lol I told my wife yesterday they were closing all the stores and her first response was “We have to use that $10 off coupon I just got!” Yeah, I’m good.
This is the 3rd time in 10 years they have closed all stores and filed for bankruptcy protection. The previous two times, someone came in and bought them at auction and reopened the chain. I doubt we see that happen this time.
My first job at 15 was in the original Bob's distribution warehouse in Middletown. I believe they had 6 stores at the time (this was 1987). My mom worked in the original store with Bob Lapidus in the early to mid 80's...I think I had a different color Bob's Surplus shirt for every day of the week (for those that don't know, they used to sell them for $1 in a big bin in the store).
End of an era (although it has obviously been a completely different era for some time)
I was selling shoes in the Middletown store (#1!!) while you were at the warehouse. Working at Bob's was a family affair for most of us townies. More than half of my family worked there at one point or another.
You're right, it is the end of an era. I still have at least one of my t-shirts. I might have to be gentle with it for now on.
> .I think I had a different color Bob's Surplus shirt for every day of the week (for those that don't know, they used to sell them for $1 in a big bin in the store).
That was a joke me and my best friend had: if we were ever really down on our luck we could always go to Bob's and get a new wardrobe for $7!
I guess we got less than two weeks to get that done.
We were customers at the Waterbury store mid-80s.
Ages ago I got interviewed by them for a lead engineer type role. When I was in the interview, they explained the role to me - and it was a DBA. ( English Translation: The IT version of a janitor. ) My smile immediately turned to a frown.
The hiring manager said: "You don't look enthusiastic about this role."
I said: "No."
I miss their EMS stores.
For those of us not familiar, EMS was kind of like REI, but with sane prices and 99% less smugness.
Bought my 1st GoreTex jacket there. That thing lasted a decade.
Looks like there are only two EMS stores in CT. None that is be willing to drive to from Milford. Didn’t there used to be one in Fairfield? Would love to see EMS moved into the Bobs in Milford. REI in Orange seems to be doing well. Milford is losing so many stores: Kmart, sears, jcp, bbb, bobs, Xmas tree shops(Orange),.
Privately owned businesses destroy businesses??? ( That is exactly what you said, btw. You may attempt to decipher your word salad to this MBA if you wish. )
They're clearly talking about private equity *firms*. Specifically the ones that buy companies with no intention of actually running them as successful businesses. The ones that eke every cent of value they can out of the company before closing it for good. Don't be a pedant, Mr. MBA
The MBA is a weird flex, I'm an IT guy with a MBA. You wouldn't want me giving advice on anything but rebooting a pc.
However, I agree. And Connecticut is pretty infamous for private equity and hedge funds that buy out companies and tear them down so their investors get paid out.
See: blackberry
Red Lobster is my favorite recent example. The private equity firm bought the brand and sold all the land it owned to a property management company that they also owned for pennies on the dollar. Then that new landlord charged the restaurants high land lease rates until they went bankrupt, resulting in the equity firm converting the remaining assets of Red Lobster into cash in the account of its property management company for a total amount much higher than they could have sold the failing chain for. Like vampires sucking the blood out of their victims.
Sad! I remember years ago when I was in high school ( late 70s LOL) you could bring in old sneakers or jeans during back to school shopping and get money off!
i went to this store every single time i would go to my grandma's. god bless her, she's been dead since 2000 and now bob's is joining her. i remember a year in middle school (1997?, 1998?) where i literally had the same shirt from bob's just in like three different colors.
Well damn didn't the one in Buck land hills mall just open recently? Back to losing another anchor for the mall I guess. Maybe it will become a Spirit Halloween like it was a couple years ago again.
Back in the mid nineties we would buy our sneakers there. They were never pre-laced and it drove my dad nuts.
Sneakers did have go-faster lights on them which was rad.
I went to bobs for the first time in like 20 years last month. Stocked up on clothes for my teenager- shirts were 60% off etc so I got a lot of sale items. Turns out the shirts (no name, blank tees) were $40, so the discount basically just brought them to regular prices. Rinse and repeat for everything I bought (-$100 sweatpants down to $70 on sale). It was such a rip off
This was all too obvious. Our local Bobs had huge 30% off entire store signs but also signs saying all sales final. When I asked if they were closing they firmly and staunchly said NO.
Loved Bob's Surplus on Whitney ave in Hamden!! Only place you could get levi's flare jeans. I was in there at least twice a week. Never shopped them after they turned into Bob's Stores. They didn't carry the selection of jeans they once did. Miss the monster sized levi's they had hanging as a display.
I will be flying my Champion sweatshirts at half-mast.
🫡
Sad for the employees and their families. Not surprised to see it happen.
Going by the last time I went to a Bob’s… I am not sure anyone actually works at them.
This explains so much. I need a drink right now.
They’ve been cutting employees for years. They originally filed bankruptcy back in like 2017.
Hopefully this means they’ll stop emailing me coupons that I can’t ever use (in time)
lol I told my wife yesterday they were closing all the stores and her first response was “We have to use that $10 off coupon I just got!” Yeah, I’m good.
The coupons are still good through the 14th. Returns/exchanges as well.
This is the 3rd time in 10 years they have closed all stores and filed for bankruptcy protection. The previous two times, someone came in and bought them at auction and reopened the chain. I doubt we see that happen this time.
I think the previous owners have successfully squeezed any value that was left out of that store over the years.
The end of an era.
My first job at 15 was in the original Bob's distribution warehouse in Middletown. I believe they had 6 stores at the time (this was 1987). My mom worked in the original store with Bob Lapidus in the early to mid 80's...I think I had a different color Bob's Surplus shirt for every day of the week (for those that don't know, they used to sell them for $1 in a big bin in the store). End of an era (although it has obviously been a completely different era for some time)
I was selling shoes in the Middletown store (#1!!) while you were at the warehouse. Working at Bob's was a family affair for most of us townies. More than half of my family worked there at one point or another. You're right, it is the end of an era. I still have at least one of my t-shirts. I might have to be gentle with it for now on.
those were my painting shirts for 20 years.
I was shopping there in the early 80s. Was a great store.
The $1 was GREAT!!!!
> .I think I had a different color Bob's Surplus shirt for every day of the week (for those that don't know, they used to sell them for $1 in a big bin in the store). That was a joke me and my best friend had: if we were ever really down on our luck we could always go to Bob's and get a new wardrobe for $7! I guess we got less than two weeks to get that done. We were customers at the Waterbury store mid-80s.
Ages ago I got interviewed by them for a lead engineer type role. When I was in the interview, they explained the role to me - and it was a DBA. ( English Translation: The IT version of a janitor. ) My smile immediately turned to a frown. The hiring manager said: "You don't look enthusiastic about this role." I said: "No."
You sound like you'd question the dumb things you would be doing *over and over and over*... Sysadmin it is!
The one in Middletown has been “going out of business” for over 5 years now. I’ll believe it when I see it.
This time it’s for real
Oh, man. I used shop at the original store in Middletown when it was Bob's Surplus. Got my first Jean jacket there in the early 80s. End of an era.
Basement shoes!
I miss their EMS stores. For those of us not familiar, EMS was kind of like REI, but with sane prices and 99% less smugness. Bought my 1st GoreTex jacket there. That thing lasted a decade.
I didn’t realize EMS and Bob’s were the same company.
Yes, they are the same company that owns both.
EMS is staying open. Only Bobs is closing
Looks like there are only two EMS stores in CT. None that is be willing to drive to from Milford. Didn’t there used to be one in Fairfield? Would love to see EMS moved into the Bobs in Milford. REI in Orange seems to be doing well. Milford is losing so many stores: Kmart, sears, jcp, bbb, bobs, Xmas tree shops(Orange),.
I haven’t had a need to go there since Kohls. And the sneakers I wear I buy online.
I got my first pair of Jordan 3s at Bob's in like 1988-89! I remember carrying them out after my mom bought them. Good times.
I bought my first pair of Levi’s at the Main St Middletown store
Private Equity destroys businesses.
Privately owned businesses destroy businesses??? ( That is exactly what you said, btw. You may attempt to decipher your word salad to this MBA if you wish. ) 
They're clearly talking about private equity *firms*. Specifically the ones that buy companies with no intention of actually running them as successful businesses. The ones that eke every cent of value they can out of the company before closing it for good. Don't be a pedant, Mr. MBA
The MBA is a weird flex, I'm an IT guy with a MBA. You wouldn't want me giving advice on anything but rebooting a pc. However, I agree. And Connecticut is pretty infamous for private equity and hedge funds that buy out companies and tear them down so their investors get paid out. See: blackberry
Red Lobster is my favorite recent example. The private equity firm bought the brand and sold all the land it owned to a property management company that they also owned for pennies on the dollar. Then that new landlord charged the restaurants high land lease rates until they went bankrupt, resulting in the equity firm converting the remaining assets of Red Lobster into cash in the account of its property management company for a total amount much higher than they could have sold the failing chain for. Like vampires sucking the blood out of their victims.
Do qe think there will be liquidation sales?
Yes. I've been there during their normal sales, tho. Everything sucks. The liquidation sale will be a special kind of suck.
That Bobs from the video in Simsbury was closed down several years ago and replaced with an indoor go kart rink. That’s old footage.
Sad! I remember years ago when I was in high school ( late 70s LOL) you could bring in old sneakers or jeans during back to school shopping and get money off!
i went to this store every single time i would go to my grandma's. god bless her, she's been dead since 2000 and now bob's is joining her. i remember a year in middle school (1997?, 1998?) where i literally had the same shirt from bob's just in like three different colors.
Didn't they do this already like 20years ago? I had no idea they were still around. Wonder if have any Starter jackets?
Well damn didn't the one in Buck land hills mall just open recently? Back to losing another anchor for the mall I guess. Maybe it will become a Spirit Halloween like it was a couple years ago again.
That store was an “outlet”, and was amazingly low effort at that.
Back in the mid nineties we would buy our sneakers there. They were never pre-laced and it drove my dad nuts. Sneakers did have go-faster lights on them which was rad.
I went to bobs for the first time in like 20 years last month. Stocked up on clothes for my teenager- shirts were 60% off etc so I got a lot of sale items. Turns out the shirts (no name, blank tees) were $40, so the discount basically just brought them to regular prices. Rinse and repeat for everything I bought (-$100 sweatpants down to $70 on sale). It was such a rip off
Our economy is crumbling, but the media tells us everything is fine.
Where will I buy my World Industries shirts?
I plan on going with my family in a little bit to take advantage of any last available items on sale.
This is a stunning development. I thought they closed years ago.
Last time I went was because I had a coupon. Foolish me didn't read the fine print where it excludes pretty much any brand I would buy.
Fuck I moved out of state last year and was just saying to my friends next time I’m around I need to go buy some shoes
Not great, Bob!
This was all too obvious. Our local Bobs had huge 30% off entire store signs but also signs saying all sales final. When I asked if they were closing they firmly and staunchly said NO.
Best selection of shoes, boots, slippers
Does this affect EMS?? Edit: several articles say that EMS fate isn’t decided yet.
They’ve been “closing” for the past 15 years where I live
Loved Bob's Surplus on Whitney ave in Hamden!! Only place you could get levi's flare jeans. I was in there at least twice a week. Never shopped them after they turned into Bob's Stores. They didn't carry the selection of jeans they once did. Miss the monster sized levi's they had hanging as a display.
Hm. I like this store. Good thing there’s 100 other places to go and shop for clothes.
This isn’t the first time. Hopefully gone for good