H.B. Mervyn’s will have liquidation sale before closing

The Huntington Beach Mervyn’s department store is one of four in the county closing soon to reduce expenses in the face of a recent bankruptcy filing.

According to the company, the store at 7651 Edinger Avenue will close, following a liquidation sale expected to run from Labor Day through October or early November.

The chain, which has 176 stores, is closing 26 of them across several states. Mervyn’s filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy about two weeks ago, citing the drop in consumer spending and tightened credit market as reasons for its flagging sales.

“We believe this is a necessary step in our process to emerge from bankruptcy as a stronger company, better positioned to compete in the retail industry,” Mervyn’s chief executive John Goodman said in a statement.

— Michael Alexander