Game Over For Stein Mart | Retail Archaeology

[@brose2323]

At no point in my life did I ever hear someone say"lets go to Stein Mart".

[@dudeguy7347]

Except when Retail Archaeology and his buddy were sitting around on a Saturday night, drinking, and figuring out which pointless and unnecessary store they should film next.

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

Ha! Orlando, Orlando.gov has or had almost every retail/dept store brand. I only went into Stein Marts to get plates, bowls 🥣 cups, mugs, etc. Orlando FL had World Markets, Home Decor, Bealls, Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohls, Big Lots etc.

[@CDTucker336]

My mom use to take me there but haven't seen one since 2000

[@margaretfogler1848]

I liked Steinmart. They had nice clothing in my size at reasonable prices.

[@jenniferoelker1740]

Thanks for all the lovely uplifting comments. U guys talkin shit & I'm losing my job. So kind of u all

[@sam9482]

Mervyn's is a name I thought I'd never hear again. Brings back childhood memories

[@seanrath4510]

Me too, it was my grandma’s favorite store to shop at!

[@Ratxgirl503]

Anyone remember Emporium?

[@deemand1778]

Sean Rath that was where I’d often get my school clothes as a kid😂

[@garystarkey6255]

Both my Aunts worked at Mervyn's for years. pretty much all my clothes growing up were from there.

[@berniecolling3697]

Do you remember the commercial for Mervyn's " Open..Open..Open"

[@dhrachth1]

Steinmart has always been last season's old lady clothes for nearly the same price as a department store. I've been expecting them to go out of business for 30 years, because there's never anyone in the store.

[@laddibugg]

dhrachth1 the only person I knew who shopped at steinmart was my aunt, who had a more mature style (more so than my own mom who is older). She passed in March so at least she didn’t have to see the demise of one of her favorite stores

[@mangopilar]

Not all Stein Mart locations, have old lady clothes it depends on the demographic of the area. I worked at Stein Mart for almost 8 years, we were always busy location, especially on the weekends.

[@palmolive2005]

In the 1970s, they used to have a lot of customers. We used to play in the racks and get in trouble with the staff when mom would take us there all the time.

[@harddriven1344]

@@laddibugg I offer you my condolences.

[@blastedmcgraw152]

I’ve quite enjoyed your content for a while now, but I’m absolutely LOVING the addition of the transitions to commercials, as well as the actual commercials, from back on the day, and the way you’ve incorporated them into your content. Wraps me up in that nostalgia blanket.

[@FallicIdol]

Agreed

[@morlamweb]

The $150 blanket, or the $13 one? ;)

[@Sbensonn]

Liquidation sales should start at 50% off. Come on, you're going out of business, at least treat it like you are. 10% to 20% is like normal business sales.

[@russcannon6725]

They start at ten and and twenty percent because some people will buy at that price point. Liquidators are hired to recover as much cash as possible.

[@alexthetiger7806]

The name Stein Mart sounds like it was old when it was brand new

[@Bubblun1]

Stein Mart was a late arrival to the St. Louis market. They really didn't seem to advertise much and I literally thought it was an oversized store that sold beer steins and accessories. Finally, curiosity lead me to go in one and I was disappointed to find an overpriced Marshall's type environment.

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

I agree. The business model & retail 🛒 is way off. The Orlando FL locations were huge like this too. Clothing & apparel is way over priced, marked up in 2020. Consumers & shoppers are more savvy, in touch. In 2020, people do not roam around shops, stores like 🐑.

[@evelinholmes6401]

Bubblun there advertising was always heavy from thanksgiving to Christmas on TV except in the last 2 years.

[@medicbabe2ID]

@Bubblun I had never been in a Hobby Lobby and thought it was a giant store that had literally everything for the model train hobbyist, model airplanes (those huge radio controlled ones), model cars and rocket kits, science and chemistry stuff, maybe ham radio equipment, etc. Imagine my shock.

[@Bubblun1]

@@medicbabe2ID lol! And I could see myself thinking that too.

[@DangerDoom9000]

stein mart was allways one of stores you see in every mall but never go in. Also when it comes to discount clothes i allways go to Ross.

[@HistoryHighwithLisaMarrie]

I'm buying stock in Ross, lol.

[@TheChickenRiceBowl]

@@HistoryHighwithLisaMarrie Saw your username and decided to stroll through your channel. I can't believe it isn't more popular. Will be watching a couple videos when I get off of work.

[@RoseluvsHHR]

It’s hard to beat Ross. Half my clothing comes from Ross!

[@heriatm2771]

"Ross"....😐😑😒😒😒

[@acetvr6]

Marshall's

[@jtlovescodelyoko]

It's crazy that Sears outlasted Stein Mart, they outlasted Lord & Taylor for Christ's sake, DAMN

[@KevinB519]

Sears is gone so technically steins is still open but going out of biz so technically stein mart is lasting longer

[@TheChickenRiceBowl]

@@KevinB519 Sears is still alive and kicking online surprisingly.

[@codybrandoncargle3129]

JT LovesCodeLyoko Honestly Sears is basically dead they are none left in Metro Atlanta as of this year and Hurricane Michael devasted the one where I currently live now which is Panama City Beach Florida I used to live in Metro Atlanta of course, but lmao Stein Mart looks like Macy’s and Marshall’s got trapped inside of Sears to me. 🤣 My family has never liked Stein Mart, honestly they would have to be like Burlington Coat Factory to be on par with Marshall’s, Ross, Tj Maxx is the same thing as Marshall’s because they own Homegoods as well under the TjMaxx corporation, and Bealls/Burke’s Outlet, so I’m afraid the inevitable was for Stein Mart, and lmao Lord and Taylor a very expensive rundown store that was extremely short lived in Metro Atlanta with 3 locations including Phipps Plaza which is now as of today Nordstrom’s, and Lord and Taylor is only in the Peninsula of Florida mostly, the Boca Raton location was just a comeback location that failed miserably, and Stein Mart was in Destin, Florida where I currently live not far from there, so with all of this being said really Sears didn’t fully outlasted either one of them. 🤣

[@hamsterama]

Sears the department store is gone from the state of Ohio. All that's left in this state is just a few appliance outlet stores, and a few franchised Sears Hometown stores in some rural towns. So no, Sears did not outlast Stein Mart, at least in my state. In Columbus, there are two Stein Marts, and zero Sears.

[@codybrandoncargle3129]

hamsterama Yep that’s all that is left of Sears in Metro Atlanta and the Florida Panhandle is nothing but, appliance outlets and individually owned Hometown stores, the Sears Home Appliance Outlet in Hiram, Georgia was extremely short lived it opened from 2009-2015/2016 but definitely no later than 2014/2013ish for sure, so yeah not shocking to see Sears gone from existence at all, Stein Mart only had 1 location directly near my old house in Georgia which was Kennesaw, Georgia but 2nd location in Marietta, Georgia West Cobb location didn’t open until long after I moved to Panama City Beach Florida, so Destin, Florida is the only Stein Mart directly near my house where I currently live now. 🤔

[@SaiKitUwU]

I've worked at Stein Mart the last few years and I'm currently helping with the liquidation process. In all honesty, I saw this coming since the company has been struggling to get business. They rely heavily on their loyal customers and weekend rushes to make profit. They brought in the Amazon lockers and a new Ipad checkout system to try and up business, but even with those additions they still struggled. Also, with their stock hovering around under 50 cents the last few years, the stores are just dead 5 days out of the week. Once covid happened, closing for 2-3 months and then reopening just to get a massive influx of returns and no business just put the company in too big a hole. I never heard of Stein Mart until I got a job there lol, but i will say that its a shame they're closing all their stores.

[@3Cr15w311]

To me, they seemed like a much higher end version of T J Maxx. They had higher end brands, but of course, at higher prices. Sometimes I would buy a nice article of clothing in Stein Mart if the price were good, but often, the discounted price was high enough to give me second thoughts, which could have been their main problem. If many of the discounted prices had been just $5 to $10 cheaper, they'd have sold a lot more clothing. They were in a weird place between the Ross, Marshall's, TJ Maxx, and Burlington's stores with a lot of lower end stuff at cheap prices and department stores themselves. Department stores sometimes have some good sales and you can get good deals there, so if you wait for sales at Belk or Dillard's, you can sometimes get some things even cheaper than Stein Mart sold them for.

[@heriatm2771]

Gurrrrl....Filene's Basement was my "jam"!!!

[@mollie-wankenobi8655]

@@heriatm2771 oh my dad always likes to talk about that because it's where he found suits for way cheaper than anywhere else

[@pinkpantherjealousy]

I use to work there and it was doomed (besides the low stock price starting in 2017) the moment they added a children's section last fall. Then the Amazon locker, revamping of the loyalty/CC program, then adding a junior's section. Nothing was biting. It was a great company to work for but in this current climate with the internet, it's hard to compete. Also, I'm Kind of surprised they never closed a lot of stores to keep afloat. That could have kept them open longer....maybe?

[@mangopilar]

Before Jay Stein stepped down, he took care of his associates always and put us first. Once he stepped down, the environment changed for the worst for the associates, greedy corporate directors who only cared about the customers, we didn’t matter anymore. This is a reflection, why the chain is closing for good, because they only cared about their salaries. We just didn’t matter, this is why retail in a whole is failing, in business you always put your employees needs first then the customer, because without associates being successful, the store will profit always. I worked at Stein Mart, for almost 8 years in South Florida, it’s been almost 3 years since I left I got out just in the nick of time. I feel for the management and associates, whom stayed behind, my prayers go out to all of them, during this difficult transition.

[@BlueMC413]

Actually Jay Stein is the reason for the companies demise. Lookup Stein Marts 2015 stock dividend for shareholders of whom Jay was the largest shareholder. He got rich and put the company in the Hole they could never climb out of.

[@mangopilar]

@@BlueMC413 It’s unfortunate, he claims his daughters wanted no part of the family business.

[@monkeywkeys3916]

@@mangopilar Why would the daughters want to actually work. Just assuming i guess

[@russcannon6725]

@@BlueMC413 Excellent point. Hobble the company by loading it down with lots of debt. That's a brilliant move!

[@STYLEislOVE]

Honestly, I wouldn't even call Stein Mart a discount clothing store. Their prices are still pricy and comparable to those in department stores.

[@rmknicks]

Lol

[@wooferjr169]

And that was their demise.

[@owenp5730]

My best Stein Mart experience was when I was 6 I found a Gameboy Advance SP with Sharktales in it left in a cart. Still have it till this day

[@Dr.Quarex]

There is a non-zero chance that the sad kid who lost that will post about it on the comments to this very video.

[@stormyalice]

I was in my teens when the Advance SP came out. I feel so old.

[@user-vi4xy1jw7e]

@@stormyalice dang. You're ancient

[@realironballs]

I think it's incredibly sad actually. Especially for the folks who are losing their jobs, and thank you for mentioning that. I'll never forget when I was 16 and my life was in a bit of turmoil, I went to live with my mom for the last two years of high school. I didn't have many clothes so we went to Stein Mart of all places and she proceeded to drop about $400 on a new wardrobe for me to start at a new school. That was in fall of '93. Nothing really special about it, just a fond memory I have that this video made resurface.

[@Sula_Mareska]

The only Stein Mart I know of near me is in a strip mall up on a hill surrounded by other strip malls with more exciting options, as well as a successful full mall. I think the saturation of options for people in my area really killed Stein Mart. And any time I did happen to see someone come out, they looked to be over 60. I think the Stein Mart demographic is dying out, and Stein Mart’s death was inevitable, especially with the powerhouses of TJ Maxx and Ross’s appealing to younger people

[@adamsATSfan415]

I Know i only have one near me to.

[@adamsATSfan415]

and my Steinmart in Rosstownship near pittsburgh used to be a kaufman's but it moved to the Ross park mall in the 90s but the Company went bye bye because they all became Macy's well most of them did though.

[@Sula_Mareska]

Funnily enough, that’s the same one near me. I had no idea that it was ever a Kaufmann’s though.

[@adamsATSfan415]

@@Sula_Mareska the giant eagle and Dunhams there was also a Former Kaufman's i was only 3 when Macy's bought them and in Chicago before Macy's it was something called Marshall Field's,

[@adamsATSfan415]

@@Sula_Mareska it was kind of a big Kaufman's but smaller then the one at rossparkmall location wallieb26 needs to film it because it's closing the steinmart is at McIntyre square Drive one he never filmed in Ross township in a while sense like 2019 i think when the toysrus which is now something else was abandoned.

[@TominoCabana]

To be honest, every time I went to Stein Mart there was never a lot of people. It is sad to see them close though

[@russcannon6725]

Boo hoo!

[@retroarcadefan]

On the plus side, it did last for over 100 years... I've never entered one in my life though.

[@Bingbc40]

If it weren’t for the signs, I would not be able to tell that the store is liquidating with how much product is there

[@matteng1448]

Honestly they had some really decent clothes at some decent prices. Yes, I know the store wasn’t for everyone but if you ever went in you realized it wasn’t just hand me down stuff. Sorry to see it go.

[@LindaFromSeaAtTull]

It reminds me of a place my grandma would ship at.

[@marciawypychowski8467]

I started shopping at Steinmart about 10 to 12 years ago. At that time I could find several cute and unique tops which I really liked. About 4 years ago I noticed their stock started to change. There were times I would walk thru the store and not be able to find anything at all I would consider buying. They started stocking a lot of brands which, in my opinion, were for a younger clientele. When I asked, I was informed by more than one associate that a younger CEO had taken over and was changing the buying habits of the store. Since that time I think the only items I have purchased at the store was a bed quilt and a couple of pair of sandals. Just as an example, I used to be able to find cute flannel shirts to wear as jackets in the winter but since the buying changes I don’t think I have even seen one flannel in the store.Their clothing line is no longer geared to the age group of the people who shopped at the store. I stopped in the other day and I couldn’t find any clothing I was remotely interested in buying at that time or going back for if it was discounted further. That is really sad. While I do believe the COVID virus did hurt them, in my opinion, their change in the clothing they stocked was what really did them in. It’s a shame because it was a nice store I could run to down the street from me and not have to trek to the mall. Unfortunately tho, I won’t miss them as much as I would have years ago.

[@heriatm2771]

My sequin paillette boleros will be souvenirs.

[@MissMTurner]

I only went to Stein Mart once. We were in the plaza already (picking up something from Michael's) and on a whim decided to go in. The store looked identical to both of your tours. It was fine. There was nothing wrong with it. But it just seemed geared more towards the senior crowd. Even in their signage and displays, there was lots of mention of senior discounts. Now, I get thats common here in Florida for a lot of businesses, but I never thought of them as a "modern" or "trendy" store.

[@phxjaguar5207]

My thoughts as well and not a destination spot if you needed a specific item. Only time I saw more than a handful or two of customers was before Christmas for gifts that he had alluded to. The only area where we really hoped to find anything was with the shoes which sometimes were quite limited and if we did find something there is/was at least 5 shoe stores just down the same street, including the actual brand direct sales locations, that carried the same shoes for lower price if that was an issue

[@keyboardbirb]

I loved Steinmart. I think that if they didn't close their online store and had a larger online catalogue, they wouldn't be struggling as much

[@evelinholmes6401]

keyboardbirb online shopping is just another can of worms. It’s very costly for the store. Returns are a big costly time consuming problems

[@heriatm2771]

I've only been to a SteinMart once or twice. They were too far away...location-wise.

[@LenjaStar]

I went to Steinmart to look at sun glasses. $170 even with the liquidation discount. Went to Walmart across the street and spent $10.

[@everyhandletaken]

it's not the kind of place you would walk into willing to spend $170 (or more) on a pair of sunglasses, is it... stores look so tired & outdated.

[@micahjohnsonboxing6409]

@@everyhandletaken When I worked for them they were viewed as a store for rich people.

[@everyhandletaken]

Micah Johnson Boxing interesting. unfortunately you wouldn’t see that looking at their stores today.. 😞

[@monkeywkeys3916]

@@everyhandletaken It looks nice, clean and well organized. Throwing money at a Remodel would seem too little too late.

[@everyhandletaken]

@@monkeywkeys3916 definitely at this stage, yeah

[@MsSelfloather]

I always thought Stein Mart was a grocery store for some reason.

[@TheBigGSN5]

Because it says mart and has a green sign, I thought it was a grocery store too.

[@danh2134]

Same here

[@jasburger]

Yeah, just seems like a grocery store type place

[@icecreamforcrowhurst]

Me too! Lol

[@Sheikh_Speare]

Same 😂

[@williamharris8367]

Here in Canada, in the past 15 years or so, we have lost Eatons (a high-end department store chain), Sears Canada, Zellers (a discount chain), and Target's foray lasted barely more than a year. I have been to very many liquidation sales. ☹ In my experience, the discounts only go really high on merchandise that cannot be sold through jobbers and liquidators who will buy warehouse quantities. The clothing, for example, will be odd sizes or styles so old that nobody wants them. Tools, electronics, etc. will _never_ get more than 10-15% off. Those red, yellow, black, and white signs are identical to what I see at liquidation sales around here It amuses me to think that some printing company specializes in producing just those types of signs. Presumably their business is going very well.

[@wcoleman99]

The delicious irony of printing their own going out of business signs if they aren't.

[@ladytron9188]

They use those yellow ,black and white signs in the U.K. as well.Buisness must be booming for the printers of these signs due to the amount of store closures.👍🇬🇧

[@Crackrzz]

This place in this video kinda reminds me of Winners here.

[@BoratWanksta]

Macy's is the only store chain I can think of, using different store closing signs than the typical ones used at most liquidations. See this video, for an example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXnRZZech85gh8k But yeah, 98-99% of most stores use the same style of store closing signs, seen here.

[@micahjohnsonboxing6409]

I worked for their warehouse in Grand Prairie about 8 years ago they'd work us till we got hurt then fire us.

[@lindsayesho8911]

You make me nostalgic for things I didn't even experience. Great video as always.

[@less5406]

Stein Mart was a store we would go into, laugh at the prices, then hit a Kmart for the same items way cheaper.

[@countrymusic30]

And you wonder why so many people are losing their jobs.

[@sonicmoremusic1]

Had never heard of them before this video. I find I stay away from liquidation sales when it's only at 10 to 20% off, it's when it reaches 50% off and more I start buying. Another great video, thanks Erik!

[@darkinertia2]

every time i see that store sign i think it says "stain meat"

[@markvolpe2305]

I always think it says "stain mart" I always thought it was a carpet store for some reason.

[@darkinertia2]

@@markvolpe2305 i thought it was a grocery store lol but thats probably because they built a whole foods next door at the same time

[@MichaelChiklisCares]

Stalemate.

[@winterhall8678]

😂

[@alimcc773]

Went to my local one & basically saw same thing. No one really buying anything. Overhead shoppers complain that they used to have a lot of clearance merch but now everything is 10% to 20% off & not much clearance. One said it feels like prices went up & that nailed it. 10% on clothing just isn't that big a deal.

[@marnireeves2177]

I can tell you prices weren't raised for liquidation.

[@davinp]

COVID-19 hurt many retailers this year. Retailers that were struggling before the pandemic have gone bankrupt

[@patflat456]

There were a bunch of Steinmarts in south west Florida when I used to live down there. Now I live way up in the north east and nary a one. I feel these stores thrived where old people retired and waited to die. Up here our chain similar to steimart is called Reny's.

[@user-gj8wo8lq9s]

They're based in Jacksonville, so they have a strong south east presence.

[@jtlovescodelyoko]

Honestly that is a great observation I do get like a one-story Mervyn's vibes from Stein Mart

[@r5LgxTbQ]

this is my first time seeing the inside of one. It's always impressive how much department stores manage to look exactly like each other. I would not be able to pick it out from a Kohl's or Penny's or Sears

[@codybrandoncargle3129]

scy1192 Lmao Stein Mart is definitely nothing like Kohl’s or Jcpenney’s even those are better than them! 🤣 And Sears is definitely about as awful as them. 😅

[@FurEngel]

The problem I see, is that "liquidation sales" are just scams and consumers know it. Nearly everything is purposely overpriced, then the advertising says "Up to 80% off everything!" with "Up to" in small letters, and when you actually go into the store, nearly everything is the EXACT same price that it was pre-liquidation. So now when a new company fails and goes into bankruptcy, I just avoid even wanting to go inside.

[@tlpricescope7772]

I purposely avoid liquidation sales for the reasons u mention.

[@AK-tx5uy]

Very sad to see so many negative comments from people that never even walked in the store. Stein Mart was about offering superior customer service while maintaining high merchandising standards. Not sure how anyone can even say that Ross, Marshall's or TJMaxx was a better store to shop at is absolutely crazy. Those stores just throw all shirts together or all pants and you have to dig to hopefully find something. I worked for Stein Mart for over 15 years and learned a lot from some great bosses and co-workers. Made lots of lifelong friends. When Jay Stein ran the company he would visit the stores and made a point to personally shake the hand of each and every employee and thank them for all their hard work. He once even stopped to hand write a personal letter to an employee that wasn't working the day he visited. You can't say that about most CEO's or owners. Once Jay stepped down and new CEO's came into the picture the Stein Mart philosophy changed along with the merchandise being bought. All attributed to their current situation. Covid situation just amplified everything I believe. Great company and great employees. Wishing them all the best of luck in surviving the going out of business of their stores and quickly finding new jobs.

[@AriKona]

I was introduced to Steinmart by a person who often frequented Ross, TJ Maxx and Marshall's so tend to categorize it with them. Your choice of Mervyn's as similar is good, although I would see Mervyn's a bit closer to a Diamonds (Daytons) or Broadway (Emporium) store. As to whether or not this was an unavoidable event, I would say it is the fate of a lot of stores in America, not just because of the virus scare, but we are a society which has "over varietized" our shopping. We have so many choices of so many things to shop for at so many places that we end up trying to simplify. With online shopping, brick and mortars already take a serious hit. The only thing that saves these stores is some people need to try on the clothing before they buy. Well, we don't need 10 different clothing stores to choose from so take the best 2 or 3 and the rest will fade away. Steinmart just happened not to be one of the three (not that I know which ones will be left when the dust settles). I think we will end up with club stores (Costco, Sam's Club) and perhaps Walmart and another big chain store. Beginning soon we will see pop up tiny specialty stores in various locations depending on the demographics. And, we will become (if we already aren't) an online buying nation. Not a pretty thought for those of us who love to watch people while sitting in the malls and talk to people who have come into the store about things other than just the items they came to purchase. We'll just have to wait and see. Keep on digging. I love seeing what you discover.

[@evelinholmes6401]

AriKona I do believe shopping as a hoppy is over is over. The baby boomers are on the decline. Realty is setting in that we don’t need more stuff. Even the people holding garage self are finding it tough.

[@robb6406]

I used to work at Stein Mart for 3 years before the store location I worked at closed a couple of years ago. Seeing this video makes me a little nostalgic as the store layout and merchandising looked almost identical to the store where I worked. Stein Mart's problems began much earlier than 2017. The reason the stock market prices began to decline was that in 2015 the company took out a loan to pay dividends to shareholders. Before that the company had no debt. Then in 2016 a new CEO came in and tried to drastically revise the store, but she only lasted six months on the job. Many of the changes she initiated alienated the loyal customer base. Newspaper ads for the stores were replaced with email marketing despite the fact the majority of the store customers were seniors who still read the newspapers and were not tech savvy. The company also tried to modernize the store's inventory to attract younger customers, but these products often became clearance as they did not appeal to the main customer base.

[@alexsummy7509]

I've been here a few times, but never actually bought anything. The only reason I went here was because they had a location at the mall I used to work at, which was dying at the time. Now it's dead on the inside, but thriving on the outside. My mom used to shop here until she discovered amazon. I agree with most the the commenters here when they say that they merchandise at Stein Mart was definitely made for older generations.

[@kelsmister]

I never knew what a Stein Mart was until a few years back when one got added to Tucson. Meh. I've been spoiled by Ross, TjMaxx, Homegoods, and Burlington to want to go into another even smaller style store.

[@GlobalGaming101]

I’ve always driven past the Stein Mart in Tucson but never knew what they sold, until watching this video 😂

[@icecreamforcrowhurst]

Boy I get waves of nostalgia whenever I see those 90’s adverts

[@rollmeister]

In Australia, I never see a store with hardly any or no customers. Target is the only one where they had fewer people. They are turning Targets into Kmarts here now.

[@wroughtironmgtow9558]

I always believed that Aussies had a better retail culture than here in the States.Us Americans can be very needlessly picky and here Kmarts are almost non-existent.Too bad because I always preferred Kmart over Wal Mart.

[@AndrewAMartin]

@@wroughtironmgtow9558 Retail is way, way, way overbuilt in the US -- far too many stores for far too few shoppers. And it's only going to get worse -- the Retail Apocalypse is not over...

[@DAatDA]

One day, when Amazon has completely taken over retail, channels like yours will be all we have left of these stores.

[@lifeintune7851]

I hate Amazon

[@musclesmouse]

10% is a joke. Who's going to buy anything.

[@user-vi4xy1jw7e]

No one

[@chrislongbeard]

My mom liked them. Only one I know of in my area. May have to swing in there and see if they have the same blue suit on the right at 0:30.

[@1867Phoenix]

8:40 I could totally see party guests at a cookout. potluck, or dinner party going up to that drink dispenser and thinking "Oh great hand sanitizer!" *pump pump* "Hey, what's going on here? This isn't hand sanitizer".

[@sangomoon5456]

The fire hydrant licking the dog brings back childhood memories 💕

[@SwirlSwirl123]

Until I was in my teens, I thought Stein Mart was a stained glass store. I haven't been in one in about ten years. Great job with the intro! That gave me a rush of flashbacks about The Simpsons.

[@dadoctah]

Stein Mart used to be the only place I could find Easy Spirit men's shoes. Even the actual Easy Spirit stores in malls didn't seem aware that they made shoes for men too.

[@seanrath4510]

Mervyns was my childhood store back when I was like eight or six years old, my grandma loved to shop there! She will go to the one in Phoenix, and then we will go to the one in Chandler. My God, the store has the same feeling is that! Who agrees with me?

[@Jnthncrrll]

3:39-3:45 - The After These Messages Fire Hydrant Bumper, aired on ABC from 1987 to 1990, then took a break before returning back to ABC in 1992 and lasted until 1996.

[@lindagoreham2238]

I'm so glad you featured Stein Mart in your video. I was always wondering what this store was bur never researched it. Congratulations on all your subscribers, you are awesome!

[@itrthho]

Jay Stein and family sold their Stein Mart Stock (17.3 million shares) between 11 and 18 cents each just 4 days ago. The stock prices as of today...3 cents

[@DJ_Macphisto]

Basically, their shares in the company came out to be between $1.9 Million and $3.1 Million. That's quite a loss. I kinda feel bad for them.

[@russcannon6725]

@@DJ_Macphisto Not me. They've got several mansions do keep them comfortable. The special dividend several years ago that they voted in was the final nail in the Stein Mart coffin. Lots of debt connected with that.

[@everyhandletaken]

@@russcannon6725 the 11k employees (non-executive) are the ones you do have to feel sorry for though still..

[@DJ_Macphisto]

@@everyhandletaken Agreed.

[@ninjamaster3453]

In 2015 they claimed they were doing great. So they borrowed $250 million at "favorable rates" solely to pay a special divided of $5 per share. Most of which owned by the family. Scam.

[@possumgothic981]

I work at Stein Mart. I never expected to not only experience liquidation but to also see this video come up in my feed referencing my place of work

[@BDBD16]

THE INTRO IS THE END OF THE SIMPSONS!!! .....how you going to blow my mind next?

[@Crackrzz]

The CBS Saturday morning commercial buffers! Yucch! lol

[@syxepop]

@@Crackrzz - the CBS one was the one with the telescope; in this episode he uses an ABC one (after the dog being licked by the hydrant)...

[@syxepop]

@Portland Patriot - now you got all 3 Networks; best bumper NBC made for Saturday Mornings was in the late '70s (the N inside the Peacock logo gives it away) inside an animated pinball machine (it appears somewhere in YT)...

[@1rockcrawford]

When retail stores liquidate, they are not directly in charge of what percentages off get assigned to which categories, or when they increase the final discount. There is one company (Great American Group), responsible for handling most of America's retail liquidation; this is why whenever stores are set to permanently close, their GOING OUT OF BUSINESS signage universally looks the same, no matter what brand you're in.

[@0fficialdregs]

i love that intro. such a classic

[@johnpauljones9244]

It's funny, because a friend of mine, and I, were just talking about this! You nailed it, especially with the dated decor. Stuck in 1989...dated clothes, stuff... etc.

[@kimberlynielsen6485]

I worked at Stein Mart when we moved the LXR and Co luxury handbag boutique from Boston Store after they closed in a attempt to save my job that was actually making money in my location. Steinmart was 1 mile down the road. We moved it and it was a dud! Even after letting my customers know that we moved and were still in town, I couldn't do the same sales as in the Bonton location. Much older clientele with no need for a louis vuitton or gucci item. I quit after 3 months. I was very disappointed because I was making good money and commission.

[@blissiimo2064]

In Australia obviously we never had a Stein Mart and have I have never seen inside one before - but we have similar stores with similar stories. If the accountants get on the board or into upper management they tend to strip out everything wonderful, unique, creative and inspiring about a business [ eg. cost cutting] until eventually they become 'Ma and Pa Lowbrow' stores that sell dog stock with dismal decor. Poor Mr Stein would have been rolling in his grave for the last 60 years. I really hope that the stores that survive the pandemic are small enough to not have shareholders that force them into liquidation for not making enough profit. These folks will get to stay in business due to the hard work and inspiration of the owners and we will see the rise of local stores again.

[@randallkoch6183]

I like Stein Mart. They had nice stuff at descent prices. I will miss them.

[@cjzani]

The Amazon return counters in Kohls make you walk across the entirety of the store to get to them. It's incredibly smart placement on their part.

[@DiskettePark]

Good memories of my mom taking me to Stein Mart back in the day. There wasn't much there targeted at a kid my age, but I'd always manage to find some little area to entertain me. Also, we'd usually hit up the Michael's next door and I'd get to look at all the lovely art supplies.

[@MikeHarris1984]

I live in the PHX area and all your videos I know the areas! LOL I've seen Stein Mart's my entire life. I've never ONCE gone into one. I had no idea what they even sold until you made this video. Looks like a cross between Kohls and Bed Bath & Beyond

[@afbailey82]

Something I have always wondered about regarding these liquidation sales: no matter what the store is, the signage is always EXACTLY the same. Does every store just buy the same package of "liquidation sale" signage, or do they bring in some external company to run the liquidation sale, and then all of this signage is that company's thing?

[@ShannonBrownauthor]

It's usually an external liquidation company. Don't know if there are many of those but they all use the exact same signs.

[@catlink8998]

I'll miss them. They had a good selection of petite sized clothing. Their linens were priced well for the quality. Purses and other accessories were great. But their demographic tended to be middle age and older. Younger shoppers don't seem to shop at sticks & bricks that much. I think Covid was the fatal stake through the heart.

[@jtlovescodelyoko]

Another retailer bites the dust, really I never bought anything that much from Stein Mart in fact are Stein Mart here in Corpus Christi, it was originally located at Sunrise Mall then it move out megachurch took over their old spot, since then Stein Mart has been located at the Moore Plaza Shopping Center

[@adamsATSfan415]

i know it's sad Retail Archaeology because i have a location closing in Pittsburgh even though i never go to it at McIntyre Square it's sad.

[@falloutpictures]

I never knew Stein Mart existed until they put one in my home town... It maybe last a year or two and then it became a Dollar Tree. The funny part is that the Stein Mart HQ is a 35 minute drive from that town. Now were waiting on Southeast Grocers turn (Winn Dixie, Harvy's, and Bi-Lo)

[@firefly44220]

Next year that will be a “spirit Halloween”

[@hawktalon7890]

The one I drove by the other day already has a Spirit flyer on the door, LOL.

[@kennethcava4488]

So sad. It survived two world wars, countless recessions and a great depression, pandemic of 1918, and so on. Now it's closed forever.

[@Naviho1232]

So I work at Stein Mart and it didn’t surprise me that it went out of business. Last year they did this thing where stores would fulfill online orders. So when you said “online wasn’t doing so well” my thought was “sir, what are you talking about? I had 100+ orders a day to do everyday after we reopened from covid” but you’re right about everything else basically

[@ChelseaNeKole93]

I'm from Mississippi and Stein Mart was only popular with the older generation and southern mom's that had kids that went to school that had uniforms... but Belk is really big in the south and I think that's what took most of their business because they sell to the same clientele but have adapted to the times better so all generations shop there plus Belk has A LOT more inventory to choose from for all occasions

[@PeppermintPJ90025]

There was a Stein Mart about 10 minutes away from me and in the 7 years I've lived in this area, I never went in. I didn't even know what they sold.

[@siberiusthesleepingserpent312]

I just walked in Stein Mart in Lexington SC and they are liquidating that store as well. I always loved Stein Mart. Not just the 90s nostalgia you get from walking in there but I always thought the clothes were dope!

[@TheHrb1234]

10% off prices on items that werent selling before the pandemic just isnt going to cut it. On top of that all sales are final and theres no changing rooms for all the clothing - I dont see most of that stuff moving until its like 50% off.

[@markstrouse3101]

Your videos are really great. There's a Stein Mart within two miles from me in a dead mall, never ever stepped foot into it.

[@PinkAgaricus]

That Gracies Films style opening though, I was expecting the 20th Century Fox jingle to play after that. I forgot if any other studios used them as well.

[@Daniel28021991]

I like that the stores looks so clean and organised.

[@TheGoldenaxer]

I freaking love the new intro. First Neo Geo themed, now the one that always came on after The Simpsons! Keep it up, you do great work.

[@CowTaurog]

TBH I’m surprised they’ve been around this long. Most of their customers have been shopping there since the day their first store opened.

[@melindachitty2638]

I love Steinmart! So sad it is closing!

[@madcappah]

I live in Baton Rouge, where the Stein Mart is located in the Hammond Aire commercial you featured. It's still there with Michael's, probably the two oldest tenants in that strip mall. I shopped there often with my family as a kid.

[@royalnavarre1673]

I enjoyed shopping at Stein Mart. I would drive from Michigan to Toledo, Ohio to the only store around. I bought jewelry there, jeweled compact mirrors, padded satin clothes hangers, summer hats, and quality women's clothing. When prices increased, I didn't go as often.

[@amandakeaty4324]

I’m originally from the East Valley, and as a child, I was dragged into the first location you filmed often. Thanks for documenting. Some serious nostalgia.

[@ericaamodeo9994]

I’ve worked at the first location for almost 3 years now and I feel so honored that my location was in this video😂

[@MACMETALFACE]

Kudos for the Mervyns reference. It’s crazy now living in Japan and so many of these type stores are still a necessity and are busy as usual even in these days, but back west they are just an old memory. I remember having to go school shopping in Mervyns California as a something grader.

[@MarkDoesAirsoft]

I was a manager at one store during the liquidation. None of those sales we decided. And even though these locations were empty, we had more people shopping during the 10%-30% part of the sale than we did holiday season last year. Anyway, we sold out of everything this week so we’re done.

[@daehawk9585]

I saw a Michaels in that ad. I used to buy Star Trek model kits there in the early 1990s. They haven't had anything in decades.

[@JCWiley2300]

This is sad, we used to have a lot of Stein Marts in Texas. They were a slight step up from Ross or Marshall's, yes more like a Mervyn's as you say.

[@darkprince56]

The only stein mart in my area of South Texas closed, and now I know why. I went a few months ago and I managed to buy a $10 hat that I like very much and I wear to protect against the sun. Good thing I saved the tag with the store name on it, maybe one day it'll go into a museum for retail archaeology lol

[@kramnalla]

It's retail 101, the stores WERE designed to merchandise what they thought people would want and what they could move at a given time. BUT, times change, do holding onto an old store format doesn't mean it is relevant still...

[@ryanyoder7573]

Don’t rip on 1990s department stores. That was the heyday as they were super successful. Sad to see the decline over the years. Love the series but it’s hard to watch.

[@evelinholmes6401]

Ryan Yoder well way back in the olden days when a young person could work it’s way up from stock boy to working on the floor,then department manager,floor manger, co manager ,store manager and further up the ladder. The know there job right from the start. Then companies hired consulting firms who never worked in stores but had business degrees. The set unrealistic planes for who long a Cashier should take to put a customer true plus convince people to apply for a credit card. Which took another 15 min to get done.which put that cashier out of commission for the application. On the floor give good customer service but only spent a short time with them ,answering the phone and check on the Item that is requested for price or in-stock. And on and on .I seen it all. In my 40 years I retail. And the last 15 where the one with the most changes and not for they better.

[@btsmith]

@@evelinholmes6401 You hit the nail on the head. It is dysfunctional at best. Alot of firms use the stores for real estate tax evasion. After that they transfer all debt from their other companies and bankrupt the chain. This happens over and over and over again. And guess what...it is LEGAL!👌

[@user-vi4xy1jw7e]

@@btsmith people love to automatically blame Amazon when a chain fails. Lol

[@btsmith]

@@user-vi4xy1jw7e true...i just don't see that as a primary reason, if at all a reason at all.

[@Kjk_808]

That intro just unlocked a memory I didn’t know I had

[@GoGreen1977]

I know Stein Mart was popular with 30-something and slightly older stay at home moms or part-time workers who lived in very traditional, middle-class suburbs. I only shopped once or twice in a Stein Mart since I didn't live near any of them in my large metro area and I was never a stay at home mom. I wasn't overwhelmed.

[@neverknowsjess]

Lol growing up the stein mart in valencia, ca was an obligatory stop that we had to make everytime we would go to disneyland. My sister, mom, and grandma loved it. i would often sit with my dad in the bedding section where they had some chairs and wait until they were done 😅

[@KMFDM781]

There are a couple Stein Mart locations around Indianapolis and I have never been inside one. Looks like to me they did little to distinguish themselves from other stores like Mervyns with prices much higher than places like Ross or TJ Maxx/Marshalls. I love your videos BTW. I know people will say "You're caught in the worship of corporate consumerism, man!", but lots of people like me grew up going with loved ones who may be gone now, to shop at these stores for school clothes or lusting after a new Sega Genesis display at Hills or hanging at the malls with friends....and a lot of times the aesthetic and design of these places hasn't changed much from when we were kids. It's sad to see little things like this, seemingly an insignificant tapestry in the background of our lives for so long, taken for granted and then fade out slowly in such a depressing way, just as we're old enough to appreciate them.