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2014 Businesses closing stores or shutting down in Iowa
- Thread starter dmclone
- Start date
Yeah, they sure took a nose dive. Just like Southroads in Bellevue and perhaps Crossroads in Omaha.
Could just be location issues with some of the chains. I'm surprised Radio Shack has stayed open this long as well as Staples ridiculous prices. On-line sites like Amazon, TigerDirect, NewEgg killing those stores. Surprised Sears closed. As beat up and trashed out as Southridge mall became in Des Moines it still kept Sears and Yonkers. I've ordered tons of stuff from Amazon.com at cheaper prices than local stores with real fast delivery.
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I can't see that happening. It's always packed. Surprised there isn't two or three Red Lobsters. There use to be one up off 86th and Hickman years ago in Des Moines.
I always enjoyed stopping at the Walmart in Ames to pick up a few things. Seemed really clean and organized. I unfortunately go to the Walmart on the southside in Des Moines and you have to get geared up physically and mentally before going, it's like a 3rd world country and I've seen some crazy °°°° at that store. The place is filthy, the carts are beat to hell with wheels that barely move. It can be entertaining if your in the right mind set I guess.
Was the Long John Silvers in Ames very good. I'm surprised the one on Fleur Drive in Des Moines is still open. Never see very many cars. It seems older folks like LJS. The place scares me. Never know how long the grease drenched fish had been under the heat lamps.
The open air shopping centers are the in thing and the two in Council Bluffs along with Mall of the Bluff anchors moving to the open air shopping centers killed the mall.
Only time I have gone to K-Mart in Ames within the last year was to do Black Friday shopping, because nobody was there.
Were any LJS' ever any good? The one in Fort Dodge smelled like my high school football locker room after two-a-days.
Now that I think about it, their name probably doesn't help either. Most kids under 15 are probably asking, "What's a radio?"
I still miss Buca in that location, although I didn't like it as much when they changed their menu.
You have to be geared up to go to any Walmart in the Des Moines Metro. I pretty much refuse to step into one.
That particular store would have closed no matter where it was located. I felt like I needed a shower and an anti-depressant every time I walked out of there. It was like a musty dungeon.
If I was going to give the City of Cedar Rapids an enema I would have put the hose right in the front door of that place.
Real conversation between cashier and lady in front of me at K-Mart the last time I was there:
Lady: How are you guys still open? I don't ever see anyone in here.
Cashier: Oh, there are people in here most of the time especially on weekends.
Lady: Huh. Interesting. I just never see many people in here when I come.
My wife's theory is that K-Mart stays open due to back to school shopping and overflow on days like Black Friday. I think I saw something in the WSJ saying that corporate debt is helping companies like Sears as well as having services like lay-away which a lot other retailers have shied away from in recent years.
Long John Silvers partnered up with A&W on Douglas near my place. Seems to be working so far. Business seems to have picked up a bit. Just had an A&W cheeseburger a couple Sundays ago and was pleasantly surprised.
The K-Mart in Ames has been having a going out of business sale since 1999...somehow just keeps going.
