Sorry to see Eddie Bauer closing this store. I think it's a sign of the times, and the tough retail market. Based on what I've been observing this holiday season, seems like a lot of folks are shopping at Target & Walmart. Eddie Bauer & Nordstrom - not so much.

I'd guess there's more Eddie Bauer than Pearl District in the mix — they've not done well in traditional retail locations either.

"Eddie Bauer is a specialty retailer that sells casual sportswear and accessories for the modern outdoor lifestyle."

http://chuckwarnockblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/26sacramento2_600.jpg

They're keeping a lot of their stores open despite the bankruptcy, but a minority are being closed -- Homerville among them.

Bad Brad wins.

Anybody want to bet they keep their mall stores open? Who want to go shopping in an area with crappy parking that you have to pay for?

...and for more retail and mall closings check out Bridgeport Village! Now there is a ghost town in the making!
The only thing left out there will be the gazillion screen movie theater.

These kind of places seem to come and go before I realize they even had a presence here.

And regarding their self described niche of modern outdoor lifestyle - if you're in the Pearl and up against the likes of REI, you had better realize that Portlanders are pretty smart about outdoor lifestyles - and that EB clothing doesn't cut it.

I think it was just a poor location choice. Particularly with another store so close at Pioneer Place.
REI fits right in the Pearl. Massive markups on stuff you can get elsewhere for less.

Speaking of outdoor wear vendors, I can't figure out how Patagonia in the Pearl continues to hang on. Nobody ever seems to be shopping in its cavernous depths.

Doubtless they've been seeing some of the tough economy, but Eddie Bauer's been in trouble company-wide for years. A former office partner of mine went to work for their online division six years back (he's out of there now) just after Spiegel -- it's parent company -- closed 60 of Bauer's stores.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124525620262323787.html

"Spiegel began to falter after it incurred heavy debt in an acquisition spree. Its troubles in 2003 led it to close 60 Eddie Bauer stores, and sell its Redmond, Wash., campus."

good we dont need any more high end ripoff stores in town,we need more walmarts.eddie bauer was incredibly expensive on their items and catered mainly to the pearl district elitist class.

Outside of a lousy retail environment they picked a crummy location. Not sure who the genius was who decided to put their store in that particular spot. It's too far off the retail traffic path down there.

I just wait until the good stuff gets shipped out to that suburban wasteland called Troutdale and that monstrous godawful outlet strip mall surrounded by a sprawling parking lot. And pay 50-80% less on the stuff that sells for full price in the Pearl or at Pioneer Place. (But, alas, I have to "pay" for my parking as part of my purchase price, instead of getting to pay "a la carte" by way of feeding a parking meter - after, that is, having to drive around many, many blocks just to look for a parking space, and then going inside - and yet the product price isn't cheaper, it's MORE expensive!)

It helps that I drive all the way from Tigard to shop there, in my non-hybrid car - my only connection to Portland is spewing carbon monoxide out of my tailpipe on the poor souls of Portland as I drive through on the ODOT owned and operated freeway system (where Portland Police gets to patrol it, while not getting a penny of my gas tax revenue!) Plus I can shop at other similar stores like Adidas and purchase other Chinese-sweatshop made goods but with a German name on it, so it's European enough for Portland at a fraction of the cost.

Ah, "The Troutlet." Methinks they did great business the day I-84 was closed for ice and eastbound travelers had nowhere else to go until it opened.