A few days ago, in a post about the increasing number of economic refugees making their way from Ann Arbor to Ypsilanti, I noted a new program being considered by the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority (DDA) that would put a small army of paid “ambassadors” on the streets of tree town, opening doors for […]
Tag Archives: Briarwood Mall
Wet Seal closes stores without notice, screws employees, gives CFO a $95,000 raise
With the holiday shopping season now behind us, the struggling clothing retailer Wet Seal made a move this weekend to quietly close several of their stores. They did so with practically no notice, leaving many of their long-time employees without jobs, and no way to pay their bills. These employees, understandably, are none too pleased. […]
Posted in Corporate Crime, Economics, Mark's Life, Uncategorized Also tagged 1%, 99%, anti-worker, bankruptcy, Birmingham, Dayton, Dublin, Hudson Bay Master Fund, liquidation, Los Angeles, Ohio, Retail, Seattle, Thomas Hillebrandt, unions, Wet Seal, worker rights 44 Comments
Ypsi/Arbor Exit Interview: Newcombe Clark
A week or so ago, in front of an audience at Conor O’Neills, I had the pleasure of conducting a live exit interview with Ann Arbor-born commercial real estate broker turned University of Michigan MBA Newcombe Clark, who will soon be leaving Michigan for Chicago. As there was still a great deal that we didn’t […]
Posted in Ann Arbor, History, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Special Projects Also tagged affordable housing, aging population, Ann Arbor City Council, Ann Arbor history, Ann Arbor problems, Annarbour, Babo, Best Buy, big box retail, Borders, brain drain, car free, change, Chicago, childhood, childhood memories, complaining about things that can't be changed, construction, craftsmanship, density, design porn, development, Discount Records, Encore Records, excellence, exit interviews, fear of change, Five Guys, Fleetwood Diner, Gandy Dancer, Grange, Iggy Pop, India, Kerrytown, land speculation, Last Word, Leopold Bloom’s, Literati, lure of cities, Mani, Mark's Carts, mentorship, Michigan Theater, Mr. Flood’s Party, Mumbai, national chains, Ned Duke, Newcombe Clark, North Ashley, nostalgia, Ojibwa, our fragile downtown business ecosystem, Portlandia, Potbelly Sandwich Shop, poverty, protectionism, Pune, race, race and poverty, racial steering, real estate, rent, retail in Ann Arbor, rewriting history, Rock Paper Scissors, Ross Business School, segregation, Shaman Drum, shifting national demographics, shop local, Vault of Midnight, Vellum, Waterhill, West End Grill, yoga, Ypsi/Arbor Exit Interviews, Zingerman's 50 Comments