Typhoid Mary of stores

[Claudia Killebrew]

At least that's what I'm beginning to feel like. Seems like anytime I really like a store or chain, they close or go out of business.

It started with K Mart. I liked K Mart. Had one real close to me in FL. That one closed, so I would go to the next closest one. That one also closed. The next closest wasn't really close, but if I was working at a couple of schools in the area, I could stop in after work. That one also closed. Moved to Maryland and Hooray! I had a K Mart close again. That closed about a year later.

Then there were the supermarkets. I had a favorite in FL. Albertson's. Cheap, clean, good selection and best of all I passed it on the way home. Only about two miles from home. Yep, it closed and there were no others close. Didn't matter, they all eventually closed anyway.

Switched to Kash n Karry (later SweetBay). You guessed it. They got bought out by probably the worst chain in the area.

Now on to Maryland. There is a local market, Mar's, that's been around since the '40s. I didn't really like it, but it is closing also.

And finally. There is, or should I say was, a wonderful little pizza/sub shop right up the road. Pizza to die for. Best I've had since I left NY in the '80s. Subs that were full of whatever you ordered with good ingredients. Home made soups that were delicious. Prices were good, delivery on time. Well, about a week ago Hubby went past them and came home saying it looked like Lipscomb's was closed. Sure enough, they closed.  :'( :'(

So, if anybody wants a store to close, just get me to LOVE them. I promise the end will be near.   

[C. Perry Rapier]

So, if anybody wants a store to close, just get me to LOVE them. I promise the end will be near.   

Hello Claudia. Can you bring your Midas Touch to my area and move in beside of our local friendly Wally World store?

[Claudia Killebrew]

Sorry, Perry. Wally World seems to be impervious to my "gift". I keep going and so do they.

[Jim Glatthaar]

Claudia, You have hit upon an interesting business model: the reverse whammy.  Maybe you should horse yourself out to companies to kill off the competition.  And what better place to start than loving cheap imported cast iron ;)

[Paul Okarma]

It sad ... all the stores I went to when I was a kid that are gone:  Bradlee's, Barker's, Caldor's, E. J. Korvette's, G. Fox, Read's, etc.  :(

There's a list of closed department stores on Wikipedia.  :(

[C. Perry Rapier]

It sad ... all the stores I went to when I was a kid that are gone:  Bradlee's, Barker's, Caldor's, E. J. Korvette's, G. Fox, Read's, etc.  :(

There's a list of closed department stores on Wikipedia.  :(

Yes I remember all of them too Paul. We had a dime store as just one of our downtown department stores. We had a beautiful three story department store downtown, complete with an elevator. We have killed all of our industry like this, to save fifteen cents. I am from the Midwest, the Rust Belt. You go through the downtown part of an old town and its like being in a funeral procession.

[Paul Okarma]

Caldor's employees wore brown shirts.  I have a 1970s brown/tan jacket I used to wear a lot.  I would frequently get asked "excuse me, do you know where ...?" when I wore the jacket in Caldor's.  :)

Here's the jacket.  I should see if rustyzipper.com wants it.