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.
store closings: June 2009 Archives
In Richland, Wash., 13-year-old Liquidation World is going out of business. Its parent company, in Canada, is closing all its United States locations (which, to the best of Timely Demise's knowledge, totals three stores in Washington state).
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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.
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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.
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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 pair of stores in the midwest with particularly long histories:
- In Wisconsin, Conkey's Bookstore is closing for good. The store is 113 years old and on its fifth owner. While the store is beloved in town, the loss of a college textbook contract to Barnes & Noble was a fatal blow to its profits.
- Out in Minnesota, Schneiderman's flagship is closing after 40 years in business. The Duluth location has outperformed the one in Meadowland, which is liquidating its inventory.
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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.
