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Payless Shoes closes Garapan branch
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Posted on Oct 23 2006
Citing the current economic difficulty, Payless Shoes Source will close its branch in the Garapan commercial district this Friday, reducing its operations to only one outlet on Saipan.
Payless Shoes Garapan assistant manager Albert Castro confirmed in an interview yesterday that the store will close on Oct. 28.
He said the San Jose, Middle Road branch, which was launched about two years ago, will be kept open.
“With the economic condition that we have right now, why [continue] to open [the Garapan branch]?” asked Castro when queried about the reason for the closure.
When the economy improves, the store may be reopened, he said.
“We’re crossing our fingers. Hopefully, hopefully the economy recovers so we can reopen it,” he said.
He said the store is on clearance sale, offering most rubber shoes and sandals at a low price of $5 a pair.
“Come down and take advantage of the clearance sale this week,” he said.
Some of the items in Garapan will be transferred to Middle Road.
He said the stores also currently offer the usual promo of “buy one and get one at half price.”
The Garapan branch began operations in 1997.
Castro said the store is part of the Kansas City-based Payless Company.
A number of businesses on island have closed down this year, and a few others are expected to follow suit. Among those that shut down were the Garapan outlet of Herman’s Modern Bakery, one of the oldest local businesses on island; Church’s Chicken, which moved to Guam; as well as a two-year-old apparel store, Uno Shop.
Sources from the business sector said that some popular stores and bars would soon announce their closures.
Still reeling from the effects of 9/11, SARS, and the Asian crisis, the CNMI’s economy suffered major blows last year due to the garment industry’s downsizing as a result of the 2005 worldwide lifting of quotas, and the pullout of Japan Airlines.
This year, the economy continued on its downward trend and the government implemented rigid cost-cutting measures such as personnel layoffs and workhour reduction to cope.
