Robinsons-May closes as consolidation of department stores begins
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers LAST DAY FOR ROBINSONS-MAY-Kim Rediger of T.O. carries a large bag of merchandise she purchased at a huge discount as Robinsons-May closed its stores in The Oaks shopping center. It was part of a merger with Macy's. Customers saved up to 80 percent and merchandise was scarce.

The two Robinsons-May department stores at The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks closed their doors for good on Sunday.

The closures came after Federated Department Stores, owner of Macy's, purchased May Department Stores, owner of the Robinsons-May chain.

Federated is closing all Robinsons-May stores throughout the country, divesting some of them and converting others to Macy's.

The Oaks already has two Macy's stores and will retain two --but there will be changes.

One Robinsons-May store will be torn down. The other will become a Macy's women's store with the current Macy's women's store to be closed, according to Milinda Martin, a Federated spokeswoman. One of the current Macy's stores will become a Nordstrom. No date has been set for the closing of the Macy's women's store, Martin said.

"We'll have a building open at all times, ensuring we retain the customers we have there," she said. Clearance sales in both Robinsons-May stores began on Jan. 29.

Monday marked the closure of other Robinsons-May stores in Southern California.

The Robinsons-May stores in the Pacific View Mall in Ventura and in Simi Valley Town Center are still open.

Robinson's, a family ownedand-operated department store, opened in 1978 at the same time The Oaks opened. Robinson's was acquired by the May Company in the 1990s and became Robinsons-May, according to a mall spokesperson.

Longtime Robinsons-May shopper Lena Tucker of Oak Park was saddened by the closure of one of her favorite retailers.

"Robinsons-May had the best sales and better prices than Macy's," Tucker said.

"I'm really upset about it."