I pride myself in being a shopping connoisseur. I know where to get it and how not to give away the bank. Last November, I clearly felt it was my duty to pass a bit of information on to my friends. It started from an email I received. I did a little research and found that this email had some type of truth. This led me to believe the email’s foreshadowed events would come true.
I quickly chose names from my address book and filled them into the “bcc” field of my email. Some of the names were those of avid shoppers. Others, well…needed to hang with me more often. In my email I stated, “Here is a list that I found of retailers that are closing all or some of their stores. Even though this is a horrible situation, those of us that like to shop and spend may find bargains in the near future.” In less than two minutes after I clicked send, my Blackberry began to dance. I was receiving emails from my friends suggesting that I did not know what I was talking about. “Are you for real”, “I don’t believe you”, and “It is an internet scam” they gawked. I assured them that I would not have sent this if I in fact did not see truth in it. I told them that over the past year, companies had started to go out of business saying things like “This location was never popular” or “We decided to merge with another location”. Bologna! I had shopped these stores time and time again. They were popular locations and some of them had just opened last year. My friends went on with doubt in their heads and I prepared to save.
Since November, I have watched stores on my list fall from sight: Linens ‘N’ Things, Circuit City, Talbots, Bombay, Home Depot, Sharper Image, and Wilsons Leather to name a few. These are companies that have been around as long as I have if not longer. They are memories of my childhood. Gone. Now none of my friends remember my alert. Or so they say.
I feel it is only fair to pass this list along again. Some of these companies may still be in business in your area. If they are, know that they are hurting. Watch for sales and promotions. Please use existing gift cards and do not buy new ones. Take advantage of upcoming closings. There is nothing better than knowing you paid 50%-90% less than you would have for something that you love.
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