Westgate Loses Avenue Plus

By February 1, Westgate Shopping Center will be minus Avenue Plus. Right after Thanksgiving it hung tempting “40% off” closeout signs in the windows, and most women who were drawn in by them seemed to be heading straight to the back, where Cloudwalkers shoes and boots were on sale–Avenue’s own brand of extremely comfortable, affordably priced, yet stylish shoes.

“I’m looking for some shoes to wear to church,” said Theresa Owens, who swears by the brand. She and her mother “saw the sale signs in the window” and know the store well. “We’ve been coming here over ten years.” Unfortunately, the Cloudwalkers had already been pretty picked over by mid-December. Owens pointed out the kind she was after–dressy gray flats with wedge heels and a little flash of black patent trim–but none were available in her size.http://annarborobserver.com/cgi-bin/articles/change_article.pl?article_id=4865&Submit=Change&rand=32303 Her mother Mable Ann Bonds had found a pair of boots, though–knee-high black ones with a silver chain across the instep. She authorized a description of the boots but warned: “Don’t put the size in there. I don’t give away that information!”

The manager and assistant manager didn’t know if they could speak to the media, so didn’t offer any explanation for why the store was closing. But savvy shoppers Bonds and Owens shed some light on the Avenue’s troubles.

“I buy a majority of my clothes here,” said Owens, “but this year I didn’t care for the styles. They made me feel old-fashioned.” She flips through a 40-percent-off rack. “Now look at this. I have this top.” She points to a rare piece from this year she did like: a simple sleeveless white tunic with a chunky zipper down the front, tagged at a “regular” price of $50. Did she pay $50 for it when she bought it earlier this year? “I did not. I bought it on a buy-one-get-one-free coupon,” less per item than its current “closeout” price. She also remembers that last winter she bought two pairs of Cloudwalkers boots, regularly around $80 a pair, for $20 a pair. It seems that customers have come to expect deep discounts at the Avenue, and Owens isn’t the only one unimpressed with meager discounts for clothes they find unattractive. By mid December, even the Avenue website was advertising “50/60/70% off.”

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