A DILLARD’S department store has closed, bringing an end to more than 20 years of business.
The chain is just the latest retailer to leave the MacArthur Center in Norfolk, Virginia, following the departure of other staples like Chili’s.
The Dillard’s store closed its doors for the last time on Monday.
Shoppers had been warned about the shutdown since July as a sign had been posted outside the store before it closed, as reported by The Virginian-Pilot.
The notice said: “Store closing. Thanks for the memories. Don’t say goodbye. Come say hello.”
It was thought the store would become a clearance outlet but it appears that plans were changed, per the Virginia ABC affiliate WVEC.
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It’s not known why the chain changed its plans. The U.S. Sun has approached Dillard’s for comment.
But Dillard’s exit from the popular mall has left shoppers devastated.
One woman said: “I’m really sad that Dillard’s is leaving because I’ve been here all my life.
“We come to Dillard’s. They have the best shoes. They have wonderful buys.”
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The shopper revealed she would run to the department store during her lunch break as it was convenient.
She described the department store at the mall as a “special one.”
Another shopper, who hasn’t been identified, told WVEC that Dillard’s was one of his favorite stores.
The prices of items had been slashed by 80 to 90 percent as bosses rushed to clear the last remaining stock.
Dillard’s, which has more than 250 stores nationwide, had been a staple at the shopping mall since 1999.
The chain, which was founded back in 1938, has more than 50 stores in Texas.
The Norfolk store closure comes after the Chili's restaurant at the shopping mall closed its doors for good after six years of business in June.
The U.S. Sun reported earlier this year that three Dillard’s stores in Florida, Nebraska, and Arizona shuttered.
The Dillard’s department store at the Conestoga Mall in Grand Island, Nebraska, closed after more than 30 years of business.
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In July, Dillard’s chiefs reported a drop of four percent in net sales compared to last year, as reported by Retail Insight Network.
The chain is expected to open a new store in the Empire Mall shopping center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, next year.
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