Discounts of 25% to 40% at Smith & Hawken liquidation sales

Home furnishings seller Smith & Hawken is holding liquidation sales at all 56 of its stores, with most discounts currently between 25% and 40% off.

The chain's store at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa yesterday was still well-stocked with patio furniture, potted plants, pillows and candles. Colorful signs promised "total blowout!" and "all furniture 40% off."

There were also some unusual items, including rubber rain boots, a copper mailbox ($159, down from $199) and a Buddha statue.

As is typical with liquidations, all sales are final and markdowns are expected to become steeper as the stores' final day approaches. A sales associate at the South Coast Plaza location said the store was expected to close in October.

-- Andrea Chang

ELuxury to shut retail operations Friday; closeout sale underway

ELuxury, the high-end e-commerce site owned by Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, is shutting its retail operations Friday -- which means steep discounts on Dolce & Gabbana heels, Marc Jacobs dresses and Fendi tote bags.

Of course, even at closeout prices many of the site's offerings still carry jaw-dropping price tags, such as a $2,605 Versace draped one-shoulder dress on sale for $1,563.

ELuxury announced this month that the site would be redeveloped as "an online destination for stylish editorial content" that the company would unveil later this year. Launched in 2000, ELuxury features apparel, accessories and beauty products from some of the world's most elite designers.

-- Andrea Chang

Photo: Dolce & Gabbana's painted eel slingbacks are on sale for $330 (down from $825) at ELuxury.com. Credit: ELuxury

Linens 'N Things is back -- but only online

Linens 'N Things, which filed for Chapter 11 last year and eventually liquidated its stores, has resurfaced as an e-commerce website at www.lnt.com.

"Promising to set the standard for what's to become the new model for many traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, the new Linens 'N Things is about creating the ultimate online shopping experience," the home retailer, now under different ownership, said in a statement.

The site offers "over 200,000 top branded products for every room in the home," including items from Calvin Klein, Vera Wang, Versace and Laura Ashley.

-- Andrea Chang

Ritz Camera to start store-closing sales Saturday

Going-out-of-business sales will start Saturday at 38 Ritz Camera stores in California, part of the retailer’s plan to shut 300 stores nationwide.

Discounts will begin at 10% to 20% off, depending on the category of merchandise, said Scott Carpenter, executive vice president for Great American Group, part of the joint venture that is liquidating the stores.

“Then we will progress to 20% off, 30% off all the way to 90% off. We think it will take about seven to
nine weeks,” Carpenter said.

Like many others in the retail business, Ritz Camera Centers Inc. of Beltsville, Md., has been slammed by the sharp slowdown in consumer spending. Among the companies that have scaled back or been wiped from the retail landscape recently are . . .