Comments on: The Next Domino to Fall: Mervyn’s?

By: ghome

ghome — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:45:28 +0000

Forever 21 might buys Mervyns. Only 4 years ago Forever 21 failed try buying Mervyns. Now the store is trying again.
LA Times,
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-forever4-2008oct04,0,3766542.story

By: Kev

Kev — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:46:53 +0000

I used to shop at Mervyn’s all the time, and I thought the Kohl’s comparison was right on target; when Kohl’s came to Dallas (in 1999, I think), I’m pretty sure that I rarely set foot in a Mervyn’s after that. It wasn’t that Mervyn’s was bad, it just seemed like Kohl’s did a better job of filling the same niche for me. The locations were more convenient as well (i.e. not tied to a mall one of its ancillary shopping areas), and when I moved within walking distance of a Kohl’s, that sealed the deal even more.

Still sorry to see a big chain go like that.

By: Allan M.

Allan M. — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 02:58:49 +0000

OK, I see I was wrong about Nordstrom, and that it still is a family-owned company.

To respond to Brandon’s post, the reason I think Macy’s is more likely than JCPenney to go into Harlem-Irving Plaza is that they already have quite a few stores in nearby north and west suburban malls. In addition, JCPenney just finished renovating their store at Golf Mill, so that’s why I kinda doubt they want to open a store at the HIP. In addition, the nearest Macy’s to there is all the way at Old Orchard, so it wouldn’t really overlap with customers that go up to that store. But hey though, maybe the company that owns the HIP will surprise me, and still try to get JCPenney to open there. Or even better, surprise us with a store that wasn’t mentioned in rumors I read when I first heard they acquired a former LaSalle Bank branch, and announced they wanted to add a new anchor. (and FYI, I’m aware they used to operate a store at Brickyard Mall)

CoryTJ: There was a good photo album somewhere online that had decent demolition pics of Brickyard Mall. Sadly, I’m having trouble finding it(will post the link to it later, if I can find it), but if the Dixie Square Mall forum(at I believe dixiesquare.com) was still around, the guy who created that photo album posted on that board. Anyway, they are at least profiled on DeadMalls:
http://www.deadmalls.com/malls/brickyard_mall.html

By: Truck team

Truck team — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:50:43 +0000

Almost forgot if you go to this store on most days it looks like a flea market with tons of clearance racks inside and outside and tons of clearance merch just laying around in back. It really feels cheap to shop there and tp hear that they are blaming the housing market and it’s custormer base for the failure is just crap.

By: Truck team

Truck team — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:48:05 +0000

All i can say is saw it coming i worked at the mervyns in modesto california as the truck team supervisior last year for almost a year 2007. And i was amazed that this store and chain was still going i have 15 years in retail and the way is runs is minding boggling i was given 4 hours a day to unload a truck with a new team every day so yeah thay worked needless to say product never went out to the floor on time and sat in recieveing for so long by time any one cared to look for nay thing it all came up an clearance so where the profit? the place was so misrun i went through two store managers and countless new assistant managers that didn’t care so no real shock to hear they are failing. And seeing the modesto store still looks like it’s stuck in the early eighty’s and all you hear is that every store around then stole their ideas for sales IE: bogo and sales like that and blaming target for screwing them over during their ownership!? not likely seeing we had days when our own trucking company “forgot” to send the keys for the trailers so we couldn’t do the truck that day now we hear they can’t pay for the merch oh well is all i will say and yes i did laugh at the news of hearing about mervyns it is a piss poor retailer and a god awful place to work for nowadays, poor management, poor employee training, bad corp backup

By: Jamie B

Jamie B — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:20:37 +0000

I always did like Mervyn’s and disappointed when they pulled out of Louisiana. I always thought that they gave all the malls they were located in a good balance of department stores with their mid tier offerings. And if you could not find that pair of Levis jeans at Dillard’s, Macy’s, JCPenney, Sears, or any other local department store, Mervyn’s gave you another choice to shop at. There stores were always clean and well stocked, and the smaller size of the store made it easier to get around and found what you need quicker. Right before they closed, it seemed that some of the stores were low on stock, but not that bad. And they had a lot of popular brands, like Savane(the best fitting slacks), Nike and Jockey underwear. They also had a good house wares department with good brands and prices.

The anchor with the fewest cars depends on its visibility to the main corridor it is located and its location in the mall itself. At Mall Of Louisiana, the Sears parking lot is always full because it faces Bluebonnet Road, and the quickest access from Bluebonnet to the ring road around the mall. Sears is the middle anchor, right across from the center court with the carousel and food court. And the parking lot is elevated and you enter the store on the 2nd floor. You can walk right through the second floor and into the food court. Dillard’s to the east is always pretty full too. Macy’s is west of Sears, and faces Bluebonnet Road and I-10, but it is the emptiest lot. Even though when you’re traveling on 1-10 east or west bound, the first building of the mall that you see is Macy’s.

By: Nigel

Nigel — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:22:37 +0000

Keep an eye on Anchor Blue, a west coast based junior retail chain, it had mad head office lay offs last month & is owned by the same investment company as Mervyns- Sun Capitol.
Its been losing money for years & if Sun Capitol is willing to let Mervyns go, creditors are speculating that they will let this chain die too & pretty soon.

By: CoryTJ

CoryTJ — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:40:52 +0000

I’m not sure where to post this, but I’m trying to get info on The Brickyard Mall in Chicago. I found references to its closing, but I can’t find a single photo of the place anywhere on the net. When I worked in Chicago, I used to frequent that mall. I can’t believe that place is gone. Very, very strange mall, with all these different confusing split levels. But their logo is impressed in my memory.

By: Brandon

Brandon — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:58:06 +0000

Macy’s at Harlem-Irving Plaza? I don’t think so. They’re already sucking gas as it is in the Chicago area with sales rumored to be at least 25% off what they were as Marshall Field’s. I’d say a JCPenney would be more likely than a Macy’s as it is pretty far from Golf Mill (other side of an expressway and a lot of surface streets), and the store would be a good replacement for the defunct, nearby Brickyard Mall (which had JCPenney and Montgomery Ward). I would also rule out Sears as they have a big store down the street at Harlem and North Aves.

On the other hand, the Carson’s stores (as well as Von Maur, Nordstrom, and Lord & Taylor) seem to be busier since September 2006. Even with the closing of the Water Tower store, I understand Lord & Taylor is looking for more Chicagoland locations due to the upsurge in business.

Mervyn’s always struck me as a Kohl’s/JCPenney competitor that wasn’t quite in their league. Whatever they did, Kohl’s and Penney’s could do better.

Von Maur is a family owned store like Boscov’s, but they are aimed more at Nordstrom for merchandise selection and service. Personally, I like them. They seem to be very deliberate at where they place their stores, and grow slowly.

By: SEAN

SEAN — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:34:15 +0000

Nordstrom has a unusual setup . For the first time in its history the CEO is from outside the Nordstrom family, but dispite being public the family pritty much is still incharge of things.