Victor Valley Faces Surge in Business Closures Including Crumbl Cookies and Howard’s Appliance
VICTORVILLE, Cali. (VVNG.com) – In just the first two months of 2024, multiple businesses, including longstanding retailers, have permanently ceased operations.
Crumbl Cookies, the bakery known for its weekly rotating menu, closed its store this month at 12274 Palmdale Rd Suite 102 due to underperformance.
Without warning, the local Marco’s Pizza restaurant in Hesperia closed its doors on January 18, 2024, resulting in an unexpected job loss for its staff.
Employees report receiving text messages informing them of the shutdown the same morning.
Howard’s Appliance TV & Mattress, which had previously acquired Midway Home Solutions in 2021, also ended its operations last week.
Howard’s, a leading Southern California appliance retailer, had taken over the operations and assets of Midway, one of the most significant single-store appliance retailers in the nation, located at 14444 Atstar St, Victorville.
Despite the initial enthusiasm for the acquisition and the promise of continued legacy by Midway’s Founder & CEO, Don Lager, the venture has ceased.
The transition was expected to expand Howard’s foothold in the High Desert region, with plans to serve the appliance needs of numerous communities.
However, it seems that the same issues that have plagued other retailers in the area have also affected Howard’s.
The community was informed of this strategic merger in 2021, as Lager praised Howard’s commitment to customer experience and looked forward to the new opportunities the acquisition would present.
“We are thrilled that Howard’s will continue the legacy of what we have built here in Victorville,” Lager had said at the time. John Riddle, President & CEO of Howard’s, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the company’s expansion plans and their aim to become the largest independent retailer of major appliances on the West Coast.
Notwithstanding these plans, the 45,000 sq. ft. Howard’s showroom and the attached 50,000 sq. ft. distribution center, both rebranded from Midway, have now also closed.
Additionally, Victorville is losing a CVS Pharmacy at the corner of Bear Valley and Amethyst Roads, with its final day of operation on February 22, 2024. The noteworthy pharmacy chain has decided to shut this store as part of a nationwide strategy to close 900 stores over three years. This move aims to streamline operations and better cater to community needs.
The closing of the Rite Aid store at the corner of Highway 18 and Navajo Road in Apple Valley further adds to the number of retail vacancies.
The store closure followed Rite Aid’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing and the company’s strategy to refine its network by eliminating underperforming locations.
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