Tag Archives: ows

Business/Economics

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 03 – 04 December 2014: “Sometimes life throws you a curve ball.” Iconic business that survived 2 major U.S. depressions gets killed off by current “recovery”! Any fool can see the “recovered” economy sucks-ass!!!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

California: In Korbel, California Redwood issued a WARN saying they will shutdown in February 2015, at least 106 jobs lost!  In Burlingame, Mills-Peninsula Health issued a WARN saying they will render 67 employees jobless by February 2015.  Ireland based drug maker Actavis took over California based Allergan, then issued a WARN saying 200 people in Corona will become jobless!  Freedom Communications halted publication of its five months old Los Angeles Register.  Company administrators refused to say how many got laid off, but an unnamed employee said at least 20 people are now jobless. In Auburn, the owners of pet supply store Pet Xing announced they’re shutting down in January 2015.  They described the suck-ass economy thusly “Sometimes life throws you a curve ball.”

Colorado: Denver based WOW cable jacked up service rates then eliminated 270 jobs across the country!  At least one irate customer in Kansas was happy, posting online “Hopefully that means they are about ready to sell out and leave Lawrence. It would be too good to be true that another company with better service and lower rates were to come into the area. Competition would be good if more than one company were available for customers to choose from.”

Florida: In West Palm Beach, transportation and warehousing company Metro Mobility issued a WARN saying they’ll layoff 286 people in January 2015!

Illinois: A Panera Bread store shutdown. Company administrators said the city’s recent minimum wage hike, to $13 per hour over the next five years, was the final straw that broke their Beverly store’s back. Rumors say the company will simply open a new store just outside city limits. The owner of Beverly’s Original Rainbow Cone warned she is contemplating a similar decision.  In Urbana, after only one year a Kroger owned Ruler Foods discount grocery store shutdown without notice. For some reason Kroger built three Ruler Foods stores in Urbana in the space of two years, apparently that was one too many. Company administrators refused to talk to local news media.

Maine: After 184 years (surviving the Long Depression and the Great [deflationary] Depression, plus numerous recessions) iconic shoe store chain JL Combs now dead! Stores across several New England states to close by January 2015.  JL Combs was the oldest shoe store chain in the U.S., company administrators posted this humorous  reason why they’re shutting down: “It’s just too damn hard with all this new fangled competition everywhere.  And I’m starting to feel a bit tired of working 7 days a week.  After all, I’m 184 years old!”

Michigan: After suddenly shutting down all 136 operations in 25 states and Puerto Rico, American Laser Skincare (formerly known as American Laser Centers) now chapter 7 bankrupt busted and liquidating. Some employees reported they were threatened by armed security guards that they had less than two hours to get all their gear and vacate the premises! Many customers pre-paid for skincare services worth thousands of dollars, and will not be getting refunds!  Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center shutting down and killing off 96 jobs due to reduced inpatient care caused by Obama Care: “We wish we weren’t writing the final chapter, but the changing healthcare environment has left us no alternative.”-Jim Hettinger, Board of Trustees

The CEO of the Oaklawn Hospital, Ginger Williams, said people should have seen this coming before Obama Care became law, saying it’s “…an unfortunate, but entirely predictable, consequence of health care reform.”

Minnesota: In Rochester, Big Lots is shutting down in January 2015.  Local news reports say company administrators refuse to say why.  I say Big Lots is a ripoff because I’ve found many of the items I price checked to be much cheaper at first run retailers (at least here in Idaho)! By the way, Big Lots exited the Canadian market in 2013, a portent of things to come for U.S. retailers wanting to do business in the Great White North?

Missouri:  In Kansas City, 65 years old Golden Ox steak restaurant shutdown. News reports said the owner wanted to retire, but could his retirement have been influenced by the skyrocketing prices of beef?

Nevada: Not even one month after re-opening, the Laughlin River Lodge laid off 10% of its employees, blaming the suck-ass economy: “Once we opened up, the gaming was solid but it’s not been solid enough to overcome the shortfalls on the hotel and somewhat on the food and beverage side. We’re just not getting the occupancy we need to make those parts of our division able to pay all that payroll.”-Steve DesChamps, general manager

New York: In NYC, Aéropostale announced they are shutting down 75 stores before the end of 2014! That’s about 25 more than what was originally planned.  Administrators blame their crashing-n-burning sales.  Also in NYC, restaurant operator RA Herald Square-Patina Restaurant Group issued a WARN saying they will close in February 2015, supposedly for remodeling, 89 jobs affected.  For the second time this year State Department of Labor administrators announced they must render their own employees jobless.  The number of people being laid off in this latest round of job cuts was not disclosed, but news reports say in the first round 67 people lost their jobs and 215 were pushed to part time work only.  State administrators blame “cuts in federal funding”.

North Carolina: British empire United Kingdom based legal drugs pusher GlaxoSmithKline announced 900 job losses at the Research Triangle Park!   Morehead Memorial Hospital laid off 22 people, and reduced the work hours for another 160! WFMY News 2 reported that hospital administrators directly blame Obama Care.  Sykes Enterprises issued a WARN saying they’re consolidating call centers, 226 jobs lost!

Ohio: In Waverly, 78 years old Lake White Club restaurant shutdown. After months of spending money on renovations, the bad economy forced the current owners to put the restaurant up for auction in October, but nobody bid on it.  In Trotwood, the Hara Arena announced layoffs due to the suck-ass economy.  Local news reports say the 50 years old arena now has only 12 employees.

Pennsylvania: After 80 years, female clothing chain store Deb Shops (aka DEB) now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.

Texas: Wiley College laid off 16 employees and furloughed others due to DSS (what I call Disappearing Student Syndrome) and crashing donations.  The Woodlands based Huntsman Corporation announced it will eliminate 900 jobs!  It’s connected to the takeover of competitor Rockwood Holdings.

Virginia: In King George, after 18 years the owner of Howard’s Bakery & Restaurant announced they will shutdown after Xmas. Local news reports said the owner blamed the past three years of suck-ass sales.

Wisconsin: In Madison, after 22 years Jolly Bob’s Caribbean restaurant shutdown. The owner, Tim Erickson, blamed the lack of economic recovery: “The last five years have been really difficult, not that the first 17 years were easy, but especially the last five years have been really tough. And I’m not a young man anymore.”

01-02-december-2014: …kills off 30-thousand+ jobs joins mass-exodus from obama’s home state…

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shutdown. It doesn’t count people who get a severance for being laid off.

Business/Economics

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 01 – 02 December 2014: Jewelry seller kills off 30-thousand+ jobs in U.S. & Canada, & joins the mass exodus from Obama’s ‘home’ state! Puerto Rico bank abandons Lower 48! Drug makers abandon the U.S.?

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

British empire United Kingdom based legal drugs pusher GlaxoSmithKline announced massive layoffs that will impact hundreds of jobs in the United States!   Apparently the bad economy in the U.S. is forcing the British company to cut expenses by $1.56-billion over the next three years.  What the company said sounds like their abandoning the U.S. market: “…a new restructuring program to refocus our global pharmaceuticals business and deliver cost savings. The aim of this program is to improve performance by taking unnecessary complexity out of our operations and establish a smaller, more focused organization, operating at lower costs, that supports our future portfolio.”

California: Boeing subsidiary Narus shutdown their Sunnyvale office with little notice to state employment administrators, 35 jobs lost.

Florida: After 25 years the SoBe Thrifty store in Miami Beach announced they will shutdown in January 2015.  The operator, healthcare agency Care Resource, blames road construction which has caused a “sharp drop” in business as well as the landlord who jacked up the rent: “This is something we didn’t want to do. The general business decline, mixed with steep rent increases in that area, literally make it impossible to keep the store open.”-Jonathan Welsh

Illinois: Oakton Community College warned it will layoff 80 teachers before the 2015-16 school year. Apparently the teachers are retired and a potential new state law says retired teachers can no longer be hired by state funded schools. UPS (United Parcel Service) issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their Addison operations for the next two years, rendering 449 people jobless!   In Rosemont, Puerto Rico based  Banco Popular killing off 233 jobs! The bank is getting the hell out of the continental United States, and is conducting a massive sell-off of its offices across the Lower 48.  Also in Rosemont, Rosewood Restaurant & Banquets issued a WARN saying they will shutdown at the end of December, 104 jobs lost!  Sealy Mattress issued a WARN saying 174 people working at their Batavia factory will become unemployed before Xmas!  Evil collections agency Ceannate announced they’re shutting down their Rockford office in February 2015, at least 130 jobs lost!  Four Chicago area country clubs shutting down by January 2015, at least 288 jobs lost! Also in Chicago, Continental Furniture laying off 63 people in January 2015 as well as GE Zenith Controls laying off 139 people in January 2015!  God refuses to stop ‘his’ Benedictine University from laying off an undisclosed number of employees on their Springfield campus, right after  Xmas!   In Wood Dale, after 28 years direct jewelry seller Lia Sophia announced they will end U.S. and Canadian operations by February 2015, tens of thousands of employees and independent sellers affected!  A 2008 news report said Lia Sophia had 27-thousand sellers just in the United States, and currently there are 8-hundred sellers in the state of Illinois!   Company administrators blamed the suck-ass economy: “…given the challenging business environment, we made the painful decision to wind down Lia Sophia in the United States and Canada by December 31, and cease operations by the end of February.”

Indiana: The Hollywood Casino laid off an undisclosed number of employees.  Local news reports say the casino now has 450 less employees than it did in 2012!

Iowa: In Cedar Rapids, after nine years Cranky Hank’s pizza joint in the Lindale Mall shutdown.

Maine: The University of Southern Maine continues to kill off jobs, this time 61 people now unemployed and five programs canceled. They continue to blame a 30% crash in student enrollment!

Michigan: The Holland Museum laid off six employees and reduced operating hours.  Administrators warned if their financial situation doesn’t improve within six months they will shutdown.  Apparently the museum gets local tax funding, but  tax strapped voters recently voted down funding increases.

Missouri: 20 years old Saint Louis based Access Courier issued a WARN saying they will kill off 74 jobs in December, due to “sale of assets”.  South Dakota based Raven Industries issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down their Earth City ops by August 2015,  at least 58 jobs lost.  Their Earth City factory makes remote controls for adjustable beds, but sales are apparently so bad that the company will make more money selling off the factory.

New York: In Kirkwood, book publisher Penguin Random House issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down in September 2015, layoffs will begin in January 2015, at least 286 jobs will be lost!  NYC based sports media management company IMG laying off 100 employees!  It the result of being taken over by California based privately held talent agency WME.  Once again The New York Times killing off more jobs.  Recently the newspaper tried to bribe 100 employees to quit with buyouts, 85 employees took the deal.  Now at least 15 people will be laid off outright.   And after 95 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) art supply store Sam Flax announced it will shutdown its HQ store on 900 Third Avenue by Xmas!  Employees blamed the evil landlord for jacking up the rent!

Utah: In Ogden, after 38 years the family owners of Sandy’s Fine Foods restaurant announced they will shutdown by the end of the month. It will end with a yard sale of restaurant memorabilia. The family will focus on their catering business.

Vermont: Vermont Technical College warned of layoffs due partly to the loss of 160 students over the past three years.

Washington: Near Pasco, the largest trucking operation in the World  Swift Transportation issued a WARN saying they’re killing off 130 jobs in January 2015!

27-30-november-2014: “Everything must go!”

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shutdown. It doesn’t count people who get a severance for being laid off.

Business/Economics

Sears & Kmart closing update, 27 January 2015: New executives have track record of destruction? Options trading suddenly skyrockets! Majority owner dumps stocks! Sofia Vergara dumps Kmart!

Sears Holdings has killed off 115 jobs, 100 of which were at its Hoffman Estates HQ in Illinois!

Sears Holdings also (through Kmart Retail) issued a WARN saying an Indiana Kmart is going down on 12 April 2015, layoffs begin 05 April 2015.

Sears Holdings has a new Senior Director of Asset and Profit Protection, Brian Broadus.  He worked for Bed, Bath & Beyond, Walmart, Ross, JCPenney and the Gap.  Note that most of those operations are in trouble.

Sears Canada has a new CEO, Ronald D. Boire.  His former positions are Executive Vice President, Chief Merchandising Officer, and President of Sears and Kmart Formats and Sears Holding Corporation, as well as Executive Vice President at Best Buy, President at Toys R Us, Global Merchandise Manager at Sony and as President and CEO at Brookstone.  Note that all those operations are in trouble.

News reports that on 26 January 2015, ‘put options’ trading of Sears Holdings skyrocketed by 518%!  Put options are when stockholders set a date and price at which time they will automatically dump their shares of stocks.

On 21 January 2015, majority stock holder Fairholme (owned by Jewish vulture capitalist Bruce R. Berkowitz) dumped 117-thousand shares of Sears Holdings stocks!  Fariholme made more than $5-million USD off the dump!

After four years, Sofia Vergara is ending her relationship with Kmart.  The actress is taking her clothing line elsewhere and is “looking forward to pursuing new opportunities in the apparel world”.

update, 26 January 2015: Kmart to be split up & sold off?

Here’s the updated list of U.S. Sears/Kmart store closings that I’ve been compiling since the end of 2011:

Arizona: Scottsdale Sears/Great Indoors, Chandler Sears/Great Indoors.

Alabama: Gadsden Kmart (50 jobs lost), Mobile Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Auburn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Anniston Kmart (no word yet on how many jobs lost), Birmingham Eastwood Kmart (70 jobs lost), Decatur Mall Sears (91 jobs lost), Fort Payne Kmart, Northport Kmart (68 jobs lost), Dothan Sears (68 jobs lost), Huntsville Kmart (73 jobs lost).

California: El Monte Sears (at least 40 jobs lost. Damien Arrula, El Monte’s economic development director, said the store manager had lied about what was going on: “The general manager of the store had just indicated to me that they were remodeling.”), two San Diego Sears (more than 80 jobs lost), Pleasant Hill Kmart (more than 50 jobs lost), Torrance Kmart, Fairfield Kmart (63 jobs lost), Lampert owned OSH taken over by Lowe’s home improvement in bankruptcy court, at least 17 of 99 stores to be closed down (935 jobs lost!), Rancho Cordova Kmart (97 jobs lost), San Clemente Kmart/Sears/Kmart on Camino de Estrella (58 jobs lost), placed on an official hit list in 2011 the Oceanside Kmart on College Boulevard finally being shut down, Banning Kmart (91 jobs lost) recently revealed that Sears Holdings is still paying rent on the abandoned property, Laguna Hills Mall Sears, San Diego Mid-City Kmart (73 jobs lost), Hemet Kmart (77 jobs lost), Oakland Sears repair center (75 jobs lost), San Mateo Kmart (82 jobs lost to an apartment building connected to public transportation), Hesperia Kmart building sold at a loss to a vulture capitalist REIT, no word on if the Kmart will be shutdown. Customers complain that the Kmart employees have a bad attitude, gee I wonder why? Yuba City Kmart (63 jobs lost), Rocklin Kmart (at least 63 jobs lost, the store had just posted “Now Hiring” signs), San Leandro Kmart (102 jobs lost), San Jose Mercury News says the El Centro Kmart to shutdown in January, the website Foursquare says the Covina Kmart is now shutdown (other sources say it will shutdown in December), Cupertino Sears and Auto Center (number of employees affected not made public, no WARN filed), somebody posted on yelp* that the Diamond Bar Kmart was shutting down in December (confirmed by Armijo Newspapers).

Colorado: Broomfield Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Glenwood Springs Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lone Tree Sears/Great Indoors, Longmont Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Pueblos’ South Side Kmart (52 jobs lost), Denver Kmart (number of jobs lost have not been made public at this time, but could be at least 40), Colorado Springs Kmart at Powers and Palmer Park boulevards (57 jobs lost), Fort Collins Sears (67 jobs lost), Denver-Cherry Creek North Sears store & Auto Center (66 jobs lost).

Connecticut: Waterbury Big Kmart, Torrington Kmart (73 jobs lost), Enfield Sears Optical (no word on jobs lost).

Delaware: Dover Kmart (at least 72 jobs lost, some reports said 100), Seaford Sears (30 jobs lost), Claymont Kmart (87 jobs lost).

Florida: Fernandina Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Callaway Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Orange City Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Deland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Stuart Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), West Palm Beach Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Port St. Lucie Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Crystal River Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), New Smyrna Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint Augustine Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Pompano Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jacksonville Kmart on 5751 Beach Boulevard (71 jobs lost), second Kmart in Jacksonville on 4645 Blanding Boulevard (83 jobs lost), Ocoee Sears (102 jobs lost), Pensacola Kmart on Airport Boulevard closed in 2011, Pensacola Kmart on Mobile Highway closed in February 2013 (69 jobs lost), Pensacola Kmart on East 9 Mile Road will close in May (73 jobs lost), Hialeah Kmart (67 jobs lost), Bonita Springs Kmart (67 jobs lost), Mount Dora Kmart (100 jobs lost), Lake Mary Kmart, Panama City Beach Kmart (54 jobs lost), Winter Park Kmart (100 jobs lost), Niceville Kmart (59 jobs lost), Winter Haven Kmart (92 jobs lost), Palm Bay Kmart, Oakland Park Kmart (112 jobs lost), Clearwater Sears Auto Center (21 jobs lost), Zephyrhills Kmart (70 jobs lost), Winter Springs Kmart (69 jobs lost), Naples Kmart (72 jobs lost), New Port Richey Kmart (58 jobs lost), ‘redevelopment’ of Aventura Sears & Auto Center into an “open-air village” (unknown how many jobs affected).

Georgia: Macon Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Buford Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Douglasville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Atlanta Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Columbus Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jonesboro Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Cartersville Kmart (74 jobs lost), Hiram Kmart (53 jobs lost), Marietta-East Cobb Kmart, Warner Robins Kmart (77 jobs lost), Coweta County Kmart distribution center (164 jobs lost).

Guam: Sears Hometown Store.

Hawaii: Honolulu Sears (owned by GGP, 372 jobs lost! GGP spending $573-million chopping it up into smaller store spaces), Kauai Sears (41 jobs lost), Iwilei-Honolulu Kmart for lease (no confirmation of store closing).

Idaho: Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Rexburg Kmart (63 jobs lost), Chubbuck Pine Ridge Mall Sears shutdown by the end of October/beginning of November 2014 (the remaining 28 jobs lost). Across the street, in Pocatello, the property where the Kmart is located has a “pad site available” sign, posted ever since the Kmart bankruptcy. The Kmart building takes up most of the ‘pad’. Latest news from inside sources say Sears Holdings will not comment on any plans to expand the small amount of Craftsman products already being sold at the Kmart, or shift the Kenmore products line, from the closing Chubbuck Sears to the Pocatello Kmart. In fact all plans for the Pokey Kmart are in a ‘holding pattern’.

Illinois: Alton Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Melrose Park Sears parts and repair center (50 jobs lost), Zion Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Lawn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), McHenry Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Peru Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lombard Sears/Great Indoors (at least 40 jobs lost), Fairview Heights Kmart (81 jobs lost), Freeport Kmart (45 jobs lost), Pontiac Kmart (more than 47 jobs lost), Homer Glen Kmart (82 jobs lost), Streator Kmart (45 jobs lost), Lombard Kmart (70 jobs lost), Naperville Kmart (98 jobs lost), Calumet Sears (164 jobs lost), two Sears stores in Grand Crossing area of Chicago (247 jobs lost!), Mount Vernon Sears (68 jobs lost), Moline Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Homewood Kmart (185 jobs lost), Belvidere Kmart (91 jobs lost?) revealed is now a perpetual closing sale Kmart At A Discount store, Champaign’s Market Place Mall Sears (56 jobs lost), Sterling Kmart (60 jobs lost), Montgomery Kmart (81 jobs lost), Mattoon Sears (more than 40 jobs lost), Chicago Sears on North State Street (160 jobs lost), Chicago Sears Craftsman Experience store, Galesburg Sears (46 jobs lost), White Lake Township Kmart (42 jobs lost), Orland Park Sears Appliance, Collinsville Kmart (84 jobs lost), Crystal Lake Kmart (at least 77 jobs lost), Danville Sears store & Auto Center (63 jobs lost), Forsyth Sears store & Auto Center (45 jobs lost), Peoria Kmart (73 jobs lost), Forest Park Kmart (107 jobs lost), Chicago Sears on North and Harlem avenues, supposedly it’s being replaced (most likely at taxpayer expense) with a new building and it will become a Sears-Mariano’s store, Bloomington Kmart (79 jobs lost), recently revealed Hoffman Estates Headquarters 100 jobs eliminated, another 15 corporate jobs eliminated elsewhere! 58 Chicago area stores up for lease or sale. By the way, Illinois elected officials gave Sears Holdings/Hoffman Estates a $150 million USD tax break to keep their headquarters in the state. The tax break was not tied to any promise not to close stores.

Indiana: Anderson Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint John Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Richmond Sears (49 jobs lost), South Anthony Kmart (70 jobs lost), Fort Wayne Kmart on South Anthony Boulevard (70 jobs lost), FairOaks Mall Kmart, Logansport Sears (43 jobs lost), Muncie Kmart (59 jobs lost), Fort Wayne Kmart on Coliseum Boulevard North (69 jobs lost), Decatur Kmart (49 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart on Madison Avenue (131 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart on Washington Street (139 jobs lost), Bedford Kmart (62 jobs lost), Indianapolis (Evansville) Sears & Auto Center at Washington Square Mall (91 jobs lost), Greenwood Kmart (78 jobs lost), recently revealed Plymouth Kmart (“approximately” 68 jobs lost).

Iowa: Cedar Rapids Kmart on 16th Ave (at least 40 jobs lost), Davenport Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Burlington Kmart (50 jobs lost), Coralville Sears (94 jobs lost, this is a store sold to GGP earlier in the year), Cedar Rapids Kmart on Collins Road NE (56 jobs lost), Mason City Kmart (50 jobs lost), Clive Kmart (at least 49 jobs lost), Ames Kmart (44 jobs lost), Fort Dodge Sears (no job loss numbers made public, yet. The Auto Center was secretly shutdown in September).

Kansas: Lawrence Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Merriam Kmart-then Sears-then Kmart (jobs lost unknown), Wichita Sears store & Auto Center (103 jobs lost), Manhattan Sears & Auto Center (number of jobs lost were never revealed).

Kentucky: Middlesboro Sears (in September 2012 the Sears store re-opened under independent ownership, official grand re-opening scheduled for November), Winchester Kmart (back in May, Rankin Paynter bought out what was left of the inventory and gave it to charity), Hazard Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lexington Fayette Mall Sears (114 jobs lost!), Newport Kmart (81 jobs lost), Cannonsburg Sears and Sears Auto Center (no employee info given), Louisville Dixie Highway Kmart/Sears/Kmart, Madisonville Kmart (39 jobs lost), Owensboro Sears store & Auto Center (52 jobs lost).

Louisiana: Slidell Sears (77 job lost), Gretna Kmart (94 jobs lost), Metairie Kmart secretly sold off, no word if it will be shutdown.

Maine: Lewiston Sears (60 to 70 jobs lost), Presque Isle Aroostook Centre Mall Sears (63 jobs lost).

Maryland: Ellicott Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Gaithersburg Sears/Great Indoors, Landover Sears rebuild & call center (115 jobs lost), Baltimore Kmart on Wabash Avenue (107 jobs lost).

Massachusetts: North Reading Sears Hardware store closed, lease not renewed, Milford Kmart (80 jobs lost), Kingston Kmart (73 jobs lost).

Michigan: Novi Sears/Great Indoors, Brighton Sears Grand/Essentials, Harper Woods Sears Full line, Monroe Sears Full line, Adrian Sears Full line, Washington Township Kmart, Chesterfield Kmart, Woodhaven Kmart, Saginaw Kmart on Bay Road, Flint Kmart on Dort Highway (46 jobs lost), Gaylord Kmart (48 jobs lost), Sterling Kmart (58 jobs lost), Bloomfield Township Kmart and Sears, Bad Axe Kmart (61 jobs lost), Ypsilanti Township Kmart (83 jobs lost), Petoskey Kmart (45 jobs lost), Saint John’s Kmart (48 jobs lost), White Lake Township “Store of the Future” Kmart (42 jobs lost), Grand Blanc Kmart (49 jobs lost), Lapeer Kmart (56 jobs lost), Southgate Kmart (155 jobs lost), Detroit’s Telegraph Road Kmart (115 jobs lost), Waterford Township Sears (no word on how many jobs lost), Rochester Hills Kmart (77 jobs lost), ‘perfect Kmart town’ of Port Huron Kmart (188 jobs lost), Flint Kmart on Miller Road (81 jobs lost), Burton Kmart (85 jobs lost), Madison Heights Kmart (179 jobs lost), it’s now obvious the last remaining Saginaw Kmart will remain shutdown after its roof collapsed during a snowstorm back in January 2014, Ann Arbor Kmart (59 jobs lost), Iron Mountain Kmart (54 jobs lost), Bangor Township Sears aka Bay City Mall Sears, the Auto Center was already secretly shutdown some time ago (at least 47 jobs lost), Big Rapids Kmart (about 50 jobs lost).

Minnesota: Willmar Kmart, Duluth Kmart, New Hope Kmart, White Bear Lake Kmart, Bemidji Kmart, Monticello Kmart, GGP owned Sears Auto Center in the Apache Mall closed (10 jobs lost), the entire Sears store in the Apache Mall being sold off, Fergus Falls Kmart (40 jobs lost), Fergus Falls Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Alexandria Kmart (46 jobs lost), Grand Rapids Kmart (61 jobs lost), Seritage is selling off three Sears Auto Centers in Minnetonka, Brooklyn Center and Saint Paul, Marshall Kmart (57 jobs lost), Oakdale Kmart (77 hourly wage employees losing their jobs, unknown how many salaried employees will become unemployed), Winona Kmart (67 jobs lost), Minneapolis city officials trying to shutdown profit making Nicollet Avenue Kmart, to make way for a new road. Anoka Kmart (47 jobs lost), Blaine Kmart (60 jobs lost), Burnsville Kmart (62 jobs lost), Waite Park Kmart (57 jobs lost), Northeast Minneapolis Sears Hometown & Outlet store now for sale, Coon Rapids Sears Hometown & Outlet store now for sale.

Mississippi: Jackson Sears Full line, McComb Sears Full line, Columbus Sears Full line, Gautier Sears (71 jobs lost), Waveland Gulfport Kmart (32 jobs lost), Pass Road Gulfport Kmart (52 jobs lost), Pascagoula Sears at the Singing River Mall, Olive Branch distribution center (unknown how many jobs lost).

Missouri: Lee’s Summit Sears Grand/Essentials, Saint Louis Sears Full line, High Ridge Kmart (59 jobs lost), Ellisville Kmart (55 jobs lost), Springfield Kmart on South Campbell Avenue (60 jobs lost), South Belt Kmart (64 jobs lost), Florissant Kmart (100 jobs lost).

Montana: Missoula Kmart (50 jobs lost), Great Falls Kmart (closed “until further notice” due to fire, 63 jobs on hold), Great Falls Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost) due to great sales (ironically) the shutdown date has been moved from 07 December 2014 to 23 November, Bozeman Kmart (37 jobs lost).

Nebraska: Grand Island Kmart (55 jobs lost), Omaha Kmart near West Maple Road (50 jobs lost).

Nevada: Sparks Kmart distribution center (100 jobs lost).

New Hampshire: Nashau Sears Grand/Essentials, Keene Sears Grand/Essentials, Portsmouth Kmart (30 jobs lost), Claremont Kmart (59 jobs lost).

New Jersey: Lawnside Kmart (about 80 jobs lost), Howell Kmart (57 jobs lost), Berlin Kmart, Dover Kmart (92 jobs lost), Randolf Kmart (91 jobs lost), Paramus Kmart (74 jobs lost).

New Mexico: Las Cruces Kmart (58 jobs lost), Albuquerque Kmart on Central SW (80 jobs lost), Rio Rancho Kmart (59 jobs lost).

New York: Depew (Lancaster?) Kmart (68 jobs lost), Colonie Kmart (72 jobs lost), Fulton Kmart (51 jobs lost), Clifton Park Kmart (74 jobs lost), Latham Kmart (61 jobs lost), East Greenbush-Rensselaer Kmart (70 jobs lost), Tonawanda Sears Appliance and Hardware, Bronx Sears (91 jobs lost), BBN reader reported that the Ithaca Sears and Auto Center shutdown and one month later it’s been officially confirmed (at least 37 jobs lost), DeWitt Kmart (92 jobs lost), Auburn Sears (51 jobs lost), Massena Sears and Auto Center (51 jobs lost).

North Carolina: Cary Kmart (71 jobs lost), High Point Sears, Moorehead Sears, Rocky Mount Sears, Statesville Sears, Durham Kmart (79 jobs lost), Asheville Kmart (53 jobs lost), West Smithfield Kmart (59 jobs lost), Winston-Salem Kmart (69 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (58 jobs lost), South Ashville Kmart on Hendersonville Road, Raleigh Kmart (88 jobs lost), Garner Kmart, Cleveland County mall Sears (56 jobs lost), Charlotte Kmart (89 jobs lost), Conover Kmart (74 jobs lost), Raleigh Kmart on Capital Boulevard (53 jobs lost), High Point Kmart (71 jobs lost), Boone Kmart (41 jobs lost), Greensboro Kmart (96 jobs lost), Gastonia Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost), Kinston Kmart (64 jobs lost), Cary Sears (66 jobs lost), Greensboro Kmart distribution center (130 jobs lost).

North Dakota: Jamestown Kmart (45 jobs lost), Dickinson Kmart (41 jobs lost, despite a “Now Hiring” sign on the front of the store).

Ohio: Chagrin Falls Kmart, Springfield Kmart, two Toledo Kmarts, Medina Kmart, Columbus Kmart, Columbus Sears/Great Indoors, Zanesville Sears (67 jobs lost), Trotwood Kmart (71 jobs lost), Austintown Sears auto parts and service on Interstate Boulevard, London Kmart (no word on number of jobs lost), Trotwood Sears (67 jobs lost), Westlake Kmart/Sears (at least 57 jobs lost), Xenia Kmart (at least 57 jobs lost), Norwalk Kmart (52 jobs lost), Blue Ash Kmart (77 jobs lost), Northwood Sears at Woodville Mall (36 jobs lost), Conneaut Kmart (43 jobs lost), Anderson Township Kmart (71 jobs lost), Brooklyn Kmart (200 jobs lost), Columbus Lockbourne Industrial Parkway Sears distribution center (200 jobs lost), also in Columbus, Sears Product Rebuild-Call Center (112 jobs lost), Marion Sears Auto Center (at least nine jobs lost), Springfield Kmart #3767 (68 jobs lost), Fairborn Kmart (66 jobs lost), Solon Sears & Auto Center (at least 53 jobs lost). Also, Van Wert Sears franchise bought out by Kirk Berryman, owner of Computer & Networking Technologies (CNT), who plans on moving the store to a new location.

Oklahoma: Oklahoma City Sears (98 jobs lost, GGP owned, GGP wants a $2 million sales tax rebate, claiming it’s needed to offset capital investments needed to bring the space up to the standards for potential new tenants), Shawnee Sears (31 jobs lost), Sand Springs Kmart (52 jobs lost), Muskogee Sears (60 jobs lost), Enid Sears and Auto Center (at least 38 jobs lost).

Oregon: Roseburg Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Tualatin Kmart Center (new property owner from California is tearing everything down for new shopping center, so far no indication the Kmart will be part of the new shopping center), Milwaukie Kmart (61 jobs lost), Coos Bay Kmart (25 jobs lost), Bend Sears (48 jobs lost), Klamath Falls Kmart (64 jobs lost), Albany Kmart (64 jobs lost), Portland Sears Homes Services (no notice), Albany Sears (57 jobs lost), in October a BBN reader warned that Oregon City Kmart was being quietly shutdown, confirmed on 06 November 2014 by Sears Holdings (70 jobs lost).

Pennsylvania: Upper Darby Sears Full line, Pottstown Sears Full line, Pittsburgh Kmart, Wilkins Sears, Warminster Kmart (85 jobs lost), Shippensburg Kmart (46 jobs lost), Moon Kmart (143 jobs lost), Bethlehem Township Kmart (62 jobs lost), Philadelphia Gallery Mall Kmart (120 jobs lost), Philadelphia Kmart on Orthodox Street and Castor Avenue (169 jobs lost), Levittown/Middle Township Kmart (87 jobs lost), Waynesboro Kmart (43 jobs lost), Sanatoga-Lower Pottsgrove Kmart (65 jobs lost, the store was also advertising for new hires!), West Mifflin Sears store & Auto Center (88 jobs lost), Rochester Kmart (78 jobs lost), Frazer (Pittsburg Mills Mall) Sears and Auto Center (97 jobs lost), Bloomsburg Sears (57 jobs lost), Frackville Sears and Auto Center (84 jobs lost), North Cornwall Township Sears (51 jobs lost), King of Prussia Sears and Auto Center (no word on number of jobs lost), Lebanon Sears (51 jobs lost), Scotland Chambersburg Mall Sears and Auto Center (62 jobs lost).

Puerto Rico: Vega Baja Kmart (# of jobs lost not reported).

South Carolina: Sumter Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Orangeburg Sears (57 jobs lost), Columbia Kmart on Fort Jackson Boulevard in 2012, Columbia Kmart on Bush River Road in 2009, Columbia Kmart on St Andrews Road (66 jobs lost), Irmo Kmart (no info on how many jobs lost), both Greenville Kmarts (140 jobs lost between the two), Mount Pleasant Kmart (43 jobs lost), Harbison Sears & Sears Auto Center in the Columbiana Centre mall (97 jobs lost), Aiken Sears & Sears Auto Center (at least 54 jobs lost), Inlet Square Mall Kmart (50 jobs lost), West Ashely Kmart (69 jobs lost), Myrtle Beach Kmart (59 jobs lost), Easley Kmart (62 jobs lost).

Tennessee: Antioch Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Cleveland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Ridge Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Morristown Sears (about 70 jobs lost), Clinton South Kmart, Franklin Cool Springs Galleria Sears (92 jobs lost), Memphis Hickory Ridge mall Sears (job loss data not revealed), 48 years old Nashville Kmart on Nolensville Pike to close by January 2014 (57 jobs lost), Franklin Kmart (33 jobs lost), Dickson Kmart (65 jobs lost), talks in progress to end lease for Bellevue (Nashville) Center Mall Sears.

Texas: Two Sears parts and repair centers closing in The Woodlands (117 jobs lost), rebuild center in Garland (58 jobs lost), Farmers Branch Sears/Great Indoors, Houston Sears Great/Indoors, Dallas Sears home appliance parts distribution center (77 jobs lost).

Utah: Murray Sears (for some reason Mormon controlled news media in Utah never reported the closure, but they reported that the building was demolished), Orem Kmart (no details reported), Woods Cross Kmart (54 jobs lost).

Vermont: Rutland Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost).

Virginia: Norfolk Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Midlothian Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Richmond Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lynchburg Sears (84 jobs lost), Fairfax Kmart (no word on how many jobs lost), Christiansburg Sears (59 jobs lost), Norfolk Kmart on East Little Creek Road (77 jobs lost), Manassas Kmart (71 jobs lost), Stafford Sears Hometown, Newport News-Denbigh Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Wise Kmart (58 jobs lost), Harrisonburg Kmart (79 jobs lost), Wincester Kmart (91 jobs lost), Dale City Kmart (69 jobs lost), Chesapeake Sears and Auto Center (82 jobs lost), Front Royal Kmart (88 jobs lost).

Washington: Walla Walla Sears Full line (in August 2012, it was reported that an independent owner of Sears Hometown stores will open a store in Walla Walla), Lacey Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Kelso Sears (47 jobs lost), Lakewood Kmart (59 jobs lost), Bellingham Sears (92 jobs lost), Seattle Kmart (85 jobs lost), East Wenatchee Sears (59 jobs lost), Puyallup Kmart (51 jobs lost), Oak Harbor Kmart (68 jobs lost), Sodo Sears and Sears Auto Center (79 jobs lost), Everett Kmart (65 jobs lost), Marysville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost).

West Virginia: Oak Hill Kmart (59 jobs lost), Morgantown Kmart (100 jobs lost), Bluefield Sears store & Auto Center (64 jobs lost).

Wisconsin: West Baraboo Sears (at least 40 jobs lost, local village officials say the store generated 3% of local tax collections), Rice Lake Kmart (about 71 jobs lost), Brookfield Kmart (56 jobs lost), Racine’s Regency Mall Sears (52 jobs lost), Fort Atkinson Kmart (51 jobs lost), Greenfield Kmart (107 jobs lost), Portage Kmart (78 jobs lost) and Hales Corner (129 jobs lost), Chippewa Falls Kmart (79 jobs lost), Menomonie Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Ashwaubenon Kmart recently revealed now owned by Green Bay Packers, will be torn down (80 jobs lost), Shawano Kmart (55 jobs lost), Fond du Lac Sears (42 jobs lost), Glendale Sears store & Auto Center (86 jobs lost), Janesville Kmart (70 jobs lost), Glendale Sears Rebuild center (67 jobs lost), Sheboygan Sears & Auto Center (at least 31 jobs lost), Eau Claire Kmart (93 jobs lost), Plymouth Kmart (59 jobs lost before Xmas), Sheboygan Sears Rebuild Center (30 jobs lost).

On top of that, Sears Holdings sold stores to General Growth Properties (GGP), of which it has been reported that most of those stores will be closed.

Here’s the list of 11 Sears stores now owned by GGP:

Iowa: Coral Ridge Mall (it’s official the Sears is closing, see above), and Mall of the Bluffs

Texas: The Woodlands Mall (this does not involve the two repair centers being closed by Sears)

Florida: West Oaks Mall

Utah: Fashion Place, and Provo Towne Centre (note the evil British empire way of spelling town & center. Due to a favorable lease agreement the GGP owned Provo Sears will continue to stay open under Sears Holdings management)

Oklahoma: Quail Springs Mall (it’s official, the Sears closed, see above)

Hawaii: Ala Moana Center (closed, see above)

Washington: Bellis Fair Mall (Bellingham store, see above)

Minnesota: Apache Mall (see update above, GGP will close Sears store by 2014)

Illinois: Market Place Shopping Center (see update above, GGP closing store)

Business/Economics

Aeropostale closing update 27 January 2015: Insider trading revealed!

U.S. based Aeropostale administrators revealed to the Securities and Exchange Commission that their director used insider info to make a stock deal back in December.

2015 shutdowns:

Illinois: P.S. from Aeropostale shutdown in the Cherryvale Mall.

Indiana: In Carmel, Aeropostale on Clay Terrace Boulevard  shutdown on 27 January 2015.  Aeropostale shutting down in the Indiana Mall by the end of January.

Minnesota: P.S. from Aeropostale shutdown in the Crossroads Mall.

New York: Aeropostale shutting down in the Fingerlakes Mall on 29 January 2015.  Aeropostale in the dying Rotterdam Square Mall.

Ohio: P.S. from Aeropostale shutdown in the Peachtree Mall.

South Carolina: Aeropostale to shutdown in the Coastal Grand Mall.

Tennessee: Aeropostale shutdown in the Knoxville Center Mall on 27 January 2015.

Virginia: P.S. from Aeropostale shutdown in the Patrick Henry Mall.

2014 shutdowns:

Wisconsin: Bayshore Aeropostale.

Canada: Aeropostale shutdown its last seven stores in Quebec.

2013 shutdowns:

Canada: 27 Aeropostale stores shutdown.

 

Aeropostale  Shutdowns will continue

Business/Economics

Shopko closing update 27 January 2015: Rite Aid buys Shopko pharmacy ops?

Illinois has joined the shutdown list.  The Sullivan Shopko will be slammed shut by April, the store manager told local news media his store wasn’t making enough money.

According to a Wisconsin news outlet Rite Aid has made it clear they’ve taken over Shopko’s pharmacy operations: “…we had a seamless transition with acquiring Shopko’s pharmacy…”-Kristin Kellum

2015 shutdowns (revealed so far):

Illinois: Two years old Sullivan Shopko in April, at least 30 jobs lost.

Kentucky: Hodgenville Shopko Hometown store will shutdown in April.

Missouri: Tarkio Shopko Hometown store will shutdown in April.

Ohio: Shopko to shutdown its Greenfield, Archbold, Montpelier and Newton Falls stores by April, at least 70 jobs will be affected.

South Dakota: Avera FastCare health clinic located inside the Aberdeen Shopko shutdown. Local news reports said there are currently no plans to replace it.

Utah: Employees spreading the word that the Provo Shopko will shutdown by 15 April 2015. Also, reports that the Bountiful (apparently actually located in West Bountiful even though the address is in Bountiful?) Shopko will shutdown in April.

Wisconsin: Shopko will shutdown its Ashland Hometown store by April, at least 29 jobs lost.

Of importance, a major retail landlord just modified its lease agreement with Shopko. The deal makes it easier for Spirit Realty Capital to evict Shopko in favor of new tenants (Shopko also got paid $18.8-million for the inconvenience of being kicked out). The retail landlord said it wanted to reduce its reliance on Shopko for revenue!

2014 shutdowns (that I’ve found so far):

Wisconsin: ShopKo killed off 40 jobs at its Ashwaubenon corporate HQ. Company administrators blame the bad economy for their “reorganization”. A Madison store was shutdown, 66 jobs lost.

Ohio: Georgetown Shopko shutdown.

Indiana: Shopko issued a WARN in November saying it will shutdown a distribution center. The shutdown will be completed by September 2015, at least 95 jobs lost. A Loogootee Shopko was shutdown, at least 14 jobs lost. The Petersburg and Bloomfield Shopkos were also shutdown.

It should be noted that Shopko has been quietly and slowly shutting down stores since 2001.

shopko opens new store in idaho then announces shutdowns

Business/Economics

U.S. Food Crisis, January 2015: “…we’re losing everything that we have as a family…” Corporate America kills family food businesses! “Nobody falls in love with a prostitute.” says one politician regarding Government’s love affair with corporate America!

Incomplete list of announced United States food supply shutdowns for the month of January, 2015: Many food suppliers/distributors are consolidating operations and killing jobs due to the collapsing grocery store and restaurant industries, as well as rising costs of food production.

After only one year, award winning Modern Farmer magazine shutdown.  Its blamed on disputes between the editorial staff and the billionaire who actually pays for the publication.

Canadian based international restaurant chain Tim Hortons (with at least 807 restaurants in the U.S.) killed off 350 of its HQ jobs in Oakville, Ontario, as well as regional corporate jobs!   That’s according to Canadian news reports. It makes sense because Tim Hortons was recently taken over by Warren Buffet’s crony Brazilian vulture capitalist buddies at 3G Capital (you know, Buffet and his buddies at 3G Capital are the ones who killed off at least 3-thousand 4-hundred Heinz food jobs in Canada and the U.S. in 2014!) But here’s some more convoluted shell game facts.  3G Capital and Warren Buffet took over iconic U.S. Burger King chain in 2010, immediately eliminating 450 jobs!  Then in early 2014, Buffet-3G owned Burger King bought Tim Hortons for $11.4-billion USD, but by December 2014 3G Capital went and bought Tim Hortons from its own Burger King for $12.5-billion!  But wait there’s more!  3G Capital buys companies vulture capitalist Mitt Romney style, meaning the companies are bought with huge loans, and the immediacy of the loan payments is partly why vulture capitalists start slashing and burning jobs.

Alabama: After 25 years Applebee’s shutting down their Brookwood Village restaurant on 01 February 2015.  The Texas based property owner refused to renew the lease with the restaurant.  Cafe and market V.Richards shutting down, the store owner made the decision suddenly saying he will chase “other ventures”.

Arizona: In Tucson, after ten years The District Tavern shutdown, it’s blamed on jacked up rent.

California: Mexico based Bimbo Bakeries announced they will shutdown their Fresno bakery in March, 92 jobs lost.  The bakery had been in use since 1926.  Sandwich maker Raybern Foods issued WARNs saying they will shutdown operations in Hayward and Oakland in May, 158 jobs lost!  Pleasanton Safeway grocery store headquarters will layoff at least 26 people by 13 February 2015.  Grocery store Vons issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their Arcadia SuperStore in March, 168 jobs lost!  Grocery store Albertsons issued WARNs saying they will shutdown their Marina Del Ray and San Diego stores in February,  143 jobs lost!  Kroger owned grocery store Ralph’s issued a WARN saying they will shutdown a Los Angeles store in March, they did not state how many jobs will be lost.  In San Francisco, former Netflix and Clinkle executive Andy Rendich is now the boss at Good Eggs, and is already chopping heads.  Reports say the organic food delivery service has laid off about 32 employees as Rendich ‘restructures’ the three years old company.  The layoffs took place not only in the Golden State but in New York and Louisiana.  In Walnut Creek, baseball themed McCovey’s restaurant shutting down.  The owners say they are trying to relocate near a real major league baseball stadium, if they can afford the rent.  In San Diego-South Park, after six years Alchemy Dining announced it will shutdown in February.  The co-owners said the economy is so bad, and competition so tight, that it’s not worth pouring money back into the restaurant: “We were noticing there was a decline in sales because of the market and age of our business, and just the general environment changing because of the amount of new restaurants in San Diego in general….We recreated the restaurant a number of times, from farm-to-table to street food to a neighborhood feel, and we got to a point where we would have had to sway a lot further and we made a choice not to.” 

Connecticut: In Hartford, after 15 years Jojo’s Coffee Roasting shutdown.  The pissed-off owner directly blamed the suck-ass economy, asking where’s the gott damned recovery: “The last six months have been the toughest for us businesswise…People say, ‘It’s up and coming its up and coming’. Well, it’s been up and coming for 15 years now! It’s not up and coming, I can tell you that!!!”-Bill Sze

In New Haven, the Anchor Bar shutdown without notice, local reports say employees were ordered not to say anything to the news media.  In Norwich, after six years Chacer’s Bar & Grill shutdown, the co-owner blaming the suck ass economy not only for shutting them down but for destroying his marriage: “It wasn’t easy at all, and it took a toll on our marriage. It stinks because we had a lot of fun in that business.”-Geoffrey Chase

Georgia:  Atlanta based iconic Coca-Cola announced it will add another 18-hundred job cuts to the previously announced 2-thousand!

Illinois: Iconic McDonald’s announced it will kill off 63 jobs at its Oak Harbor HQ in February.  Burger joint administrators admitted that their sales sucked ass for the past 13 months.  And administrators of McDonald’s Japan are reeling from crashing sales caused by food shortages, which in turn are being caused by a strike by dock workers on the U.S. west coast which has halted U.S. potato shipments to McDonald’s Japan, and food sabotage (strange things being found in the food).  The Peruvian owned “intimate supper club “ Monari’s 101 announced it will shutdown in Spring.  The owners said over the past two years they’ve tried to sell the restaurant with no takers, and they can’t wait any longer so they’ve decided to retire.  In Chicago, after 50 years independent Family Pride Finer Foods grocery store announced shutdown, 35 jobs lost.  The current owner blamed “competition” pointing out that there are now competing ‘big box’ grocery stores within “a two mile radius” of his store.

Indiana: General Mills announced they will shutdown their New Albany Pillsbury frigerated food factory by 2016, at least 400 jobs lost!  Company administrators said they have “excess capacity”.  That’s corporate speak for too much supply and not enough demand for their products (aka a suck ass economy).

Iowa: French based maker of polyols, starches, proteins, fibers and sweeteners Roquette America suddenly laid off 85 people at its Lee County factory.  Apparently the mayor of Keokuk knew about the layoffs the week prior, but said nothing hoping the newly unemployed would be hired by other local businesses.

Kentucky: In Louisville’s upscale retail Highlands area, restaurant Palermo Viejo announced it will shutdown in February: “I wanted to thank the Louisville community for the opportunity to share my family’s food for the last 14 years. There are certain reasons why I am closing. But the most important is my family has sacrificed so that I can live my dream. I have come to a point where I feel they have sacrificed enough…….I plan to look into leasing the property.”-Francisco Elbl

Maine: After 46 years Iconic Kittery based Weathervane Seafood Restaurants has shutdown a restaurant in New Hampshire and three restaurants in Maine.  The COO of the family run chain said “My family and I are sorry to have to make this difficult decision…” blaming “…current economic conditions…” (or what I call the suck-ass economy).  The general manager of the Waterville Weathervane said any fool could see the economy is crashing and burning: “The final ending is certainly a shock. Was the writing on the wall? Certainly!”-Sean Callahan, whose restaurant had a big sign in the  window saying “due to current economic conditions, this location is closed”

Massachusetts: Kickass Cupcakes now chapter 7 bankrupt busted.  The cupcake company has been shutting down stores since 2013.  The owner refused to talk to local news media.

Michigan: After only five years Just Baked cupcake shop shutdown ten of its Detroit metro area stores!  In Jackson, after nine years Caffe Lilla shutdown, local news reports claim the owners refuse to say why.

Minnesota: No more RyKrisp crackers! ConAgra stated “After a careful evaluation of our options, ConAgra Foods has decided to exit the RyKrisp and rye cracker business and close the plant.”  In Wrenshall, family owned One Stop Market shutdown.   The owner blames a new unAmerican corporate America competitor for costing him big losses, just in December: “Their advertising, their marketing, free milk, and 99 cent butter….It just kills these little businesses, little towns…..we’re losing everything that we have as a family…”-Chad Pfau, now legally bankrupt

Mississippi: In Jackson, Kroger announced they will shutdown their more than 20 years old grocery store on Terry Road in February 2015, at least 109 jobs affected!

Missouri: Cargill announced it is shutting down their Springfield meat factory, by March, 118 jobs lost!   Some employees will be able to move to Nebraska or Texas, if they want to keep their Cargill jobs.

Montana:  In Missoula, after 41 years Curley’s restaurant was shutdown and sold off.   The manager told local news that the reasons for the sale are private.  In Billings, the Mongolian Grill shutdown, local news reports say nobody at the restaurant would talk to them.  In Helena, after more than 25 years The Donut Hole shutting down.  A financial partner backed out of a deal that would have seen the donut shop move to a new location, now it’s up for sale.

New Jersey:  Belgium-Brazil owned beer brewer Anheuser-Busch announced it will kill off 60 jobs at its Newark brewery, in March: “After a thorough study, we have made the decision to idle the bottle line.”-Kevin Lee, general manager

New Mexico: Flying Star restaurants now chapter 11 bankrupt busted and shutting down two Santa Fe restaurants.

North Carolina:  Vegetable dehydrator McCall Farms of Wilson issued a WARN saying it will shutdown in February, affecting as many as 285 permanent and seasonal jobs by the end of March!  Beef prices the final straw in the killing off of another steak restaurant.  After 30 years family owned Prime Sirloin buffet shutdown: “The building is old and the money to keep up the 30-year old property, which we leased, was simply going to be too much for us to keep on operating. We decided it was time to make the decision and like ripping off a band aid, there wasn’t any good way to do this.”-Lisa Martin, general manager

Iconic fruit supplier Chiquita announced it is pulling its HQ out of Charlotte, causing 320 jobs to be in limbo!  Apparently company administrators don’t think the millions in taxpayer funded incentives are enough (they promised to pay back all the taxpayer funded incentives they got).   A local politician had an epiphany about corporate America: “You can’t expect loyalty from any company if you’re paying them to move. Government was basically prostituting themselves to get them here. … Nobody falls in love with a prostitute.”-Bill James, Mecklenburg County commissioner

Another local politician describes unAmerican corporate America like this: “It’s like my dad always told me, if the girl dates you for your money, etc., remember there is always someone with more of whatever she is looking for.”-Jim Puckett, Mecklenburg County commissioner

Ohio: A Cleveland Noodlecat ramen restaurant shutdown, due to  disagreements with the property owner over the lease.

Oregon: Safeway shutting down their Clackamas regional office, due to the takeover by Cerberus owned Albertsons. 91 jobs lost by March.

Pennsylvania: In Lower Paxton, after only two years ‘organic’ Smoke BBQ restaurant shutdown, the owners didn’t explain why.  After 25 years Booty’s Place restaurant shutdown in the Church Hill Mall, the owner would only say “No comment.”  A fundraising company that raises money for schools by selling food, Market Day, announced they would layoff 43 people in Cranberry Township by March.  It’s blamed on crashing sales.  In Allentown, after 97 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions)  A-Treat Bottling soda-pop company shutdown suddenly, 40 jobs lost.  People knew the end was near when back in November the family owned independent soda-pop maker canceled their deal with Walmart, because Walmart administrators demanded the family adopt unhealthy mass production methods.  However, it turns out that A-Treat was fined in 2013 for unhealthy and unsafe working conditions by the federal government.  And don’t blame the internet for their demise, reports say they were selling two dozen cases of their soda at least once per month over the internet.  Don Cunningham, of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, blamed the “changing consumer market” (meaning Bad Economy) pointing out that even Coca-Cola and Pepsi are in trouble, it’s just the little guys can’t withstand the bad economy for as long as the big guys.

South Carolina: A Piggly Wiggly grocery store shutting down in Summerton.  But don’t blame competition, it’s the only grocery store in town!   It’s a result of the massive shutdown of Piggly Wiggly stores across the United States.

South Dakota: After 45 years the Ming Wah Cafe shutdown.

Tennessee:  In Harding Pike, after only five years it was announced that the Harris Teeter grocery store would shutdown in February.  The store was bought out by competitor Kroger, who already has a store in the same area.

Texas: In East Austin, Live Oak BBQ being shutdown and sold off by the owner, who said “simple math” proved it wasn’t worth it anymore.   In Whitesboro, after 60 years the family owned Clinnon’s grocery store shutdown.  In San Antonio, it was announced that a Sprouts grocery store would shutdown in March.  In Rockwell, after only two years in their new location KE Cellars Winery shutdown: “We tried to make it work, but with so many sources of wine all over, road construction, a slow economy and everything Murphy could throw at us, it is just time for us to say we tried.”-owners

Virginia: In Old Town, after 64 years the Giant Food grocery store will shutdown.  Company administrators say it’s because the town is too small to continue supporting it, and it’s not worth it to spend money on expanding it.   News reports implied that there are too many Giant Food stores in the area around Old Town anyway.   Minnesota based Famous Daves BBQ announced it’s getting the hell outta Richmond! All three stores already shutdown and the property is up for sale! Administrators say their restaurants never made enough money in Richmond.

Washington: Iconic Starbucks announced it will layoff a “small number” of employees at its Seattle HQ.

Wisconsin: Dean Foods announced it will shutdown its Sheboygan Verifine Dairy before April, at least 70 jobs lost.  Company administrators said the suck-ass economy is forcing them to eliminate “redundancies”.

December 2014: “…we’ve hit the end!”

Business/Economics

Cerberus sells-off California & Idaho based grocery stores! 146 stores affected, shutdowns already announced!

27 January 2015 (19:48 UTC-07 Tango 26 January 2015)/06 Rabi ‘ath-Thani 1436/07 Bahman 1393/08 Yi-Chou (12th month) 4712

In 2014 evil Cerberus Capital concluded a hostile $9.2-billion USD takeover of California based Safeway.  The hostile takeover, which was challenged in court, was done through Idaho based Albertsons.  Safeway was the second largest grocery store owner in the U.S., the Safeway family of grocery stores include California’s iconic Vons, and Mexico’s Casa Ley.  It should be noted that part of the hostile takeover agreement is that Cerberus must sell off Safeway owned grocery store chains.   Now Cerberus has sold off dozens of Vons.

In January 2013 evil Cerberus Capital Management became sole owner of Idaho based Albertsons. 14 stores were shut down in 2013,  another 26 Albertsons were shutdown by the end of February 2014.  Now, Cerberus has sold off dozens more Albertsons stores, as a result of the takeover of Safeway.

Cerberus has sold 146 Vons and Albertsons stores to a Washington based company called Haggen.  The affected stores are located in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.  Already WARNs (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notifications) have been issued in California announcing the shutdown of several grocery stores.

This is interesting because at the beginning of January a Haggen spokeswoman said this: “The stores will remain open during the conversions and there are no plans to close any stores. In California, I would expect to see conversions more toward July.”-Deborah Pleva

Oregon: Safeway shutting down their Clackamas regional office, due to the takeover by Cerberus owned Albertsons. 91 jobs lost by March.

California WARN list:

Arcadia Vons Pavillion SuperStore, shutdown on 18 March 2015, at least 168 jobs lost!

The 32 years old Hemet Vons shutdown on 28 December 2014, at least 55 jobs lost.  Company administrators claimed it had nothing to do with the hostile takeover by Cerberus.

Marina Del Ray Albertsons, shutdown on 26 February 2015, at least 80 jobs lost.

Pleasanton Safeway headquarters will layoff at least 26 people by 13 February 2015.

San Diego Albertsons, shutdown on 26 February 2015, at least 63 jobs lost.

Albertsons shutting down?

Pocatello’s Old Fred Meyer & Albertsons…did not close down in the 1990s

International

World War 3 Afghanistan, 20 – 25 January 2015: U.S. taxpayers send in extra helicopters for Afghan Air Force! Air National Guard deployments ramping up?

A new Gallop Poll reported that the average Afghan says their suck-ass economy is far more dangerous (despite trillions of taxpayer funding spent on the Afghan 1%) than any resurgence of the Taliban!  Only 6% of Afghans think their economy is getting better!

Farah Province: Thousands of Afghans protested France.

Ghazni Province: On the Jaghori-Gilan highway, police report that two families of men, women and children were killed when the mini-bus ran over a landmine.

Helmand Province:  In Lashkar Gah City, at least two people killed and 10 wounded by a Kamikaze bomber when he rammed his Toyota Corolla bomb car into a National Civil Order Police convoy.  In the same city, a commanding officer managing a police check point was assassinated.  What’s interesting is that apparently there were no witnesses, as police say they don’t know who shot their commanding officer. The governor of Helmand is joining local Mujahideen in denying reports that U.S.-U.K.-Saudi created Islamic State (DAESH) is alive and well in Helmand.

Kabul Province:  In Kabul City thousands of Afghans protested France chanting “Death to America, Death France, Death to Israel!”  In the same city a fruit cart exploded, wounding two people.  Police say somebody put a bomb in the cart.

MD-530F Cayuse Warrior flies over Kabul, 06DEC2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Perry Aston.

The Afghan Air Force announced they will receive an additional twenty MD530F Cayuse helicopters by the end of 2015.  Afghan administrators said U.S. taxpayers are “donating” the helicopters.  On top of that, the Obama regime has approved an additional $44-million USD worth of weapons for 17 of the helicopters “donated” to Afghanistan under previous programs.

Kandahar Province: In Panjwaee District, an unattended motorcycle exploded, wounding two cops and one civilian.

Kunduz Province:  In Imam Sahib District, battles between Afghan National Army and Mujahideen, at least 32 people killed.  ANA officers say they’ve been battling for control of 31 villages.  Mujahideen say they’ve destroyed six international taxpayer funded armored vehicles.

Nangarhar Province: A legal advisor was arrested for bribery.  Police say their undercover agent paid the legal consultant $5-thousand USD to rig a court decision, and they arrested the man as he took the money.  In Jalalabad City, two border cops killed and two wounded after a magnetic bomb was placed on their vehicle.

Zabul Province: Thousands of Afghans protested France.

Pakistan continues its mass arrests of Afghans, this time 935 Afghans arrested in Punjab Province.

16-20-january-2015: 9-11 was a self inflicted sucker punch!

Air National Guard’s 292nd Combat Communications Squadron (Hawaii U.S.A.) deploying to a secret location in support of the ongoing occupation of Afghanistan, and other military ops in the region.

Brigadier General Carol Timmons, of the Air National Guard (Delaware U.S.A.), is now at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar to assist in the ongoing air war over Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.  She said she got short notice of her new duty assignment: “Normally, you get a little more heads-up than two months…..The priorities have shifted towards the fight with ISIS. So it’s organizing all that, and looking at the big picture.”   

The U.S. Air Force has revealed that the Obama regime’s expansion of the use of attack drones will force the USAF to push Air National Guard personnel “onto active duty” to address a shortage of drone pilots.

Business/Economics, Idaho

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 27 – 30 November 2014: “everything must go!” Iconic eastern Idaho hobbie shop up for sale!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

California:  In Stockton, food processor Hormel announced they will shutdown their 65 years old chili and Dinty Moore beef stew factory in February 2015, at least 110 jobs lost! Company administrators blame the record level prices of beef for causing a 21% drop in profits!

Hawaii: After 93 years of name changes family owned “Cheap, cheap, cheap, plenty, plenty, plenty!” Pinky’s convenience store shutdown.   The owner says she has “other plans”.

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Idaho: After 66 years Blackfoot Appliance & Furniture announced they will shutdown by the end of January 2015, “everything must go!” In Chubbuck, after 23 years the iconic local Dapco Hobbies now up for sale.  The current owner (not the friendly family owners that moved the shop to Chubbuck, Corey & Melia) is selling everything off and wants out of the hobby business.   Dapco Hobbies was originally located on Garrett Way in Pocatello (according to the BBB that was beginning in 1991), then, after Corey & Melia took over Dapco relocated to Chubbuck around 2007-08.  For a very brief time Dapco Hobbies had a shop in Ammon then Idaho Falls (apparently they left about the same time the ‘big box’ Hobby Town left Idaho Falls), and they even had an internet website.  They started out focused on trains, then shifted to RC when that got big.  I went there for the plastic model kits (and I still do although it’s looking empty, hope there’s somebody who can buy it and keep running it as a hobby shop).

Missouri: In Hannibal, after 34 years the owners of Artique Frame Palette announced they will shutdown in December.

New Jersey: After 86 years Garden State based Becker’s School Supplies shutting down six of its seven stores in Pennsylvania and Delaware! Apparently the school supplies company is shifting to internet sales only.

Texas:  In College Station, after 14 years La Bodega taco bar shutdown. The owner said they had to vacate the old decrepit building, and hopes to find a new location.

Washington: After 63 years A&J Meats and Seafood shutdown.

Wisconsin: After more than 25 years the owners of Golden Karat Jewelers in Rhinelander announced they will shutdown in January 2015.

23-26-november-2014: HP kills 41-thousand jobs!

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shutdown. It doesn’t count people who get a severance for being laid off.

Business/Economics

Sears & Kmart update, 26 January 2015: Kmart to be split up & sold off?

After Eddie Lampert’s ESL Investments who’s the next biggest shareholder in Sears Holdings?  An outfit called Fairholme.  It was created, and is still run by Bruce R. Berkowitz.

Berkowitz used to work for Lehman Brothers, you know the outfit credited with starting the recession in 2008.  He was also managing director of Smith Barney, a ‘financial services’ company that went through numerous ownership changes including CitiGroup, who sold off Smith Barney to Morgan Stanely in 2009.

On 22 January 2015, Sears Holdings (SHLD) announced they’ve hired on a new senior vice president, Philip J. Keough the 4th.  SHLD also announced Keough was their new president of pharmacy at Kmart.

What’s the significance?  Keough has worked for CVS, RiteAid and created his own Keoco pharmacy consulting company, but in his last pharmacy job he oversaw the selloff of Millennium Pharmacy Systems in September 2014.  Portent of things to come for Sears-Kmart?

update, 21 January 2015: Sex Trafficking & Property Deals!