By Rob Potter
LIBERTY — March 2, 2001 – People who shop for electronic and computer equipment at the Radio Shack at the Ames Plaza in Liberty will soon have to make such purchases at another location.
As stated on a flyer taped to the store’s front door, on March 31, the Liberty Radio Shack “will close its doors for the last time.” No reason is given.
Back in January, Metro Commercial Management Service Inc. took over as the plaza’s management company. Metro replaced Triangle Development Company as the management entity of the shopping center. The entire plaza, however, is still owned by Liberty Mall Plaza Associates, Ltd.
Peter Parino, property manager for the Mt. Laurel, NJ-based Metro Commercial, said that his company is not forcing Radio Shack to close its doors.
“We don’t want to see them leave,” Parino said. “They have been very good tenants. Personally, I’m disappointed that Radio Shack is leaving.”
Parino’s sentiments are shared by the store’s customers and staff.
“We’re not happy,” said William Polakowski, manager of the Liberty Radio Shack. “I moved up here because of the store. There are two other employees in this store, one full-time and one part-time, and they’re both worried about their jobs.”
Polakowski, who said he would probably be transferred to the Middletown store for a sales position, has heard from a number of disappointed customers.
“A lot of people have called up,” he said. “They want to keep us open.”
According to Polakowski, the store, which opened back in September, has served thousands of customers. In December, for example, over 1,000 people made purchases at the store and in January the establishment had 700 customers.
Gene Pritzert, a White Sulphur Springs resident, is among those patrons who want the Liberty Radio Shack to remain open for business.
“To a lot of people in the community, this is a vital store,” Pritzert said. “The service from the Radio Shack employees is great, and they have a real knowledge of the electronic products they sell.”
Pritzert and Polakowski both feel that, even though the Radio Shack store in Monticello will remain open, the closing of the Liberty location will hurt customers.
“I guess those in the Roscoe and Parksville areas will have to go somewhere else,” Polakowski commented. “They will have to shop at the Monticello store or elsewhere for the things they need.”
Attempts to reach the Radio Shack corporate headquarters in Texas for comment on the Liberty store closing were unsuccessful.
The flyer on the establishment’s door urges customers to call 1-800-843-7422 to voice their concerns about the Liberty location (also known as store number 01-2846) or to log onto www.radioshack.com.