Southern restaurant chain Whataburger is closing 14 of its Florida locations due to the spending slump. Whataburger, which has more than 700 outlets across the southern states, is closing its company-owned Florida stores while franchised locations remain open. The 14 affected stores all closed for good May 31.
store closings: May 2009 Archives
Brown Shoe, parent company of Famous Footwear and Dr. Scholl's, is closing more stores than expected due to the weak economy. Total closings may reach 70 locations by year's end.
In addition to Famous Footwear, Brown Shoe's brand portfolio includes Via Spiga, Naturalizer and Buster Brown shoes. The company did not disclose which lines would be affected by the increased closings.
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Famed stationer Mrs. John L. Strong is ceasing operations and closing its store and catalog. For 80 years Mrs. John L. Strong was a high-end purveyor of paper and cards; debutantes and celebrities from Oprah to the Dutchess of York were known to use its stationery, which could cost more than $5 per card. Economic conditions and changing social norms forced the closure of the business, which was still family-owned.
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Bathroom fixture manufacturer Waterworks has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed 20 stores. The 31-year-old company was forced by economic conditions to perform a rapid downsizing alongside the bankruptcy filing. Waterworks plans on retaining 18 stores.
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In the wake of its bankruptcy filing, Chrysler has sent shutdown notices to 789 dealers around the United States. The outlets, which are typically well-protected from forced closures, can be closed since Chrysler has declared bankruptcy. The 789 stores are roughly 25 percent of Chrysler's total; the resulting network of around 2300 pales in comparison to the 6000-plus locations open at the company's peak.
General Motors, which is still debating a bankruptcy filing, has announced plans to close 2600 dealerships but details have not been disclosed.
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Macro-level trend alert: an entire mall announced its closing this week. The Summit, a mall in Buffalo owned by Oberlin Plaza One, is closing in a month after the parent company filed for bankruptcy. The Summit has roughly 25 tenants, excluding its flagship department stores Bon-Ton and Sears, which own their own spaces, as does a Sav A Lot outlet on the site.
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Ohio retailer International Diamond and Gold is reportedly closing all its stores. The jeweler, which has eight locations around Central Ohio and Seattle, was taken over by creditors last week.
