The Disney Store in Bangor to close after Christmas

BANGOR – Mickey Mouse is moving out of the Bangor Mall.

The Disney Store, which opened when the mall was expanded five years ago, is closing on Dec. 26 as part of a company-wide plan to reduce the number of Disney Stores nationwide from more than 500 to 375. The store at the Maine Mall in South Portland will remain open.

The number of employees at the Bangor Mall’s Disney Store was unavailable.

Gary Foster, a spokesman for The Disney Store, said this week that the Bangor Mall store closure is an indirect consequence of a plan by The Disney Corp. to sell its entire chain of retail stores, which was announced in May.

He said that more than two years ago, the company began evaluating which “underperforming” stores to close in an effort to reduce costs and streamline operations. But, he added, those corporate moves make the chain of stores attractive to a buyer.

Management at Bangor Mall was notified in writing about the closure, said mall manager James Gerety. Last year, The Disney Store told the mall that it would renew its lease for one-year and this year decided not to renew it again.

“This is not unexpected,” Gerety said.

The Bangor Mall recently has experienced a number of vacancies, many with storefronts filled by temporary, seasonal businesses. Wayne Snyder, chairman of Kravco Co., owner of the Bangor Mall, said recently that his company is trying to find the right fit between retailers and the mall. He said he wants to sign leases with those businesses that can stay long term – and actually want to be located in Bangor.

“[The mall’s] got a little more vacancy than we’d like,” he said. “For some people [retailers], it’s the end of the distribution chain. If they happen to go to Portland first, then it makes sense for them to look to Bangor.”

For those retailers already located at the mall, after-Thanksgiving weekend sales were good for some and not spectacular for others, Gerety said.

Some merchants hit their goals and some did not, he said, noting that overall sales were up about 4 percent over last year.

Gerety said it’s too early in the holiday season to predict whether sales figures are going to be an indicator of improved consumer confidence. The after-Thanksgiving weekend only accounts for 10 percent of merchants’ holiday sales, he said, with the biggest shopping day of the year expected on Dec. 20, the Saturday before Christmas.

Gerety said he’s observed so far that numerous mall retailers aren’t offering huge discounts yet this season, which probably is an indication that they are waiting to get a barometer of how consumers feel about spending. If shoppers aren’t spending that much, retailers may start marking down merchandise during the two weeks before Christmas as a way to lure in customers.

Whether any more merchants will shut down after the holiday season, like The Disney Store, is not known. Gerety said he doesn’t think so.

“Actually, Disney is the only one I’ve received any correspondence from,” he said.