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.
store closings: July 2009 Archives
Beleaguered southwestern grocer Bashas' filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Sunday night in an attempt to continue operations. The company announced 10 new store closings alongside the filing. Bashas' owns the Food City and AJ's Fine Foods chains in addition to its namesake, a total of 158 stores.
Bashas' made headlines less than two weeks ago with several store closings. The chain first began closing locations in February in an effort to improve profitability.
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Garden and outdoor retailer Smith & Hawken is going out of business. All 56 locations are begin final clearance sales today. The chain, which was founded 30 years ago, is being closed after owner Scotts Miracle-Gro couldn't find a buyer. Smith & Hawken's website has already been shut down.
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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 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.
