Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 9, 1993 TAG: 9311090035
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Larry Davidson said the decision to close the store was not a reflection on the mall's success, but rather an effort to focus his business.
He said the Valley View store's sales had not grown since it opened in the mid-1980s, except in the past year when the store experimented with a warehouse format. Davidson said he does not want to pursue that concept right now.
"It's an energy problem. I can't run but so many businesses," Davidson said. The chain's other stores sell full-service, first-line menswear and casual clothing.
"There's no doubt that the growth of retail is in discount, but it has to be conducted separately" from a traditional store. He said he will put the warehouse idea "on hold until I'm ready to do it properly."
There are two other longtime men's shops at Valley View Mall, J. Riggings and John Norman. Also, Structure, a menswear division of The Limited Inc. of Columbus, Ohio, is scheduled to open Thursday at Valley View.
Several other changes are being made by Davidson in conjunction with the Valley View decision.
The Davidsons and Davidsons Outdoors stores at Tanglewood Mall have been combined.
A wall was eliminated to expand the customer space so that the combined store is about equal to the former separate operations, Davidson said.
In other changes, the Davidsons store at River Ridge Mall in Lynchburg will move in February or March to a nearby free-standing building.
The family-owned Joseph Davidson Inc. company is based in Roanoke. It has seven stores operating under the names of Davidsons and Davidsons Outdoors. It also operates Davidsons Direct, which provides custom clothing services at a client's home or office.
Davidson said the custom business is growing and that he intends to "grow" the Outdoors stores.
by CNB