Robbins Brothers Files For Chapter 11

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Mar 4th 2009 at 10:03PM

Engagement ring chain, Robbins Brothers, has become the latest jewelry store to file for Chapter 11. The 16-store chain billed itself as the "world's biggest engagement store" doing a brisk business in diamond rings and charming potential buyers with a media campaign featuring Skip and Steve, the Robbins Brothers.

The store will be broken into two parts and sold. As National Jeweler reports, bankruptcy documents show that the company will be divided into two parts and sold. Unless it is miraculously rescued by another buyer, Robbins Bros. Corp. will sell the California stores to Robbins Bros. Jewelry, basically to itself, while Canadian jewelry manufacturer and retailer Spence Diamonds will buy the three Houston stores and Illinois locations. Robbins Brothers expanded rapidly over the past few years and was done in by liquidity issues which were compounded by the slowdown in consumer spending. Sales decreased around three percent last year.

The three-generation, family-owned store moved from being a small jeweler to expanding into malls and then in 1995 opening a large bridal-only store.

Jewelry stores have been particularly hit by the bad economy (hence the need for a Sparkle Week). Fortunoff is in the process of liquidation and Zale's is closing 115 stores. With internet sales taking a bigger chunk of jewelry sales each year, jewelry stores were already feeling squeezed. The recession could lead more small jewelry chains to close their doors.

UPDATE: The company has restructured and emerged from bankruptcy.

Tags: diamonds, jewelry store, JewelryStore, robbins brothers, RobbinsBrothers

Filed under: Jewelry

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Cindy Mar 5th 2009 11:43PM

3/5/09: I had a shipment scheduled for furniture from Fortunoff that I ordered and today I got a phone call from them saying they cancelled my furniture shipment AND they will neither give me the furniture nor return the full price that they charged me for it. They said if I want the money to file a lawsuit and then get in line. What a racket they are doing now by taking advantage of customers in such hard economic times. I saved to get chairs for my dinette set and then they led me on until the day of expected delivery and then took my money and didn't give me anything but grief. I am really angry. I feel like they are criminals for stealing customer money when they promised to fulfill my order right up to the day of promised delivery. I wish the state attorney would look into their actions and press charges.

Tina Mar 6th 2009 8:58AM

Cindy if they did that then you need to contact the states attorney's office yourself, no one is going to do it for you! Also get a hold of the better business, they may be able to help you recover your money.

kim Mar 6th 2009 9:36AM

Do contact your state attorney general's office, as they do have assistance and remedies available to you. If you paid for the furniture using a credit card, call the card issuer and dispute the charge. You can file against the company in small claims court in most states, however, since they are in bankruptcy, you will wind up at the bottom of the pool of other creditors.

The Duck Mar 6th 2009 1:36PM

When do people learn - - When you get it and are satisfied with the purchase, then you pay for it. With the amount of crooks around you can't be more careful than trust a perfect stranger with your money.

Raj Mar 6th 2009 1:48PM

Cindy, If you paid for your furniture qwith your credit card contact your card issuer immediately. They will refund your money. Tell them they did not comply with your contracted sale. If not contact your state attorney. Good Luck.

LMAO Mar 6th 2009 2:14PM

Y'all wanted and voted for change, and that's exactly what you are going to have left (in your pocket) when Hussein Obama is done with this country...

Sheldon Mar 6th 2009 8:44PM

Getting married, being married, and weddings are very different things - like potatoes and bicycle pedals are different. The fact is that being married is what counts. Rings, cakes, guests, expensive trips, and dressing up are just things and events you can do any time. My 30 years began in a judge's chambers $15.00 and 60 seconds did the trick. We're married and happy. Who the hell needs a store like this?

Fortunoff Sufferer Mar 11th 2009 5:53PM

Cindy I feel your pain because it happened to us too. We saved for 5 years to buy this furniture and then they just cancelled it on us. What is worse is they will now sell the furniture scheduled to be delivered to you to others at sales price and pocket that money. It almost feels like the Bankruptcy protection laws are being used to screw the employees and customers and keep the rest for the greedy bastards who put this store on its path to bankruptcy. I have written a list of things I did here http://fortunoff.wordpress.com/ Please try it out yourself - the more mails that the attorney general will receive the better chances we have to expose this scam. Please write fast. Also as a result of writing to various papers, New York Post was kind enough to write about this scam here - http://www.nypost.com/seven/03072009/business/fortunoffs_messy_demise_leaves_shoppers__158385.htm. Also looks like Cumos office has acted on our complaints - http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/03/fortunoff_bkprt03.html.