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Shoppers at Foothills Mall last night were shocked to hear that two of their favorite stores, the mall’s anchor stores, will be closed soon.
“Say it’s not so,’ said Gina Saul, a Foothills shopper, after hearing that Foley’s and Dillard’s department stores will close.
“Well, the whole mall is going to close after they leave,’ she said.
“We’re going to be forced to go to Tucson Mall,’ said Sharon Paul, another shopper who lives within two miles of Foothills.
Employees at Foley’s said they were told yesterday that the store would be closed in one month. Dillard’s department store is scheduled to close in three months.
Barbara Quiroz, a Foley’s sales associate for the past six months, said she had been hearing rumors of the closing for a few months.
Another sales associate, Misty Villagomez, said employees were told of the closing in a store meeting yesterday.
“We just found out,’ she said. “They said we were being closed, but they didn’t give us any details.’
She said all the employees would be relocated to other Foley’s stores in Tucson.
“At least we are guaranteed our jobs,’ Villagomez said.
A Dillard’s employee said they were also told workers would be transferred to the other local stores within the chain. Jennifer Juarez, who has worked at Dillard’s for about a year, said the store’s closing would disappoint many older shoppers who prefer to shop at the less-crowded Foothills Mall.
Many shoppers said they enjoy the slower pace of the mall, at 7401 N. La Cholla Blvd.
“I don’t like to go to Tucson Mall because it’s too dangerous,’ said Sandy Rose, who has shopped at Foley’s since it was opened. “I never feel uncomfortable coming here by myself.’
Saul, a nursing student, agreed.
“This is a safer mall. I don’t feel threatened here,’ she said.
Raquel Kenian, 58, said she lives on the Northwest Side and enjoyed the convenience of the mall. She said she visits it about once a week.
Ray and Martha Munguia have lived across the street from the mall for 15 years.
“I’m all upset,’ Martha Munguia said. “It’s not as busy as other malls and you don’t have to fight the crowds.’
Ray Munguia said, “I just hope they don’t put some cheap stores in here, because it will hurt the property values.’