Saks down to last day

CHARLESTON - The hot, sultry summer doesn't lend itself to fur coats, but Saks Fifth Avenue has a $125,000 Russian sable reduced to $25,000 as part of its going-out-of-business sale.

Shoes that were $375 are now $75.

And if you need a blue silk ball gown, the former price of $760 is marked down by 90 percent.

But you better hurry.

Today is the last day of business for the luxury department store that helped transform King Street into a bustling upscale retail district, and there's not much left.

Most of the 33,000-square-foot shop at Majestic Square with Saks' name etched into the building above the entrance is empty.

At midday Friday, six racks of pants and tops remained along with a stable of furs. The rest of the shop sat vacant, with display counters empty and cash registers silent behind roped off "Caution" tape. A lone string of Christmas garland with lights hung in the back, brought out of storage to be sold off like everything else.

Corporate officials decided in May to close the store to concentrate resources on better-performing stores, Saks' spokeswoman Julia Bentley said Friday.

"Store closing decisions are never easy but are necessary from time to time," she said. "The decision to close Charleston is consistent with our strategy of using our company resources in our most productive stores."

Looking for a final bargain Friday, frequent shopper Susan Burnett said she was heartbroken about the closing.

"I shopped here a lot," she said. "One of the reasons I moved here six years ago was because I felt some sort of tie to all the nice things. I've been terribly depressed by it. There is very little access to the clothes I like to wear here."

Caroline Hyman of Summerville moved to the area from Philadelphia and ventured downtown on occasion just to shop at Saks.

On Friday, she walked out of the store, its doors and windows papered with 70 percent to 90 percent off signs, and took a picture with her cell phone.

"It makes me sad," she said. "It breaks my heart. It's an institution."

Gail Chalmers of Nashua, N.Y., drove down from Myrtle Beach, where she was vacationing with her husband, after hearing about the closing.

She set her sights on a hot pink pair of jeans, reduced to about $15.

"It's a sign of the times," she said of the store's closing. "I hate to see such a big name go."

About half of Saks' 60 employees remained Friday, including Marie Arnaud, who worked at the shop for 12 years.

"It's sad," she said, looking around at all the empty counters and a steady stream of customers picking over the few remaining articles of clothing. "It's the end of an era."

Helen O'Hagan, a Charleston native and retired Saks' former vice president of public relations and events who maintains a residence locally as well as in New York, stopped by the shop Friday for one last look and to tell some longtime employees farewell.

She helped lobby for the Charleston store when it opened in 1996.

"It's been a wonderful run," she told an employee as she hugged her and said goodbye. "For me, it's heartbreaking because I think this is one of the prettiest stores we built."

Taking Saks' place by year's end will be trendy discount clothier Forever 21, which will cater to a younger crowd with women's, men's and children's lines. The Los Angeles-based retailer plans to create as many as 150 local jobs.

Asked if shoppers will be able to find a fur coat for $125,000 in the new store, Forever 21 Executive Vice President Larry Meyer laughed and said, "We are for everyday shoppers, not those with deep pockets. We are about making everyone happy."

Reach Warren Wise at wwise@postandcourier.com or 937-5524.