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Uploaded: Thursday, September 20, 2012, 7:33 AM
Updated: Monday, September 24, 2012, 6:19 AM
Everything on sale at Domus as popular Main Street store shuts down, again
Owner says it's time to retire, spend more time with her Los Altos family
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by Jeb Bing
Pleasanton Weekly Staff
Photos
 
| Domus, the popular kitchen and home accessories retailer on Pleasanton's Main Street, is now open with a store-wide sale and deep discounts on everything including fixtures as owner Margaret Smith prepares to close the store, again.
The store closing comes just 13 months after Smith re-opened it to the cheers of both city officials and the Pleasanton Downtown Association.
Smith, who is in her 60s, said she plans to retire to spend more time with her husband in their Los Gatos home and their extended family on the Peninsula.
The closing means that Pamela Ott, economic development director and Laura Olson, executive director of the PDA, will start all over to find a tenants for the large 11,000-square-foot building.
When Domus opened its Pleasanton store in September 1998, it was part of Smith's Las Gatos store. Then she sold the Pleasanton business to John Maloney and his wife Cathy, who were allowed to continue using the name. The Maloneys later closed their business to pursue other interests, and the building was empty for more than a year until closed the Los Gatos store and re-opened the Pleasanton store Aug. 27, 2011.
Smith said that although her business here has been flourishing, it was time to retire. Starting yesterday and in the coming weeks, all merchandise in Domus and even its fixtures are for sale.
During the time Ott and Olson were looking for tenants, a problem they found was that the large Main Street building is either too big for most small retail businesses or too small for a drug store, fitness center or other possibilities that were considered. Banks also have become unsuitable tenants downtown with both the City Council and Planning Commission ruling that two of them can't be located on the same block and, in fact, discouraging any more from opening downtown.
Smith has not decided if she will keep a smaller Domus store in the Willow Glen section of San Jose open.Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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| Comments
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Posted by triedtobuy, a resident of the Birdland neighborhood, on Sep 20, 2012 at 8:33 am Can we please lure Sur la Table into the spot vacated by Domus? I tried to support the reopened Domus, but there was never enough inventory.
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Posted by Patriot, a resident of the Carriage Gardens neighborhood, on Sep 20, 2012 at 8:34 am Thank you Margaret for coming back to Pleasanton and trying again. I know that the current economy in our oountry probably didn't help this time too. I know from my conversations with you when you returned that you do love your family and that is very important too-grandchildren are precious for sure--I do hope that your retirement years will be full of good times. I knew that you were an excellent business person and I am sure that closing this Pleasanton store is bittersweet as well. Best of luck to you and your family in the new phase of your life. Pleasanton thanks you!
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Posted by Melanie, a resident of the Downtown neighborhood, on Sep 20, 2012 at 8:38 am I second Sur la Table. That would be a wonderful addition and the size of the space seems perfect! Downtown is missing a kitchen store, especially after Pans on Fire was forced to move after a greedy building owner's outrageous demands.
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Posted by Ptown Resident, a resident of the Stoneridge neighborhood, on Sep 20, 2012 at 8:54 am Have anyone offered to buy her store? Did the owner even put it up for sale? It's a shame. If it's a profitable business, then there must be interested buyers. My guess is either its not profitable or the owner is not interested in passing down trade secrets to new owners.
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Posted by Stacey, a resident of the Amberwood/Wood Meadows neighborhood, on Sep 20, 2012 at 9:02 am
Stacey is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com Ptown Resident,
Or maybe the owner wants the Domus brand to remain a positive memory. There's no guarantee that whoever were to purchase the business would treat the clientele to the current owner's standards. Could be a myriad number of reasons...
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Posted by IJust WorkHere, a resident of the Stoneridge neighborhood, on Sep 20, 2012 at 11:38 am Sur la Table with a Nespresso nook built in like the store in Palo Alto Town and Country Center would be a perfect fit.
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Posted by Tish, a resident of the Bridle Creek neighborhood, on Sep 20, 2012 at 12:15 pm Sounds absolutely DEELISH to me. I love the Italian sounding name which conveys high class and culture. And I love Italian!
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Posted by Al. B., a resident of the Downtown neighborhood, on Sep 20, 2012 at 12:45 pm Open your eyes folks, the private sector is not doing just fine, as was stated a couple of months ago by the man who has ever signed the front of a paycheck, it's war out there. I wish the Domas people all the best, I am sure they gave it their best shot, it took guts to come back and try again.
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Posted by Karla, a resident of the Danbury Park neighborhood, on Sep 20, 2012 at 1:06 pm I love the Sur la Table idea as well! Let's get that idea on the table! ;^)
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Posted by Joyce, a resident of the Birdland neighborhood, on Sep 20, 2012 at 1:07 pm You can still spend your hard earned dollars in Pleasanton even if it isn't downtown. Pans on Fire is open at the corner of Hopyard and Valley next to Mr. Pickles. Tons of great stuff!
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Posted by MeToo, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Sep 20, 2012 at 1:29 pm Chipotle! Chipotle! Chipotle!
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Posted by Laurie, a member of the Foothill High School community, on Sep 20, 2012 at 3:52 pm I think Main Street needs a makeover, big time. Everyone I know goes to Livermore, including us! They have done a wonderful job making over Main. We need some variety and some wine bars and live music to hangout with friends. Rather than just brew pubs! We LOVE P-town and have lived here for 25 years. We love the small town feel, but don't want to travel! We need a Demetri's.
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Posted by chris, a resident of the Castlewood Heights neighborhood, on Sep 20, 2012 at 7:55 pm agree with Laurie. Livermore is a fabulous mix of Everything. the colorful feel, mix of people and ages... how about a tatoo shop! Seriously, something different and inviting to everyone...another restaurant, no thank you...big space/ roller riink?!!! ha course i wouldbe please with a trader joes in there:) happy bloggig peeps...just having fun try not to tear it up too much...
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Posted by Rick, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Sep 21, 2012 at 8:35 am I agree with comments on Livermore versus are mayor and council people have dropped the ball in many areas over the last 5-6 years.
But we keep electing the same clowns.
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Posted by allison, a resident of the Laguna Oaks neighborhood, on Sep 21, 2012 at 1:56 pm I hate to see another business close downtown. That large space would be perfect for the Gap. It would appeal to all ages, is a classic store and would draw other retailers to the area. Walnut Creek has both boutiques and mainstream stores and that area is thriving.
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Posted by Joe, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Sep 21, 2012 at 8:52 pm Good riddance. Domus was simply a warehouse for Chinese goods. The place went out of business because she miscalculated how unprofitable it is to sell low margain flimly chinese crud. That is Walmart and Dolalr Store's arena...
Now if she sold only made in America stuff, maybe customers would have shown more loyalty and she could have stayed in business, but she decided to stick with the cheap chinese crud with a ridiculous markup.
Im not shedding any tears over a cheap foreign trinket retailer going out of business...
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Posted by FionawMW, a resident of Dublin, on Sep 22, 2012 at 2:34 pm How about a Pharmaca? Pleasanton/Dublin/San Ramon/Livermore have people who are in need of a pharmacy that offers so much more than a CVS, RiteAid or Walmart. The closest Pharmaca I know of is in Rockridge. I think our area needs one closer to us and Pleasanton would be a great location. It would definitely be different than any other usiness there and would bring more people downtown. Council what do you think?
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Posted by Michelle, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Sep 22, 2012 at 8:17 pm @Fiona
There's a great small town feeling pharmacy on First Street called Custom Care Pharmacy very close to downtown. It's in the small shopping center where Bob's Giant Burgers and Cole's Market is. By far the best pharmacy in town. They even deliver if you can believe it. They also always seem to have at least one spanish speaking person there at all times which I know is helpful to the Hispanic community.
You should check them out if you haven't already. No comparison to anything else in town.
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Posted by Steve, a resident of the Parkside neighborhood, on Sep 22, 2012 at 8:55 pm Sounds like a magnet for the unwanted if you ask me.
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Posted by vote for something DIFFERENT, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Sep 22, 2012 at 11:19 pm Hey - how about another Safeway! Oh no, wait...
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Posted by Resident, a member of the Vintage Hills Elementary School community, on Sep 24, 2012 at 7:11 pm No more banks.....no more Safeways please! How about trying to lure California Pizza Kitchen or a small movie theater like the Vine in Livermore. Something that has a brand associated with it. I continually shop and eat downtown but to be honest it's all a little old. The restaurants need to jazz things up a bit with a rotating menu and consistency. One time the food is fabulous and the next time it's horrible and it's definitely NOT CHEAP. Something like CPK would be consistent, budget & family friendly with a wide choice of menu items for lunch and dinner. Chipotle would be another good choice . Or how about Max's from Palo Alto or a chain seafood restaurant like McCormick's. Just something different!
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Posted by Tish, a resident of the Bridle Creek neighborhood, on Sep 24, 2012 at 9:41 pm I like most things with a brand, too. Not Kentucky Fried Chicken though. Blech!!! But things with brands allow people to see what stores you buy things at, and what labels define you as a purchaser. How can anyone tell anything about you unless they see the brands you are wearing? I've always thought people who get tatoos are just trying to compensate for not being able to afford high class branded goods.
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Posted by Sandra kay, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Sep 26, 2012 at 2:48 pm Web Link
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Posted by No deals there, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Oct 1, 2012 at 6:04 pm Went by to see it there were any bargains, but there are not.
Most items are at most 20% off, but the marked price is so high it is still not worth buying.
There was one section, mostly empty marked Gardening, that was 50% off.
Seems amazing that they lasted as long as they did.
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