Mervyn's has seemed to struggle to keep up with the exciting world of retail department shopping. I have a bit of an inside point of view because until recently, my brother worked at their headquarters in California. I was saddened to hear that there are plans to shut down most of the Mervyn's stores in Oregon and Washington. Actually, with the invasion of Kohl's (2 brand new stores opened this week, just 10 miles from each other) I can see how Mervyn's days are numbered.
Here's my quick list of likes and dislikes for Mervyn's:
Kids clothes: LOVE! Their line of kids clothing and totally improved over the last few years. Especially for the toddlers, but also for older kids. I have been to sales before school in August where I was able to get long sleeve t-shirts for my 8 year old for $5 each. Incidentally, I'd recently ordered several long sleeve t-shirts from the Children's Place and the Mervyn's shirts were very similar in style and not too far behind in quality.
Women's Shoes: You might have read in one of my earlier reviews that I try not to pay more than $30 for shoes. This way I can replenish the shoe wardrobe more often. Well, Mervyn's has plenty of shoes in that price range and even lower when there is a sale. To be honest, not all of the shoes are created equal and some are less comfortable than others, so you have to try on several styles before you find one you are comfortable with.
Women's Clothing: Blah. I'm pretty tall, and so I rarely find clothes that fit me well with out spending a little more money. The few times I've bought women's clothing at Mervyn's, I've found that it doesn't hold up very well and that the fabric has been lower quality.
Overall, I enjoy Mervyn's for certain things. Watch for going out of business sales for great deals in the future.
more