devarim

It seems that with the merger of Federated (owner of Macy's) and May (owner of Filene's), most May stores are set to be re-branded as Macy's. For most of the country this isn't a big deal, because supposedly there is little overlap in regional competition between Federated and May. But here in the Northeast, both companies' stores are all over the place...and nowhere is that clearer than at Boston's Downtown Crossing, where Macy's and Filene's sit across a heavily-pedestrian-trafficked street from each other, quietly but firmly in perpetual competition, attracting comparison shoppers and bargain hunters who pit one store against the other in an effort to get the best deals.

I can live with the loss of Filene's The Big, I think. I can come to terms with it. What I fear most, though, is the loss of Filene's Basement.

If you are not a Boston resident (and never have been), you just cannot understand the zen of Filene's Basement (the original and best). Filene's Basement is a veritable Boston institution. The store is, quite literally, in the basement of the Filene's flagship location on Washington Street at Downtown Crossing, and it is the only store in the Filene's Basement chain with the Automatic markdown pricing plan. Clothes come in by the truckload and are marked with their first discount price and the date of arrival. Two weeks later, the price automatically drops by 25%. Two weeks after that, you can take 50% off of the starting discount price. Another two weeks and it's down to 75% off. Once eight weeks have passed, the clothes (if any are left) are donated to charity. It sounds simple enough, possibly even unremarkable if you've never done it...but there is no joy like picking up a beautiful $400 sweatercoat, seeing its discount price of $120, and then flipping over the pricetag to see that it's been hanging around the store for almost two months.

*sigh*

I haven't heard word one way or another about whether the original Basement is going to be shut down or rebranded, but it will break my heart to see it go.