The Dillard’s in Murfreesboro will be closing by the end of January, according to a letter from a company official to Mayor Shane McFarland.
The closure will be permanent and no other Dillard’s locations are slated to close, a company representative said.
Christmas shoppers in Murfreesboro will get their final chance to purchase presents in person and shop at their leisure ahead of the store’s final closure, set for mid to late January.
“The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the Dillard’s store located in Stones River Mall (now called Stones River Town Centre), 1120 Old Fort Parkway, Murfreesboro, TN 37129, will cease its operation and be closed in its entirety on a date no earlier than Jan. 17, 2025, and no later than January 31, 2025,” states a Nov. 13 letter to the mayor from Dean L. Worley, vice president, secretary and general counsel for Dillard’s Inc.
“We anticipate that the closing will be permanent.”
The letter does not state a reason for the store’s closure.
Dillard’s has been an anchor of Stones River Mall since the 1990s and was rebuilt and expanded in 2007.
Dillard’s spokesperson Julie Johnson Guymon said the Murfreesboro location is the only one slated for closure.
She did not disclose a reason for the decision, but the Arkansas-based company reported 4% decreased retail sales, year over year, in its third-quarter results Thursday. That follows 3% sales decrease the prior quarter.
“While retail sales declined 4%, we focused on gross margin, reporting a respectable 44.5% of sales while working on expense control,” Dillard’s CEO William T. Dillard, II said in Thursday’s earnings statement. “We reported cash and short-term investments of over $1.1 billion after repurchasing $107 million in stock. We are looking forward to welcoming our customers and serving them this holiday season.”
Dillard’s has 75 employee positions at the Murfreesboro location, and none of them are represented by a union, according to the letter.
“All employees will be terminated” between Jan. 17 and 31, the letter added.
Guymon said the employees will all be hired at other Nashville-area locations.
“Importantly, we have assured all Murfreesboro associates of continued employment in other Nashville area Dillard’s locations,” she said.
“We would welcome learning from the owner (of the store property) what the future plans for that space will be,” McFarland said.
Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr said it’s unfortunate that the Dillard’s in Murfreesboro is closing.
“I have bought several suits there,” Carr said. “They have been a valued member of the community, and I hate to see them go,” Carr said. “But we understand that’s the nature of business.”
