Exterior of the Bealls Outlet and the Bealls department store. This week the Outlet is moving into the much larger department store and a complete renovation is planned for the site. the store is locted in the shopping center next to Winn-Dixie Plaza. Photo by Mel Toadvine

The Lehigh Acres Bealls department store next to the Winn-Dixie Shopping Center on Homestead Rd. closed it doors this past weekend at 5 p.m. on May 22. For the past several weeks, the store has run sales to move merchandise with prices going as low as 70 percent off everything this past Thursday and Friday. The store was nearly empty of merchandise by Friday.

The Bealls store is closing to make room for Bealls Outlet, which is next door. Bealls Outlet will move into what has been the Bealls department store. Both stores are run separately under the Bealls corporate umbrella.

Bill Webster, director of marketing in Bradenton, said a new Bealls Outlet will “officially” open by the end of July in a much larger store. However, the Outlet will continue to be open in the different building.

“We are making our Bealls outlet stores much larger in many locations, Webster said.

The old outlet store which was opened two decades ago was around 18,000 square feet. When it moves next door, it will be a store of some 32,000 square feet.

Bealls Department store has closed and will become Bealls Outlet, a separate firm from the department store. Photo by Mel Toadvine

But before it moves next door to where the Bealls department store was located, the site will be renovated, Webster said.

“It will be a very attractive store and I think the people of Lehigh will enjoy shopping in it. It will offer much more merchandise at Beall’s great prices.”

Diana Heller is the manager of Bealls Outlet and she and her employees have been anxiously waiting for the upcoming move.

Not everyone is happy that the Bealls department store has shut down however.

Penny Niebruegge of Lehigh said she thinks it is terrible.

“Lehigh needs nice department stores such as Bealls. We need more stores in town anyway and we need more restaurants,” she said. Niebruegge says she is a regular customer of Bealls and is waiting to see the new larger outlet store open.

Webster said the remodeling of the store will take place during regular shopping hours.

“We will do it in such a way that it won’t be a nuisance to our customers,” Webster said. “And when we’re completed with a much larger and beautiful Bealls Outlet store, we will hold a grand opening for our customers in Lehigh.”

Rob Levrano of Lehigh, a manager of the Bealls department store said prior to closing this past weekend that things were moving fast with the 70 percent discount.

“We are also selling store fixtures to the public or other stores,” he said.

Standing next to him at a cash check-out was Roberta Ellis. She said is has been awesome watching the store close with all the customers and all the sales.

Webster said he didn’t know how many employees may lose their jobs at the department store but said it was Bealls policy to retain as many of its clerks and cashiers as possible. He didn’t know, but many of those in the department store, could become employees in the new Bealls Outlet store.

“We offer a good line of merchandise. We have our own buyers for the Outlet stores. Some people think that the merchandise is passed to the outlet stores from the department stores, which is not the case. All of the merchandise is bought separately by buyers working for Bealls Outlet. Both stores are owned by the Bealls corporation, acting as an umbrella over its stores.”

Webster said there are four Bealls Outlets in Fort Myers, two in North Fort Myers and one in Cape Coral in addition to the new Bealls Outlet in Lehigh Acres.

No formal announcement has been made about who will take over the empty space once the outlet store is empty. Rumors have been circulating that it may be a bargain-type grocery store.