Two more retailers announce closings

A national apparel chain and a local retailer will join the recent rash of store closings in Pitt County.

Steve & Barry's at Colonial Mall is among three of the chain's nine North Carolina stores slated for closing, according to BH S&B Holdings. Also planning to close is The Charmed Peacock in Arlington Village.

Steve & Barry's filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 on July 9 and was purchased on Aug. 25 by BH S&B Holdings, a new affiliate of investment firms Bay Harbour Management and York Capital Management.

To better position Steve & Barry's to reach profitability goals, BH S&B Holdings plans to run the chain as a smaller base of approximately 170 stores — down from 276 pre-bankruptcy — according to Martin Higgins, senior director of public relations with Steve & Barry's.

Also targeted for closure in North Carolina are stores in Wilson and Spindale. Stores in Asheville, Charlotte, Gastonia, High Point, Wilmington and Winston-Salem will remain open.

Store-closing sales are under way, but a closing date has not been set.

Wayne Singleton, general manger of Colonial Mall, said he met with local Steve & Barry's management on Wednesday to discuss the store's future.

“Everything's still in negotiation,” Singleton said. “... We don't know the answer to that right this second. They're trying to renegotiate leases and stuff like that. We've made some effort to do that. I'm trying to find out if it's a drop-dead date, if they've told them what date they are going to close.

“There's nothing firmed up from Steve & Barry's with regards to us nor from my corporate as well, so no official word as far as what is going to happen.”

Steve & Barry's, founded in 1985 and based in Port Washington, N.Y., is one of the mall's largest retailers, along with Belk and JC Penney.

“When you have 54,000 square feet, you want to occupy it,” Singleton said. “We do have other things in the works that we're trying to do as well.”

The Charmed Peacock was opened by Nicole Walker, a former middle school principal, in 2005 in downtown Greenville. Walker moved the business to 809 Red Banks Road in March 2007.

The Charmed Peacock carries several designer lines of jeans, shoes, jewelry, candles and other accessories.

Other closings or announced closings in the last three months include AbraKIDabra Toys at La Promenade; More for Less Dollar Store and Friedman's Jewelers in Colonial Mall; Finishing Accents Fine Home Furnishings & Home Décor in Arlington Village; WoodWorks Furniture & Sofas on Evans Street; Greenville Furniture Direct on N.C. 33 East; Paradise Pets at Pirate's Pointe; and Mike's Fashion Shoppe in downtown Winterville.

New facility

West Pharmaceutical Services in Kinston will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand-opening celebration today 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. for its new compounding and molding facility.

Among speakers scheduled to attend are West Chief Executive Officer Donald E. Morel Jr.; U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C.; U.S. Rep. Walter Jones Jr., R-N.C.; U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C.; Kinston Mayor Buddy Ritch; and Bruce Parson, president of the Kinston Chamber of Commerce.

An explosion killed six and destroyed West's plant near the Kinston Regional Jetport in January 2003. A new plant opened in 2004 on U.S. 70 West. The most recent construction adds about 37,000 square feet.

Mike Grizzard can be contacted at mgrizzard@coxnc.com and 329-9580.