Holiday Gift Cards

[Kofschip]

This is a heads up that if you tend to give gift cards
around the holidays, you need to be careful that the cards will be
honored after the holidays. Stores that are planning to close after
Christmas are still selling the cards through the holidays even though
the cards will be worthless January 1. There is no law preventing them
from doing this. On the contrary, it is referred to as 'Bankruptcy
Planning.' Ask if you aren't sure.

Below is a partial list of stores that you need to be
cautious about.

Circuit City (filed Chapter 11)
Ann Taylor- 117 stores nationwide closing
Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug ,and Catherine's to close 150 stores nationwide
Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January
Cache will close all stores
Talbots closing down specialty stores
J. Jill closing all stores (owned by Talbots)
Pacific Sunwear (also owned by Talbots)
GAP closing 85 stores
Footlocker closing 140 stores more to close after January
Wickes Furniture closing down
Levitz closing down remaining stores
Bombay closing remaining stores
Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January
Whitehall closing all stores
Piercing Pagoda closing all stores
Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.
Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ ( New Brunswick )
Macys to close 9 stores after January
Linens n Things closing all stores
Movie Galley Closing all stores
Pep Boys Closing 33 stores
Sprint/Nextel closing 133 stores
JC Penney closing a number of stores after January
Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores.
Wilson Leather closing down all stores
Sharper Image closing down all stores
K B Toys closing 356 stores
Loews to close down some stores
Dillard's to close some stores

[cheezyflier]

wilson leather is no big surprise. the crap i have seen in their stores the past several years, i can't imagine them selling much of it, especially considering how overpriced they are.

[lifejogger]

Thanks for the heads up on that. My family uses gift cards a lot for Christmas and some of those stores are stores we buy from.

[Craig Taylor]

Not surprising to see that Macy's is closing some stores - probably stores they acquired when they acquired Federated Dept Stores a year or so ago and were duplicative in malls where they already had a presence. But the rest... yikes.

[hey_moe]

I think what we are all looking at is just the begining of stores closing. Christmas is the time all retailers make there money...as tight as things are for everybody we will see a lot more closing....sad.

[TARPSBird]

Since we're on the subject, allow me a shameless plug...
C'mon down to Barnes & Noble and get your gift cards from us. Good for books, music, video, games, whatever we got. They're good year 'round and they don't lose their value if you don't use them right away.

[Kofschip]

Since we're on the subject, allow me a shameless plug...
C'mon down to Barnes & Noble and get your gift cards from us. Good for books, music, video, games, whatever we got. They're good year 'round and they don't lose their value if you don't use them right away.

I just did spend 2 hours there today and of course it did set me back over $100, but I will love every minute reading my acquired treasures.:d:d

[Willy]

When I was stationed at Little Creek Va, I used to go over to Barnes and Nobles in Virgina Beach, pick out a book, sit down in one of those overstuffed chairs and read it. :d

O' course, I also bought quite a few books there too.

[Odie]

Also, if you purchase gift cards as gifts, be sure to try and get a card that is in a secure area (say behind the checkout counter with the clerk).

People have been known to copy down the card number off of cards that are on a kiosk out in the common store area, then use it right after Christmas online.


Just a secure shopping tip for the upcoming season !