Marshalls joins list of retailers shuttering South Side stores

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Marshalls is joining the list of discount retailers to shutter stores on Chicago's South Side.

Marshalls will close its store in the Marshfield Plaza shopping center in Chicago's Morgan Park neighborhood as well as a second location in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.

Marshalls is the second major store to announce that it is pulling out of Marshfield Plaza.

Customers like Grace Grayson are frustrated.

"They're really not committed to people on the South Side. They're not committed to people like me," she said.

Marshalls released a statement saying the company is always reviewing and assessing its real estate strategies and that the decision to close a store comes with "thoughtful consideration."

The company's representatives also said all regular and non-temporary employees would be offered employment opportunities at other nearby stores.

But Marshfield Plaza shoppers like Wayneesha Brown say the closure will hurt the neighborhood.

"It's terrible because we need a lot of businesses. We need them to be not closed, but open. We need people to shop and people to get their money rolling," Brown said.

Congressman Bobby Rush held a protest on Black Friday outside Target's Chatham location after the retailer announced plans to shut down two South Side locations due to "years of declining and under performance."

Marshalls representatives did not address the reason behind the company's decision to close its Marshfield Plaza store.

"If there was something going on in the community as far as loss prevention, then you address that. But just don't close the store and punish others," Grayson said.

Grayson closed her account with Target after the company announced it was leaving her neighborhood.

"I refuse to shop at stores that are not committed to my neighborhood," she said. "Why should I have to get in my car and drive and go a long distance? I refuse to do that."