Who might be next?

[kyburg]

Companies that are also not gonna make it.

Scanning the list, I notice one thing right away.

I haven't been inside any of these stores (with the exception of the one trip to Krispy Kreme with silverkun and purrplexitty last month) in over three years.

No, not even Rite Aid. Hates them, I do.

*sigh* Gee, this wasn't overnight at all, was it?

Comments

[reannon.livejournal.com]

I've smelled trouble around Six Flags for the last couple of years, and not just because they've been cutting way the hell back on the perks for us season ticket holders and everything keeps getting more expensive. It would absolutely destroy Eureka, Mo. and seriously damage St. Louis tourism, though. It's not like the lines have gotten any shorter! I personally think people would spend MORE money if they made stuff cheaper, instead of pricing everything in the park so outlandishly expensive that you brown-bag it in the parking lot and haul your crap around on your back rather than pay twelve bucks for a locker. But that could just be me.

As for Krispy Kreme... um. Have they BEEN to the south lately? That one I don't buy. Now, Dunkin Donuts... sniffle. I miss DD.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

You ought to see what it takes to get into Disney now. And so far, they haven't woken up and smelled the coffee yet. (You can get a park-hopper on a special 'residents only' rate which is still enough to feed a family of 15 or more at McDonalds with money left over. Really. Seriously. Smoking crack.)

Six Flags has parks all over the place. I'm up for grabs on how to run these things cheaper - and keep them safe enough to enjoy. Making the consumables so freaking expensive nobody buys them? CLUESTICK 101.

[reannon.livejournal.com]

Kiddo is so desperate to get back to Disney. Each time I sell a story, he asks, "Is the one that will let us go back to Disneyland?" To him it is the be-all and end-all of childhood existence.

Make it cheaper, people! We'll show! Our kids are only young for so long, their adolescence doesn't wait on the economy! /frustration

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

I dunno. I remember when a trip to Disney was *the* vacation for a year - and you know how close we live to it.

We didn't go to the park very often until I was the one to pay to get in - and these days? You've gotta be kidding. (We want a Disney fix, we pony up the $25 per person for Goofy's Kitchen and call it a bargain.)

[neintales.livejournal.com]

I also miss Dunkin' Donuts.

Actually, it's on the list of Things To Do When Visiting A Civilized City for me and my mom:

Visit A Best Buy
Visit A Used Media Store
Visit A (or several) Sushi Restraunt(s)
Visit A Dunkin' Donuts

[caitlin.livejournal.com]

I haven't been to any of them except Sbarro lately m'self.

Yeah, I know you don't like pizza. Me, I don't like Krispy Kreme. WAAAY too sweet on donuts.

I'm not sure I'll miss any of them, to be honest.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Stuff that doesn't get used - hence, going to die of natural causes.

[the-paulr.livejournal.com]

Me, I don't like Krispy Kreme.

You're not the only one. Can't stand them, myself.

[kusoyaro.livejournal.com]

Wow, malls without Sbarros? Inconceivable!

And Krispy Kreme going away would be huge...not just the stores themselves, but most donuts sold in grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, etc. on this coast are Krispy Kreme.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Maybe they'll start sourcing locally (mine do) with decent cake replacements. Jim *loathes* KK donuts - he's a bit of a cake purist.

[kusoyaro.livejournal.com]

One of my friends who grew up further south did not realize for many years that there were donuts other than KK. That's how ubiquitous they are around here.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

*I sad for them*

I grew up on Winchell's. TRY to find one of those now.

[the-paulr.livejournal.com]

I remember Winchell's. They were great.

[muimi07.livejournal.com]

There's one Winchell's that I know of in San Jose, on McKee. Looks like the store time forgot and same with the donuts... in a good way. Yum.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Doooooonuts....

[redqueenofevil.livejournal.com]

There are about five in Pasadena.

I miss DD though... I can only get a DD fix when I go to Florida now.

[tomlemos.livejournal.com]

I had to go into a local Rite Aid yesterday to buy some cough drops.

The inside of the store was something I remember out of my youth. It was very "old" looking and although it was clean, this store had seen better days. The Walgreens up the street was light years ahead of this Rite Aid, and it was a smaller store.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

*nods* See? I don't hear anything about Walfgreens having issues, and we have almost as many of those around as Starbucks.

[neintales.livejournal.com]

I don't think my friends who have worked at Rite Aid will be terribly surprised.

They worked pharmacy. They were treated like shit by the company. They were treated like shit by many customers, who they tried to be nice to, but ultimately, on many ocassions, the company would go forth and treat the customers like shit, which is why, then, the customers would take it out on the Pharmacy Tech, of course.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Shit sandwich, open faced. Yup.

[neintales.livejournal.com]

I just sent the article to one of those friends who worked at Rite-Aid.

Her reply?

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! BAI BAI FUCKERS!"

Surprise level from her? Zero.

[kshandra]

Sbarro is my one guaranteed chance of finding something gridlore will eat in a mall food court. (Subway is becoming increasingly common, mercifully, but given his druthers, the pepperoni wins out every time.)

We lost our RiteAid early last year; the strip mall it was in is being almost completely rebuilt, with a Whole Paycheck going in as the anchor store sometime this spring. (Trader Joe's is in the strip mall across the street. Yeah, that'll end well.) I had already moved our prescriptions to the Costco across the street before this happened, and have to admit I'm at least as happy with the pharm staff there.

Meanwhile, I'm sitting here doing my damnedest to polish my resume and dreading what I'm going to see when I hit Craigslist.

[caitlin.livejournal.com]

Trader Joe's v. Whole Paycheck.

Trader Joe's every time for me.

I didn't like the feel of the one Whole Foods I went into back when I was within driving distance of 5 Trader Joe's and one Whole Foods.

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

Agree with you there on trader joes. whole foods is fun to visit, but not good for regular items unlike trader joes (thought can't get everything there).

Would love an Aldi's (who owns trader joes).

[feyandstrange.livejournal.com]

In my 'hood at least, neither one takes food stamps, and TJ's has a history of providing crappy service to cripples all up and down the West Coast.

In this economy, it'd be a smart move to start taking food stamps. I see mom-and-pop corner stores that do it; TJ's excuse is that they don't regularly stock stuff.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that whole 'cute and cheap' theme just doesn't work for someone who needs an aisle wide enough to roll a chair down to shop in - cos'? Not so much.

Seriously. There are a couple of stores I wouldn't take people in on a bet - the one who get claustrophic first and foremost.

[feyandstrange.livejournal.com]

There are some places where I'll shop even if I can't get down all the aisles because I know the service is good, and if I need something I can't reach, it'll be in my basket in seconds.

TJ's is incapable of answering the question of "Which checkout aisle is accessible?" without being dicks. I left nearly in tears at one point because I was so badly treated. No more. (And I hear much the same from others.)

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Hip, happening and uneven as hell. Yup, that's TJ's. Pity.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Curry House has started putting stores in malls - I should go in and support the one near me and give them ideas.

But going to the mall at all? Hasn't happened, not even at Christmas, for over a year. NASTY.

You're also using Indeed.com, yes?

[snobahr.livejournal.com]

I'm bummed about the Station casinos - when we took my mom and BoyZilla to Vegas a couple of years ago, we stayed at the Boulder Station, which had in-building children's play area (uber-supervised). It was a definite draw for us. It's when we saw The Corpse Bride, which was in the 5-plex adjacent to it. On the other hand, since our reason for visiting Vegas every once in a while now lives in Boulder City, there's no reason for us to stay in Vegas proper, generally speaking.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Note the when - years ago. I don't think you're alone in that, and hence the problem.

[kiyone.livejournal.com]

Boulder station still has those things. Not much changes. lol.

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

Krispy Kreme was neat when it was new, but usually I hit dunkin donuts - that's what is ubitquitous around here.

Sbarro - like, don't hit too often (haven't been to the one near work in months - been eating in the office lately) Think a few in the malls near me are gone anyway.

Six Flags...don't go by me - I haven't been to the one in NJ since 1984(!). Hope to take Alan there at some point though.

Rite Aide - do most of my pharmacy shopping at the supermarket or target/walmart. Due to geographic quirks, none of the chains (Rite Aide, Walgreens and CVS) are that near my home - but in NYC there's only a Duane Reed on every block and a rare and occasional Walgreens or CVS. (I pass the Walgreens in Times Square on the way home). However the nearest Rite Aide is 24/7 right near the local hospital - probably a good location.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

DD is my preference, after Winchell's and local sourced (OM NOM NOM) donuts. That would definitely not break my heart to have around here again.

[neintales.livejournal.com]

Sadly, where I live, the only donuts are the type the little eateries buy pre-made and frozen and just pop into the oven for a bit.

Of the few things I miss from living in Grand Rapids, right after "My favorite sushi restraunts" comes the DD+Baskin Robbins.

Yeah. Same building, same owners, DD and Baskin Robbins. It was sugary death any time I drove past that stretch of road.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Oh man. DEATH.

[neintales.livejournal.com]

Yep. Now, there is one grocery store in this town that has things like homemade death-by-chocolate cake and such (made by a woman who formerly ran a bakery). And they have these mysterious cream-cheese pastries that I am totally addicted to.

I call them mysterious because I can't tell if they're frozen fare, or if they are some of the homemade thing. Also because there is no earthly way of ever predicting when the bakery will have them for sale. Just once in a great while, they'll BE there, and I'll find myself in almost a panic to get as many as I can afford into a box to 'last me for the week'.

'Course, I wind up eating too many of them that very day, but... yeah.

And what's worse is when I go there and see the namecard declaring they HAD the cream cheese croissants at one point in the day, but the actual tray is empty of all but frosting shards and crumbs.

[feyandstrange.livejournal.com]

I'm not shocked by any of these, no. Although secretly hoping that some bright lad will capitalize, if Krispy goes under, and move Dunkin's back into CA.

In SF right now, it's Walgreens or hell or the two surviving Rite Aids, both of which have consistently given me better service and product. It's also the pharmacy of choice for the city health program, because Walgreens was less than helpful to them. If we lost Rite Aid up here, it will suck.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

I really don't care for Walgreens any more than Rite Aid - I still have a couple of Longs Drugs down here, which should convert over to CVS (*hisses*) soon.

I'm a big believer in mail-order pharmacy for daily stuff - and at this point, we're all Kaiser for the things they write, so even more so.

I'd hate to be at the mercy of a Rite Aid. Really really.

[feyandstrange.livejournal.com]

The theory of mail order is nice, but my folks have had a lot of trouble with theirs - and when that includes chemo drugs, that's not good.

I can't say I'm thrilled with Rite Aid, but Walgreens seems to be about as bad. I prefer Rite AId's online to Walgreens' online. Walgreens locally have been really variable - some great, some suck, unpredictable as heck.

Right now my drugs are "paid" for by Medicare part D, which IIRC I can transfer to Walgreens if I have to. I think there are still a half-dozen indie pharmacies out in more residential neighborhoods, but around here? Walgreens every other block. I expect half of their stores to close in this downturn.

Only thing worse was the dispensary at General. Which will probably have to close in this budget climate as well, which sucks.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

I don't begrudge my privilege of being a pain the ass - I have the energy to do it.

My high water mark? Getting a 90-day supply of Epogen for $10 co-pay. Shit you not. (Twice weekly, 300 units - if I remember right.)

Try to wear me down, mail-order beeyotches. *smacks ass in their general direction*

[dame-of-dames.livejournal.com]

Krispy Kreme came, they sold donuts, they left. It's back to Dunkin Donuts, which is THE chain, anyway, in Philly.

I use Rite-Aid for the emergency scrip and medical sundries in a jiff, because there is one down the block from me. It's actually pretty clean and not very old.

Otherwise, it's Target and mail-order.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Or a Vons near me (I think Safeway is still around, too) - maybe there's still a Sav-On or two.

Less choice, less convenience. But - haven't stepped foot inside a store - and don't want to. *weighs*

[djdig.livejournal.com]

I've always hated Sbarro's food, so I won't miss that one.

Just like you though, I haven't been to any of the listed stores/companies in years.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

*nods* Kind of telling, isn't it?

[ms-hecubus.livejournal.com]

Rite Aid just can't compete with CVS because of one important thing - CVS Extra Care Bucks. It doesn't take much effort to translate those into free products at CVS. Rite Aid tried with their single check rebate system. Who wants to wait until the end of the month to get all of their rebates? Walgreens does the same thing, rebate checks, but they also do a register rewards program that gives you money back in gift certificates. The upside of those gift certificate programs is people are spending them back in the store.

Blockbuster is crappy to their customers but their benefits package rocks. It is the only company that I've ever worked for that paid for my birth control pills. And they were the first company I worked for that offered same sex partnership benefits (back in 1994). The health insurance was worth much, much, much more than my wages.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

The Blockbuster near me went out of business. There's a Pinkberry there now.

...

I really don't have anything to add to that, except this the one Pinkberry I know of without a line trailing out the door.