Rue 21 Closing 400 Locations, Some In Tampa Bay

PITTSBURGH, PA — Teens who love stepping out in fashions from Rue 21 may soon have to find new locations to shop at. The Pittsburgh-based retailer has announced the closing of 400 stores across the country, including several in the Tampa Bay area.

According to the company, a total of 16 stores across the Sunshine State are slated to shutter.

“It’s true – we are closing some stores,” the Rue21.com website announced. “It was a difficult but necessary decision. But the good news is we still have hundreds of locations across the country and our website rue21.com, open for business.

In the Tampa Bay area and surrounding counties, the following stores are set to close, according to WFMJ:

• Westfield Sarasota Square, 8201 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
• The Shoppes at Park Place – 7328 U.S. 19, Pinellas Park
• Ellenton Premium Outlets, 5185 Factory Shops Blvd., Ellenton

Just how soon the closings might take place is not clear.

The news of Rue 21’s closings comes as many other major retailers have announced similar measures to reduce brick-and-mortar locations over the past year or so. Earlier this year, Macy’s announced the closing of 68 stores, including several in the Tampa Bay area.

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