Gottschalks Enters Market Retailer Opens At Two Of Three Sites Formerly Occupied By Lamonts

The past month has been busy for Gottschalks new Spokane employees.

The Fresno, Calif.-based department store company took over the bankrupt Lamonts store leases on July 24 and is now reopening those stores across the Northwest.

Locally, the Manito Center and Coeur d’Alene Lamonts stores reopened as Gottschalks on Tuesday. They celebrate grand openings on Thursday.

“We were trying to receive and put out freight while the carpenters were in here, and there were people putting in new carpet and painting,” said Manito store manager Junell Johnson.

The Shadle Center store will not become a Gottschalks. Company officials declined to comment on what will happen to that property. Lamonts gave up its lease on its former downtown site years ago, and Gottschalks said it has no plans to open a store downtown or at any other new Inland Northwest location.

In May, U.S. Bankruptcy Court approved Gottschalks’ purchase of Lamonts operating leases and fixtures at 37 of its 38 stores for $20.1 million. Before acquiring the Lamonts leases, Gottschalks operated 42 department stores and 22 specialty stores in California, Nevada, Oregon and Nevada.

Gottschalks is the first new department store to enter the Spokane market since Emporium and Mervyn’s opened at NorthTown Mall in 1991.

The differences between Lamonts and Gottschalks are subtle.

“Customers are going to see a lot more merchandise in the store and a lot more branded merchandise,” said Fred Bentelspacher, Gottschalks vice president of marketing.

The sheer volume of merchandise is the first thing most shoppers will notice at the Manito Gottschalks store.

As Lamonts was failing, selections became slimmer and slimmer as many vendors began to demand cash before they would ship their products to Lamonts stores.

“It was sad,” said area manager Nancy Houghton. “We wanted Lamonts to work. We’re happy, though, that they took care of their people and are excited about Gottschalks taking over.”

Lamonts employees were offered jobs at the new Gottschalks store, and about 50 percent of the Shadle store’s employees will now work at the South Hill store, said Johnson. That store employs about 35 workers.

Gottschalks also offers fragrances, luggage and a larger housewares department than Lamonts. A bridal registry will be added in the next few months, said Johnson, and cosmetics should be in operation at the Manito location by next summer. The Coeur d’Alene store already sells makeup, including Lancome products.

The local Gottschalks, which are considerably smaller than their California counterparts, won’t be carrying furniture or mattresses.

Name brands featured at Gottschalks include Pfaltzgraff, Fiestaware, Liz Claiborne (including the plus-size Elisabeth line), Chapps by Ralph Lauren, Union Bay, l.e.i. and bongo.

Johnson predicted that the Manito location will do well. The site, she said, is particularly popular with people who want to shop without having to go downtown or go to a large mall.

“The location is ideal for seniors,” she said. “They have a grocery store, drug store and department store all together. Then, if they want, they can go to the Pear Tree for lunch.”

Around town

It’s now confirmed: Shopping has achieved the level of art.

At least shopping bags have. An exhibit opening Friday at Gonzaga University’s Jundt Museum will feature shopping bag art.

“Art & Commerce: Designs on the Shopping Bag” is an exhibition of 20th century shopping bags from stores like Bloomingdale’s, Dayton’s and other large retailers. Artists who created works for shopping bags include Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella, Annie Liebowitz and Keith Haring.

The exhibit runs Sept. 1-Oct. 11. Museum hours are from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and noon-4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Numerous new retail stores and restaurants have just opened or are opening in Spokane this week, just in time for some Labor Day weekend shopping. Here’s the list:

Arcadia, Wisconsin-based Ashley Furniture HomeStore is now open at 1233 N. Division. The store features furniture, bedding and rugs.

Chili’s Grill & Bar opened its new downtown location at 207 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. on Monday.

Barnes & Noble opens its second Spokane store on Friday. The NorthTown bookstore will soon be joined by a Nordstrom Rack and a 12-screen Regal Cinemas theater.

Lifestyle/homewares store Pottery Barn opens at River Park Square on Saturday. The company recently sent its early fall catalogs to local customers with a wrapper promoting the new Spokane store.

Just one month away, the Pizza Shoppe of Coeur d’Alene is opening a new store, the Village Pizza Shoppe, in Liberty Lake on Oct. 1. The restaurant, at 21724 E. Mission, will be managed by Aaron Webb and Travis Fry.