What a bad time for retail...
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The amount of stores filing/that have filed for Bankruptcy this year is growing: Value City, Lillian Vernon Catalog, Circuit City, Steve & Barry's, Mervyn's , Linens & Things, Sharper Image, Bennigan's, Sofa Express, Mrs. Fields (emerged from bankruptcy in October 2008), Children's Place..... The list just goes on.
Here are some other details:
Mervyns - Closing all stores in 2008, filed for bankruptcy protection in July
Circuit City - Closing 155 Stores, may not make it to 2009 without bankruptcy
Steve & Barry's - Closing 100 stores
Starbucks -Closing/Closed MANY Stores this year
Linens and Things - Closed/Closing this year (371 stores, filed for Bankruptcy Protection in May -- now they are done)
Bennigans - filed Chapter 7, stores closing
Lonestar Steakhouse - Closed 27 Stores this year
Pier One - Closed 79 stores in 2007, 25 closed/closing in 2009
Friedman's Jewelers - 473 stores closed/closing, bankrupt & liquidating this past spring
Dell Stores - closed 140 retail Kiosks in 2008
Kirklands - Closing/Closed 100 + stores in 2008
Rent a Center - Closed 280 stores in 2008
Ethan Allen - closed 12 stores in 2008
Rite Aid - Closed 28 stores in Vegas in 2008
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STORE CLOSINGS AND LAYOFFS
If you have gift cards, hurry up and use them!!
Ann Taylor closing 117 stores nationwide A company spokeswoman said
the company hasn't revealed which stores will be shuttered. It will
let the stores that will close this fiscal year know over the next
month
Eddie Bauer to close more stores
Eddie Bauer has already closed 27 shops in the first quarter and plans
to close up to two more outlet stores by the end of the year.
Cache closing stores
Women's retailer Cache announced that it is closing 20 to 23 stores this year.
Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, Catherines closing 150 stores nationwide The
owner of retailers Lane Bryant , Fashion Bug , Catherines Plus Sizes
will close about 150 underperforming stores this year.
The company hasn't provided a list of specific store closures and
can't say when it will offer that info, spokeswoman Brooke Perry said
today.
Talbots , J. Jill closing stores
About a month ago, Talbots announced that it will be shuttering all 78
of its kids and men's stores. Now the company says it will close
another 22 underperforming stores.. The 22 stores will be a mix of
Talbots women's and J. Jill , another chain it owns. The closures will
occur this fiscal year, according to a company press release.
Gap Inc. closing 85 stores
In addition to its namesake chain, Gap also owns Old Navy and Banana
Republic . The company said the closures - all planned for fiscal 2008
- will be weighted toward the Gap brand.
Foot Locker to close 140 stores
In the company press release and during its conference call with
analysts today, it did not specify where the future store closures -
all planned in fiscal 2008 - will be. The company could not be
immediately reached for comment
Wickes is going out of business
Wickes Furniture is going out of business and closing all of its
stores, Wickes, a 37-year-old retailer that targets middle-income
customers, filed for bankruptcy protection last month.
Goodbye Levitz / BOMBAY - closed already
The furniture retailer, which is going out of business. Levitz first
announced it was going out of business and closing all 76 of its
stores in December. The retailer dates back to 1910 when Richard
Levitz opened his first furniture store in Lebanon , PA. In the 1960s,
the warehouse/showroom concept brought Levitz to the forefront of the
furniture industry. The local Levitz closures will follow the shutdown
of Bombay .
Zales, Piercing Pagoda closing stores
The owner of Zales and Piercing Pagoda previously said it plans to
close 82 stores by July 31. Today, it announced that it is closing
another 23 underperforming stores. The company said it's not providing
a list of specific store closures. Of the 105 locations planned
for closure, 50 are kiosks and 55 are stores.
Disney Store owner has the right to close 98 stores The Walt Disney
Company announced it acquired about 220 Disney Stores from
subsidiaries of The Children's Place Retail Stores. The exact number
of stores acquired will depend on negotiations with landlords. Those
subsidiaries of Children's Place filed for bankruptcy protection in
late March. Walt Disney in the news release said it has also obtained
the
right to close about 98 Disney Stores in the U.S. The press release
didn't list those stores.
Home Depot store closings ( E. Brunswick , Rt 18 just put up their closing sign)
ATLANTA - Nearly 7+ months after its chief executive said there were
no plans to cut the number of its core retail stores, The Home Depot
Inc. announced Thursday that it is shuttering 15 of them amid a
slumping U.S. economy and housing market. The move will affect 1,300
employees. It is the first time the world's largest home improvement
store chain has ever closed a flagship store for performance reasons.
Its shares rose almost 5 percent. The Atlanta-based company said the
underperforming U.S.stores being closed represent less than 1 percent
of its existing stores. They will be shuttered within the next two
months.
CompUSA (CLOSED) clarifies details on store closings Any extended
warranties purchased for products through CompUSA will be honored by a
third-party provider, Assurant Solutions. Gift cards, rain checks, and
rebates purchased prior to December 12 can be redeemed at any time
during the final sale. For those who have a gadget currently in for
service with CompUSA, the repair will be completed and the gadget will
be returned to owners.
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9834177-7html
<http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9834177-7.html>
Macy 's - 9 stores
Movie Gallery - 160 stores as part of reorganization plan to exit
bankruptcyThe video rental company plans to close 400 of 3,500 Movie Gallery
and Hollywood Video stores in addition to the 520 locations the video rental
chain closed last fall.
Pacific Sunwear - 153 Demo stores
Pep Boys - 33 stores
Sprint Nextel - 125 retail locations New Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse
appears to have inherited a company bleeding subscribers by the
thousands, and will now officially be dropping the ax on
4,000 employees and 125 retail locations. Amid the loss of 639,000
postpaid customers in the fourth quarter, Sprint will be cutting a
total of 6.7% of its work force (following the 5,000 layoffs last
year) and 8% of company-owned brick-and-mortar stores, while remaining
mute on other rumors that it will consolidate its headquarters in
Kansas . Sprint Nextel shares are down $2.89, or nearly 25%, at the
time of this writing.
J. C. Penney, Lowe's and Office Depot are scaling back
Ethan Allen Interiors: The company announced plans to close 12 of 300+
stores in an effort to cut costs.
Wilsons the Leather Experts - 158 stores
Pacific Sunwear will close its 154 Demo stores after a review of
strategic alternatives for the urban-apparel brand. Seventy-four
underperforming Demo stores closed last May.
Sharper Image: The company recently filed for bankruptcy protection
and announced that 90 of its 184 stores are closing. The retailer will
still operate 94 stores to pay off debts, but 90 of these stores have
performed poorly and also may close.
Bombay Company: (Freehold Mall store closed) The company unveiled
plans to close all 384 U.S.-based Bombay Company stores. The company's
online storefront has discontinued operations.
KB Toys posted a list of 356 stores that it is closing around the
United States as part of its bankruptcy reorganization. To see the
list of store closings, go to the KB Toys Information web site, and
click on Press Information
Dillard's to Close More Stores
Dillard's Inc. said it will continue to focus on closing
underperforming stores, reducing expenses and improving its
merchandise in 2008. At the company's annual shareholder meeting, CEO
William Dillard II said the company will close another six
underperforming stores this year.
But if you must postpone it, we will be there the next weekend!! Since we didn't get to meet on the ship, maybe we could hook up in Gatlinburg!! 
