Saying Good-bye to Steve & Barry’s

Clothing retailer on South State to close by year's end
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Charlise Brown holds a going-out-of-business sign on Friday at the southeast corner of Main and Liberty. The Steve & Barry's store is at 301 S. State.

Holding a sign that was about twice her height, Charlise Brown stood at the corner of Main and Liberty on Friday, bundled up in a hat, earmuffs, scarf and other winter gear.

“Yeah, it’s pretty cold,” she said, pulling down the scarf that warmed the lower part of her face. She and three others will be positioned around town through Sunday, paid to advertise the going-out-of-business sale at Steve & Barry’s clothing store at 301 S. State St.

In August, The Ann Arbor News reported that the Ann Arbor store would remain open, even though the company had declared bankruptcy in July and planned to shut some of its 250+ locations nationwide. That announcement was made soon after the company, via its supplier, lost the license to make clothing using the University of Michigan name and logo. The business is known for its low-priced clothing, targeting the university student market. It also sells clothing lines by celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker and Stephon Marbury of the New York Knicks.

On Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that the company had decided to close all remaining 173 stores and liquidate its inventory. On Friday, a clerk at the State Street store said they’d be open about another month.

The business was also in the news this week because of a class-action lawsuit brought against it by ex-employees who say the company violated the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.

Meanwhile, visitors to downtown will see Charlise Brown working 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through the weekend. She can look forward to high temperatures in the low 40s.

Section: Business

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