Carson's, Boston Store, et al Coming Back?

Predicting the demise of Sears & Kmart since 2017!
Post Reply
rwsandiego
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1237
Joined: April 3rd, 2016, 10:57 pm
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 52 times
Status: Offline

Carson's, Boston Store, et al Coming Back?

Post by rwsandiego »

A quick check of Carson's website revealed this.

An article in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal reports that the various Bon-Ton stores might come back.
rwsandiego
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1237
Joined: April 3rd, 2016, 10:57 pm
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 52 times
Status: Offline

Re: Carson's, Boston Store, et al Coming Back?

Post by rwsandiego »

The first re-invented Carson's store is opening in Evergreen Park, IL. This store was built as a replacement for the store that existed at the mall that formerly occupied the site. Looks like the manager is a Carson's veteran.

EDIT: Here is an article from The Chicago Tribune about the store, which opens on Black Friday.
mbz321
Assistant Store Manager
Assistant Store Manager
Posts: 743
Joined: March 11th, 2010, 7:52 pm
Has thanked: 94 times
Been thanked: 54 times
Status: Offline

Re: Carson's, Boston Store, et al Coming Back?

Post by mbz321 »

rwsandiego wrote: November 17th, 2018, 9:30 am The first re-invented Carson's store is opening in Evergreen Park, IL. This store was built as a replacement for the store that existed at the mall that formerly occupied the site. Looks like the manager is a Carson's veteran.

EDIT: Here is an article from The Chicago Tribune about the store, which opens on Black Friday.

I know a couple people that paid a visit to this store, and they said it just felt very half-assed and lightly stocked, and were pushing heavily to lease/put merchandise on credit.
storewanderer
Posts: 14273
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 290 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Carson's, Boston Store, et al Coming Back?

Post by storewanderer »

mbz321 wrote: November 28th, 2018, 8:56 am
rwsandiego wrote: November 17th, 2018, 9:30 am The first re-invented Carson's store is opening in Evergreen Park, IL. This store was built as a replacement for the store that existed at the mall that formerly occupied the site. Looks like the manager is a Carson's veteran.

EDIT: Here is an article from The Chicago Tribune about the store, which opens on Black Friday.

I know a couple people that paid a visit to this store, and they said it just felt very half-assed and lightly stocked, and were pushing heavily to lease/put merchandise on credit.
It is really hard to merchandise a one store location department store. There is a little chain in NorCal who tried to do this with a former Gottschalk's in Auburn called McCoulou's and the results are interesting to say the least. The store has survived, however. So they are doing enough to stay open. And without a formal point of sale system at that which is all the more impressive. I think they may be recording SKU numbers through their 1985 era cash registers now instead of writing the SKU numbers sold down in a book like they did when they first opened.
rwsandiego
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1237
Joined: April 3rd, 2016, 10:57 pm
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 52 times
Status: Offline

Re: Carson's, Boston Store, et al Coming Back?

Post by rwsandiego »

mbz321 wrote: November 28th, 2018, 8:56 am
rwsandiego wrote: November 17th, 2018, 9:30 am The first re-invented Carson's store is opening in Evergreen Park, IL. This store was built as a replacement for the store that existed at the mall that formerly occupied the site. Looks like the manager is a Carson's veteran.

EDIT: Here is an article from The Chicago Tribune about the store, which opens on Black Friday.

I know a couple people that paid a visit to this store, and they said it just felt very half-assed and lightly stocked, and were pushing heavily to lease/put merchandise on credit.
That's unfortunate, as back in the day (i.e. before Berger's bought them) they were a very high quality department store. However, the new Carson's was, in fact, put together very quickly and as @storewanderer said it is tough to merchandise one store. I read somewhere that they are planning to re-open a handful of other Carson's stores.

As an aside, one of their issues was they would not locate in the same mall as a Marshall Field and Company store, which relegated them to lesser locations. They finally changed course when Orland Square opened and subsequently opened stores at River Oaks (originally Edward Minas), Hawthorne, and Fox Valley (both originally Lord and Taylor). However, these locations were tiny compared to the Field's stores in the same malls.
storewanderer
Posts: 14273
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 290 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Carson's, Boston Store, et al Coming Back?

Post by storewanderer »

It appears the new store operates on rather limited hours of 11-8 Thursday-Saturday and 11-6 Sunday and Monday. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Post Reply