Exhibit 31.1

SECTION 302 CERTIFICATION OF PRESIDENT AND
                  CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I, James R. Famalette, certify that:

1.	I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Gottschalks Inc.;

2.	Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any untrue statement of a material 	fact
or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the 	circumstances under which such statements
were made, not misleading with respect to the period 	covered by this report;

3.	Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in 	this
report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of 	operations and 	cash flows of the registrant as of,
and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.	The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining
	disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) 	and internal control over
financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 	15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a)	Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures
to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, is made known to us by others within
those entities, particularly during the period in which this annual report is being prepared;

b)	Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial
reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the
preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

c)	Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this
report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this
report based on such evaluation; and

d)	Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that
occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has
materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.	The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent 	evaluation
of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit 	committee of registrant's board of directors
	(or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a)	All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal
		controls over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the 			registrant's ability to record,
process, summarize and report financial information; and

b)	Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who
			have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

|April 12, 2006 | By:                                   | /s/ James R. Famalette
|-------------- | ------------------------------------- | ----------------------
|               | James R. Famalette                   
|               | President and Chief Executive Officer

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