Carter Hawley Plans to Close Westchester Broadway Store

Broadway-Southern California said it will close its 41-year-old Westchester department store on Oct. 14, but all of the 110 employees affected are being offered jobs at nearby Broadway locations.

A spokesman for Carter Hawley Hale Stores, parent of the 44-store Broadway chain, said no further store closings are planned. The company said the Westchester store, located at 8739 Sepulveda Blvd. in Los Angeles, was doing poorly. And, at less than half the size of the average Broadway, it was too small to offer a full assortment of merchandise.

The closing comes amid a sharp downturn for many retailers. Carter Hawley is expected to announce today or early next week its financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Aug. 4.

Analysts expect debt-burdened Carter Hawley to report a loss for the year of between $2 million and $8 million, partly due to a $10.5-million after-tax charge stemming from damage suffered in last year’s Bay Area Quake.

Separately, there has been industry speculation that Carter Hawley was approached by May Department Stores and Dillard Department Stores about selling one or more of its five chains. In addition, Fresno-based Gottschalks said it approached Carter Hawley about buying its Weinstocks chain in the Sacramento area but was rebuffed. A Carter Hawley spokesman declined to comment.