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After years of multi-retailer availability, fashion brand Liz Claiborne is changing its distribution strategy and positioning its namesake merchandise for sale exclusively at JC Penney. The decision affects hundreds of retail outlets nationwide, including Macy's and Dillard's.

Claiborne's shift is a direct result of the recession's impact on consumer shopping. Retailers, seeking reasons for shoppers to choose their stores, are asking brands for greater product exclusivity. To secure the Liz Claiborne deal JC Penney has agreed to give the brand a percentage of sales and a share of profits, unlike the typical relationship, where sellers buy merchandise from vendors for sell-through.

"The last year has proven that many axioms and proverbs written 20 years ago have been shattered," said Bill McComb, CEO of Liz Claiborne.

Fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto filed for bankruptcy protection today. The company, which designs the Y3 line for Adidas, is expected to continue its relationship and production. Details of the filing are not yet available.

Fashion brand Ellen Tracy was forced into bankruptcy today in reaction to investors looking to liquidate it. The company has been ordered to submit asset lists to a judge later this month. Ellen Tracy has been in business since 1949.

The bankruptcy comes just a day after Ellen Tracy announced a deal with Macy's to produce a new sportswear line.

The economic downturn is hitting local stores especially hard. Saddest among those affected are the decades-old establishments suddenly facing bankruptcy or liquidation. Recent news affects numerous local stores with long histories:

• In Ogdensburg, N.Y., 99-year-old Hulett & Sons Jewelers is closing up shop. The jeweler, which is part of the larger Hacketts store, is selling its inventory to help Hacketts stay afloat. Hulett & Sons first opened in town in 1910.
• Alma, Michigan's Miller's men's shop is folding after 47 years in business. Owner Duane Stacey blames clothing trends and shifting shopping habits as driving forces of the closure.
  
• And legendary Memphis music store Pop Tunes closed both locations this month. Pop Tunes dates to 1946 and was not shy to discuss its demise, noting the "rampant illegal downloading ... low margins, big box retailers" and other factors as factors in the closings.

The economic downturn is hitting local stores especially hard. Saddest among those affected are the decades-old establishments suddenly facing bankruptcy or liquidation. Recent news affects numerous local stores with long histories:

• Syracuse, New York, home furnishings retailer Goldberg's is closing after nearly a century in business. Goldberg's, which once operated seven stores across upstate New York, first opened in 1910. Descendants of the founder include the owners of the Raymour & Flanagan furniture chain.
  
• In good ol' Gothenburg, Nebraska, 43-year-old Hometown Variety is closing this autumn after clearing out inventory. Longtime owner Merle Honerman cites rising costs and declining sales as the usual culprits, and says he was unable to find a buyer for the business.
• Kent Hardware in Kent, Ohio, is ending a 125-year-run next month. A sister store will remain open in a neighboring town, but Kent is now left without a hardware store.
• And in Vinton, Iowa, Mahood's Shoe Store is closing after 63 years of operation. Bob Mahood plans on continuing shoe repairs after the clearance sale is complete.
  

German fashion company Escada filed for bankruptcy protection after failing to secure financing. The company had planned on making moves to continue funding its operations. Reuters said the company is "throwing in the towel" and "admit[ting] defeat," which casts doubt on the company emerging from bankruptcy as an ongoing business. Escada had more than 400 worldwide locations.

Fashion designer Mary Norton filed for bankruptcy last week, citing "harsh economic conditions." Mary Norton's stores, in Charleston, New York and Los Angeles, have all closed, a few weeks after holding extensive clearance sales. The company had also sold its fashions in an assortment of boutiques and at Saks Fifth Avenue.

As has been noted here on and off, retailers are focusing on their core brands in order to maximize profitability in the recession. Reuters covers this trend with an overview of many brands finding this new focus: Abercrombie, Talbots, Finish Line and others have sold or closed brands to strengthen their main offerings.

Wisely, the Reuters article notes that this may lead to innovation and new energy within the sector. "Retailers are finally realizing that they have to get their own personality back," says NPD chief industry analyst Marshal Cohen in the piece. "They are beginning to recognize 'you know what, we have to go back to who our core customer is and deliver on the promise.'"

The economic downturn is hitting local stores especially hard. Saddest among those affected are the decades-old establishments suddenly facing bankruptcy or liquidation. Recent news affects a variety of beloved and longtime stores around the country:

• Washington, D.C.'s Apartment Zero is closing its District location after 10 years in business. The owners vow to continue online and may open another location, but in the meantime, the items in store are being liquidated.
• Out in Billings, Montana, Sutton's Sportswear is closing, two and a half years after its original owners sold the store. Sutton's, which made its own line of clothes, had been around since 1981.
• Aurora, Illinois' Montgomery Ace has started its going-out-of-business sale. The store, which had been a go-to for hardware and housewares, had been operating since the 1970s. [added 2:09 p.m.]
• And in Decatur, Illinois, 121-year-old Wyker's Toys closed for good on Tuesday. Wyker's had been family-run since 1888, when it first opened as a hardware store. The owners cite the economy and changing shopping habits as contributing to the store's demise.

Premium children's clothing retailer Pumpkin Patch is reviewing its U.S. operations and will be closing around 20 of its 35 locations this summer. The company, which is based in New Zealand, hopes to close in on a break-even level with the action. Pumpkin Patch's U.S. stores have struggled since 2007 and underperformed in the recent economic climate.

Anchor Blue, a southwestern chain selling denim and other clothing, is closing and liquidating 46 stores. The closings are related to a bankruptcy filing from May (which somehow slipped past Eyes McGurk at Timely Demise). Anchor Blue had 177 stores before the closings; another 75 Most outlet stores were sold to Levi Strauss at the time of the Chapter 11 filing.

Apparel and footwear retailer Finish Line, responding to poor company-wide sales, is selling the Man Alive chain to the owner of Jimmy Jazz. Man Alive is a 75-store street wear retailer, and is a small piece of Finish Line's business, which has 685 Finish Line stores alone. Jimmy Jazz has roughly 65 outlets and the Man Alive acquisition will "accelerate growth initiatives in the urban market sector faster than we could attain through organic growth alone," stated owner Jimmy Khezrie in a statement.

Apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch is shutting down the Ruehl chain and closing all 29 doors. The company first publicly cast a skeptical eye on the brand several weeks ago. Ruehl's sales were down 33% in the most recent reported figures.

Following a week of speculation, clothing company Eddie Bauer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today. The filing coincides with a plan to sell the business to a private capital group.

Eddie Bauer, which had 371 stores across the United States, is struggling with the usual combination of poor sales and mounting debt. The company traces its debt issues all the way back to previous parent company Spiegel's bankruptcy filing in 2003.

Apparel retailer Talbots is selling the J. Jill line to a capital investment firm. Seventy-five of J. Jill's 279 stores will close as a result of the sale. Talbots is positioning the move as a brand focus maneuver for the parent company, but the brand was sold at a "huge loss," according to the Wall Street Journal, and does not help Talbots' difficult financial situation.