Borders San Rafael store escapes the chop (for now)

As Borders books seeks bankruptcy protection, the good news for Marin fans of the store is that the San Rafael location is not on the list of 200 initial store closures. Whether the reprieve is temporary or permanent will depend on the success of the company's restructuring.

Elsewhere in the Bay Area, the retailer is making big cuts. The San Francisco stores on Post Street and at the Westfield Center will close, as will Santana Row, Alameda Towne Center and others in San Jose and San Mateo.

*Update: the good bad news is....

Smith & Hawken to liquidate

News today that Smith & Hawken, the chain of garden & outdoor stores that started out in Mill Valley in 1979, is to liquidate, closing all 58 stores by the end of the year. It's a double blow for Marin, with 70 jobs lost at the company's head office in Novato, and another 30 at the store in Strawberry Village.

Shabby Chic goes out in style

After just eight months, Shabby Chic, the flouncy, earthy, flowery seller of everything shabby and chic closed its doors at The Village at Corte Madera this month. The retailer, a victim of the recession and an unfortunately-timed decision to embark on a major store expansion program, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month and has been forced to close most of its stores.

However, keeping true to founder Rachel Ashwell's philospohy of living and breathing the brand, she has maintained a fascinating blog of her journey through these tough times, complete with snippets of wisdom, heart-rending outpourings of grief from her fans, language as flowery as her bed sheets, and photos from her new book...

February 2:

This is a blog I never in my wildest nightmares thought I would have to write. Last Thursday evening Shabby Chic filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The road to recovery for Shabby Chic will be hard and recovery is by no means certain. I find myself in a situation of having to understand parts of business that are challenging for a flea market girl.

February 12:

Our Greenwich Avenue and East Hampton Stores have closed. My staff were of such support to the end. Both landlords are gentlemen. They took the time to travel to meet me last week for tea.

There has been many a night we find ourselves sitting in my office, regrouping of the day’s events and discussing the following days agenda. Often we don’t even notice the sun has gone down, and we are talking in the dark with the exception of the light source from my computer.

March 2:

As always I look for guidance and metaphors in life... Some flowers are annuals, some perennials. Even though some flowers just have one season to make their mark, they still leave behind memories, the same way some stores that we prematurely had to close, will.

Signs of the times

Spotted this week in Corte Madera, Video Kamron joins the casualty list. Video and music stores may soon be a thing of the past.

Meanwhile, in Mill Valley, Famous4 is determined to fight it out.

Going, going, gone..

As 2008 came to a close the list of retailers that closed their doors for good in Marin was getting longer. High profile chain stores made news headlines when they announced mass closings, while many smaller independent stores were put out of business quietly.

In October, department store Mervyns finally gave in and announced the closure of 149 stores, incluidng the one at Northgate San Rafael. In December, Kohl's was revealed as the new tenant for the site.

Circuit City announced the closure of 155 stores in November, including it's San Rafael outlet.

Back in May, Linen & Things, which used to have a store at Marin City, announced the closure of 120 underperforming stores.

Also gone are The Sharper Image and KB Toys, two well-known retailers that previously had stores in Marin.

In addition to these, there are empty storefronts appearing in all of the downtown areas and strip centers across the County, as independent boutiques and Mom & Pop stores struggle to survive. One of the great things about Marin is the abundance of small communities that still have a thriving retail presence; this is almost unique in modern-day stripmall America. If you want to maintain the character and viability of your local neighborhood center, now is the time to shop at your local stores and eat at your local restaurants.