Saturday, January 04, 2020

Not a good "sign" at Forever 21 in Bethesda

The Forever 21 store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda was widely listed on national news websites for months as one of 111 locations expected to close by the end of 2019. Except, it didn't, and it's still open.
However, a new sign in the window touting 60% off has fine print noting that the savings are on "select fixtures." Fixtures are usually sold when a store closes, as we saw recently at Sears, so this is not a good "sign" for fans of Forever 21. My advice would be to get in there ASAP if there's something you have your eye on.

18 comments:

Cinco de Mayo said...

"Stop wishing for bad luck and knocking on wood." --John Prine

John and Linda said...

5:57
Are you a happy enchilada?

Anonymous said...

Moribund mall. County in decline. No Fortune 500 companies in years.

Anonymous said...

Also Georgetown Park in DC.

Roald is that you? said...

Looking forward to it.

Anonymous said...

Correct a fool, and he will hate you.

Correct a wise man, and he will appreciate you.

Anonymous said...

"No Fortune 500 companies in years."

Are you claiming that Fortune 500 companies have no employees in our County?

Robert Dyer said...

6:01: No, he's referring to the fact that no major corporation - including any Fortune 500 - has moved to Montgomery County in over twenty years.

Anonymous said...

Malls are dead. I don't know anyone who goes to the mall. It seems like the folks who do go
are just taking a break from the weather etc. Then they buy on line or a big box store.

Robert Dyer said...

6:09: That's the popular talking point. Most malls that are failing are being intentionally run into the ground so the owners can redevelop them as mixed-use. Big chains like Sears and Toys R Us were destroyed by their Bain Capital/other vampire takeover firms, who suck the value out and then declare bankruptcy.

It's greed, not a "bricks and mortar apocalypse." The majority of shopping is still done offline.

Robert Dyer said...

7:20: You think AOC and Elizabeth Warren are stupid, too? They will tell you the same thing I just told you about retail, Boy Friday.

Anonymous said...

Oh so you agree with AOC and Warren? Good to know and makes me glad you will never win an election

Roald&Dole&Woodmont said...

Suck the value and declare bankruptcy? You mean like Trump: Steaks. University. Wine. Casinos. Vodka. United States of America

Anonymous said...

"Most malls that are failing are being intentionally run into the ground so the owners can redevelop them as mixed-use."

So you're saying that mixed-use is more profitable than obsolete malls? Why is it a bad thing that the owners are responding to the free market? That's a completely different situation from private equity firms shifting their debt onto companies like Sears and Toys R Us.

Anonymous said...

You align yourself with AOC and Warren? Which means you are a socialist. Difference is they won and you didn’t

Robert Dyer said...

1:17: Yes, I do align with them on many issues. So does Tucker Carlson. Is Tucker Carlson a "socialist?" The reality is, I don't fit neatly into any box ideologically, which is why my election opponents have resort to extreme measures to beat me. One commentator (back in years when we actually had Council debates in the elections!) famously said I was "running to the left of the incumbents," who are radical Neo-Communists.

AOC won on many of her own merits, but read up on the operation that was behind the curtain on her campaign - I could win, too, if I had a powerful group like that behind me. A lot less voter fraud in AOC's district than in Montgomery County, as well.

Robert Dyer said...

8:12: Both things are happening at once. You can debate the merits of greed and property rights, but the key point is that greedy people running their malls down on purpose does not prove that malls are outmoded. It's simply that developers have seized control and changed the zoning where these malls are. You couldn't build a town center where Lakeforest or White Flint were when they opened. Now you can.

So, greed and corruption, not retail apocalypse.

Anonymous said...


Rob is correct that Vulture Capitalist have had a hand in killing retail outfits.

https://prospect.org/economy/vulture-capitalism-killed-sears/


Still I don't know many people in my middle class circle who go to malls. It seems like shopping plazas like Trader Joes in Rockville are much busier.