Silverwoods Store

Silverwoods, a Southern California retailing institution for 70 years, will close its 18 stores early next year because of slumping sales, its parent company said Monday. The stores--which feature tailored men's and women's business apparel--will be shut down soon after the Christmas season, said General Manager Bruce Amster. The chain's 250 employees will be laid off or relocated. Headquartered in Santa Ana, Silverwoods is a division of Hartmarx Specialty Stores Inc.

Silverwoods, a Southern California retailing institution for 70 years, will close its 18 stores early next year because of slumping sales, its parent company said Monday. The stores--which feature tailored men's and women's business apparel--will be shut down soon after the Christmas season, said General Manager Bruce Amster. The chain's 250 employees will be laid off or relocated. Headquartered in Santa Ana, Silverwoods is a division of Hartmarx Specialty Stores Inc.

This year's holiday centerpiece at Fashion Island is drawing raves from local environmentalists and anger from some merchants in what is shaping up as a battle between tradition and conservation. The decade-old ritual of erecting a towering, 100-foot-tall evergreen Christmas tree was scrapped this year in favor of an environmentally sensitive array of plants and trees that will be replanted when the display is dismantled.

Among Orange County shopping malls, the rich got richer and the poor got poorer last year. That conclusion comes from a study of 1989 taxable sales at the county's major shopping malls that was released Tuesday by the State Board of Equalization. Brea Mall, MainPlace/Santa Ana and Newport Center Fashion Island all posted double-digit increases in taxable sales, moving them into second, third and fourth place, respectively, among county malls.

There have been some clear-cut winners in the intense competition among Orange County's shopping malls: architects and builders. Of the county's 13 regional malls, five are undergoing multimillion-dollar renovations. A sixth, Anaheim Plaza, is awaiting approval of its plans for a major face-lift. It is store wars in Orange County, and the theme in this year's battle is construction and remodeling. With its affluent and growing population, Orange County has long been a retailer's haven.