Ann Taylor closing 117 stores nationwide A company spokeswoman said
the company hasn't revealed which stores will be shuttered. It will
let the stores that will close this fiscal year know over the next
month

Eddie Bauer to close more stores
Eddie Bauer has already closed 27 shops in the first quarter and plans
to close up to two more outlet stores by the end of the year.

Cache closing stores
Women's retailer Cache announced that it is closing 20 to 23 stores this year.

Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, Catherines closing 150 stores nationwide The
owner of retailers Lane Bryant , Fashion Bug , Catherines Plus Sizes
will close about 150 underperforming stores this year.
The company hasn't provided a list of specific store closures and
can't say when it will offer that info, spokeswoman Brooke Perry said
today.

Talbots , J. Jill closing stores
About a month ago, Talbots announced that it will be shuttering all 78
of its kids and men's stores. Now the company says it will close
another 22 underperforming stores.. The 22 stores will be a mix of
Talbots women's and J. Jill , another chain it owns. The closures will
occur this fiscal year, according to a company press release.

Gap Inc. closing 85 stores
In addition to its namesake chain, Gap also owns Old Navy and Banana
Republic . The company said the closures - all planned for fiscal 2008
- will be weighted toward the Gap brand.

Foot Locker to close 140 stores
In the company press release and during its conference call with
analysts today, it did not specify where the future store closures -
all planned in fiscal 2008 - will be. The company could not be
immediately reached for comment

Wickes is going out of business
Wickes Furniture is going out of business and closing all of its
stores, Wickes, a 37-year-old retailer that targets middle-income
customers, filed for bankruptcy protection last month.

Goodbye Levitz / BOMBAY - closed already
The furniture retailer, which is going out of business. Levitz first
announced it was going out of business and closing all 76 of its
stores in December. The retailer dates back to 1910 when Richard
Levitz opened his first furniture store in Lebanon , PA. In the 1960s,
the warehouse/showroom concept brought Levitz to the forefront of the
furniture industry. The local Levitz closures will follow the shutdown
of Bombay .

Zales, Piercing Pagoda closing stores
The owner of Zales and Piercing Pagoda previously said it plans to
close 82 stores by July 31. Today, it announced that it is closing
another 23 underperforming stores. The company said it's not providing
a list of specific store closures. Of the 105 locations planned
for closure, 50 are kiosks and 55 are stores.

Disney Store owner has the right to close 98 stores The Walt Disney
Company announced it acquired about 220 Disney Store s from
subsidiaries of The Children's Place Retail Stores. The exact number
of stores acquired will depend on negotiations with landlords. Those
subsidiaries of Children's Place filed for bankruptcy protection in
late March. Walt Disney in the news release said it has also obtained
the
right to close about 98 Disney Stores in the U.S. The press release
didn't list those stores.

Home Depot store closings ( E. Brunswick , Rt 18 just put up their closing sign)
ATLANTA - Nearly 7+ months after its chief executive said there were
no plans to cut the number of its core retail stores, The Home Depot
Inc. announced Thursday that it is shuttering 15 of them amid a
slumping U.S. economy and housing market. The move will affect 1,300
employees. It is the first time the world's largest home improvement
store chain has ever closed a flagship store for performance reasons.
Its shares rose almost 5 percent. The Atlanta-based company said the
underperforming U.S.stores being closed represent less than 1 percent
of its existing stores. They will be shuttered within the next two
months.

CompUSA (CLOSED) clarifies details on store closings Any extended
warranties purchased for products through CompUSA will be honored by a
third-party provider, Assurant Solutions. Gift cards, rain checks, and
rebates purchased prior to December 12 can be redeemed at any time
during the final sale. For those who have a gadget currently in for
service with CompUSA, the repair will be completed and the gadget will
be returned to owners.
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9834177-7html
<http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9834177-7.html>

Macy 's - 9 stores

Movie Gallery - 160 stores as part of reorganization plan to exit
bankruptcyThe video rental company plans to close 400 of 3,500 Movie Gallery
and
Hollywood Video stores in addition to the 520 locations the video rental
chain closed last fall.

Pacific Sunwear - 153 Demo stores

Pep Boys - 33 stores

Sprint Nextel - 125 retail locations New Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse
appears to have inherited a company bleeding subscribers by the
thousands, and will now officially be dropping the ax on
4,000 employees and 125 retail locations. Amid the loss of 639,000
postpaid customers in the fourth quarter, Sprint will be cutting a
total of 6.7% of its work force (following the 5,000 layoffs last
year) and 8% of company-owned brick-and-mortar stores, while remaining
mute on othe r rumors that it will consolidate its headquarters in
Kansas . Sprint Nextel shares are down $2.89, or nearly 25%, at the
time of this writing.

Ethan Allen Interiors: The company announced plans to close 12 of 300+
stores in an effort to cut costs.

Wilsons the Leather Experts - 158 stores

Pacific Sunwear will close its 154 Demo stores after a review of
strategic alte rnatives for the urban-apparel brand. Seventy-four
underperforming Demo stores closed last May.

Sharper Image: The company recently filed for bankruptcy protection
and announced that 90 of its 184 stores are closing. The retailer will
still operate 94 stores to pay off debts, but 90 of these stores have
performed poorly and also may close.

Bombay Company: (Freehold Mall store closed) The company unveiled
plans to close all 384 U.S.-based Bombay Company stores. The company's
online storefront has discontinued operations.

KB Toys posted a list of 356 stores that it is closing around the
United States as part of its bankruptcy reorganization. To see the
list of store closings, go to the KB Toys Information web site, and
click on Press Information

Dillard's to Close More Stores
Dillard's Inc. said it will continue to focus on closing
underperforming stores, reducing expenses and improving its
merchandise in 2008. At the company's annual shareholder meeting, CEO
William Dillard II said the company will close another six
underperforming stores this year.

Linen and Things is closing their stores. There is already a sale in Hickory .

J. C. Penney, Lowe's and Office Depot are scaling back

Also add Kirklands and Pier 1 to the list

 

Soon all that will be left is Boeing, Walmart and Toyota![&:]

 

And Boeing is questionable. They have already started outsourcing.

 

Glad you said Boeing...that means I am safe....I should get you a gift card....let me go back over that list again...............

 

Boeing has been outsourcing for many years, partnering with overseas companies to build sub assemblies for most of their products...that in itself is not an indicator of a company having problems as many companies have been doing this for years. Part of a global economy, it's when the assembly of the final product leaves the shore that real problems develop. The military side is doing just fine with contacts well into the future....commercial side is slow, but that's the case for all the other aerospace manufacturers as well. Boeing offers the best products, and will be around long after I am gone.....

 

Some back gound on the Levitz company:
They Lost Gary Levitz back in 1999 during the annual Reno Air Races, see below. It may have been the start of their downward journey:

"Long-time air racing veteran Gary Levitz, a furniture executive from Grand Prairie, Texas, was lost when his custom built P-51R racer "Miss Ashley II" crashed at the Reno National Championship Air Races. Levitz was running in fifth place at the time. Initial reports indicate a massive catastrophic failure of the airframe as Levitz rounded the number 1 pylon on the first lap of the Gold Unlimited Heat Race. Several pieces of the wreckage landed nearby in Lemon Valley. At least two houses and a travel trailer were struck by the debris, however reports confirm that there were no injuries on the ground. RARA and FAA officials are continuing to investigate the incident.
"Miss Ashley II", race 38, was one of the most highly modified racers ever to appear at Reno. Constructed over a several year period by Levitz and partner Bill Rogers, "Miss Ashley II" sported a modified Lear Jet wing, Rolls Royce Griffon engine and counter-rotating propellers. The racer had suffered numerous teething problems since it's debut in 1997, but seemed to improve performance and speed during every race"