Staples to close

By Mike Fak

[DEC. 11, 2000]  You can slice this onion any way you want to. The answer will still smell the same. Lincoln's economic growth just took a step backward with the announcement that the Staples office store on Woodlawn Road will close this coming January.

The announcement ends weeks of rumors that the national chain was indeed leaving Logan County for more lucrative venues in other cities, in other states. Staples isn't cutting back their store numbers. In fact the chain has a remarkable growth record across the United States — a growth curve that hasn't been met by the store located on Woodlawn Road.

 

Whether the Staples was losing money or making a profit margin unacceptable to their corporate honchos is of course their business, not ours. It is our business that an empty retail location made void by the departure of Kmart, filled, and then left empty again by another retailing superstar brings into question whether Lincoln is ready to join the boom of major retailers situating their outlets in cities with a population of 15,000 to 20,000.

It didn't take anyone with a doctorate in business to worry about the store's viability. On several personal visits I found myself to be alone in the sprawling business, save a few always-eager-to-please employees. Selection was always available at the store. Prices were competitive if not downright cheap. The store was brightly lit and clean.

 

I asked myself often if perhaps Lincolnites had other favorite office supply businesses that enjoyed their loyal patronage, leaving no room for another such store in town. I also wondered if the lack of business activity was just another case of Logan County residents shooting themselves in the foot by going out of town to buy everything, including the purchase of an item or two from another Staples in another town they were shopping in. Although I am sure there is truth in my former statement, I fear there is also a great deal of reality in the latter.

 

 

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Whatever the reason, we will have another huge retail hole to fill in Lincoln, and it won't be as easy this time to have a grand opening sign at 1308 Woodlawn Road.

Corporate Retail America is tough. Major retail chain businesses are slow on patience and quick on severing ties with a community when a store doesn't fit their national guidelines for financial productivity. Chains are also smart enough to look at past track records of other such peers who have tried and failed in a community. What would one imagine a board of directors of another chain store would pronounce concerning the possibility of entering Logan County's market? Would not the fact Kmart and Staples gave it a try and pulled out sway their vote in choosing not to come to Lincoln?

 

You know, through this entire article my worry has concealed a strength of this community that I would be remiss in not mentioning. For a century we have been dealt serious economic blow after blow. And although many of these setbacks have caused us to lose our growth fundamental, somehow we always make it to another day, another opportunity.

One of these days, however, we need to start the journey forward without talking any steps back. We will find the effort less tiresome and disappointing than continually gaining a store (like a Walgreens) and losing another (like a Staples).

I hope the economic and political leaders of this community delve into the failure of Staples to remain with us. We need to know exactly what went wrong. We need to understand and correct whatever we can to dissuade the next Staples from summarily removing us from their economic growth plans.

I don't want to slice this onion anymore. I want to throw it in the garbage. That's where news that stinks like this belongs.

[Mike Fak]

Other articles by Mike Fak can be viewed on his website at www.fakmachine.com.  

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