Express Inc., the fast-fashion retailer, announced on Monday that it would be permanently closing the doors of over 100 of its stores across two of its brands.
This comes as the clothing giant declared bankruptcy and filed a petition for Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
The majority of the closures will affect the popular clothing brand Express, with 95 stores set to close. These closures will be spread out across 30 states and Washington, D.C., and will leave many customers without their go-to shopping destination. New York and California will be the hardest hit, with 11 and 16 stores closing, respectively.
Despite the closures, Express has made it clear that it intends to continue serving its customers both in-store and online through its Express, Bonobos, and UpWest brands. The company reassured customers that it would be business as usual as it worked on right-sizing its operations and portfolio. However, it may reassess its store footprint as part of the bankruptcy process.
Express has cited various market pressures as the cause for its recent struggles, making it difficult for the company to thrive. In an effort to keep the brand afloat, it has received a non-binding letter of intent from WHP Global and others, expressing interest in purchasing a “substantial majority” of its assets.
In addition to the 95 Express stores, all of the UpWest locations will also cease operations. Although not as widely known as Express, this brand is also part of the company’s portfolio and has stores in eight states and Washington, D.C.
UpWest was created in 2019 and has quickly gained a following for its comfortable and sustainable clothing options. Its loyal customers will have to find other ways to shop for the brand’s products as the store closures take effect.
According to Fox Business, here are the states and number of stores that will be closing:
California – 16
New York – 11
New Jersey – 7
Texas, Florida – 5
Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois – 4
Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts – 3
Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin – 2
Arizona, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Nevada, Rhode Island, Tennesee – 1
It is always sad to see a company struggling to stay afloat, especially when it involves store closures and job losses. However, Express remains optimistic and focused on getting through the bankruptcy process in the best way possible. It is also comforting to know that the company has no plans to stop serving its customers during this challenging time.
As Express works on right-sizing its operations, we can expect to see changes in its store footprint. While this may mean that some of our favorite stores will close, it also signals the company’s determination to make necessary adjustments to continue serving its loyal customers.
