Fleet. Gilette. And Now Filene's.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

All these local corporations are being acquired and swallowed. It's a really sad time for Boston businesses-and Boston employees.

[joeybee12]

1. Who's getting Filene's? I'm orginally from CT and not that long ago

Filenes gobbled up G.Fox. That downtown store had been there before the Civil War!

[Bluebear]

3. Macy's/Federated

[Bluebear]

2. At least the governor is out there fighting for Mass. jobs

Oh wait, he's not, he's campaigning for president and telling South Carolinians how evil gay marriage is.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

4. Mittens is useless

We're going to lose 4,000 from the Gilette acquisition.

[Rockholm]

13. I despise Mittens.

[Oreo]

5. Marshall Field's in Minneapolis is in the same boat

They were just bought by May last year from Target. Now Federated buys May. They're saying they might close the downtown Marshall Fields. It's where the opening of Mary Tyler Moore was shot where she throws the hat in the air.

[rox63]

6. I remember Jordan Marsh and Lechmere

One of my first jobs as a teenager was working Christmas season at Jordan Marsh. I still sometimes think of Macy's as Jordan Marsh, because that's what most of their locations turned into.

:-( :shrug:

[Kathy in Cambridge]

7. I worked at Jordan's during Christmas too!

:D

Remember their Blueberry Muffins? :9

[rox63]

8. Yum!

Yes I do! :9

I worked at the one in Lowell. I also remember before that store was a Jordan Marsh, when it was a Bon Marche. Which only goes to show how old I'm getting.

[sniffa]

9. the bLueberry muffins are stiLL around

by that guy's former partner... can't think of where, for the Life of me. north shore? NH? up there somewhere.

[Rockholm]

14. I read recently he was retiring.

Or is that another place that had an in-house baker?

[sniffa]

15. he did retire

his former partner (a woman younger than him?) stiLL seLLs the bLueberry muffins. he's stiLL going to seLL his batter to her, and onLy her untiL he sees fit.... according to that same articLe.

[hyphenate]

16. Right after high school

so many years ago, I, too, worked at Jordan Marsh. Down behind it, next to the Windsor Button Shop (is that still there?), we had to attend classes for three days on cashiering.

I didn't work at Christmas, though--I worked in the basement for Dollar Days. Talk about hectic!

The cafeteria on the top floor was good, though, and cheap.

Next door, at the old Filene's, they had a restaurant high in the sky as well, and it was open to the public--ate there fairly often as well.

All the good places are gone--no Gilchrist's, no Jordan Marsh, no Kresges, no Grants, and I don't think the old Woolworth's is there anymore, is it? :(

Is the old bookstore on Bromfield still there?

I wanna go into Boston soon!!

Even worse: when I worked at the State Transportation building, we used to go up Boylston to a bakery/restaurant called Malben's for either the (to die for) Chocolate cake or carrot cake for our department birthdays and celebrations. When we were down there for the DNC, I checked out Boylston street only to find it gone forever. :( I sure do miss the old Boston landmarks!

[paineinthearse]

10. I thought anti-trust laws prevented this!!!!

Sorry, forgot who is in charge.

[Kat45]

11. Whatever happened to the antitrust laws anyway?

I've been wondering that for a number of years now. Huge companies have been swallowing up huges companies for years now. Wonder how long it will be before we're back to the days of the robber barons?

[rox63]

12. Too late

The robber barons have been in charge for the last 4 years.