Ames Closure Forces Shopper's Gaze Far and Wide

Author: Jon White

On October 21, Ames, Middlebury's single department store, will close its doors as the Connecticut-based chain of retailers ceases operations nationwide. Middlebury's store joins 326 other Ames stores in 14 states and the District of Columbia that are going out of business.
Students at Middlebury expressed concern this week that the closing will limit shopping options in town. Allison Bell '04 noted that she might expect more visits to Midd Xpress and The College Store for essential supplies. Speaking outside Midd Xpress, Bell said, "I guess I'd come more. Its convenient and there are no other options."
The lack of other shopping options is a concern not only to the student community, but also to other communities around the state. Next year students may find that obtaining lamps, pillows or a rug when they move in for the new year will not be as easy as a short trip down Route 7.
The Rutland Herald highlighted such concerns in an August 16 editorial. The Herald cited the loss of Middlebury's Ames as a source of concern to residents in Addison County. Observed the Herald, "Middlebury has excellent specialty clothing stores, but the departure of Ames raises the question of where rural residents will go, without driving 35 miles, to buy a pair of socks."
The loss of Ames demonstrates a certain boomerang effect in city planning in small communities in Vermont. The Herald observed in its editorial that with the advent of Ames and Wal-Mart, traditional "mom and pop" retailers in older downtown areas of Middlebury and Rutland were encouraged to evolve into "specialty" stores to retain shoppers. As such, residents of Middlebury would drive to Ames to buy socks, but would theoretically go downtown to find fancier clothes, outdoor gear or fine gifts.
Now, with the departure of stores like Ames, towns in Vermont like Middlebury are again left with only their downtowns as the primary shopping corridor in town, and in many cases the stores there lack certain essential goods that Ames furnished. Where the development trend goes from here remains unseen.
The Herald expressed further concern that the closing of Ames echoes the general economic doldrums that have engulfed on the nation. Roughly 744 jobs will have been lost in the state when Ames closes its doors in October, adding to the effect of layoffs at the state's other large employers, most prominently at IBM.