# Another retailer gone...



## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

Not as important to the members of this forum, perhaps, but...

I was planning to buy a baby gift at Best & Company, the children's shop founded by Tommy Hilfiger's wife. I went to their web site and found this:

_It is with deepest regrets that Best & Co has made the difficult decision to cease operations._

_We would like to thank all of our loyal customers who have purchased our products and the partners who have worked with us throughout the years._


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## pt4u67 (Apr 27, 2006)

I've never heard of them. I wonder if they offered anything substantially different or unique as compared to other baby/children's specialty stores.


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## chatsworth osborne jr. (Feb 2, 2008)

*OPH page 153*

I had no idea that his wife had bought this name a dozen years ago.
.


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## jbmcb (Sep 7, 2005)

Maybe a thread of great retailers of times past?

Heathkit - Kept the DIY electronics ethic alive as Radio Shack declined into selling lousy PC clones and cell phones. 

The Sharper Image - In the 80's and early 90's, one of the best places to fill your high-end gadget cravings. Devolved into selling expensive, cheaply-made health and beauty products and "ionic" air cleaners that did nothing.

Service Merchandise - Usually overpriced, but it always had an eclectic selection of stuff. Also the only national chain that carried Hewlett-Packard calculators, which, because I am a nerd, impressed me at the time.

Montgomery Ward - One of the first big catalog stores, tried to compete with the dozens of other big box stores and failed miserably.

Dayton's/Hudson's - A local midwest chain bought out by the not-quite-as-nice Marshall Field's

Marshall Field's - Another midwest chain bought out by the absolutely lousy Macy*s


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## Beresford (Mar 30, 2006)

1. Smith & Hawken. Just went under in July. Ironically, their print ads are still running in home improvement magazines, talking about ordering on-line although their website is shut down.

2. The Nature Company. Used to have a ton of great stuff, from telescopes to cool minerals to nature books and guides to hiking equipment. Long gone.


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## Beresford (Mar 30, 2006)

Liberty House (Hawaii and California). People always used to complain about them until they went under and were acquired by Macy's. Now we know what real junk is.


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## KCKclassic (Jul 27, 2009)

The Jones Store

Yet another decent midwest department store, apparantly swallowed by Macy's. At least around these parts.


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## KenR (Jun 22, 2005)

When did the original store go out of business, 35 years ago?


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## fenway (May 2, 2006)

Beresford said:


> 1. Smith & Hawken. Just went under in July. Ironically, their print ads are still running in home improvement magazines, talking about ordering on-line although their website is shut down.


Are you sure? I just got an e-mail from them today saying everything is 25% off..


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

jbmcb said:


> Dayton's/Hudson's - A local midwest chain bought out by the not-quite-as-nice Marshall Field's
> 
> Marshall Field's - Another midwest chain bought out by the absolutely lousy Macy*s


Actually, it's the other way around - Dayton-Hudson bought Marshall Field's in 1990. Then Dayton-Hudson became Target Corp and they renamed all the department stores Marshall Field's.

I'd never been in a Dayton's or Hudson's store, but the Marshall Field's on State Street in downtown Chicago was a retail wonderland. It was a beautiful building, great merchandise, friendly salespeople, and excellent service.

Macy's destroyed the brand equity of dozens of companies in their quest to be a nationwide retailer. I refuse to shop there.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

fenway said:


> Are you sure? I just got an e-mail from them today saying everything is 25% off..


They filed for bankruptcy in July. They're closing down right now.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

pt4u67 said:


> I've never heard of them. I wonder if they offered anything substantially different or unique as compared to other baby/children's specialty stores.


They only had two locations - Greenwich, CT and the 7th floor of Bergdorf Goodman.

Most of what they sold was their own label, and it was very good. Perhaps far better than the average person would think necessary for someone who's going to grow out of it in six months.

It also was very preppy - little polos and blazers for boys and gingham dresses with petticoats for girls.


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

How about Korvettes? My father used to work as an Accountant there in the 70's but they went bankrupt or Chapter 11 if you want to call it.


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## fenway (May 2, 2006)

Howard, my brother used to drive a baby blue Korvette in the mid '70s. Sharp car. Maybe your Dad sold it to him.


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## DCLawyer68 (Jun 1, 2009)

Howard said:


> How about Korvettes? My father used to work as an Accountant there in the 70's but they went bankrupt or Chapter 11 if you want to call it.


Hey - there was one of those a couple miles from out house when I was very young - must have gone out in the 1970s though.


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

DCLawyer68 said:


> Hey - there was one of those a couple miles from out house when I was very young - must have gone out in the 1970s though.


Korvettes was pretty popular during the 70's to late 70'sMy Father who was a CPA in the 70's,worked in Korvettes during that time.

E. J. Korvette was an American chain of discount department stores, founded in 1948 in New York City. It is notable as one of the first department stores to challenge the suggested retail price provisions of anti-discounting statutes.It is also notable for its failure to manage its business success which led to decline and its 1980 bankruptcy and closure.It displaced earlier five and dime retailers and preceded later discount stores, like Wal-Mart, and warehouse clubs such as Costco.


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

fenway said:


> Howard, my brother used to drive a baby blue Korvette in the mid '70s. Sharp car. Maybe your Dad sold it to him.


No,He wasn't a car dealer,He was a CPA.


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## StevenRocks (May 24, 2005)

Korvettes revolutionized the discount industry, but once founder Eugene Ferkauf was pushed out of the company leadership in the late 1960s, the chain lost its way.


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

My Father left the company in November 1979 and broke his leg in 1980 so around there,the company had gone bankrupt (or about to go).


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