Levitz Furniture

Levitz Furniture was a nationwide chain of American furniture stores that helped create the "furniture warehouse" genre of retail furniture sales. It was in business for nearly 100 years before liquidating in bankruptcy in early 2008.

History

Growth

The company was founded in Lebanon, Pennsylvania in 1910 by Richard Levitz.

In the 1960s Levitz successfully pioneered selling moderately priced brand-name furniture from a warehouse-style store. It suffered in the 1990s as consumers began to prefer showroom sales that featured spaces arranged to look like actual rooms in houses. The chain continued to expand in 2005, when they acquired Seaman's Furniture and Huffman Koos stores after bankruptcy.

Marketing

The store is known for the slogan and jingle "You'll love it at Levitz."

Bankruptcy and liquidation

Levitz was accused of having been poorly run for more than a decade starting in the 1990s. It declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice during the period, in 1997 and again in 2005, both times emerging after a corporate restructuring and the participation of new outside backers.

Under the Western Freeway

Under the Western Freeway is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Grandaddy. It was released on October 21, 1997 by Will Records.

Release

Under the Western Freeway was released on October 21, 1997.

It was later reissued in the U.S. by V2 Records.

Reception

The album was fairly well-received critically. CMJ New Music Monthly described it as "an eccentric psych-pop collection". Andy Gill of The Independent called it "one of the most beguiling debuts of the year [...] a fortuitous collision of Brian Wilson, Neil Young and the Pixies which throws out a stream of understated pop gems".AllMusic noted similarities to the bands Pavement and Weezer, and described it as "a fairly brilliant album, combining a warm, earnest and rustic feel with sometimes goofy experimentation". Frontman Jason Lytle's vocal performance was also praised; Jason Josephes of Pitchfork said: "If the lonely vocals of 'Lineage' and 'Collective Dreamwish of Upperclass Elegance' don't strike you there, you have no soul".