News of yet another retail closure in Rome appears to be an unwelcome business trend, Mayor Wright Bagby said Tuesday.

Savvy Scrubs at 215 N. Fourth Ave., announced it will close its doors for good at the end of January.

That comes on the heels of similar announcements from the Gap in Mount Berry Square mall and Chico’s and Alisha’s Hallmark in the Riverbend Center.

And Wada Metals, located at the Floyd County Industrial Park, also revealed recently it had closed its plant.

“This has got to stop,” said Bagby, referring to the latest in a litany of closings in the last two weeks.

Add them all up, and it’s not 60 jobs, but it is a trend that Bagby called “disturbing.”

Bagby said he had been caught off-guard by the demise of Wada Metals and added that, while he hopes the city doesn’t get any more news about closing of any kind, the Wada shutdown is bad because it’s hard to replace industrial jobs.

Al Hodge, Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, said the closings illustrate how no community is immune from the economic downturn.

“The national economy has affected us locally,” Hodge said.

Retailers are even closing the doors of profitable local stores, Hodge said, pointing to external reasons for closures.

Hodge also pointed to the closures as concrete reasons to shop locally.

Savvy Scrubs owner Christy Smith said Tuesday demand has been dwindling for the designer medical uniforms, shoes, and accessories for health care professionals. Smith has been in business for four years, including two at her current location.

“I’m so grateful I’ve had the best customers in the world,” she said. “They’re loyal, but a lot of them aren’t getting uniform allowances like they used to.”

Smith said she took a big hit when Harbin Clinic decided to contract outside the county for its employees’ scrubs. Customers from the clinic had added $70,000 to $80,000 a year to her coffers, she said.

“We won’t get one penny of their uniform allowance, starting in January,” she said. “Of course the economy has been bad, but it’s sad when a company decides its employees can’t shop with us and get reimbursed. We can’t survive without companies in town supporting us.”

In a prepared statement, Harbin president and CEO Dr. Ken Davis said the clinic decided several months ago to “streamline uniform options” to produce a consistent look. The organization took bids with an eye to competitive pricing, he said, and selected the lowest bidder as the sole vendor.

“Harbin is very sensitive to supporting our local community and county as well as nearby counties where we have medical offices, and that’s why we chose someone in our service area,” Davis said.

The medical group is a member of the chambers of commerce in Floyd, Bartow and Gordon counties. Davis said the decision to set uniform standards and solicit bids was never meant to hold back a local business.

“It is our desire that all of our local business owners succeed, and we regret to hear that any of them are struggling during this difficult economical time,” he said.

Smith said Floyd Medical Center allows its workers to wear scrubs she stocks, although its “solids-only” policy puts a damper on discretionary spending.

But, on top of the poor economy and the loss of Harbin, she said she’s also been unable to get the popular Cherokee brand that produces some of FMC’s authorized colors.

“Ever since I was 12 years old, working at Dairy Queen, I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I knew I could make it work,” Smith said. “It does kind of crush your spirit to watch it crash and burn in front of your eyes. It’s hard to be in business these days.”

Savvy Scrubs is featuring clearance sales through the end of January, starting with 30 percent off this week. Further 10 percent discounts will be taken in succeeding weeks, with discounts of 75 percent to 80 percent in the final week.

A dental hygienist with a master’s in administration, Smith said she’ll “probably be going back to cleaning teeth,” although she’s open to other opportunities.

Staff Writer Diane Wagner and Associate Editor Doug Walker contributed to this report.

Businesses at a glance

Dec. 22 — Revelation that Wada Metals of America, Rome’s first major Japanese manufacturer has shut down.

Dec. 23 — Department of Labor says that Rome regained about 200 jobs from October to November.

Dec. 23 — The Gap confirms plans to close its Mount Berry Square mall store around the end of January.

Dec. 24 — Chico’s in Riverbend Center announces plans to shut down around the end of January.

Dec. 28 — Alisha’s Hallmark owner Vik Sheth confirms plan to close his store in Riverbend Center after Valentine’s Day.

Dec. 29 — Savvy Scrubs off West Fourth Avenue reveals its intention to go out of business around the end of January.

Dec. 29 — Ledbetter Properties confirms initial discussions with Kroger about possible expansion of the store in Riverbend Center.