Evanston’s Wherehouse Music store is scheduled to close April 15, store managers said.
The parent company successfully petitioned Feb. 21 in federal bankruptcy court in Delaware to close 196 of its 370 stores, which include the Evanston branch, 1711 Sherman Ave. Wherehouse Entertainment Inc. filed Jan. 21 to restructure under the Chapter 11 bankruptcy code.
Another major retailer just up the block, Student Book Exchange, 1737 Sherman Ave., closed in August.
The chain has already closed 30 stores nationwide and will close 120 more “unprofitable or underperforming” locations within the next few months, a company press release said. All three Wherehouse stores in Illinois — also in Buffalo Grove and Orland Park — will be closed, a Wherehouse spokeswoman said.
As part of its restructuring initiatives, Wherehouse plans to re-invest capital in its remaining stores to create a more interactive environment for its customers, including remodeling the stores and offering more listening kiosks, according to Anita-Marie Hill, a spokeswoman for Wherehouse.
As part of its liquidation, the Evanston Wherehouse is having a sale on all inventory, offering a 40 percent discount on audio cassettes and a 20 percent discount on most other items, with sale prices updated every Thursday, according to assistant manager Ken Buehholz.
Buehholz said that since the Feb 24 start of the storewide sale, there has been a drastic jump in business.
“We have seen an approximately 100 percent increase in sales since the sale started,” Buehholz said.
Despite the cheaper prices, some consumers said they’re glad downtown Evanston soon will be rid of the large music chain. Miguel Jiron said he will be happy to see Wherehouse go.
“I’m glad that chains are finally gone from Evanston, as I support small businesses,” said Jiron, a Communication freshman.
Ivy Heman, a DePaul University student, said she only came to Wherehouse because she was “desperate.” Despite the current sale prices at Wherehouse, she said she could probably buy CDs cheaper from retail competitor Best Buy.
Other consumers, however, were saddened to see Wherehouse go.
“It’s pretty sad that all the workers are laid off,” said Antonieta Rodriguez, a University of Illinois-Chicago undergraduate who walked away content with her CD purchase.
Buehholz said he would miss working at the store because of the camaraderie he has developed with his co-workers.
Gabriel Martinez, a Warehouse customer, said consumers would suffer once the store leaves downtown Evanston.
“With competition comes variety,” he said. “Otherwise, other independent stores in the absence of Wherehouse can raise prices, making things more expensive.”
