CHAD PLAUCHE-ADKINS The Marietta Times Shoppers drive by Peebles on Tuesday at the Lafayette Shopping Center. The store will become Gordmans, an off-price retailer, by the summer.

This spring the Peebles department store in Marietta will transition into a new store, part of a move to close all the remaining Peebles locations.

Gordmans will instead be at the 20,000-square-foot space in the Lafayette Shopping Center that Peebles has occupied for almost 14 years since Ames closed.

According to a press release from Jenny Clifton, a spokeswoman for Stage Stores, the parent company of both Peebles and Gordmans, the transition will be complete by the summer. The statement also revealed that there are no foreseen job losses in any of the 38 conversions from Peebles to Gordmans across the country. The statement also said the store will be closed for 10 days while the company changes signage and redesigns the store. No timetable was given for when the remodel will start.

“Gordmans is opening 38 new stores across the country this March, and will open additional stores this summer, including the one in Marietta, Ohio,” she said.

According to Stage Stores’ website, the company purchased Gordmans in 2017 to enter the off-price market. An off-price retailer is one that sells off-season and overstock items, which keeps prices down in the tradition of stores like Ross and T.J. Maxx. According to their website, Gordmans offers clothes for women, men and children, toys, beauty supplies and housewares to include lamps and kitchen utensils.

“Gordmans, which has been delighting shoppers for more than 100 years, is committed to bringing shoppers bigger brands and smaller price tags,” said Clifton.

Javison Martin, 20, of Caldwell, was shopping at Peebles on Tuesday and said she was there to purchase clothes for her infant child.

“They have a wider selection than Walmart,” she said. “It usually costs more, though.”

Martin said she greeted the news of an off-price retailer in Marietta with anticipation.

“I like stores like T.J. Maxx,” she said.

Darla Baker, 50, was also shopping at Peebles and said better options in Marietta may keep her shopping dollars away from Parkersburg.

“I live in Watertown,” she said. “It’s about halfway between Marietta and Parkersburg.”

She said she wasn’t a frequent shopper at Peebles due to the fact that Parkersburg has more options for her to choose from.

“Marietta needs more stores,” she said. “Especially with Kmart probably going to close.”

The Marietta Kmart’s future is unsure after its parent company, Sears Holdings, had to sell the chain along with Sears earlier this year to avoid bankruptcy.

A final date for the Gordmans transition hasn’t been given by Stage Stores at this time. For more information about Gordmans and the merchandise they have to offer, visit gordmans.com.

At a glance

•What: Peebles department store changing to Gordmans.

•Store type: Gordmans is an off-price department store, offering off-season and overstock items at a lower price.

•When: By summer.

•For information: gordmans.com.

Source: Times research.