Gottschalks: R.I.P.
Well, we knew this was coming, but it’s still sad. There was no buyer for the chain, so it’s being liquidated.
There isn’t really any kind of silver lining here, BUT: the going out of business sales should start soon, possibly by the end of this week. This won’t help Gottschalks or their employees. But since we’re all trying to save money during this economic downturn, it’s a chance for shoppers to make those purchases they’ve been putting off.
There isn’t really any kind of silver lining here, BUT: the going out of business sales should start soon, possibly by the end of this week. This won’t help Gottschalks or their employees. But since we’re all trying to save money during this economic downturn, it’s a chance for shoppers to make those purchases they’ve been putting off.
posted by Tom Harper at 2:53 PM
24 Comments:
Yeah, defective merchandise, seconds, broken zippers ... you name it. I'm looking forward to blowing my hard earned dough on that crap!
Goodbye Gottschalks and good riddance.
Well, I'm hoping for a Target or a Gap or Old Navy or something. But I'm betting it will sit vacant for years until someone fixes it up as either government offices or housing for the mentally deranged.
Remember when that space was occupied by Lamont's? It wasn't much better than Gottschalks.
It will either sit empty forever or some other crap retailer will move into the space only to pull the plug in a few years.
Has anyone noticed what an ugly looking building it is? It looks like a fall out shelter or bunker that's been uncovered and given a lick or two of paint. Badd esign triumphs again!
Good riddance? Hope you lose YOUR job...asswipe.
Why are so many people on this blog so negative? Are they that unhappy? They do say that liberals are much more unhappy people in general than conservatives! Liberals are so unhappy that their utopia of "peath and juthtis" in the world will never happen. LOL.
None of the big retailers are going to move here....let's face it 19,000 people isn't really a HUGE draw for a national chain. If GAP hasn't considered Silverdale...it's not going to consider PA.
In this economy few with the credit issues going on, few, if any major chains are going to think of expanding. And, to have the quoted per-foot price of $3.60+ (which is INSANE for a downtown business)it's not looking too enticing.
And, lizzy, stick to the topic..you're as bad as BBC. What is it with you? You're the most negative person around, yet you are ragging on others? Huh.
Thanks, Anonymous at 5:13 and Anonymous at 9:24, the only two comments that were not negative. I'm so sick of how negative everybody is -- it makes things worse. My personal belief (and economics is my field) is that we have started to make the turnaround. It DOES NOT HELP to gripe and carp. And Lucy, you're right, how dare anyone snicker about people losing their jobs. What idiots.
Everybody, please try to find some good to say, or SHUT THE F*** UP. The rest of us are sick of you.
There is a GAP in Silverdale Anonymous... But I still doubt it will come here. I guess we will see what progresses. Hopefully something will come through, if for no other reason than to help employ those who are losing their jobs.
Target would be cool.
Here's an concept...
what about making the store into a mall...so that smaller businesses (such as craftspeople, service people, artists, smaller clothing stores, etc) could each have an area. What services, businesses, things would you like to see come to Port Angeles?
The problem with PA is that small, very small businesses have no place to start (costs downtown are astronomical). If we had a small retail mall..we could encourage new businesses to start -- grow and eventually move into a stand-alone store.
I'd go to a mall that wasn't a junk/antique one. Would you?
Ha, that's funny anon 12:33... I was thinking it'd be nice to have a bunch of small offices for professionals that don't need a huge storefront or can afford Seattle prices in a Port Angeles market.
The second floor is tall enough, it might be able to be split into two floors. Maybe renovate it as a nice, trendy "campus" feel. Unlike the usually "falling apart because we don't give a ****" style of most buildings around here.
When the building was The People, there was a staircase going up to a second floor. I'm sure that could be re-established.
I like the idea of a mall for small businesses!
I'd like to see an Air National Guard base here at the airport...F-16s or F-15s? Lots of good paying jobs in support of this endeavor...port commishes...what say you?
Then how about an aircraft manufacturer? Military or civilian would work....
We've got enuf "artists" and "granola" stores and the hippie leftist types that frequent them...we NEED high-tech, high-paying industrial-wage jobs!
We have a port that is under-utilized...why are there not more cruise ships docking here to visit the park?
Sue,
High wage, high paying jobs? We don't have a very sophisticated work force, for one. I don't know if you KNOW how difficult it is to fill professional jobs. We've hamstrung a lot of businesses who were interested in locating here. We've chased out a lot of potentials for good paying jobs and new ideas (no lie, this is NOT a town that accepts outsiders and their ideas very well).
We also have little focus, and hardly anything to DO for a cruise ship. What can a cruise ship tourist do for more than an hour around here? God forbid they show up on Sunday! Look at the town, really, now...no focus, no real appeal. It's half empty already. I hear a lot of people who talk a good game, and see a lot of self congratulations and happy talk. What I don't see is action to back it up. We need to really work to make this town something more than dying (which it's doing nicely all by itself).
We NEED to start growing our own businesses....right now the cost of business to START a new business is much too high. We need to get people started in small businesses....and support them.
I think the mall idea for Gottschalks would be a winner...a combination of business office, and a mall for small shops (clothing, a knife sharpener, shoe repair, hair supplies, perhaps some crafts supplies, toys, etc. would be nice. I'd love a one-stop-shop to browse and frequent. Maybe even get a greengrocer, a baker, and a butcher!)
What the hell is a "green" grocer?
This whole "organic" fad is gonna end...soon, since no one is gonna pay extra money for crap that says it's "organic." Who gives a flying f-? It'a all a big joke.
My grandfather has been eating Safeway (and other non-"organic" veggies and fruits his whole life. He's 93 and still healthy...smokes too. So don't try to sell me overpriced crap and say it's gonna prolong my life. The stress from not being able to pay for it will kill me sooner.
So y'all go ahead and pay extra for organic crap...then get hit by a friggin truck.
And ya already have damn good bakeries here...Safeway and Albertsons. Butcher? How about Sunrise Meats?
Who were all those crazy people with signs reading "Save Gottshalks"?
Ha ha ha ...
Gotta agree Rex. Everytime I go to Safeway I see NO ONE buying from the "organic" area. I hear they throw a s*%tload of stuff out. Just today I was there, and out of curiosity looked at the prices of "organic" tomatoes...$4.59 a lb. versus $1.99 for the normal-people ones.
It is all a damn gimmick...I hear even Nash's uses chemical fertilizer. And he's laughin all the way to the bank!
Rex, you don't get out much, do you?
it's not about living longer, it's about TASTE, and quality while you are living.
The "bakeries" at Albertson's Safeway are crap. Unadulterated crap. But, eh, you are what you eat-- obviously.
As for the b.s. that Nash used chemicals...you are smoking some good shit, dude. No he doesn't. And you are speaking out your bald flaccid ass.
Rex, get out, explore the world, and quit pooping in your Depends. Try something new...use google. Look up words you don't know. Geez-UZ. I hate ignorance!
What do you mean? Port Angeles has a very smart work force. In fact, they're so smart, they've left Port Angeles for a market where they're better paid and better appreciated and can put their skills to actual use!
It really is a Catch-22 situation... You can't have high-tech jobs without a smart workforce, and you aren't going to get or retain a smart workforce without decent jobs.
Umm, have you ever gone to myspace and looked at the workforce of this town? I agree the smart ones left quickly. The ones we have left are either: a.) with three kids by the time they're 23 and aspire to get on state welfare and/or live on child support with no desire to work; b.) can't spell or understand grammar and are trying to be wiggers "busta cap in yo ass" and brag about how they are living off their old ladies (which is usually their Mother), c.)druggies and drinkers. d.) people with no skills who think they should get 20bucks an hour just for existing. No work ethic at all. They show up when they feel like it, and they text the whole time they are supposed to be "working".
Oh yeah, we have a great work force. Most employers try to hire people who are new to the area, before they're tainted with the Olympic Peninsula lazy attitude.
The people who have moved here because they love the area but, run into "you're not from around here" and "we don't do things that way" "we tried it that way once" at every turn...so there is no innovation. As for businesses which have tried to move here...three things: insane town laws and restrictions, no office space worth a crap, a lot of "old boy" nonsense, and little support from the community.
The biggest thing that needs to be changed is the attitude -- from the want to be gangsta's, to the "know it all" locals who have never gone anywhere (i.e. see REX as an example, see JizzyLizzy, see BBC)and don't want any change. "good enough" cannot be our mantra if we expect to attract anything except more slackers.
I've always said the O.P. is a good place to be from.
I don't know if the people who frequent MySpace are the kinds of people you want working for you anyways. Besides that, I agree 100%. I'm sure there are hardworking, smart people around here, but they're drowned out by the sluggish gangsta wannabes and lazy idiots who text message all day instead of helping customers or their co-workers and whine because they aren't getting paid enough.
Seriously, as a worker myself, it's really discouraging to be surrounded by people who just plain don't work... maybe they're too busy texting or shopping online or updating their MySpace page... maybe they're trying to do the bare minimum of work required and aren't motivated to do anything extra during down time... maybe they just don't have the imagination to do much in life. Whatever it is, it pisses me off that there's only a couple of us who are pulling the company and a whole slew of people who are just dead weight dragging us behind... and usually they're the naysayers too, so there's a collective atmosphere of "no we can't!" in the office.
Actually, that's a perfect example of what's going on in Port Angeles, not just the office. No wonder this town never gets anywhere.
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