The Macy’s going-out-of-business sale at Brookdale had not started when I visited on Tuesday, but several sales clerks told me that the sale began Wednesday, January 14. Everything is discounted 30 percent or more. Only a few items are marked down 40 or 50 percent. The items in the cosmetics department were removed before the sale.  The store is expected to close March 10.

As I walked into Brookdale for the first time in over a year, I was shocked at its demise. Strefront after storefront is vacant or the gate pulled down with merchandise still inside. It’s jaw droppingly sad, but I couldn’t help but chuckle when I overheard one old guy say to his friend, “You could shoot a cannon ball from one end of the mall to the other and not hit anyone.” In some variation, it’s probably the most common phrase uttered in Brookdale these days. Kind of made me want to stuff a bottle of tequila in my coat pocket and take a gulp every time I heard someone say “You could _________(insert verb) a _________(insert noun) from one end of the mall to the other and not _______(insert verb) a ___________(insert noun).  If I start at 10 a.m., I bet I’ll be drunk by noon, passed out in the children’s roped off play area by 2 p.m. and discovered by security by…..  Well, I’ll be sober before security notices me.

RIP Macy’s and the retailers that preceded and will follow.  

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 13th, 2009 at 5:38 pm and is filed under Going-outta-biz sales. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.