The Filene's Basement discount chain has been purchased by Men's Wearhouse, the men's clothier. Men's Wearhouse outbid two other companies, including fellow discount retailer Syms. The buyer is expected to retain roughly 20 of Filene's Basement's 25 existing stores, shutting a few suburban locations.
Filene's Basement has had an interesting run in the past year, from closing a third of its stores to selling itself to a liquidation firm shortly before filing for bankruptcy in May.
General Motors, once the largest automaker in the world, is filing for bankruptcy Monday morning, the latest step in a long process to try and save some of the company. GM, which has taken billions of dollars in government assistance, is expected to need another $30 billion to complete its reorganization.
The bankruptcy process, which should be complete over the summer, will result in the General's closing or selling many of the brands in its stable. Pontiac is following Oldsmobile into automotive history; Hummer is rumored to be near a sale, and in Europe, Opel was recently sold, with Canada's Magna taking the largest stake.
GM's filing comes barely a month after Chrysler announced its own bankruptcy. Chrysler, like GM, received government bailout funds ahead of its bankruptcy filing.
Op-ed: This author, while generally supportive of domestic manufacturing, has publicly endorsed GM and Chrysler's bankruptcies, and hopes Detroit's once-big three will be able to continue a proud American tradition.
