TheSamba.com :: View topic - If you have gift cards, hurry up and use them!!

Thu Nov 13, 2008 12:53 pm

STORE CLOSINGS AND LAYOFFS

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.

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.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 12:58 pm

O NO! NOT WILSON'S. WILSON!!! Quote: Wilsons the Leather Experts - 158 stores

Where will my wife and I get our "bedroom supplies" now?

Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:08 pm

Hi,

As tragic as this news is for those employed in these stores, I'm sure I'm not the only one that looked in complete awe and shock at the number of retail stores that have opened up in just the past 10 years around this nation. Areas that historically could never support just a small strip mall suddenly built up with literally miles of malls with every shopping experience (chain type) that you could ever hope for!

I often remarked to my wife that I wonder where all of the money suddenly came from to support all of this retail space?

Sadly, we now know where it all came from and it is now time to pay it all back!

I'm not a gloom and doom type of guy but the next 5 years are going to be rough. An economy cannot operate on being solely a service / consumption driven one. Somewhere someone has to make something in order to get paid and then they will be able to purchase the necessities of life.
So much of what was sold in these stores was crap that really isn't needed, wanted by many but not needed.

We made it through the 90's and this is going to be worse, much worse. :cry:

Too bad we covered over all that productive farmland with strip malls, at least we could have grown corn for fuel when all the stores close!

Dave

Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:23 pm

This is why SAMBA Shirts ( http://www.thesamba.com/vw/products/ ) make such wonderful Holiday Gifts.

And to take your mind off the doom and gloom--PUPPIES!

http://cdn1.ustream.tv/swf/4/viewer.45.swf?cid=317016

Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:28 pm

coad wrote: This is why SAMBA Shirts ( http://www.thesamba.com/vw/products/ ) make such wonderful Holiday Gifts.

And to take your mind off the doom and gloom--PUPPIES!

http://cdn1.ustream.tv/swf/4/viewer.45.swf?cid=317016

Brilliant!

Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:28 pm

I'm surprised to see Pep Boys on there. You would think auto parts would sell better in a down economy with people trying to keep their stuff going themselves.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:35 pm

I ordered a Samba shirt yesterday....

So basically my local (and only) mall will house a Radio Shack and a TCBY, just about everything else on that list is in our mall, and will likely go away. There is nothing in any of those stores that anyone can't live without.

I feel like celebrating the death of Consumerism.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:48 pm

Vanhag wrote: O NO! NOT WILSON'S. WILSON!!! Quote: Wilsons the Leather Experts - 158 stores

Where will my wife and I get our "bedroom supplies" now?
http://www.leather.com 8)

Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:11 pm

Vanhag wrote: O NO! NOT WILSON'S. WILSON!!! Quote: Wilsons the Leather Experts - 158 stores
Where will my wife and I get our "bedroom supplies" now?
eBay.

Based on some people I watch on eBay, there are some VW enthusiasts into both VW stuff and leather products.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:16 pm

Wow, you did your homework.

Circuit City is going and I heard today that Best Buy is closing stores.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:48 pm

The Sage wrote: I ordered a Samba shirt yesterday....

So basically my local (and only) mall will house a Radio Shack and a TCBY, just about everything else on that list is in our mall, and will likely go away. There is nothing in any of those stores that anyone can't live without.

I feel like celebrating the death of Consumerism.

Me too. Fuck all those retarded shops. I wondered myself where all the money came from when it was evident to anyone with an 8th grade education that there wasn't enough profitable business to keep the lights on.

I predict Lowes will implode in the next couple years. Massive expansion and beautiful, well staffed stores in good/expensive locations but they're EMPTY. No way that is sustainable.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:52 pm

Major Woody wrote: I predict Lowes will implode in the next couple years. Massive expansion and beautiful, well staffed stores in good/expensive locations but they're EMPTY. No way that is sustainable.

Wow, you just described the one across from my office to a "T". That place is a ghost town. Every time I go over there I'm assaulted about every 30 seconds with a "Find everything you need?" or "What can I help you find today?"...I never thought that would get annoying.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:37 pm

Vanhag wrote: O NO! NOT WILSON'S. WILSON!!! Quote: Wilsons the Leather Experts - 158 stores

Where will my wife and I get our "bedroom supplies" now?
thats where i got my first cod piece.
it came with a multi-attachment setup.....ever see from dusk til dawn?

Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:08 pm

I'm really surprised Sharper Image stayed in business this long. That's such a weird store.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:15 pm

So is this bad news? Good riddance!!!

Examples of more glut.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:23 pm

Typ311Dave wrote: So is this bad news? Good riddance!!!

Examples of more glut.

It could only mean bad news if they shut the doors before you use your gift card :roll: I think :?:

Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:31 pm

Don't forget Linens and Things, Going as we speak.

That Home Depot in East Brunswick NJ ? What a dive it was, small, dirty, disorganized and they didn't open till 8 AM !!! They should have closed that crummy store years ago!!!

Dave

Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:39 pm

economic meltdown anyone :roll: :?:

Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:42 pm

Maybe Mom & Pop can get back into business.
That was the advantage to the smaller Mom & Pop stores. They didn't have all the overhead, and could work through the bad times.

Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:49 pm

its kind of ludacris how things repeat themselves. we (america) has been through this before and we did not learn (ie definition of stupidity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results) :cry: