," Kirksey said. "This is very exciting."

Ol' Jack's excited because he can tell his fellow septegenarian Livonians that this will keep Detroit residents out of their pristine city.
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Mrs.M
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Brightside Dental in at Chart Hit Video aka VideoJack aka ??? Brightside bought the building and should be in by the spring.

I shop at that Sears, over the Westland one, the employees are always helpful, maybe because they have less customers than Westland and (the employees) are more seasoned. Joann Fabric is back there too, definitely less busy than the superstore in Westland.
I'd agree with you, but then we'd both be WRONG.
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Mrs.M
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BrokenRhino
Feb 4 2008, 01:38 PM
I hope this is the leverage that they need to get sears to cooperate. I love having a sears there but I hate the mall. Sears could surivive as a standalone, that is what is it is effectively doing right now.

crazy_cat
Feb 4 2008, 12:31 PM
I agree with the mayor. Maybe this will force Sears to cooperate with the owner of the mall as far as redevelopment.


Maybe offers or suggestions made to Sears weren't as lucrative as they could or should have been. I haven't read about Sears being uncooperative.
I'd agree with you, but then we'd both be WRONG.
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George
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Mrs.M
Feb 4 2008, 05:43 PM
BrokenRhino
Feb 4 2008, 01:38 PM
I hope this is the leverage that they need to get sears to cooperate. I love having a sears there but I hate the mall. Sears could surivive as a standalone, that is what is it is effectively doing right now.

I agree with the mayor. Maybe this will force Sears to cooperate with the owner of the mall as far as redevelopment.

Maybe offers or suggestions made to Sears weren't as lucrative as they could or should have been. I haven't read about Sears being uncooperative.

I've heard before that Sears wasn't interested in remodeling and or updating that store.
It's all about money. How much they make there and what their long terms plans are. Without that information how does anyone really know? I do agree that that complex is in very poor shape. Just cleaning up the weeds that grow in the payment could be a start.
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Mr.Bean
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Ever see how horrible the bagel place at the corner of 7 and Middlebelt? It's awnings faded, one almost totally torn off and blowing in the breeze, it looks abandoned. Can't the city do something about that? Between the dumpy looking mall, the abandoned Farmer Jack and the strip mall with the pet store..what a nasty eyesore this entire area is.
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Monkfish
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Quick thoughts/post:

The Detroit Bagel at 7 Mile and Middlebelt is an embarassment-I haven't gone in there for years as they have slowly let it get away from themselves...dirty inside, no disgusting outside. Those awnings have been fading for years, and one has finally gave way to the elements. It's been like that for months now.

It is my understanding that Sears has been unwilling to cooperate with plans to renovate/tear down Livonia Mall as they are owner of the building. I live in the area but have chosen not to shop at the mall with the hopes that it would eventually close. That said, Sears could remain on site, the rear of the mall could be redeveloped for residential use and stores could be built in front of the Sears store along 7 Mile and Middlebelt (similar to Wonderland site). Sears keeps the store, we get some new developement and everybody's happy.

The Farmer Jack saga is truly sad. have to drive 3 miles to get to a grocery store. Shame.
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livoniarocks
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Otis B.
Feb 4 2008, 04:09 PM
Livonia Mayor Jack Kirksey is looking on the brighter side. The city wants to see the mall torn down and redeveloped.

"I'm not concerned at all," Kirksey said. "This is very exciting."

Ol' Jack's excited because he can tell his fellow septegenarian Livonians that this will keep Detroit residents out of their pristine city.

oh stop. 2 weeks ago you were complaining that nothing was being done with that area. Now that Kirksey has said he wants it torn down and redeveloped you are criticizing him.
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livoniarocks
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Mrs.M
Feb 4 2008, 05:43 PM
BrokenRhino
Feb 4 2008, 01:38 PM
I hope this is the leverage that they need to get sears to cooperate. I love having a sears there but I hate the mall. Sears could surivive as a standalone, that is what is it is effectively doing right now.

crazy_cat
Feb 4 2008, 12:31 PM
I agree with the mayor. Maybe this will force Sears to cooperate with the owner of the mall as far as redevelopment.


Maybe offers or suggestions made to Sears weren't as lucrative as they could or should have been. I haven't read about Sears being uncooperative.

There have been numerous articles stating that Sears will not move or rebuild. It is their highest grossing store, and they own the building. I don't think it had to do with the offer being lucrative..it would have to be out of this world if it is their highest grossing store.
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yrraH NS
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livoniarocks
Feb 5 2008, 02:52 PM
It is their highest grossing store, and they own the building. I don't think it had to do with the offer being lucrative..it would have to be out of this world if it is their highest grossing store.

:blink:
I'd think it is more like their 'grossest' store.
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Mr.Bean
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livoniarocks
Feb 5 2008, 02:52 PM
Mrs.M
Feb 4 2008, 05:43 PM
BrokenRhino
Feb 4 2008, 01:38 PM
I hope this is the leverage that they need to get sears to cooperate. I love having a sears there but I hate the mall. Sears could surivive as a standalone, that is what is it is effectively doing right now.

crazy_cat
Feb 4 2008, 12:31 PM
I agree with the mayor. Maybe this will force Sears to cooperate with the owner of the mall as far as redevelopment.


Maybe offers or suggestions made to Sears weren't as lucrative as they could or should have been. I haven't read about Sears being uncooperative.

There have been numerous articles stating that Sears will not move or rebuild. It is their highest grossing store, and they own the building. I don't think it had to do with the offer being lucrative..it would have to be out of this world if it is their highest grossing store.

Wow, there's hardly anyone ever there. That's a surprise.
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Otis B.
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livoniarocks
Feb 5 2008, 02:50 PM
Otis B.
Feb 4 2008, 04:09 PM
Livonia Mayor Jack Kirksey is looking on the brighter side. The city wants to see the mall torn down and redeveloped.

"I'm not concerned at all," Kirksey said. "This is very exciting."

Ol' Jack's excited because he can tell his fellow septegenarian Livonians that this will keep Detroit residents out of their pristine city.

oh stop. 2 weeks ago you were complaining that nothing was being done with that area. Now that Kirksey has said he wants it torn down and redeveloped you are criticizing him.

He's an old man that won an election by scaring other old people into submission.

I'm not sure how versed you are in economics, but tearing down a business and not replacing it with anything would make the area go from BAD to WORSE.

Thanks for playing.
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