Stores that are closing or in trouble

[tokanm]

I just read an article on AOL about how many stores are in serious trouble financially..it is

scary. It was Ethan Allen, Rite Aid, Starbucks, Macys, Sharper Image and many more. They

also talked about CompUSA and Furniture Warehouse, Levitz etc.

 

With gas going to $4.00/gal very soon I think we are in some serious trouble in this country.

I also heard that the post office may stop Saturday deliveries (it would save millions they

said). Also the is the worst time in history for foreclosures around here. Where does it

go from here and what can we do?

 

Not be a downer...but that article really shocked me. Of course with gas going up that much

you know that due to transportation costs food will go even higher, as well UPS, FedEx and

anything that is shipped. Do you think it has anything to do that so many jobs in this

country have been outsourced out to other countries?

 

I don't know about you guys but I have cut back as much as I can but if gas does go to

$4.00 gallon I am sunk. I have a Toyota but it still costs almost $50 to fill now and I do

that weekly. What are you guys doing to cut back?

[inogenius]

The market isn't as bad as they're painting it.

 

Don't worry.

[rabx5]

That's why I urge everybody to vote when it is election time-and I am not just talking the Presidential election either.

 

We have really cut back on our gasoline use as well. No frivoulous trips to the store and so on. I wish my boss would carpool with me. We live 6 blocks away from each other. Our schedules are only different by 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at closing. She would be there 30 minutes early while I would be there 30 minutes longer at close-whoopee-that would save us both a considerable amount of money. We work in a different town. Oh well

 

We have switched all of our lightbulbs to the lil fluorecent ones. Yes, we noticed a change on our electric bill.

 

 

and for the many things we need inlife- I refuse to pay retail. That helps a lot too

[elena_398]

The full extent of trouble in both personal and business scare me. thank god my husband and I do pretty well. I feel for the people who are struggling.

 

I can only hope it gets better

[dmmiller]

Not to be mean, but I hope my rite-aid shuts down and CVS comes in instead.

The closest one to me is 20 min, and Rite-aid never has any good sales on anything IMO.

[elena_398]

Rite Aid bought out all my CVS's. Shame too. I look at the CVS deal thread all the time and so jealous! lol

[kselzer]

I started taking the bus for 3-4 days a week to work instead of driving. I'm saving quite a bit of money. Since I take the bus I also tend to not do a bunch of frivilous errands when I'm coming home. I filled up the tank last Saturday, $50, and I still have 3/4 tank left. Taking the bus isn't bad either, I get to read a magazine or book while I get shuttled to right outside my building :)

[hwolf6330]

They are putting in a new Boscovs at a local mall here. It was supposed to open this spring but construction was halted for some reason. The newspaper wrote that they think they ran out of money or something. When asked for comment, boscovs said they will be opening a year later than expected.

 

I saw on the news this morning that the price ber barrel was $103. It is an all time high. How are we supposed to get out of this economic slump we are in if the price of gas is going to go through the roof. I don't care if they send everyone checks, do they really think it is going to stimulate the economy? It is just going to go in the pockets of the big oil companies at this point.

[sadmom5]

I don't have a choive but to drive way too much- no one works near the same time as me at work( almost 20 miles away) my dd's school is about 15 miles from home. so most of her activities are on that side of town as well..many big lots are closing around here and I also saw 3 KFC that were closed.

[kranky]

I think you'll see cities and towns start organizations that help people find someone to carpool with. For example, let's say there's a suburb 15 miles north of the city that doesn't have mass transit. The organization would look for people who want to carpool, they would meet at a local supermarket or shopping center where they would park, and use a van to travel together into the city or other place where some carpoolers travel to daily. The organization leases the van, and charges the participants a fee of about $100/month to cover the cost of the van, gas, insurance and maintenance. Each person is still driving a little, but nowhere near what they used to. It's very economically attractive especially when the participants have to pay for parking when they drive themselves. In the above situation, each person would cut his/her own driving by over 6,000 miles a year.

 

The gas problem is pretty basic. Either people will pay more to drive the same amount, or they will move to where they won't need to drive as much, or they will reduce how much they drive. I had thought gas would drop down some, but with the dollar dropping in value, I think it's going to keep going up. My feeling is that most people will just pay more to drive the same amount.

 

I would say 90% of my driving is getting to/from work so I really don't spend that much on gas.

[mom2monkiesx3]

I would like to just say as a oilfield wife you have to understand that some of the country is BOOMING and benefiting from the oil prices. Back in the 80s when the oil industry went through recession the country did not bail us out. We are often forgotten. Our area is BOOMING in all areas because the oil industry is bringing in money and people are spending it. Houses are being built but not fast enough, businesses are coming in and people are spending money.

 

I still pay the same price at the pump and for heating gas.

 

The main thing is our country needs to learn to stand our own 2 feet whenever possible. Quit importing so much (including OIL!) and keep our jobs in our country. How about tax breaks for companies that do.

 

Just thought I'd offer a view from another side of the coin.

[citrixgirl]

I just read an article on AOL about how many stores are in serious trouble financially..it is

scary. It was Ethan Allen, Rite Aid, Starbucks, Macys, Sharper Image and many more. They

also talked about CompUSA and Furniture Warehouse, Levitz etc.

 

With gas going to $4.00/gal very soon I think we are in some serious trouble in this country.

I also heard that the post office may stop Saturday deliveries (it would save millions they

said). Also the is the worst time in history for foreclosures around here. Where does it

go from here and what can we do?

 

Not be a downer...but that article really shocked me. Of course with gas going up that much

you know that due to transportation costs food will go even higher, as well UPS, FedEx and

anything that is shipped. Do you think it has anything to do that so many jobs in this

country have been outsourced out to other countries?

 

I don't know about you guys but I have cut back as much as I can but if gas does go to

$4.00 gallon I am sunk. I have a Toyota but it still costs almost $50 to fill now and I do

that weekly. What are you guys doing to cut back?

the post office has been saying this for years because I can remember my grams talking about how this would change society as a whole and she passed in 1993.

[PeachieKeen]

I personally have cut down my driving expenses...I take the bus to and from work, that saves me over $100 a month when you consider the cost of gas and parking costs downtown. I used to fill up every week, now I fill up only every other week.

 

That's really the only place that I have cut expenses though....

[christib327]

It wouldn't suprise me much about Rite Aid. Ours hardly ever has anyone there. However, I heard that they're going to be opening more around here soon. Who knows.

 

The gas prices will probably start hurting us more in the fall. I'm planning on signing our kids up for a preschool that's 30 minutes away from here and it's 3 times a week. That's going to be a lot of gas.

[MonsterMutts]

In small town America we don't worry about driving as much as some cities. It's still alot of money though. I don't think people realize that it is getting to be a bad situation and it's not getting better.

[monster2369]

We do not have any store closings in my city. There is alot of transplants moving to our city. They have put in a light-rail to get people to ride instead of drive b/c of the traffic. It has helped but not that much. Alot of people that live in the small towns outside of the city ride the bus into work. But they can not get alot of ridership with persons that live within the limits. I have considered riding the bus again just so that I can let my dh have his car back. I do want to have a car for those days that I would like to drive though.

[kranky]

We do not have any store closings in my city. There is alot of transplants moving to our city. They have put in a light-rail to get people to ride instead of drive b/c of the traffic. It has helped but not that much. Alot of people that live in the small towns outside of the city ride the bus into work. But they can not get alot of ridership with persons that live within the limits. I have considered riding the bus again just so that I can let my dh have his car back. I do want to have a car for those days that I would like to drive though.

Your light rail system just started service a couple months ago. It takes time for people to change. I think you'll see ridership pick up.

[booga12345]

I have been working in business collections for quite awhile and I can really see this whole economic slowdown. I have sooo many customers who just can't pay us right now, and these are customers who were always current. I've got checks bouncing left and right. It's really rough for the small "mom and pop" businesses.

[elena_398]

My one friend is in collections and she said they have never been so busy.

[cpsagentri]

i can't help but drive for work. i am usually on the road eight hours a day, some days

are easier if i have court which is not that bad. I fill up every third day but, i drive a state

car and my crown vic gets about 20 mpg which isn't bad.

 

The wife's new truck is getting about the same as me but, she travels half an hour each way

maybe 15 miles so it hasn't hit us yet.

 

A side note about the economy i just found out someone i know is foreclosure.

I will admit that it hit me hard and i feel so bad for this person.

[spwalkhen]

We run a business based on delivery and gas, and we swallowed a lot last year, but this year we just can't do it. Dh's boss raised his prices, but not Dh's wages. Thankfully our tiny 2 bedroom mobile is paid for, or we would be in a box. I try to save at every turn, and this site helps a lot!

Unfortunately as soon as one person says "$4.00 a gallon" the prices skyrocket on wall street. They have been saying it for 3 years now, and always at the same times of the year. Then the worry drops and gas prices fall. Unfortunately we let the morons on wall street set our lives. Rising gas, means less trucks (talked to a trucker on the CB for 2 hours on the way home..he's parking his truck, and was a resounding "Amen" across the interstates) less trucks, higher prices from frood to clothing, and with wages not keeping up, we are going to have to hit a bottom. There is plenty of gas. And what I can't figure is how oil companies are making such huge profits, if it "cost" them so much more to produce the oil. You would think they would be the same profit if they are having to put more into producing it.

[Fishboysmom]

A few more stores/companies that are in trouble are...

 

KMart [no surprise]

Old Navy [will probably turn into Gaps]

Circuit City

Gateway

Dodge

ETrade

[citrixgirl]

A few more stores/companies that are in trouble are...

 

KMart [no surprise]

Old Navy [will probably turn into Gaps]

Circuit City

Gateway

Dodge

ETrade

my hubby will be happy if circuit city closes if nothing else for the going out of business sale.

[kselzer]

I started taking the bus for 3-4 days a week to work instead of driving. I'm saving quite a bit of money. Since I take the bus I also tend to not do a bunch of frivilous errands when I'm coming home. I filled up the tank last Saturday, $50, and I still have 3/4 tank left. Taking the bus isn't bad either, I get to read a magazine or book while I get shuttled to right outside my building :)

Ok I'm amazed at myself. I filled up 2 Saturdays ago - on Feb. 23rd. I still have just over 1/3 tank left. Taking the bus most days is saving me a ton of money. I was spending $50/week on gas! It has saved me more than just gas money though. Since I take the bus I don't end up doing a bunch of (unessecary) errands on the way home from work. I've been consolidating my trips much more and not going to so many stores and such so I haven't been spending as much at stores either.

[kselzer]

A few more stores/companies that are in trouble are...

 

KMart [no surprise] - this will affect Sears too though since Kmart bought Sears like a year ago. (still haven't figured that one out!)

Old Navy [will probably turn into Gaps]

Circuit City

Gateway

Dodge

ETrade

comment in blue.

[bettyn100]

I would like to just say as a oilfield wife you have to understand that some of the country is BOOMING and benefiting from the oil prices. Back in the 80s when the oil industry went through recession the country did not bail us out. We are often forgotten. Our area is BOOMING in all areas because the oil industry is bringing in money and people are spending it. Houses are being built but not fast enough, businesses are coming in and people are spending money.

 

I still pay the same price at the pump and for heating gas.

 

The main thing is our country needs to learn to stand our own 2 feet whenever possible. Quit importing so much (including OIL!) and keep our jobs in our country. How about tax breaks for companies that do.

 

Just thought I'd offer a view from another side of the coin.

 

 

Our area is booming but it's not because of the oilfield. It's more so because of the LES plant. Cost of housing going up and the frantic building of houses, apartments and hotels are because of the swarms of people coming in for work. It won't last. This area did the same thing in the late 70's early 80's.

 

Dh worked for my company in TX doing completions work on oil and gas wells. And I personally can vouch for the fact that the only people getting rich over there are the oil companies. We had to shut down our business because of the amount of other completions companies popping up and doing the jobs for pennies on the dollar. We couldn't do it as well as a lot of other companies there couldn't do it nor compete. We went as low on our prices as we possibly could which basically equaled making no to very little profit. So now Dh is working for a company out of TX but was sent to PA to run the completions department there.

[lisamag]

A few more stores/companies that are in trouble are...

 

KMart [no surprise]

Old Navy [will probably turn into Gaps]

Circuit City

Gateway

Dodge

ETrade

i don't understand (maybe some one can explain it) how is it that one company can come in and just take another company away from it's owner?

i was reading about those stores and they mentioned this but i hope not, i like my yahoo the way it is.

(i think it was from the same story)

 

Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) is still trying to keep itself out of the hands of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), but with a $31 offer and no other bidders even close, Redmond is going to take over. Microsoft is not generous about letting other brands have the limelight. Yahoo!'s brand will last while the e-mail and instant message operations are integrated, but soon enough it will all be MSN.

[rae662000]

i don't understand (maybe some one can explain it) how is it that one company can come in and just take another company away from it's owner?

i was reading about those stores and they mentioned this but i hope not, i like my yahoo the way it is.

(i think it was from the same story)

 

Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) is still trying to keep itself out of the hands of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), but with a $31 offer and no other bidders even close, Redmond is going to take over. Microsoft is not generous about letting other brands have the limelight. Yahoo!'s brand will last while the e-mail and instant message operations are integrated, but soon enough it will all be MSN.

I think it is all about the stockholders. If they decide to take the money being offered for their stock then the other company (Microsoft in this case) will buy them out. Usually the stockholders sell because they are only really interested in the return on the investment and not the company itself. Then Microsoft has ownership because they own the most stock. This is one of the reason why some companies like to stay private, to maintain control.

[sfff]

Starbuck's with what they charge!?

 

I am originally from Seattle and had to laugh the last time I visited how many there were. Not that I was surprised with the whole coffee boom out there and with there already being Seattle's best..but still funny.

 

Then the famous mile in Chicago. Literally across the street from each other.

 

The funniest one was Manhattan. Hadn't been there for years. Went a couple of years ago.

Now Manhattan isn't that big to begin with overall as far as actual space it takes up. Real estate is a prime. I swear there was one at every single crosswalk. Kept us laughing all day.

The upside was that there was always a public place to use a restroom..which was always the biggest hassle when visiting the big apple.

[bargaingal2]

I do find it interesting that the oil companies are making record profits but yet they keep raising the price of gas. HMMM Seems like they are doing it to make their record profits and the rest of us are paying for it