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Originally Posted by Busy Bee
Your right, nothing says progress like losing iconic bastions like historical department stores that have been embedded in the identity of a place for generations. 
If even more homogenous corporate chain retailing at the expense of local institutions is heralded as progress, I fear for what we will welcome in the future. And I understand Carson's was owned by a larger corporate parent, but it held of very real regional Chicago image that should have stayed on State Street. I'm crossing my fingers for an announcment to reopen the store in the future.
All the great State Street department stores have been narrowed to one, who would have imagined it would be Sears?  |
Because there are just so many people that actually shopped at those "local institutions", right? Who you are really mad at are the 95% of Chicago and American consumers - they voted with their pocketbooks to put the classic department stores out of business. Now, in the case of Carson's, it's an exception, as all I have to say is - GOOD RIDDANCE! That store was an abomination - worst service on the face of the earth, period, and merchandising quality somewhere between Wal-Mart and Family Dollar, but hey, it was a vaunted and proud Chicago institution, right? Wrong – it was a backwater, a poorly-run dump, as retail operations go. (relax people, I’m not talking about the building itself – I’m a huge Sullivan fan, and this is one of my favorite pieces of architecture in the city). Please. And guess what? - there's more - since it is well-publicized that the Sears store is bleeding money like there's no tomorrow, how long before they pack up as well? I, for one, can not wait to see how Joseph Freed re-tenants the property - anything, well, almost anything, would be an improvement...