Sunday last day for Gottschalks
Sunday will mark the end of an era in Fresno: It's the day all remaining Gottschalks stores will close.
Details about the closure and the liquidation are here and here. Some stores may close before Sunday if they run out of inventory, and they may close earlier than their normal closing time on Sunday, according to the liquidator.
Over these past few months I've listened to countless memories of shoppers who love Gottschalks. One memory of mine that stands out is pretty simple. I visited the River Park store one weekday evening, well after working hours. I recognized former Gottschalks chairman Joe Levy leaving the store, stopping to gracefully hold the door for a woman and say hello to her. He wasn't self-important and didn't need to let her know who he was. He was just courteous and happy while going about his business, something I've appreciated in other Gottschalks employees as well.
It will be a sad day Sunday for employees and shoppers alike when the doors are closed for the last time and attention turns to the future of those spaces.
But before we move on, what about you? What will you remember about Gottschalks after it's gone?
Comments:
When I was a kid in the early '80s, growing up in Dinuba, my mom and grandmother would take my sister and me shopping at Gottschalks and the other Fashion Fair stores once a year every fall for back to school. We didn't have a lot of options in Dinuba, save for a Kmart and some local specialty stores. So the annual trip to the "big city" of Fresno was both a treat and a necessity. With spending allowances in hand, we tromped through Gottschalks looking for deals but also looking for quality, both of which we always found. I suspect that a lot of working-class families throughout this valley did the same.
Posted by: Jeffresno at July 8, 2009 10:25 AM
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