CROWN BOOKS TO CLOSE SEVEN SOUTHLAND STORES.

Byline: Enrique Rivero Daily News Staff Writer

Crown Books Corp. said Wednesday it is closing more than half its stores in east Ventura County and the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, two weeks after saying it would retain a ``strong presence'' in the area as it reorganizes under bankruptcy protection.

The Landover, Md.-based discounter said it is closing seven stores in the area: Studio City, Glendale, Northridge, West Hills, Burbank, Encino and Thousand Oaks.

Six other stores in the area will remain open, according to the company. Once one of the most successful book store chains in the country, Crown filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection July 14.

In all, the chain will close 79 of its 174 stores across the nation in the next few days, after it receives permission to do so from bankruptcy court, said Steve Pate, Crown's vice president of operations.

``Our plan is we're pruning back the stores that don't meet minimum profit requirements,'' Pate said. ``Our intention is to stabilize with a set of profitable stores, to get through Christmas and then to get back into opening stores.''

Of the 42 Crown stores in the five-county Los Angeles area, 15 - or about one-third - will close. Pate said the 27 that are left still constitute the strong presence the company had promised.

``The ones that are left are fairly significant; they sell a lot of books,'' he said.

Each store averages 12 to 15 employees, Pate said. Based on that, 84 to 105 employees at the seven local stores will lose their jobs.

Pate said the 21-year-old chain lost its focus in the past few years as it opened the king-size Super Crown stores, offered smaller discounts, and de-emphasized discounts in its advertising to compete with New York City-based Barnes & Noble Inc. and Ann Arbor, Mich.,-based Borders Group Inc.

As a result, the company lost nearly $50 million last year on about $300 million in revenues.

The company's new management team is refocusing ``the company back to the successful discount message for the customers,'' Pate said.

Crown Books' stock closed Wednesday at $1.09375, up 6.25 cents.

CLOSED BOOK

Crown Books Corp. said it will close 15 of its 42 stores in the five-county Los Angeles area, including the following sites in the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Conejo valleys:

CITY ADDRESS

Burbank 301 N. San Fernando Blvd.

Encino 17220 Ventura Blvd.

Glendale 101 N. Brand Blvd.

Northridge 19240 Nordhoff St.

Studio City 12050 Ventura Blvd.

Thousand Oaks 33 N. Moorpark Road

West Hills 6751 Fallbrook Ave.

CAPTION(S):

Box

BOX: CLOSED BOOK (see text)