Do They Sell Pregnancy Clothing At Steinmart?

I’ve worked at Stein Mart the last few years and I’m currently helping with the liquidation process. In all honesty, I saw this coming since the company has been struggling to get business. They rely heavily on their loyal customers and weekend rushes to make profit. They brought in the Amazon lockers and a new Ipad checkout system to try and up business, but even with those additions they still struggled. Also, with their stock hovering around under 50 cents the last few years, the stores are just dead 5 days out of the week. Once covid happened, closing for 2-3 months and then reopening just to get a massive influx of returns and no business just put the company in too big a hole. I never heard of Stein Mart until I got a job there lol, but i will say that its a shame they’re closing all their stores.

To me, they seemed like a much higher end version of T J Maxx. They had higher end brands, but of course, at higher prices. Sometimes I would buy a nice article of clothing in Stein Mart if the price were good, but often, the discounted price was high enough to give me second thoughts, which could have been their main problem. If many of the discounted prices had been just $5 to $10 cheaper, they’d have sold a lot more clothing. They were in a weird place between the Ross, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, and Burlington’s stores with a lot of lower end stuff at cheap prices and department stores themselves. Department stores sometimes have some good sales and you can get good deals there, so if you wait for sales at Belk or Dillard’s, you can sometimes get some things even cheaper than Stein Mart sold them for.

I think it’s incredibly sad actually. Especially for the folks who are losing their jobs, and thank you for mentioning that. I’ll never forget when I was 16 and my life was in a bit of turmoil, I went to live with my mom for the last two years of high school. I didn’t have many clothes so we went to Stein Mart of all places and she proceeded to drop about $400 on a new wardrobe for me to start at a new school. That was in fall of ’93. Nothing really special about it, just a fond memory I have that this article made resurface.

Before Jay Stein stepped down, he took care of his associates always and put us first. Once he stepped down, the environment changed for the worst for the associates, greedy corporate directors who only cared about the customers, we didn’t matter anymore. This is a reflection, why the chain is closing for good, because they only cared about their salaries. We just didn’t matter, this is why retail in a whole is failing, in business you always put your employees needs first then the customer, because without associates being successful, the store will profit always. I worked at Stein Mart, for almost 8 years in South Florida, it’s been almost 3 years since I left I got out just in the nick of time. I feel for the management and associates, whom stayed behind, my prayers go out to all of them, during this difficult transition.

Here in Canada, in the past 15 years or so, we have lost Eatons (a high-end department store chain), Sears Canada, Zellers (a discount chain), and Target’s foray lasted barely more than a year. I have been to very many liquidation sales. ☹ In my experience, the discounts only go really high on merchandise that cannot be sold through jobbers and liquidators who will buy warehouse quantities. The clothing, for example, will be odd sizes or styles so old that nobody wants them. Tools, electronics, etc. will never get more than 10-15% off. Those red, yellow, black, and white signs are identical to what I see at liquidation sales around here It amuses me to think that some printing company specializes in producing just those types of signs. Presumably their business is going very well.

The problem I see, is that “liquidation sales” are just scams and consumers know it. Nearly everything is purposely overpriced, then the advertising says “Up to 80% off everything!” with “Up to” in small letters, and when you actually go into the store, nearly everything is the EXACT same price that it was pre-liquidation. So now when a new company fails and goes into bankruptcy, I just avoid even wanting to go inside.

Something I have always wondered about regarding these liquidation sales: no matter what the store is, the signage is always EXACTLY the same. Does every store just buy the same package of “liquidation sale” signage, or do they bring in some external company to run the liquidation sale, and then all of this signage is that company’s thing?

I’ve been here a few times, but never actually bought anything. The only reason I went here was because they had a location at the mall I used to work at, which was dying at the time. Now it’s dead on the inside, but thriving on the outside. My mom used to shop here until she discovered amazon. I agree with most the the commenters here when they say that they merchandise at Stein Mart was definitely made for older generations.

I’m from Mississippi and Stein Mart was only popular with the older generation and southern mom’s that had kids that went to school that had uniforms… but Belk is really big in the south and I think that’s what took most of their business because they sell to the same clientele but have adapted to the times better so all generations shop there plus Belk has A LOT more inventory to choose from for all occasions

Thank you for the consistent content, it has been awesome to see! I don’t think SteinMart was able to stay competitive with Ross, TJMaxx, and Marshall’s – all three of those are more aggressive in their buying strategies, and cater to everyone, whereas SteinMart looks like it focuses too much on the older demographic frankly. I remember I saw ads for them and HHGregg even though there weren’t any stores near me for like a 100 miles. Based on this article, the stores look more like run-down JCPenneys, some Mervyn’s were run-down towards the end but I remember some had nice chrome/silver finish around the store and the perfume/jewelry sections.

I really love your articles on these random smaller chains! I’d never heard of Stein Mart before. It looks a lot like JC Penney or Sears to me. Very basic, slightly outdated stuff that doesn’t stand out or give you a reason to choose This Store over Other Nearly Identical Store. I wouldn’t shop there but it’s so fun to see in a article for some reason though! 😄

I worked at Stein Mart when we moved the LXR and Co luxury handbag boutique from Boston Store after they closed in a attempt to save my job that was actually making money in my location. Steinmart was 1 mile down the road. We moved it and it was a dud! Even after letting my customers know that we moved and were still in town, I couldn’t do the same sales as in the Bonton location. Much older clientele with no need for a louis vuitton or gucci item. I quit after 3 months. I was very disappointed because I was making good money and commission.

In Australia obviously we never had a Stein Mart and have I have never seen inside one before – but we have similar stores with similar stories. If the accountants get on the board or into upper management they tend to strip out everything wonderful, unique, creative and inspiring about a business ( eg. cost cutting) until eventually they become ‘Ma and Pa Lowbrow’ stores that sell dog stock with dismal decor. Poor Mr Stein would have been rolling in his grave for the last 60 years. I really hope that the stores that survive the pandemic are small enough to not have shareholders that force them into liquidation for not making enough profit. These folks will get to stay in business due to the hard work and inspiration of the owners and we will see the rise of local stores again.

There are a couple Stein Mart locations around Indianapolis and I have never been inside one. Looks like to me they did little to distinguish themselves from other stores like Mervyns with prices much higher than places like Ross or TJ Maxx/Marshalls. I love your articles BTW. I know people will say “You’re caught in the worship of corporate consumerism, man!”, but lots of people like me grew up going with loved ones who may be gone now, to shop at these stores for school clothes or lusting after a new Sega Genesis display at Hills or hanging at the malls with friends….and a lot of times the aesthetic and design of these places hasn’t changed much from when we were kids. It’s sad to see little things like this, seemingly an insignificant tapestry in the background of our lives for so long, taken for granted and then fade out slowly in such a depressing way, just as we’re old enough to appreciate them.

I used to work at Stein Mart in SC for 3 years… It was a fun work environment but the pay always sucked. Lol. The reason that second store you’re in has Spode Christmas items for sale is because Stein Mart used to keep the Spode Christmas items in the stockroom due to some deal about not selling it in the after Christmas sale for more than like 30% off.

The only stein mart in my area of South Texas closed, and now I know why. I went a few months ago and I managed to buy a $10 hat that I like very much and I wear to protect against the sun. Good thing I saved the tag with the store name on it, maybe one day it’ll go into a museum for retail archaeology lol

My first visit to a Stein Mart was their short-lived location at the Great Mall in Milpitas, CA in the mid-90s. It was an expensive store, and surrounded by cheaper outlet mall alternatives. I couldn’t afford a 80.00 scarf on my 5.41 an hour wage from my employer. It was only in that location for two years before pulling out of California. Fast forward about six years later. I’m with a friend that just moved to Durham, North Carolina. We visit the Stein Mart in Raleigh. Still expensive, and there really wasn’t anything that had the I-want-this factor in the store. The Tuesday Morning store next door was more interesting. Fast forward again to 2017. Stein Mart has returned to California. I visit the new store in Cupertino. There’s a new Ross store next door. I was looking for kitchen gadgets, nothing special, a pasta strainer scoop and an avocado slicer. This would be an excuse to check the place out. Went in there. The kitchen area had items at prices equivalent to a Macys, Sears or JC Penney with a weak selection. I looked at the clothes, too. Nothing interesting. It felt more like a Loehmann’s. The items are nice, but again, nothing interests me. I found what I needed at Ross. I feel sad for the employees.

Have none of those around here. We did have a Hastings though which closed down unfortunately. They had a bunch of crap they were getting rid of and the article games were the last to go up in the amount that was discounted. I picked up Trails of Cold for PS3 there at a lower price. This is a fairly hard to find game at least in my area, as this is the only copy I have ever seen in the wild. I have good memories of this place for sure.

I’m from New Orleans and south Mississippi. They are so common down here and my mother loves them. I’m in my 30’s now but I still remember getting that toy that was basically a slippery, ocean themed water toy that you played with by not being able to hold on to it.. from Stein Mart. They had them because they were really popular at the time (90’s.) And it smelled like the store for a long time. Weird memory but that’s what I remember most. Now I just think everything is over priced and it’s for people my mother’s age- 70+.

Even though they primarily catered to an older crowd, I have purchased so many great things from Stein Mart over the last 10 years. They always had great prices. I’m sure people are waiting for prices to go lower. It’s also worth mentioning that there are millions of people who are still out of work as a result of the pandemic. Sorry to see more people loose their jobs and sorry to see this store close.

Actually shopped there quite a bit when i was college and after(Lubbock and San Antonio). They had decent men’s business attire that was very budget friendly. They also had a much better organized selection of clothing than the other discount retailers. But even 10-15 years ago you got the sense that they wouldn’t be around too long, it felt dated, like foleys and mervyns did

How I see it Stein Mart wanted to be a big name department store but sold old inventory and or discontinued. Nothing wrong with that look how well Ross is doing. The problem besides their 90s grandmas living room decor was their pricing and demographics only catered to middle class senior citizens who didn’t bargain shop and paid usually much higher because why??. Death nail waiting to happen.

This whole liquidation thing reminds of the Toys R Us one, or at least the one near me. At the beginning of it, it was 10-30% off everything and like 4 people showed up for it. As the discounts kept rising, more and more people came. On it’s last day, there were tons of people there (at least 50) to either buy something or say goodbye to the place. It was cool and depressing at the same time. Now with this one, I don’t have one near me but I’m pretty sure as soon as the price sales go past 50%, tons of people will flock over to the store

I must agree with J Riviera I worked there for 22 years and when Jay stepped down so did any concern for associates. It became a game of how to cut associates salaries and hours to pay for Regional Vice President’s travel to the stores only to degrade them . The product in the past 5 years became very mundane and “cheap” looking as you said in the article. It’s sad to see so many people without jobs in this economy. The people who had any self respect like myself left the company,

God, you do a lot of articles from AZ where I’m from but that old commercial is where I live now in Louisiana. What a creepy coincidence!! Also, I bought my bed spread from Stein mart (in the Hammond aire shopping center actually) for INCREDIBLY cheap a couple years ago so I will say that their bedding options were typically pretty good but their shoe and clothing options were pretty dated. I also wonder what will happen to all the second hand LV and Prada bags they sell in some of their stores 👀

I have never been to one, since there isn’t one in my area. But looking at the stuff in your article, its very disappointing on the business, where everything is blah and pricey. No wonder I would pick TJ Maxx or Burlington over this place. Also, at those high prices, 10-40% off (which mostly nothing is 40% unless ugly or damaged) is insulting.

If Stein Mart had transitioned to a discount clothing store, like Ross or Marshalls, I think they would still be doing well. The Stein Marts in my area were busy before covid, but their customer base was around 70 years old. For this area that was consistent loyal customers, but this crisis just ended that, and with no alternative customer base it was going to be hard. I think TJ Maxx will prob pick up many of their locations as they are not usually in the same strip malls as they are.

I went into my local Stein Mart once. The store wasn’t very interesting and seemed to mostly be geared towards female shoppers. I got a lot of weird looks when I was in there and felt like I wasn’t supposed to be there. So the only sad thing about this liquidation to me is I have a local mall anchored by Stein Mart and I don’t think the mall will survive with no anchors

I have many fond memories of shopping at Mervyns with my mom as a child. 🙂 Stein Mart though… I’ve always lived near one but never shop there. It seems as if the clientele for the stores are for folks 50 yrs and up. No kidding, 90% of the people I see stepping into one are seniors. I never see anything i would personally wear. And the prices are expensive for a ‘discount department store’. It’s sad to see it go but at the same time, I never shop there. If I did buy anything there it was for my mother lol.

On the ceiling it says 10%-40% off yet when you look at rack after rack its all 10% off almost nothing is 40%, that is why you still see stuff there. First people are scared with Covid, second people already weren’t going to that store, and last there aren’t any good deals there 10% off isn’t even x-mas level discounts.

I lived in Florida for over 20 years. I loved the Stein Mart stores. However, when I moved back North they were a big disappointment. Their selection went downhill dramatically. The online was poorly done and never got off the ground. During the 80s and90’s they they had a pretty good selection. I am sorry to hear of their closing but not surprised after the quality took a fall.

Stein Mart is one of those places I would only go to when bored or trying to find something other stores didn’t have. I’ve walked through Stein Mart maybe once or twice a year but hardly ever bought anything. Lots of dated, weird, and downright ugly clothing and not reliable to find good standard or basic items either. I rarely found anything I wanted but even if I did, the high price tag would make me laugh bitterly and walk away. Occasionally I have found some deals there, but those clothes never held up for very long. They would always put big signs out on the sidewalk proclaiming discounts but somehow it never applied to the nicer clothing. Signage inside was terrible so it was always hard to figure out exactly what kind of sale they had going on and what clothing it applied to. Stein Mart was always stingy with discounts so it is not surprising to see them trying to milk the liquidation at only 10% off. Some places you just ignore out of lack of interest but I actually grew to resent this store for being so overpriced and full of junk. I’m sorry for the employees losing their jobs but it’s kind of satisfying to see them close.

That just looks depressing. The overall feel is definitely like being in a time portal to an 80’s-90’s discount store. I imagine this is one of those companies where time just passed them by. They have shelves full of product that people just aren’t interested in buying – at any price. Much less for what they’re asking. A 150 dollar blanket? From a store that looks like that? Nah. And just looking at the clothes I get this feeling of… this would work in Georgia (the country, not the state) but definitely not in the 2020 United States.

Ummmm . . . 10% off? I wouldn’t even get in the car for that. Start at 40% at least. Some liquidation company most likely bought the inventory for pennies on the dollar and is selling it off. You would think they would want to get their money back sooner by selling in volume (somebody has to be paying for the rent, employees, insurance, etc.) But the prices will drop as time goes by, until there’s nothing left worth buying. You find the same merchandise in Marshals, TJ Maxx, Home goods, etc. most likely all owned by the same “parent” company.

I have NO idea what Stein Mart you were in. But the two I had visited in recent years looked no where as nice and organized as what you displayed. They were more between what you showed and a Dollar general in layout and display. Haphazard displays, unorganized, mixes of stuff here and there. I didn’t even know it was a national chain I though tit was a local discount place. Honestly I’m surprised they didn’t collapse in 2008 they way they looked.

was a great stein mart by me, didn’t know it was going under. kinda a shame. they had some good stuff. great bargains by my area… the people that worked there, were there for well over 10yrs sux they will loose there jobs as you mentioned dunno maybe somebody buys them out at the chap x/bankruptcy hearings