Popular mall retailer closing location for good after 12 years with 60% liquidation sales insisting ‘everything must go’

A well-liked business is permanently closing its doors after 12 years at a well-known mall.

Recently, shoppers noticed specials and promotions in the displays offering up to 60% off of certain items.

Before it’s too late, customers of Forever 21, a business that is closing, should visit the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.

An employee told The U.S. Sun that January 26 is its last day of operation.

The Forever 21 is surrounded by signs emphasizing that “everything must go.”

According to Bring Me The News, the fast-fashion retailer occupied the two floors and 80,000 square feet of space that Bloomingdales had left empty in the Mall of America in 2012.

After declaring into bankruptcy in 2019, Forever 21’s future was in doubt.

According to CBS News, it mentioned financial difficulties at the time and a debt of almost $500 million.

Additionally, a plan to shutter at least 178 mall-based businesses was implemented, endangering the Mall of America location.

Forever 21 was purchased out of bankruptcy by Authentic Brands Group, Simon Property Group, and Brookfield Property Partners in 2020 for approximately $80 million; nonetheless, it appears that some stores are still closing.

OTHER CLOSURES

Similar closures have been recorded at a number of Forever 21 stores in New York and California this year.

On March 31, the New York store, which was located in Syracuse’s Destiny USA mall, closed.

On the same day, another business closed at the Westfield Galleria Mall in Roseville, California, which is roughly 25 miles from Sacramento.

The Sacramento Bee claims that it was in operation for more than 15 years.

In addition, after 12 years of operation, a Forever 21 at the Cooperhouse Shopping Center in Santa Cruz will close on January 31, 2025.

CONSUMER CRITIQUE

Forever 21’s bankruptcy issues and closures were attributed by retail experts to a number of factors, including the company’s excessive number of big-box stores, the amount of competition it faced online, and concerns about the environmental effects of fast fashion.

According to a 2018 Quantis analysis, the manufacture of apparel and footwear accounts for about 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

In an interview with Vogue Business, Linda Chang, the daughter of Forever 21 founders Don Won Chang and Jin Sook Chang, acknowledged that the brand has been falling short in recent years.

“With the complexity of our business, we were so focused on trying to fill in gaps that were created as we were expanding in all the different countries, we lost focus on what our customers were asking for,” Chang stated.

In 2024, Forever 21’s rivals also declared bankruptcy.

In April, Express filed for Chapter 11 with the intention of closing more than 100 locations around the country.

In May, Rue 21 also filed for its second and last bankruptcy, ultimately closing all of its remaining outlets.

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