Home › News › Conejo Valley
Two Janss Marketplace stores to close
Download this story as a podcast!
STORY TOOLS 
More from Conejo ValleyJanss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks is losing two of its largest stores — Mervyns and Linens 'n Things — as the struggling economy continues to hammer businesses.
Both retail chains are attempting to restructure operations under bankruptcy protection.
Mervyns announced this week that it will be closing 26 of its 176 stores, including the one in Thousand Oaks on Moorpark Road near Hillcrest Drive.
Linens 'n Things announced earlier this year that it would close 120 underperforming stores, including one at the Moorpark Marketplace. At the end of July, the company went further, saying it will shutter an additional 51 stores, including at Janss Marketplace and Camarillo Town Center, off Highway 101 near Las Posas Road.
The Janss Marketplace store closures are not a reflection of the strength of the center or the city, but are based on decisions made at a corporate level of the two struggling chains, said Charles Maxey, dean of the School of Business at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.
He predicted that the loss of the two stores will take a toll on the shopping center because both have drawn shoppers to the area. Some of the center's other major tenants are Sears, Old Navy, Rite-Aid and Gold's Gym.
There also could be a further hit to the city's sales tax revenue, which is projected to dip 1.4 percent, or slightly more than $3 million, in 2008, Maxey said.
While Mervyns has not been a strong performer, the Linens 'n Things closure was surprising because it did "reasonably well" and "added a nice dynamic," said Gary Wartik, the city's economic development manager.
"We are concerned about the jobs lost," he said.
Based on his previous discussion with NewMark Merrill Cos., which manages the shopping center, Wartik said it was his understanding that Toys R Us wants to expand into most or all of the Linens 'n Things space.
A spokesman for NewMark Merrill could not be reached Wednesday.
Rich Tauberman, spokesman for Linens Holding Co., estimated that there are 25 full- and part-time employees at each of the three Linens 'n Things stores that are closing in Ventura County. The Moorpark store will shut its doors for good after its regular hours Sunday.
There are no closing dates for the second round of cutbacks, but those stores will probably go dark in the next few months, Tauberman said.
At the end of 2007, the Clifton, N.J., retailer operated 589 stores nationwide.
The store closures come at a time when the company is still stinging from restructuring after filing for bankruptcy protection in May, a casualty of the turbulent economy and ailing housing market. "The entire home sector is continuing to have issues," Tauberman said.
Many of the store closures will occur in California, Arizona and Florida, parts of the country that have been rocked hardest by the housing slump.
The poor economy has taken a similar toll on most retailers.
While Mervyns is closing in Thousand Oaks, its other stores in the county — in Ventura, Oxnard and Simi Valley — were not listed among the locations scheduled to be closed, according to a company news release.
"It's disappointing for the employees who work at the store and the community that likes to shop there," Wartik said of the Thousand Oaks closure. "It fills a very specific niche, based on the price range of product that it offers."
Linda Coppen, who works as a cashier at Mervyns in Thousand Oaks, submitted her resignation notice Wednesday.
"Yesterday morning, the boss took everybody in the office and said the store would be closing," she said.
The manager is going to the Simi store, she said, and the closing day is to come during the first week of September.
Company spokesman James Golden said there are 80 to 100 employees at the Thousand Oaks store.
According to Mervyns' Web site, its stores have an average of 80,000 square feet of retail. The store was one of the anchors in Janss Marketplace, Wartik said.
Coppen said she was paid $8.50 an hour with no benefits. She said part-time employees were permitted to work up to 39 hours per week.
The employees weren't caught completely off-guard by the news, having noticed after the bankruptcy announcement that their store began to have curiously long sales, Coppen said.
"It was really like we were practically giving it away," she said.
The Ventura County Human Services Agency is sending a rapid response team to Mervyns to speak with employees and let them know what job services are available to them, said Debbie Barber, spokeswoman for the Workforce Investment Board.
"I think they're going to send someone out this afternoon to talk to the store manager," she said Wednesday.
Barber said her office received no notice of the closure prior to being contacted by The Star.
"This is going to hurt the community really bad because of all the people who've been there between five and 15 years," Coppen said. "They'll be devastated, and these are not the best days to get a job."
Coppen and one of her former co-workers have already begun their job search. They are looking at Macy's and Nordstrom, an upscale chain set to open a store Sept. 5 nearby at The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks.
"If there are employers out there that need Mervyns associates," she said, "put an ad in the paper. Let us know."
Posted by lsmith on August 14, 2008 at 5:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I feel really bad for the employee's that will be loosing their jobs...it has been much worse than that here in NC. Stores, Plants, Furniture companies closing left & right. There are actually waiting lists to be hired at Fast Food places. For every job that opens...hundreds apply. Been there, done that.
Posted by danp on August 14, 2008 at 6:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Nordstroms is opening in 3 weeks?
Posted by USA_ROCKS on August 14, 2008 at 7:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It is the media more than anything that has harmed our economy.
Posted by kelley.t.m on August 14, 2008 at 8:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
VMHUNTER's contention that the media are to blame for the economic mess is sheer lunacy. The media didn't make Detroit's products, the media didn't lower the prime rate to 1% after 9/11, starting the refinancing/mortgage disaster that banks and consumers all jumped on, and the media did not speculate on the price of oil.
The economic mess can be blamed squarely on the individual American consumer: we got greedy and greedier, and we didn't care a whit about the welfare of our nation or of our neighbors.
Posted by Amazon on August 14, 2008 at 8:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
vwhunter, I don't understand. Explain how the media is at fault?
Posted by WarpKat on August 14, 2008 at 8:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
@vwhunter: Since when is the media at fault for anything?
You're the ump-teenth person this week that has blamed the media for something. The war between Russia and Georgia? Oh - media's fault. A politician *cough*Edwards*cough* who actually had an affair with a WOMAN. Oh! Oh! Media's fault.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to throw people off your track so you can continue rampaging across town looking for innocent Beetles to poach...
...poor little Beetles...
Posted by sdetatae on August 14, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm sorry to see them go.
Posted by vcsexplorer11 on August 14, 2008 at 9:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
WarpKat,
Ok, I have something we can blame on the media.
The fact that we have two candidates for President. Did they give Ron Paul, for instance, as much coverage or even invite him, or any other candidates, to ALL debates?
I am voting Independent and will not waste my vote on either McWacko or Osama!!
Posted by Machine on August 14, 2008 at 9:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I liked mervyns and wonder now what will be replacing it?
Posted by BeaHappi on August 14, 2008 at 11:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hopefully new retailers will fill those open spots; there is nothing worse than empty anchor locations. Trader Joe's should open up in the Mervyn's spot! MUCH better parking than the one on TO Blvd!
Posted by guy133 on August 14, 2008 at 12:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
BeaHappi, are you aware that there is another Trader Joe's at Moorpark and Avenida de los Arboles?
I live near the Janss and am disappointed that Mervyn's is closing. I hate shopping, so Mervyn's is nice for me. It has good prices and decent selection. The Mervyn's in Thousand Oaks is nice. The Mervyn's in Simi is old and disgusting.
Posted by eggsorpancakes on August 14, 2008 at 12:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Kohl's is much better than Mervyns. I'd take your business there. Same prices, better quality.
Posted by MicheleinCA on August 14, 2008 at 1:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Mervyns has always had poor quality goods. It's not the type of store that does well in an affluent city such as T.O. Linens N Things; however, is a different story. Now that they're closing down all their stores in Ventura County there will be no competition with Bed Bath & Beyond. I like to shop at both because if I can't find what I want at one store I can always shop at the other.
Posted by fungus on August 14, 2008 at 2:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
While I disagree with vwhunter's statement that the media has harmed the economy the most, I can appreciate the point he/she was trying to make.
Media reports ofter exaggerate/embelish their reporting to make stories more sensational. Poor timing (or sometimes release in general) of stories can cause panic that may have been more appropriatly avoided with some discretion.
It is no secret that an individual's media selection shapes their opinions and, often, actions.
Posted by BeaHappi on August 14, 2008 at 3:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
guy133 - actually I wasn't aware of that. I don't live in TO, only work in Westlake.
Okay, so I take back the Trader Joe's suggestion...but hopefully something will go into that vacant spot.
Posted by sparks240 on August 14, 2008 at 6:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I drove past the TO Mervyns today, They have "Help Wanted" signs plastered all over the doors. Whats that all about?
Posted by josephtubby on August 14, 2008 at 9 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You've got to think that this is an effect of the Simi Mall? Although I have no numbers to prove it, it appears quite prosperous. Simi, I think has done a job in keeping shopping, taxes, and revnues within it borders (unlike their hospital) despite the fact that it has hurt smaller businesses within Simi.
Posted by Amazon on August 15, 2008 at 8:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't know josephtubby, the Simi Valley Mall has a lot of closures. The mall on the weekdays is kinda dead. And the redesigned Oaks Mall will probably hurt it even more.
At one time, Mervyn's was a really nice store with cute clothes and nice products. It really went downhill the past couple of years and I rarely walked in there. The clothes were drab, the store unclean and a mess, and the aisles were crammed. They were doomed.
As far a Linen's and Things, I think the business just has a hard time competing with places like Target.
Posted by GuideDog on August 15, 2008 at 12:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
There are numerous factors that have contributed to this long term consolidation trend.
On the consumer side: much of the disruption in retail has to do changes in buying habits of younger buyers who utilizing the internet, thrift stores, second hand shops, and big box retailers that sell products built with cheap foreign labor, lower than average compensation for their own workers and predatory pricing to drive out competition.
Additionally, there has been a trend toward consolidation by the largest which destroys many of their mid-sized competition. Additionally, many of these businesses were mismanaged (who went for short term profits and bonuses) to the benefits or officers and boards and to the detriment of the company and its stockholders in the long term.
Other economic factors contributing to robbing buying for consumers: outsourcing of good paying manufacturing and service jobs overseas, the disaster in residential finance and construction and a continuing decline in the dollar caused by a long time balance of trade deficit coupled with the constant borrowing of the government.
It appears this long neglect of basics, coupled with new supply and buying habits may soon restrict many of the current retailers to the pages of future U.S. economic history books.
Posted by megnosis on August 18, 2008 at 4:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Great post GuideDog.
I'd like to add that there is no such thing as an open system in economics, no matter what some poorly trained economists might try to portray. Every decision has an impact even when CFOs and analysts try to pretend they do not.
We as a country need to realized how dependent all of these economic structures are on each other and stop kidding ourselves that it's okay to have such a broken distribution of wealth.
Having a a majority of the total wealth of the country out of circulation and pumped into investment structures that gradually pull more and more wealth out of circulation is insanely dangerous. Our economic might is dependent on money moving around INSIDE our country, not out to other countries.
(Requires free registration.)
Article discussions on this site are to support community debates of issues related to our stories and editorials.
Discussions should not stray from the subject of the story or editorial.
We do not allow the following:
We reserve the right to delete threads and/or ban users for these or other reasons we deem necessary.
Opinions are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.