Over the sixteen months of its run, the Timely Demise weblog, tracking changes in retail from a consumer-interest angle, delivered the news of 19 acquisitions, 108 Chapter 11 filings, 16 chapter 7s, 13 liquidations and dozens of noteworthy trends.

Despite its brusque title, Timely Demise delivered more than half a million page views to the curious, and received coverage from media outlets such as All Things D and CNN. As it closes the site maintains steady traffic.

We hope the site was seen as interesting, objective and honest, and we wish everyone in retail a prosperous economic recovery. (Read more closing thoughts.)

Scarcity as a luxury concept is not new, of course; just days ago the Economist reported on Jean-Claude Biver's success selling watches in the same manner. (Story headline: "Salesman of the irrational.") The retail industry will be watching closely whether this trend holds through Christmas, and if Saks and Neiman can lead a sea change away from deep discounting as the recession starts to ebb.

Timely Demise is sensing, rather pleasantly, that perhaps its moment has passed.

Among the articles are pieces covering both how consumers' mindsets have changed and retailers' efforts to adjust to the "new normal." Brand-centric articles focus on companies from Gucci to Facebook.

The whole report is a great read for people working or interested in the retail arena.

The concept of pop-up stores is not new. The New York Times reported on pop-ups in Europe five years ago this week, and stores with Christmas or Halloween themes thrive on such setups annually. But the concept has gone mass this year, and watching the stores' impact on shopping styles in 2010 will be interesting.

• 1868: that's when long Strouse's department store in Evansville, Ind., first opened, and the family-run business has been run by the founder's great-grandson for the past 47 years. But Strouse's is beginning liquidation this month and closing around the end of the year.
• Across the border in Ohio, Holcomb's KnowPlace is ending a 137-year-run and closing its last 10 locations. The chain has been slowly closing locations all year.
  
• 89 years: that's how long Hunter Furniture in Birmingham has been open. But current owner Bob Hunter is closing up shop with a final sale starting next week. Hunter cites a combination of factors in the decision to close.
• Compared to the stores above, 1977 sounds like yesterday. But 32 years is a long time for a hometown hardware store to thrive, so in Milwaukee, residents of Edgar are stung that Hardware Hank hasn't found a buyer and is planning on closing.
  

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.

The Hummer deal comes just days after GM's sale of Saturn collapsed, forcing GM to announce the brand's closing. Hummer's sale, while not highly priced, allows the marque to continue operations.

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

An internal memo from the board of directors reads, in part, "The company has elected to temporarily close all stores at the close of business today October 1, to focus on a restructuring plan in an effort to improve the overall operations of the organization. All employees are laid off until further notice."

Employees, who have gone without benefits for the past few weeks, were not informed in advance.

GM had planned to sell Saturn to Penske Automotive Group, the company behind successful trucking and auto-racing businesses. Under the agreement, Roger Penske's company would have become a retail seller of cars eventually manufactured by another company. But the manufacturer (rumored to be Renault SA) rejected the deal. Without a manufacturing agreement, Penske was unwilling to complete its purchase.

Saturn's operations instead will be wound down by GM, which has yet to set a timetable for the brand's closing. Saturn currently has 350 dealers across the United States.

No word yet on whether this will have any impact on Jolt's operations, although the lack of packaging would suggest Jolt becomes harder to find in the coming months.