Forever 21 Closes Stores In NY And NJ: Report

BAY SHORE, NY — Budget fashion retailer Forever 21 is closing 200 of its stores nationwide including locations in New York and New Jersey, according to a report by Pix11.

The closures mean numerous stores on Long Island will shutter for good, including Forever 21 locations in Bay Shore and Deer Park, the outlet said.

Patch reported last month that the fast fashion retailer also plans to close its Los Angeles headquarters as the shopping-mall staple struggles for viability amid rumors of a second bankruptcy, according to reports.

Forever 21 expects to close at least 200 of its 350 U.S. stores as executives continue to work on a bankruptcy process expected to launch as soon as next month. As part of that, Forever 21 would seek a buyer for its remaining stores — but if no qualified buyer emerges, the company would sell off all its assets and close all its stores, Bloomberg reported.

"Forever 21’s operating company, which is the brand licensee in the US, continues to explore strategic options, including a potential sale, while also reducing costs and optimizing its store footprint," a representative for Forever 21’s operations owner Catalyst Brands told Bloomberg earlier this month. "The efforts are ongoing and no final decisions regarding the outcome of the process have been made."

However, the company has notified California state officials that it plans to close its corporate headquarters in Los Angeles and lay off 358 employees by April 21, according to the Employment Development Department.

That will include managers, designers, supply chain directors and the company's chief financial officer and chief merchandising officer, the Los Angeles Daily News reported.

Those who remain at the company will transition to remote work.

Forever 21, known for quickly getting affordable and on-trend clothing to its stores, began as a brick-and-mortar store in Highland Park. At its height, it operated 500 stores in the U.S. and another 800 worldwide, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Married couple Do Won Chang and Jin Sook Chang ran the business until its bankruptcy in 2019, when its intellectual property and trademark were sold to brand management firm Authentic Brands. Its U.S. operating company, F21 OpCo LLC, is owned by Catalyst Brands, according to the Times.

According to Pix11 the following Forever 21 stores in New York and New Jersey are set to close:

New York

• South Shore Mall – Bay Shore
• Kings Plaza Shopping Center – Brooklyn
• Walden Galleria – Buffalo
• Woodbury Premium Outlets – Central Valley
• Tanger Outlets Deer Park – Deer Park
• Roosevelt Field – Garden City
• The Shops at Atlas Park – Glendale
• Smith Haven Mall – Lake Grove
• Galleria at Crystal Run – Middletown
• Times Square – Manhattan
• Seventh Ave-Penn Station – Manhattan
• Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls – Niagara Falls
• Poughkeepsie Galleria – Poughkeepsie
• Tanger Outlet Riverhead – Riverhead
• Staten Island Mall – Staten Island
• Green Acres Mall – Valley Stream
• Eastview Mall – Victor
• Palisades Center – West Nyack
• The Westchester – White Plains
• Cross County Center – Yonkers
• Jefferson Valley Mall – Yorktown Heights

New Jersey

• Tanger Outlets Atlantic City – Atlantic City
• Bridgewater Commons – Bridgewater
• Cherry Hill Mall – Cherry Hill
• Deptford Mall – Deptford
• Menlo Park Mall – Edison
• The Mills at Jersey Gardens – Elizabeth
• Freehold Raceway Mall – Freehold
• Newport Centre – Jersey City
• Hamilton Mall – Mays Landing
• Westfield Garden State Plaza – Paramus
• Rockaway Townsquare – Rockaway
• Ocean County Mall – Toms River
• Willowbrook Mall – Wayne
• Quaker Bridge Mall – West Windsor
• Woodbridge Center – Woodbridge

Forever 21 representatives were not immediately available for comment.