Department-Store Closures on the Horizon

Department store sales are improving and many of the big chains are doing a good job controlling inventories after a dismal start to the recession. But for this to continue, they’re probably going to start closing some doors, according to one analyst.

“We’ll see more stores close than open in 2010,” says Walter Stackow, who follows retail for Manning & Napier, in a Reuters interview.

Major Retail Bankruptcies Not on Horizon

A recent Fitch Ratings report predicts a holiday season that’s better than some worst-case scenarios out there. It also says that due to liquidity improvements, we’re not likely to see retailers file the same number of bankruptcies that we did in 2008 and early this year.

However, the outfit does recognize that the consumer is still strapped. Fitch expects unemployment to reach 10.5% next year, and credit will remain tight.

Gottschalks Is Liquidating

Another chain is going out of business.

Gottschalks, which filed for bankruptcy at the beginning of the year, can no longer hold on, and is closing all 58 of its stores, which are located on the West Coast.

Bad Customer Service Equals Good Sales

Consumers might be happier with where they shop, but that still doesn’t mean they’re purchasing more. The American Customer Satisfaction Index numbers recently came in, and it increased 0.9% during the fourth quarter, brining it to 75.7 overall on a scale of 100.

The two chains on top, with scores of 80, were Kohl’s and Nordstrom. Too bad their sales don’t reflect the score. Kohl’s same-store sales fell 6.9% in January, while Nordstrom recorded an 11.4% plunge during the same period.

Kohl’s Hits 1,000 Units; Timing Unfortunate

We saw this article on Kohl’s hitting the 1,000-store mark and had to wonder how much celebration there is for this kind of milestone right now.

The retailer had plans to open 1,400 stores by 2012, but due to cutbacks in expansion that have plagued nearly every major chain, this looks less likely, according to the Journal Sentinel. Management is now saying it is not releasing expansion plans beyond next year, when 50 to 60 locations are in the works.

Macy’s Shoppers Are Obama Fans

We came across this fun survey recently that we thought you’d might enjoy.

A research firm asked shoppers at five chains, Wal-Mart, Kohl’s, JCPenney, Macy’s and Target, who they would choose for president. The strongest sentiment for a candidate was pushed by Macy’s consumers, 47.2% who said they are voting for Barack Obama.