Footstar commenced Going Out of Business sales at 163 stores on Friday, including all remaining Just for Feet locations and 75 of the company’s Footaction stores. Hilco Merchant Resources was the winning bidder in the auction to be appointed as liquidation agent.

The company also requested approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to close the three Uprise stores in Texas that were an “incubator” project focused on Actions Sports under the Athletic division. Footstar is also seeking to close its nine U.S Shoe Zone locations, but expects to keep open the 30 stores operating in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Footstar is also “relocating and consolidating” its Consumer Direct division to Mahwah, NJ. The division, which is currently based in Wasau, WI, reportedly laid off 12 of its employees last week, while 15 more will stay on at the call center for the next month and a half.

Harry Colcord, president of Footstar Consumer Direct, was formerly president of Eastbay, the catalog business that was acquired by Foot Locker, Inc. Colcord joined Footstar in March 2002 to run the business and was charged with development of catalogs for Thom McAn and Footstar's two athletic chains, Footaction and Just For Feet, and be responsible for setting the direct marketing strategy for Footstar.


>>> With Footaction the only active brand left after the closure of Just for Feet, it makes sense to consolidate its operations within the Footaction offices…