2007 Departures: Levitz Furniture liquidated

Levitz, one of the oldest furniture stores in the country, announced in December that it would close all of its 76 stores.

It's sad to see longstanding businesses shut down after so many years. This is actually the third time in 10 years that this family-owned store has gone bankrupt, so it's no surprise the business is closing for good. It did have a catchy ad, though: "You'll love it at Levitz!"

Walking into the cavernous stores could be rather overwhelming – so could looking through all the mediocre furniture. Now all the customers with returns, credits and warranty problems will have to tussle with a store that's trying to liquidate all of its products as quickly as possible. Levitz is offering 20-50 percent off its furniture to get rid of all its merchandise.

Apparently, customer service at the stores has gone belly up, and no one is helping customers who have had deliveries of damaged furniture and other problems. Anyone trying to get a bargain there right now should remember that a store that's closing won't be offering much in the way of quality and service.

This post was written as part of a series on on 2007 departures. Read about more products, companies and people you won't see in 2008.