Christmas wasn't very Merry for the employees of The Disney Store at Metrotown Centre in Burnaby BC. They were advised negotiations with the mall were over, their store is closing and they are all out of work. Despite the fact their sales are always very brisk and the location is always jam packed with buyers, and their bottom line is good despite the recession, Disney has made the decision to close them down. Apparently The Children's Place had been running the store and Disney took it back themselves early last year. The mood was very different then, the employees were all very excited to be back with Disney as their boss but the excitement wasn't going to last long as the decision to close was made Christmas of 2009 and their last day of business will be January 23, 2010. No more stock will be arriving at the store and once what they have on hand is gone, the doors will close. The employees have been advised that if they should reopen in another location within a year, they will have their jobs back but no word on that is currently available. Needless to say the mood among staff is poor, many of them teary and sad. One lady has been with the store for 16 years, another 12 years. I was told that if you are so moved to do so, letters can be sent via http://www.disneystore.com/ to protest this closure.
On a more personal note, the Disney Store has been a staple in our lives for as long as I can remember. First with my children and now with my grandkids, this is a must see when we go to the mall. Many a fussy and irritated child has been coaxed into shopping a little longer in the other stores with the promise of the Disney Store visit before we leave the mall. The adults seem to love the store as much as the kids and Disney's promise of never having to grow up when on a Disney property holds true even in the stores...everyone is a kid again and a kid at heart. Our kids wear Disney clothes, sleep in Disney jammies and cuddle up with Disney stuffed toys and dolls, and eat on Disney dishes using Disney forks and spoons. They go off to school wearing Disney t-shirts carrying their Disney backbacks with their Disney lunch kit inside it. They cover up at home in the evening with their Disney blankets and watch their Disney movies or color in their Disney coloring books. Play is fun with their Disney crowns, gowns and princess shoes. Is was indeed a sad day for me to learn this tradition for our family is coming to an end. No longer will I be able to let the kids peruse the new stock while I chat with the wonderful group of employees I have been chatting with for so many years and who recognize me on sight and always come to talk and see how things are going. I believe The Grinch is licenced to Universal but it seems this year Disney chose that theme to ruin Christmas for their store employees. How very sad for them and also sad for us as I see a lot less trips to that mall in the future as they are taking away the store we most often go to see. So many will be affected who are used to getting their park tickets from this location, people who preorder the new movies, and are in line when the Halloween costumes come out....it is a big loss for Metrotown Centre...I wonder why they don't see that?
The opinions expressed here are my own, the information gathered was from employees of the store and the accuracy of the information may be subjective from their perspective. If you have anything to offer that disputes this information, please feel free to add it to the comment section of the blog.
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1 comment:
I just had a feeling this would happen. I'm amazed it stayed around this long. Metrotown is becoming a shoe store place. I love the old Metrotown of 24 years ago. What a shame.
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