ToNeTo Atlanta has learned that at least two Atlanta area Office Depot stores will be closing in the coming weeks. The stores, located in Sandy Springs and East Cobb, started their liquidation sales Thursday, offering in-stock merchandise for up to 30% off original prices. The Sandy Springs store, in Hammond Exchange at Hammond Drive and Roswell Road, is 20,065 square feet and helps anchor a center also home to Petco, Marshalls and Whole Foods Market. In East Cobb, the 28,000 square foot Office Depot is located in Highland Plaza along Sandy Plains Road, where fellow anchors include Publix and Home Depot.
Office Depot/OfficeMax has in years since the merger closed several other Atlanta area locations including those in Midtown, Tucker, Toco Hills, Roswell, Smyrna and Suwanee, among others. ToNeTo Atlanta exclusively reported December 14 that cosmetics retailer Ulta Beauty plans to open in a portion of the former Toco Hills Office Depot, while Burlington plans to open a new store in the former Office Depot in Briarcliff Village near Northlake Mall in Tucker.
Although many may not recall, the popular and highly successful Trader Joe's on Peachtree Road in Buckhead occupies a onetime OfficeMax.
The Sandy Springs and East Cobb stores expect to continue liquidation sales until mid-May or until all merchandise is sold.
In a post Thursday, CNBC retail reporter Lauren Thomas wrote that for the first time in years, retailers plan to open more stores than they close, with Coresight Research saying retailers in the U.S. have announced 3,199 store openings and 2,548 closures. The closure of the two well-located Office Depot stores could be appealing to other retailers such as the aforementioned Ulta Beauty and Burlington, as well as TJMaxx (and perhaps their new Homesense store) and Popshelf (a new concept from Dollar General).
Following the Sandy Springs and East Cobb closures, Office Depot will continue to operate several Atlanta area stores including those in Buckhead (Buckhead Crossing), Howell Mill (The District at Howell Mill), Chamblee, Atlanta (Edgewood Retail District) and Sandy Springs (Perimeter Pointe), among others.
Are you surprised by the two Office Depot locations closing in metro Atlanta? Where do you do the majority of your (home) office shopping needs? What would you like to see open in place of the two soon-to-be-vacant Office Depot stores?
Please share your thoughts below.