Modell's Declares Bankruptcy, Will Close All 9 Queens Stores

ASTORIA, QUEENS — Modell's Sporting Goods is starting liquidation sales at all its stores, including nine locations across Queens, after filing for bankruptcy protection earlier this week.

Modell's launched closing sales at all its locations Friday, two days after Chief Executive Officer Mitchell Modell filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing a challenging retail environment.

Some stores, including Manhattan, had already started closing sales, according to Reuters.

The 100-year-old family-owned sporting goods business has nine outposts in Queens, including a store on Steinway Street in Astoria, one in the Queens Center Mall and several locations in northeast Queens.

"This is certainly not the outcome I wanted, and it is one of the most difficult days of my life," Modell, the company's CEO, said in a statement Wednesday after filing for bankruptcy protection in New Jersey.

There are roughly 140 Modell's locations in the United States.