Holiday Gift Cards - Useful Information

Hi Everyone:

I am passing along information I recieved on one of the homeschool boards. While I certainly understand and agree with the writer's concerns, keep in mind that unless you need to go into the store to make your purchase, gift cards are usable at online sites. Watch however for stores that are listed as closing all stores.

I read in yesterday's Birmingham News that the Circuit City that was supposed to be coming to the Brookhighland Plaza (in place of the movie theatre they tore down) is not going to finish its build out because of stores closing.

Happy Holidays, they are approaching fast!!
Lori

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"I wanted to give everyone a heads up that if you tend to give gift cards around the holidays, you need to be careful that the cards will be honored after the holidays. Stores that are planning to close after Christmas are still selling the cards through the holidays even though the cards will be worthless January 1.

There is no lawpreventing them from doing this. On the contrary, it is referred to as 'Bankrupcy Planning"). Below is a partial list of stores that you need to be cautious about. Circuit City (filed Chapter 11)

Ann Taylor- 117 stores nationwide closing
Lane Bryant,
Fashion Bug ,and Catherine's to close 150 storesnationwide
Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January
Cache will close all stores
Talbots closing down specialty stores
J. Jill closing all stores (owned by Talbots)
Pacific Sunwear (also owned by Talbots)
GAP closing 85 stores
Footlocker closing 140 stores mo re to close after January
Wickes Furniture closing down
Levitz closing down remaining stores
Bombay closing remaining stores
Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January
Whitehall closing all stores
Piercing Pagoda closing all stores
Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.
Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ ( New Brunswick )
Macys to close 9 stores after January
Linens and Things closing all stores
Movie Galley Closing all stores
Pep Boys Closing 33 stores
Sprint/Nextel closing 133 stores
JC Penney closing a number of stores after January
Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores.
Wilson Leather closing down all stores
Sharper Image closing down all stores
K B Toys closing 356 stores
Loews to close down some stores *note from Lori, perhaps this is a typo and supposed to be Lowe's?? I'm not sure. *
Dillard's to close some stores