Mervyns closing doors after 59 years

DALY CITY, CA (KGO) -- After 59 years in business Mervyns department stores are closing their doors for the last time.

There were different types of activities going on at each Mervyns store over the weekend.

At the Serramonte Center in Daly City the only things left for sale were the fixtures and furnishings the store used while it was operating.

The other Mervyns locations may have had a little merchandise left but items were selling quickly. Clothes for instance were selling for only $1 a piece. Fixtures, furnishings and garment racks were selling for more, but their prices were still considered bargains.

Those deals were what brought out many small businesses owners and aspiring small business owners. They were stocking up on things they said could come in handy in their stores.

"I saw fixtures and started pretending I was going to open a business. I'm going to do it," said Jessica Ganz who wants to open a clothing store. When asked how she felt about opening a store during a recession she replied, "You've to take a risk."

"The only things we're not going to sell are some of the computers and other stuff that's going back to headquarters to get chopped down and resold. As for everything else, it's all for sale. The signs, the security system, all the warehouse equipment, taggers& Everything we have left," said store manager Robert Burkett.

It is the end of an era. The first Mervyns opened in 1949 in San Lorenzo. Now, it is closing for good, five months after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The current sales will continue through Wednesday.

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