Scott Williams, swilliams@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader Photo by Scott Williams J Merchants owner Arthur Uram talks about plans to introduce more products after the holiday shopping season in the company’s new store in Shawano.
Leader Photo by Scott Williams Marsha Betzner, assistant manager of J Merchants, works on inventory to get ready for the new store’s debut Saturday in the Shawano Plaza shopping center.
Consider it an early holiday gift: The old J.C. Penney store in Shawano is reopening under a new concept in discount retail apparel.
J Merchants, a startup company based in Las Vegas, Nevada, is opening its first store Saturday in the Shawano Plaza space vacated by J.C. Penney eight months ago.
The store will offer name-brand merchandise at discounts of 50 percent or more on men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, with plans later to add housewares, small appliances and other products.
J Merchants owner Arthur Uram, a longtime retail executive, said the vacant Shawano storefront was an appealing spot to introduce his new concept. He also has been impressed that Shawano residents have been friendly and welcoming toward the new store.
“You can see people are excited,” he said. “We think the business is going to take off.”
Located at 128 Woodlawn Drive, the store officially opens its doors at 9 a.m. Saturday.
The arrival of J Merchants follows recent news that the former Kmart store located elsewhere in Shawano Plaza soon could find new life, too, under plans to open a Dunham’s Sports sporting goods store there.
Gordon Miller, broker for property owner RCG Ventures LLC, based in Atlanta, said he is encouraged that the Shawano shopping center anchored by Pick ‘N Save grocery store is attracting interest from new prospective tenants.
Miller said officials launching the J Merchants concept approached his firm for possible store locations, and a deal to lease Shawano’s old 22,000-square-foot J.C. Penney space came together quickly.
“This is one that just gelled,” he said.
Citing Shawano Plaza’s central location in the community and its established customer shopping appeal, Miller voiced confidence that J Merchants will find success here with its robust inventory and deep discounts.
“We’re hoping they will do well, and the community will support them,” he said.
J.C. Penney had been a fixture in Shawano Plaza since 1990 when the Dallas-based retail giant closed the store in April, putting about 25 employees out of work.
Uram, who previously operated a discount apparel chain called Famous Labels, is starting up J Merchants by looking for small or mid-sized communities where national retail chains have pulled up stakes. Uram said he plans to deliver discount prices of 50 percent to 80 percent by securing inventories of name-brand products that are overstocked or perhaps the previous year’s product line.
J Merchants will offer such prices as $10 for denim jeans, $15 for tennis shoes, $3 for baby pajamas and $70 for a man’s winter coat.
“I think people are looking for value,” Uram said.
Customers shopping inside the new store might recognize some familiar faces from the old J.C. Penney store.
Cathy Roll, who worked four years as a sales specialist at J.C. Penney, has signed on to become manager of J Merchants. Roll said she is pleased to see a new tenant taking over the space because she knows that Shawano needs business development and job creation.
Roll said she used to drive past the vacant storefront and feel melancholy about the old store. When she heard about J Merchants coming to town, she was thrilled to be returning to Shawano Plaza.
“I missed it,” she said. “It’s nice to be back.”
J Merchants plans to open a second store, in Ohio, within a few weeks.