Without saying why, officials for Staples said they will close the Derby location on Jan. 16.
“We can’t really get into too many details, but we are constantly evaluating our business to make sure we’re operating in the best way,” said Staples corporate spokesperson Karen Pevenstein.
“It’s just a decision that was made.”
The store’s 12 employees won’t lose their jobs: They’ll be placed at other Staples locations in the area, Pevenstein said.
There are six Staples stores within 10 miles of Derby: Shelton, Milford, Orange, Stratford, Bridgeport and Hamden.
The Derby store, located at 600 New Haven Ave., in the plaza between the Wal-Mart and the new Lowe’s, opened in July 2003. Staples recently closed its New Haven location this November, but Pevenstein said nationwide, the company plans to expand by 50 stores this year.
Sheila O’Malley, Derby’s economic development director, said the city was upset to lose the business.
But O’Malley said she has already fielded calls from interested tenants.
“Obviously we don’t want to lose any business, especially now,” O’Malley said. “While I don’t want to lose the business, it was a lease, so we’re not losing the owner of the building.”
O’Malley said Staples officials were equally cryptic when talking to Derby officials about their decision to leave.
“They said they are always looking at two things: performance and proximity of other stores,” O’Malley said. “They didn’t say which one in this case.”
Employees at the Derby Staples referred all comments to the corporate spokesperson Friday.
But shoppers at the store were more willing to talk. Some said they were disappointed by the news.
“Not the one in Shelton too?” asked Joe Peter of Ansonia. “As long as the one in Shelton stays open, I’ll be all right. If the one in Shelton closes too, I’ve got to go hunting!”
Karen Testone, of Woodbridge, said the location was perfect for her because it was close to home, but didn’t require a drive along the Post Road in Milford and Orange.
“Traffic is scary on the Post Road,” Testone said.
But she wasn’t entirely surprised.
“The few times I have been here, there have not been a lot of shoppers,” Testone said of the Derby location.
