Gottschalk's Liquidating

It's official... Fresno-based Gottschalk's failed to attract a buyer at its auction and will begin liquidating. Gottschalk's assets have been sold to a group of liquidators and the going out of business-sales will begin around April 3rd.

Malls affected by the store closures include Capitola Mall in Capitola, West Valley Mall in Tracy, Sherwood Mall in Stockton, Vintage Faire Mall in Modesto, Country Club Plaza Mall in Sacramento, Somersville Towne Center in Antioch, Coddingtown Mall in Santa Rosa, and Carson Mall in Carson City, NV.

Later, a closer look at the store closures.
Scott

Capitola Mall

After a long respite, I finally enjoyed a trip to Capitola Mall in the seaside community of Capitola, near Santa Cruz. It's been nearly a decade since my last visit and the mall hadn't changed much, except for the infusion of new stores and fading of old ones.

The mall was just about the right size for a short outing and had a nice selection of stores. Some upscale, some moderate, and plenty in between. I managed to pick up a few bargains along the way.

As expected, the corridor heading to the now-defunct Mervyn's was loosing stores. However the newly "dead" corridor ought to turn around when Kohl's opens later this year.

The photos here are the rejects. The ones that made the cut can be found on my main site, below.

The first photo is of the old Mervyn's and one for the scrapbook. Ultimately changing to Kohl's, we get a last glimpse of the Mervyn's California signage before it becomes a labelscar.

The second photo is the late 80s Gottshalk's, complete with 80s colors and glass bricks. This store is a step-back in time, in many ways. Almost unbelievable, along with the old-fashioned, take-your-time help inside, Tom Jones was blaring overhead with "It's Not Unusual To Be Loved By You." I tried in haste to get my camera on movie mode with sound to share the experience. Alas, the song ended and I moved on with my 40% off purchases.

The third photo is of the fountain and complementary lighted "skylight" above. The contrast made this photo too dark. However, I believe it to be accurate in what the eye actually saw. This mall was very dark in places, especially in the old wing, where this fountain is located.

The final photo is the main corridor between the old wing and new wing. Yes, kiosks hawking their Dead Sea salt or scrolls, or whatever wares. It was crowded and made the mall look cluttered. I realize mall owners need to capitalize on every square inch, but at some point, people need some wiggle room!

All-in-all, Capitola Mall was pleasant and I do recommend it for a visit. It's quieter and more laid-back than the urban Bay Area and is a nice reminder of what it used to be like.

I hope you enjoy the photos!

Scott

Read my Guide to Capitola Mall

Visit the current Website.

See the aerial view.

Westfield Cutting Mall Hours

In response to the economic recession, Westfield has cut shopping hours at all area malls.

Westfield Solano in Fairfield now has the following hours:
Monday - Friday: 10:30 AM to 8:30 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Previously, the mall opened at 10:00 AM Monday - Friday and stayed open until 7:00 PM on Sunday.

Westfield Oakridge in San Jose now has the following hours:
Monday - Friday: 10:30 AM to 9:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Previously, the mall opened at 10:00 AM Monday - Friday and stayed open until 9:30 PM. Weekend hours were unchanged.

Westfield Valley Fair in San Jose now has the following hours:
Monday - Friday: 10:30 AM to 9:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Previously, the mall opened at 10:00 AM Monday - Friday and stayed open until 9:30 PM. On Sunday, the mall used to be open until 7:00 PM.

Westfield San Francisco Centre in San Francisco now has the following hours:
Monday - Saturday: 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Previously, the mall opened at 9:30 AM Monday - Friday and stayed open until 9:00 PM. On Saturday, the mall used to open at 9:30 AM and stayed open until 9:00 PM. On Sunday, the mall used to open at 10:00 AM.

Westfield Downtown Plaza in Sacramento now has the following hours:
Monday - Friday: 10:30 AM to 8:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Previously, the mall opened at 10:00 AM Monday - Friday and stayed open until 9:00 PM. On Sunday, the mall used to open an hour earlier at 11:00 AM.

Westfield Roseville Galleria in Roseville now has the following hours:
Monday - Friday: 10:30 AM to 8:30 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Previously, the mall opened at 10:00 AM Monday - Friday and stayed open until 9:00 PM. On Sunday, the mall used to stay open until 7:00 PM.

Gottschalk's Granted Extension

Fresno-based Gottschalk's has been granted an extension to March 30 to find a buyer (Sacramento Business Journal, 2009).

The struggling retailer is on the auction block to find a buyer. The chain says it has received multiple potential buyers (Sacramento Business Journal, 2009). The highest bidder will determine the fate of the department store. Those plans will not be revealed until the deal is done.

The big question is, who is interested? Rumors range from Wal-Mart to Dillard's. It could be an investment group, like the group that bought Mervyn's. At the end of the month, we'll find out.

Scott

Reference
Sacramento Business Journal (2009). All Gottschalks gets auction extension. Retrieved March 06, 2009, from http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2009/03/02/daily79.html?ana=e_du_pub

Circuit City Closing Permanently on Sunday March 8th

It's official, Circuit City is closing all remaining stores this Sunday, March 8, 2009 (Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, 2009).

Once the nation's second largest consumer electronics store (Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, 2009), Circuit City's demise leaves just one major player, Best Buy. Many smaller chains, like Fry's, serve smaller markets to keep Best Buy from becoming a monopoly.

On Sunday, we say farewell.

Scott

Reference
Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal (2009). All Circuit City stores to shutter permanently on March 8. Retrieved March 06, 2009, from http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/03/02/daily117.html?ana=e_du_pub