This is a really interesting email that came across our blog. You should double check it but we figured we’d post it anyway. I think it makes sense given the amount of stores that are closing. We had better be very careful of gift certificates this Christmas.
Just in case you have them, use those gift certificates or you may lose
them.

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 stores

Closing 150 stores nationwide The owner of retailers Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug and Catherine’s Plus Sizes will close about 150 under performing 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
About a month ago, Talbot’s announced that it will be shuttering all 78
of its kids and men’s stores. Now the company says it will close another 22
under performing stores.. The 22 stores will be a mix of Talbot’s 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
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

be reached for comment

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 1960’s, the
wareh ouse/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 under performing 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(CORRECTION, this was announced in MAY) 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 under performing
U.S. stores being closed represents 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
bankruptcy. The 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 Next el 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 u rban-apparel brand. Seventy-four under
performing 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: 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 under
performing 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 under performing stores this year.

Linens n Things is closing all stores and going out of business.

Also, buyer beware! If you are purchasing Visa/Mastercard gift cards, be sure to check the expiration date!! Some have expiration dates requiring you to use them during a specific period of time.

Happy shopping!

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