Forever 21 announces it is closing two South Carolina stores. Here’s where
A month after Forever 21 declared bankruptcy, the fashion retailer announced it is closing 178 of its stores in the U.S.
Two South Carolina locations are on the list of stores that will be shuttered.
The Forever 21s that are going out of business include stores in Florence’s Magnolia Mall and the Tanger Outlets in North Charleston, CNBC reported Wednesday.
One store not included on the list is the Forever 21 in Columbia, which is one of the most visible stores at Columbiana Centre.
“We never had any concerns about the store here,” Columbiana Center general manager Mackenzie Fontaine told The State Thursday. “Columbiana Center is the premier shopping center in the Midlands, so it makes sense that they are not closing the store here.”
Liquidation sales will be held at the stores closing in South Carolina and across the nation, and are expected to be completed by the end of the year, according to CNBC.
The move comes after Forever 21 filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sept. 29. While the company outlined a plan to close certain locations, it said it was not planning to close all of its stores.
“We have requested approval to close up to 178 stores across the U.S.,” the company said in an email, according to Reuters.
Forever 21, which was founded in 1984, is also planning to close international locations in Asia and Europe, per BusinessWire.
The company has 800 stores across the world, including 549 in the U.S., CNN reported.
In addition to Columbia, other South Carolina locations not listed as closing include stores in Charleston, Greenville and Myrtle Beach.
While it appears the Columbia store will continue to remain open for business, as a company, Forever 21 has previously left Columbiana Centre.
In March 2018, the Columbia shopping mall was one of 13 across the U.S. to become a home for Forever 21’s cosmetics store — Riley Rose.
The Columbia location has since closed its doors for good, and the closest Riley Rose is in Florida.
Information on why the cosmetics store owned by Forever 21 left Columbia was not available.
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This story was originally published October 31, 2019 at 12:25 PM.
