Stein Mart reusable bags at 10 cents, baby blankets for $2.59, men’s shirts for $4.99, shoes for $3 and a full men’s mannequin for just under $50 could be found among the last three Jacksonville Stein Mart Inc. stores open Oct. 25.
It was last call at the bankrupt Jacksonville-based discount retailer’s Jacksonville stores. The company suffered from declining sales made worse by the pandemic.
Stein Mart filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Aug. 12 and starting going-out-of-business sales at its almost 300 stores in 30 states.
It closed three of its Jacksonville stores Oct. 24 at Roosevelt Square in West Jacksonville, Lakewood Promenade in the Lakewood area and Harbour Village in the San Pablo area.
Sunday hours typically were noon-6 p.m.
The three open stores Oct. 25 consolidated the scant remaining clothing, accessories and décor at the front with fixtures in the back.
A liquidator has been running the sales.
Workers posted new markdowns to move the dwindling inventory. Signs urged shoppers to buy and donate to support charities, churches and shelters. Fixtures, including racks, Stein Mart reusable bags at 10 cents, baby blankets for $2.59, men’s shirts for $4.99, shoes for $3 and a full men’s mannequin for just under $50 could be found among the last three Jacksonville Stein Mart Inc. stores open Oct. 25.
It was last call at the bankrupt Jacksonville-based discount retailer’s Jacksonville stores. The company suffered from declining sales made worse by the pandemic.
Stein Mart filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Aug. 12 and started going-out-of-business sales at its almost 300 stores in 30 states.
It closed three of its Jacksonville stores Oct. 24 at Roosevelt Square in West Jacksonville, Lakewood Promenade in the Lakewood area and Harbour Village in the San Pablo area.
Sunday hours typically were noon-6 p.m.
The three open stores Oct. 25 consolidated the scant remaining clothing, accessories and décor at the front with fixtures in the back.
A liquidator has been running the sales.
Workers posted new markdowns to move the dwindling inventory. Signs urged shoppers to buy and donate to support charities, churches and shelters. Fixtures, including racks, shelving, tables and mannequins, were 75% off.
On Oct. 25, store associates said the Riverplace Shopping Center store in Mandarin and the Point Meadows store in Baymeadows would close by 6 p.m. or when merchandise sold out.
Associates at the South Beach Regional store in Jacksonville Beach said the location might be open Oct. 26, depending on the remaining inventory and fixtures.
Here is the farewell tour Oct. 25.
Noon: The Roosevelt Square store at 4399 Roosevelt Blvd. in West Jacksonville was closed to shoppers but open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. to those picking up prepaid fixtures. An associate said it closed at 7 p.m. Oct. 24, and told arriving customers that three stores remained open: Mandarin, Baymeadows and the Beach.
12:15 p.m.: The Riverplace Shopping Center store at 11111 San Jose Blvd. in Mandarin had more action with the fixtures sales than with the rapidly dwindling inventory. A worker marked down the three remaining pairs of women’s shoes to $3. Another associate changed out the markdown signs for the “last day” event, with one saying 90% to 80% off the lowest ticketed price.
12:51 p.m.: The Lakewood Promenade store at 1648 University Blvd. W. was closed to customers, but those buying fixtures were rolling them out. One man loaded a microwave into his truck, saying it was his wife’s. An associate said the location closed at 7 p.m. the previous day.
1:19 p.m.: Shoppers flocked into the Point Meadows store at 10915 Baymeadows Road, finding a few racks and tables of clothing and accessories, including men’s sport coats, as well as the fixtures. Two women filled a truck for the St. Vincent de Paul Society Thrift Store with racks and shelving. About 20-30 customers looked over what was left inside. An associate said the store would close at 6 p.m. or when inventory was gone. Some shoppers left with bags bulging with merchandise, while others returned to their cars empty-handed.
2:05 p.m.: The Jacksonville Beach store at 3818 S. Third St. also drew a fair number of shoppers and fixture buyers. Associates said the location could be open Oct. 26 unless it sold out before.
3:41 p.m.: The Harbour Village store at 13475 Atlantic Blvd. was closed, empty and dark. A customer venturing from the parking lot to the locked front door wondered aloud whether another store would take its place, then pointed to her mask, required indoors to protect against the coronavirus, and said “this has affected everything.”
The Jacksonville Beach store closed Oct. 26, one of the last of the 279 Stein Mart stores.
The liquidator said all went dark as of Oct. 26.