Steve & Barry's on the brink of bankruptcy?

All right, you sit and gripe about employees posting on this blog site, and then you proceed to do what your complaining about. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. If you don't like it then why are you here? Without communicating with one another over the internet we wouldn't really have any insight into what is going on right now, had corporate given us ANYTHING we wouldn't be here looking for answers. The really sad thing is that the stories you are reading are all true, and things are about to get a lot worse for most of us still here (I think that gives us a right to vent). If your not a manager, feel lucky you are seeing any hours at all, and pray that come this next week your store isn't one of the 100 plus they plan to close. I wish I had only been here a year, then maybe it would be a bit easier to swallow and believe. We endured a 2 week training class that fed us a bunch of garbage about the company's true goals and financial standing, and Steve and Barry "preached" to us themselves. If this company was what they said it was then they would be keeping us updated themselves, that is what you do when you care about something (not to mention the professional thing to do). They have more than proven that they don't give a damn about anything but protecting themselves. It's just too bad for all of the loyal employees out there.

I think that at this point everyones agrees that the worst part of this has been the "not knowing" to this day we are waiting for that phone call or email, the lack of communication from "them" to "us" has been just heartbreaking.....

Is anyone at the store level receiving any more shipments? Or has anyone received an email notification for any new shipments? I have heard a couple of stores were notified of UPS shipments of merchandise coming in the next couple of weeks, I guess for those stores there is still some hope. The rest of us.........................?

I'm deeply hurt by the lack of love from our so called executives that couldn't care less for the ones in the front lines the ones that show the SnB face to the public..I'm heartbroken...

If you want loyalty hire a dog,
anyways, communication is always better. no one wants to be in the dark.
It has been a great journey with this company and i am going to take away a lot of experience.
Also we should remember that we will never be able to escape workplace politics no matter where we work.
Corporations anywhere in the world are built make profit, all share holders have only one thing on mind, how would you define the price rise of starbucks share on news of store closures, this is a publicly traded company and SB is a privately held company, same difference.
I know this is a socialist, communist view, and we have embraced this capitalism, so have to live with this, or do we want to be socialist????

I feel that we are all owed an explanation from Steve and Barry themselves. If they took great pride in this company that they started years ago, then why haven't we heard from them? Also, I feel that EH and GS should lead the long line of stepdowns. They are the direct operating officials and need to take accountability for this situation.

CG187, I wasn't complaining about people posting. I was complaining about the content of the posts. So it was more of a Pot calling the Kettle lightish gray. Citrix is right, they are a privately owned company that didn't and still don't have to tell us anything. They can do what they want. We all knew that when we signed on. We just all hoped that they'd be more open to us.

Very shady. Shipment notifications, but no sign anywhere else in the system of merchandise en route (not even a UPS tracking # to speak of, or so I am hearing from a fellow manager at another store). The last corporate email we received was nearly a week ago (no contact even from our DM in a few days which is very unusual). The only thing to even make me believe someone is still out there is a phone call from IT earlier. And some strange program that is "crucial" to be installed in all of our computers simply titled : Eraser. Hmmmmmmmm. very interesting indeed.

Eraser clears all CC .log files off the POS systems that we have obtained adding it to the Server and POS systems ensures that after every EOD that those CC numbers are permanately erased..considering that IT can get "into" our systems including NYO IT that makes for some interesting assumptions about the application of this "very important" program indeed. Happened at my store some time ago....will be interesting to see what the scheduler says tomm.

Citrix and SBKey...are either one of you NYO because only somebody very limited in regards to how capitalism functions...and how socialism functions now since I believe that both you of DO believe that nonsense I will conclude that you are infact NYO..so can you disclose some USEFUL info instead of misguided philosophy?

Very tense day, tomorrow will have to be very positive in terms of which direction the company is going. As time goes on it seems like everything gets a little more hazy, I just want to know what stores are closing, and get on with my life before I am left high and dry. Hell, if my store is closing I may be willing to stay through the closure, but it's the uncertainty and the feeling that suddenly in the next couple of days there won't be a job for me here at all that is making me want to jump ship. Does corporate realize this? Do they care that most of their employee's are looking for work elsewhere? You would think they would if they had any intention of moving forward as a company after the dust settles here. It's like I'm on a sea-saw, I talk myself into getting out and cutting my losses, then I talk myself into waiting it out and seeing what happens. Frankly, it's exhausting. I guess it goes back to what Bubba said, most of us are so emotionally invested in our perception of what this company is about, that it is so hard to just turn your back and walk away. Especially when there is a chance in the back of all of our minds that this could be for real, and we might get through it yet. I think tomorrow will be judgement day, and if we are still left in the dark, we need to demand some answers (would they have a choice if everyone threatened to walk?). Honestly though, if no answers do come tomorrow, I for one am done. We have all waited a week now with not even a hint of things to come (except what we read in the paper), and I am tired of being stressed out over something that someone else screwed up. We did our jobs, and did them well (and are still doing them under more extreme circumstances now), we shouldn't be the one's paying for this.

Cg187 in response to you question..no I don't have any shipments coming in...our backroom is completely empty of all freight. Have you used all your PTO yet? FYI i didnt even load Eraser on all the comps it took too long, not that IT didnt think so..Im not comfortable loading a suspect program on all the POS systems theres just something fishy about it with the timeing and the explanation I was given when I asked IT..did you speak to IT and if so what did they say?

IT gave me the same explanation you did, that it was to clear credit card information, but he kinda tap danced around the question which made me think it has other functions (they couldn't be erasing incriminating information could they? Naaah). We are nearly empty in the backroom, we have some winter merchandise (mainly coats and turtlenecks) that we will probably have to start putting out next week to fill holes (which are appearing everywhere). On the bright side though, our kids sock fixture is still full!! And no, I still have PTO, but am waiting in line basically to use it. I guess I should have known and used it sooner, oh wait......... thats right, this all came out of nowhere and I didn't have the chance. I forgot already:)

Dont know whats its worth....but we posted a job today that is responsible for SOC compliance and overall IT oversight at the NYO sounds like a long-term position..but so did mine..anyway based on that it seems like ALL the stores will not be closing at least for the short-term....some auditor jobs are recent post also...good news for some bad for others I guess.

Mr. Executive Bob,

S&B's only owes our company $710.00, but it is overdue; with you being an executive with the company, could I trouble you to status payment?

Regards,

We received a truck today via UPS and were all excited about the new merchandise! But it was only a shipment of boxes for packing merchandise.
That was really reassuring.

I wonder how the stores feel when they get to work and there's padlocks on the door and a note that the store has been closed by corporate.

It's bound to happen. There's a reason why there's no communication from corporate!

bink- the same think happened to me! I was so excited about the shipment, and it was boxes. I did get notice today of 2 pallets--- product or more boxes???

All of you store managers are complaining that the NYO is not telling you anything. Guess what, no one at the NYO knows anything either besides a handful of people. We are all sitting back and waiting to get fired too. Today, according to the rumors, we should be fired by Thursday or Friday this week. At least the people in the stores won't be the first to go, we will. You all have more time to find a job. If you think you are going to get transfered to another store, guess again. That will never happen. Also if you think that oneday you will go into work and there will be a lock on the door you are crazy. They need you to pack up what is left in the store. You will get notified eventually, but things like this take time. The smart thing to do espcially if you are a D or E store would be to start looking NOW.

To many of your points there are a lot of ivy league idiots that work here with no common sense, but that is not everyone at the NYO. I happen to have years of experiance and so does everyone else in my department so get your fact straight.

NYO employee, you said you will lose your job this week. Does this mean every store will be closing in the near future and S&B goes out of business? Or will a few remain 100 or so and we start the comapny from the ground back up or continue under another investment group?