Westfarms Survives As Fashion Chain To Close At Least 3 Stores In CT

WEST HARTFORD/FARMINGTON, CT — The Westfarms location of the Forever 21 chain is safe, but at least three stores are set to close in Connecticut. Final sales are ongoing, while a fourth could be playing possum, saying it is just "liquidating" an abundance of inventory.

The chain features clothing for men and women, along with accessories, home goods and beauty products. It was founded in 1984 in Los Angeles. Bloomberg is reporting that a bankruptcy filing is a possibility, pending the outcome of "asset" sales.

There are currently a half-dozen Forever 21 stores in Connecticut. Here is a rundown on their respective situations:

• Manchester, Buckland Hills mall: Shoppers and mall walkers encountered, "Store closing ... Everything must go," placards on the front of the store to begin the week and a staff member answering the phone said no formal shuttering date has been declared.
• Milford, Connecticut Post Mall: The store will be closing, possibly late March or early April, a staffer said.
• Waterford, Crystal Mall: The store will close "whenever we sell out" of sale inventory, a staffer said.
• Mashantucket: A staffer would not commit to a closing announcement and classified the current sale as "a liquidation" of an an abundance of merchandise.
• Farmington/West Hartford: Westfarms mall: The store is staying open.
• Trumbull Mall: The store is "not closing," a staffer said.

According to a company profile, Forever 21 is located in more than 540 locations globally and online. Authentic Brands Group and Simon Property Group own Forever 21 through a joint venture called SPARC Group. In February 2020, Authentic Brands Group bought Forever 21 out of bankruptcy for $81 million, according to a company profile.