Value Village to close Renton store

Despite a recession that seems to have helped — not hurt — business, the Value Village store in Renton is closing after 42 years. Its last day is this Saturday.

In 1967, the store became the second location in what is now a used-clothing chain with more than 220 sites in the United States, Canada and Australia.

Bellevue-based Savers, the store's privately held parent company, declined to discuss its reasons for the closure, saying only, "Business conditions did make it necessary." The store is a focal point at the Village Square shopping center on Bronson Way North in Renton.

Will Nelson, a leasing agent at property-management firm Legacy Commercial, said Value Village outgrew the shopping center, where its 18,800-square-foot spot is much smaller than the types of locations it now prefers.

"They have unique demands, and those demands have grown and changed over the years," Nelson said. "If we could have modified the site, I have no doubt they would have stayed. But we're limited by land size, existing businesses and other factors."

The store's 32 employees will move to other locations or be given an opportunity to apply for jobs elsewhere at the company, said spokeswoman Kaitlin Goodall. Value Village has nearly 20 stores in the Puget Sound region.

Used-clothing stores generally have done well throughout the recession as consumers look for inexpensive ways to replenish their wardrobes amid rising joblessness and widespread economic uncertainty.

Savers has opened 17 new locations this year, all outside Washington state. Locally, its Crown Hill store in Seattle will move to a bigger location nearby this spring.

The company owns and operates stores under the Value Village name in the Northwest and Canada and under the Savers name elsewhere in the U.S.

It might consider another Renton location as "sites become available," Goodall said.

Amy Martinez: 206-464-2923 or amartinez@seattletimes.com