Steve & Barry's is in big trouble, according to The Wall Street Journal. The chain, which specializes in university sportswear and carries celeb endorsed lines such as Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker, Dear by Amanda Bynes, and Eleven by Venus Williams, is said to be closing 100 stores, and may face total liquidation unless emergency financing can be found.
I won't be shedding any tears. The first and last time I ever stepped into a Steve & Barry's store was when SJP launched her Bitten line, and since that was a huge disappointment, I have no reason whatsoever to shop there. If Steve & Barry's does, in fact, get liquidated, the fate of Bitten is yet unknown...I'm hoping that this, er, setback, would give rise to a new fashion collection by Parker.
Perhaps she could redeem herself by teaming up with H&M or Topshop. Heck, even if she did a collection for Kohl's or JCPenney's we'd be happier. Somehow I don't see Target tapping that. Sure hope they don't get licensed to Sears or heaven forbid, Kmart. Uh oh...what if Walmart scoops that up? Whatever happens, nothing could be worse than what she did for Steve & Barry's - right??
Will you be sorry to see Steve & Barry's go?
They really missed their mark, big time. Price point is not everything, especially to the fashion conscious. And there are plenty of retailers who do disposable and inexpensive but of-the-moment fashion - think Target, Forever 21, etc.
Joann: I definitely appreciate the need for more budget clothing options but as another reader pointed out, price point isn't all that matters. Customers deserve better, and this is the message we're trying to give retailers like S&B.
Thanks for all the great feedback, it's really informative to hear what everybody thinks
And the racial slurs, rampant. Good bye "good ol' boys" and good riddance!
These guys were good (i dont know about the female harresment though). They had people who were responsible for their success... like Andrew Seligman, Avi Sonpal, and so on.
They gave a normal person a chance to fill their wardrobe in a limited budget.
And they sure did give Old navy a run for their money.