Linens 'n Things to close Moorpark store
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

Linens Holding Co., parent of home interiors retailer Linens 'n Things, announced earlier this month that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is closing 120 stores across the country, including its Moorpark location.

A store-by-store analysis looking at profitability and contributions for each outlet revealed that the Moorpark outlet in the Moorpark Marketplace was one of 120 underperforming stores that will be closed down, said Richard Tauberman, spokesperson for Linens 'n Things.

"The Moorpark store will have an orderly wind down of business over the next several months," he said.

The news comes in the wake of Home Depot's announcement that it will no longer open some 50 U.S. stores that have been in the company's newstore pipeline, in some cases for more than 10 years.

The large home improvement retailer, which had plans to build a store on a vacant parcel south of the Moorpark Marketplace, was scheduled to open here at the end of this year.

Local officials anticipated Home Depot would have generated about 250 jobs and $400,000 to $500,000 in annual sales tax revenue for the city.

Linens 'n Things produces about $20,000 in sales tax income per year, said Hugh Riley, assistant city manager.

"The economy is affecting a lot of businesses, especially when they sell items that are not a necessity," said Councilmember Janice Parvin.

"It's not just happening in our community, it's happening across the country. People are just very conservative when it comes to spending," she said.

With respect to the Linens 'n Things closure, Parvin said she's confident the owner of the shopping center will be aggressive to find another business to occupy the site. To promote economic development, city officials also plan to try to help fill the new vacancy that will affect the Moorpark Marketplace.