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Is Scoop Going Out of Business?

Scoop’s current sale features items for 75 percent off, and that’s worrisome. Of course, we enjoy buying $600 boots for $150, but, given the record of inventory-liquidation sales preceding Chapter 11, there is cause for concern. Rumors even circulated this week that the company is suffering from financial troubles and nearing bankruptcy. But Melanie Cox, president and CEO of Scoop, asserts otherwise. “We do this sale every year, this is absolutely nothing new,” she tells us while chuckling. “You can’t find a retailer this year that didn’t have an aggressive sale. I’ve never seen Bergdorf Goodman print sale postcards in the month of December.” Okay, Scoop’s a survivor. But changes are happening. The store is phasing out children’s clothes entirely and adding home products, both the result of planning decisions made in 2008. That means the stand-alone Scoop Kids store in the meatpacking district will no longer stock children’s clothes by the end of February, choosing instead to fill the space with women’s overflow merchandise, says the store’s manager. “It’s been an unusual economic time, and I think everybody is doing what they can to minimize the impact,” Cox adds. “But as far as we’re concerned, there isn’t an issue.” Just because Scoop is heavily discounting items and nixing the kids’ section doesn’t mean the whole company is dying. Now if we all could just calm down, we’ve got things to buy for 75 percent off.

Scoop 75% Off [Madison Avenue Spy]

Is Scoop Going Out of Business?