Solstice Sunglasses has closed its Bethesda store at Westfield Montgomery Mall. The closure was not unexpected, as the shop
has been hosting an "everything must go!" sale since December. In fact, this was one of the longest closing sales since RadioShack closed at the mall. Montgomery County has suffered a net loss of over 2100 retail jobs since 2000, according to the Maryland Retailers Association.
31 comments:
LOL
Do you have a link for that data? I don't see it on the MRA site.
From the previous thread on this store closure:
BABA BOOEY said...
"according to the Maryland Association of Retailers"
This is literally #FakeNews.
No such organization even exists!!
5:40: It was stated on the record by the MRA rep who testified before the County Council during the minimum wage public hearing. The number is probably even higher since she testified. We're in real trouble with this moribund economy.
5:48: I guess as a carpetbagger, you are unfamiliar with the Maryland Retailers Association, headquartered in Annapolis.
Ok, but it must be published somewhere, you're reporting from it. What are you reading from?
What's the best way to handle Aspie who WILL NOT admit mistakes?
Aspies can't admit they're wrong. Ever.
Aspies can't handle being wrong
Why do Aspies struggle with apologies?
Why can't autistic people see when they are wrong, even when presented with irrefutable evidence?
Just because you're an Aspie doesn't mean you get to be an Ass
Dyer @ 5:56 AM - I guess as a Retard, you're unfamiliar with the racial connotations of repeatedly using the term "Carpetbagger".
Robert, it’s pretty clear that most of MoCo doesn’t like you. These comments are tough to read. You may want to close comments. Many people, myself included, stop by to see nothing other than the Anna’s and the Baba Booey’s comments. Since this blog is opinion, vice news/journalism, why not just close comments so as to avoid the endless barrage of insults? It looks like only one or two people actually come to read the news so closing comments shouldn’t have a real impact on this little blog. Just my two cents...and probably right as you’ve been destroyed so much that you’ve had to shut down comments in the last 4-5 stories.
Robert has made his opinion on African Americans very clear through his past comments/articles.
6:02: Oh good, did everyone see that? A self-proclaimed Hans Riemer supporter and operative just used the "R" word. Remember that on election day, folks.
6:01: And here's the same Riemer supporter who believes that autistic is something you falsely label someone with as an insult. Is everyone on the Riemer team this prehistoric in their world views? Disgusting!
5:59: No sir, I reported on the hearing and wrote it down in my notebook live. My other favorite line of the night was, "That's a lot of extra Slurpees to sell" in regards to the $15 wage.
6:06: Considering I singlehandedly got the historic black community on River Road back on the County map and official history, was the only journalist to expose the fraudulent "investigation" of Farm Road by the Planning Board, the only journalist to report on the devastating report on black youth unemployment in MoCo, the only journalist to report that black students are more likely to be suspended in MCPS than in Texas schools, and the only journalist to report on the institutional racism in Montgomery County government, you sound like a complete idiot.
6:05: Your job, which you are being paid to do, is to disrupt by trolling the comments here. The fact that you are deployed to do this shows I am perceived as a major threat by the local political machine. You wouldn't be wasting your time otherwise.
One guy posting troll comments isn't "most of MoCo." Most of MoCo thinks you're a complete moron.
Did you tell your Mom to "complete the form and sign it, Dumbass"?
Who do you think you're fooling by calling me "Sir"? Backhanded shade. Pfft.
Why do you do that? To rile up your base, Dyer and the Attaboys?
quick aside (OMG, genius name - my attaboys to the commenter who coined it!)
back to the action So it's NOWHERE but in your notes? You'd think that if it was such a big kaphooey they'd put it out for people to read. Right? Can we see your notes?
Edit to 7:14 AM: "...your campaign..." S/B "your campaign treasurer...".
To be fair, that number could have increased by 1,000 during the past year. But given Dyer's record with "facts", he gets zero benefit of the doubt.
Looks like this is Dyer's earliest reference to that "statistic":
http://robertdyer.blogspot.com/2016/06/businesspeople-on-moco-councils-quest.html
No paper documentation, just his report of oral testimony.
This is yet another example of the unending flight of businesses from the over taxed and over regulated Montgomery County. All courtesy of our harmful and negligent County Council. Sickening and despicable.
Solstice Sunglasses is shutting stores all over the country. But don't let that get in the way of your precious narrative, Birdbrain.
As to the retail jobs lost statistic quoted by Dyer 23 times in the last two years: the figure is decidedly suspect, but no matter. The Maryland Retail Association has only 300 members in the entire State of Maryland. But no matter. Please note that the statistic is not 2141 retail jobs lost forever. Note too this figure represents and average of 113 jobs per year, a very low turnover of employees in a County as large as Montgomery County.
This frequently used "fact" by Dyer is an unimaginably ridiculous statistic or barometer as to the economic health of Montgomery County. What about the National trend for the decline in Brick and Mortar retail? What about the normal attrition of poorly conceived and poorly managed sites? What about the fact that the Maryland Retailer Association did not follow actual employees to see if they were not subsequently hired.
What I have learned from reading this site is that every statistic is extremely suspect: they lack context, they lack internal consistency, they lack sourcing, and the author of this blog I suspect can add 2+2 and declare 5 as the answer.
For a more considered view of the state of retail in Montgomery County, consider these two in-depth studies; one from StreetSense, that Robert Dyer has quoted frequently:
http://montgomeryplanning.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Retail_Trends_Study_Final10.12.17.pdf
and, a considered discussion of employment in Montgomery Counts: http://montgomeryplanning.org/blog-design/2017/01/montgomery-county-employment-trends/
TL;DR types: Montgomery County, as all Counties Nationwide, are in a transition period in Retail employment. Formerly large Brick & Mortar retailers (Sears, Blockbuster, .etc) are closing. Mid-tier shopping center "anchor stores" are nearly gone.
Montgomery County is rapidly gaining employment in Health, Technology, and Services sectors, in nearly every case far greater than our DMV neighbors.
Note that Robert Dyer is on record as disparaging "coffee house baristas and jeans folders" as employment opportunities.
Well, the County has done a very good job in creating high wage jobs of late, see the first cite above.
Of the 1,200 shopping malls across the US, 50% are expected to close by 2023. More than 12,000 stores are expected to close in 2018.
Another factor is an over-supply of malls, as the growth rate of malls between 1970 and 2015 was over twice the growth rate of the population. Despite the construction of new malls, mall visits declined by 50% between 2010-2013 with further declines reported in each successive year.
Please keep posting defamatory statements. You're not anonymous, so you're just building a bigger case.
Think back to 2000 - no Rockville Town Square, no Pike & Rose, no Bethesda Row, no Downtown Silver Spring, no Downtown Crown, no King Farm, etc. etc. Montgomery County has added 10,000,000+ sqft of retail since 2000, yet you honestly think we've LOST retail jobs? How dumb are you?
I just listed millions of sqft of new retail. Even just looking at county malls - the worst performing sub-category of retail - and you'll see retail additions at both Wheaton (Costco) and Montgomery (Arclight and dining terrace) and a complete renovation of Ellsworth Place that far exceed White Flint's lost capacity.
"Yes, we gained Pike & Rose, but that replaced existing retail."
Duh. That's the point. The county has grown exponentially and replaced 15 acres of surface parking with new retail.
"Much of Rockville Town Square is vacant."
RTS is over 92% leased. There are six vacancies totaling 14,057 sqft out of 187,000 total sqft of retail.
Maybe educate yourself a bit instead of blindly swallowing the nonsense Robert spoon feeds you, yeah?
3:24pm Rockville Town Square merchants have had difficulty since the beginning. The paid parking has been a major issue given that they compete with Rio & Crown who do not charge for parking.
"Rockville Town Square merchants have had difficulty since the beginning. The paid parking has been a major issue given that they compete with Rio & Crown who do not charge for parking."
They also compete against Pike & Rose who also has paid parking, and they are doing just fine, at least according to Robert Dyer who promotes them regularly on his blog.
And once again you have failed to note that Rockville Town Square, like Pike and Rose, offers 2 hours of free parking with validation.
Just buy something, you cheapskate. Perpetual window-shopping does nothing for our local economy.
"Where stores like Macy's and Sears are still open, I'm sure they're running with leaner staff."
Definitely. I was at Sears back in January (the same day their company had filed notice with the state of Maryland that they intended to close that store), and I had to wait 15 minutes for someone to show up at the jewelry counter so that I could buy a watch. Same deal with Macy's - they don't seem to have any staff to circulate the floor or to keep their clothing in neat piles - it was a pigsty!
Numbers for just one year, but interesting...
Change by Sector in Northern Virginia
During calendar year 2014, the Federal Government sector lost 2,700 jobs in Northern Virginia in 2014 compared to the previous year. A significant drop occurred in the Professional and Business Services sector, which lost 5,200 jobs during 2014. The impacts of sequestration are most likely to be noticeable in this sector, which includes many government contractors.
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/budget/sites/budget/files/assets/indicators/2015/04.pdf
I loved Sears growing up in Maryland
So sad.
We would go to the mall as a family on Saturday afternoons to evening
I think the issue is that Montgomery Mall is just too dangerous now
No crime at the mall in the 1970s
Now it’s filled with illegal gang members ms13
Black gangs from Prince George’s DC
Shooting last weekend
I would never bring my children to mall now
It’s very sad
Montgomery county may be a sanctuary for criminals from Mexico
But it’s a hellhole for Americans
I fear that my home will be burgularized by MS-13 banggangers based at Montgomery Mall
And in November they will steal my vote to
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