Carson Pirie Scott flagship to close

Before I even discuss the topic of this post, I'd like to say that I am not even a resident a Chicago; I actually live in New Jersey. However, in addition to being an important local Chicago story, I decided to start this thread because this story is symptomatic of what is occurring nationally.

Now, on to the main topic on hand: It was announced yesterday that Carson Pirie Scott, a regional department store based in Chicago, is going to close its flagship store on State Street. (Note that State Street is Chicago's version of Main Street.) In addition to being over 100 years old, the 7-story flagship store is internationally acclaimed for its maganificent architecture. (It was designed by legendary architect Louis Sullivan.) The decision to close the unprofitable store was made by Carson Pirie Scott's owner, The Bon-Ton (which itself is another regional department store chain).

This occurrence is not merely the closing of another department store, but instead marks a huge blow to the entire city of Chicago. That's because Chicago's only other remaining department store--Marshall Field's, which is also headquartered on State Street--is about to go out of existance, as it will be renamed Macy's in just two weeks. Chicagoans have been extremely upset about losing Marshall Field's because that particular store (1) is so much more upscale than Macy's and (2) had a tremendous history of community involvement with the city of Chicago. With both Marshall Field's and Carson Pirie Scott gone, Chicago--like virtually all big American towns--no longer has a flagship downtown department store. (It should be noted that the Carson Pirie Scott chain of department stores is actually not going out of business; rather, it is just the flagship store on State Street that is closing.)

Here is some more background on Chicago shopping, that will hopefully give you more familarity with the city: Like most cities, Chicago's downtown shopping scene has been struggling for years. The biggest street in downtown--State Street--was once home to seven large department stores; over the years, however, all except Marshall Field's and Carson Pirie Scott closed. These two stores were the only things keeping State Street economically viable, as downtown Chicago shoppers flocked to ultra-expensive North Michigan Avenue (located in uptown Chicago). Now, with Carson Pirie Scott closing, and Marshall Field's being downgraded to Macy's, tourism to State Street (and downtown Chicago in general) will fall dramatically, and the street will soon start looking like a ghost town.

To be sure, the removal of Marshall Field's is a much bigger blow to downtown Chicago than the loss of Carson Pirie Scott, as Marshall Field's was always considered to be the crown jewel of the entire Chicago shopping scene. However, this news just adds salt to the wound.

Before I conclude, I just want to mention that I went to Chicago earlier this year, specifically because I (being the huge retail-buff I am) wanted to get the chance to see Marshall Field's while it was still in all its glory. Believe it or not, I spent my whole vacation inside the wonderful Marshall Field's flagship store on State Street, and had a great time. Unfortunately, I only briefly went inside the Carson Pirie Scott flagship store, since I was planning to come back another year to see that. Now, sadly, I will never get the chance to visit it.