Mervyns
 

Pretty much only in California, so most of you probably haven't heard of it, but all 145 Mervyns department stores are closing. Not really a big deal for most of the state, but where I live, our choices are: Mervyns, Kmart, Walmart, or driving 70 miles one way to clothes shop. My 12 year old is in mourning :D . What struck me as really shitty on the company's part is that even after this news was on the L.A. news, the web, and even on Mervyn's own website, one employee that I spoke to didn't know(after that I didn't say anything about it to any of them). Seems like a really crappy way to treat their workers.

Mervyns were in Michigan, but our local store closed about 5 years ago. The building finally got a new occupant last month -Whole Foods Ann Arbor store #2

All mervyns? even in Texas? (gasp!) That's bad!

I better go stock up on those stupid Gloria Vanderbilt mom jeans that fit so well . . .

Empty retail buildings seem to be the norm anymore. We have a shopping center where Vons went out about 3 yrs ago, and Rite Aid last year, and both still empty

I'm familiar with Mervyn's--there's one at Coronado Center in Albuquerque (where I grew up), has been there for something like 30 years.

Could be that the employee knew, but isn't supposed to discuss it with customers...who knows. At any rate, they should be able to collect unemployment while they try to find new jobs. :(

On my way back from a business trip in California, I bought a few gifts and needed an extra piece of luggage. I picked up an ugly but distinctive 2 or 3 piece suitcase combo for about $15 at a Mervyns outside of LA.

They were pea/vomit green. When trying to pick bags off of a carousel, anything other than blue or black is a good choice.

I have brilliant pink suitcases from Tesco (big UK supermarket)
They were on special offer and I asked my parents to buy them for me because I didn't have one of the big stores near me. I mean I paid them of course.

Since then, I've only actually used them to move house.

So if that purchase killed my holiday potential, I have to assume that your purchase killed Mervyn's.

Jonah.

I'm just wondering how a business that sells consumer goods to Americans can fail.

They don't, it's the ones that fail to sell consumer goods to Americans, that fail. :p

I love Mervyn's. I get most of my clothes from them. Probably go to the liquidation sales.

Didn't the parent company of Bennigan's and Steak&Ale just do something like that recently?

I know that one as well. I've not been into it in 10 or 15 years though. (I hate Coronado Mall.)

My wife mentioned that someone at work (Costco) had said something about Mervyn's closing. Oddly enough, they had a flyer in the Sunday paper advertising the last weekend of some anniversary sale.

I remember Mervyns. Can't really expound on that.

I could say: "I liked the store!" But, I'd be lieing.
I could say: "Cheap prices!" But, I don't remember.
I could say: "Good quality merchandise." But, I wouldn't know.
I can say: "Catch ya'll later - back to lurking." But, I think you'd miss me too much.

Damn. They sold clothes that actually fit me. Their sales were awesome. They had this habit of marking everything in the store off and buy one get one free sales. There were jeans in my size!!! It's all over. I just bought two nice sweaters for 15 dollars a piece. It was really one of the only places in santa fe that my husband and I could shop, and not come out looking like gangsters or a native american rug. This really does put a dent in my primary place to shop. Seriously. If I had the money I would just go buy a bunch of clothes for winter and spring right now. Thinking that I might have to spend my time picking through a ghetto Ross from now on makes me sad. Well maybe I will go get a couple of items today....

My husband isn't happy about it either. He liked it because we could shop for a whole season in one hour. Get in, get out....Now we will have to randomly select items at other places throughout the year again, and try to piece items together slowly.

I remember Mervyns - decent clothes at reasonable prices. We don't have many options where I now live. Its either drive 18 miles to the nearest Wal-Mart (bleccch) or 30 miles the opposite direction to shop at a small J C Penny. Wal-Mart has put a lot of smaller stores around here out of businesses. There used to be shop that sold really nice stuff in the town 18 miles away. Wally World did them in. I hope Penny's is OK. If not, everyone around here will have to dress Wally style or travel 50 miles to get to the nearest mall. :(

We use to have Mervyns in Colorado. Years ago all the stores closed here. When the one in Fort Collins closed, my parents went and bought up a bunch of their clothes in the closing sale for super cheap. They also bought some of the store fixtures. I kind of liked them...their clothes were alright and prices were better than most of the other mall stores.