Famed department store closing its doors for good



Lord & Taylor, the high-end department store that first opened its doors in the village in 1956, will close at the end of the year due to the economic downturn as a result of the pandemic. The chain plans to close all 38 of its stores, including three other stores on Long Island in Manhasset, Bay Shore and Huntington.
The once popular store chain filed for bankruptcy protection early last month and subsequently announced two separate rounds of store closings, with the Huntington and Bay Shore locations being the first to go.
Lord & Taylor and its parent company, Le Tote, both filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on August 2nd, in the U.S Bankruptcy Court in the Eastern District of Virginia. The Covid-19 pandemic was cited as the reason for the filing.
Le Tote Inc., said in a statement at the time, that they were seeking a buyer for its fashion rental subscription service, and for Lord & Taylor, which was one of the first department stores in the country.
Ed Kremer, Chief Restructuring Officer of Le Tote, said in a statement, “while we are still entertaining various opportunities, we believe it is prudent to simultaneously put the remainder of the store into liquidation to maximize value of inventory for the estate while pursuing options for the company’s brand,” said Kremer.
Lord & Taylor was first opened for business in 1826 in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The department store chain was created by English immigrants, Samuel Lord and George Washington Taylor, and would grow to be one of the biggest and most popular chains in the country.
 Lord & Taylor was acquired in 1986 by the May Department store chain, which is synonymous with the nationally recognized Macy’s department store brand name.
Olivia Perez, from Mineola, said she was a frequent customer at the Garden City store over the years, and she will be sad to see it go.
“I loved their women’s accessories and their perfume and makeup counters and I’m really going to miss the hospitality they offer,” said Perez. “I enjoyed coming here because it was a good location for me to shop and a lot less hectic than Roosevelt Field.”
Her friend, Michaela Ramon, said the best experience she had at the store was searching for a bridesmaid dress for her friend’s wedding.
“When I came in, they were so helpful and accommodating to me,” said Ramon. “I will definitely miss the whole ambience of the store and the service I received that day.”
Lord & Taylor is just one of several retailers to file for bankruptcy this year due to the economic downturn. Other retailers which have recently filed for Chapter 11 include Neiman Marcus, J. Crew, J.C Penney, Ann Taylor, Lane Bryant and the Men’s Warehouse.

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