It feels like retailers are actively pulling out of brick-and-mortar footprints and malls, as a few clothing stores like Maxx T.J. And J.Crew are already closing and joining the block chopping trend. In fact, this year stores including Eddie Bauer, Abercrombie & Fitch, Talbots, and Children’s Place have already shuttered individual locations, while announcing plans to shut down approximately 100 locations by 2023.
READ THIS NEXT: All the Walmart Stores Closing Permanently by the End of March.
The T.J. Maxx in Clinton, Connecticut, will permanently shut down this autumn, according to Clinton Town Council Chairman Chris Aniskovich as reported by CT Insider. Aniskovich stated that this information was verified by officials who spoke with store employees, although the council has not yet received any official communication from T.J. Maxx. The chairman further mentioned that the store is scheduled to cease operations in October of this year.
On March 3, the merchant requested a sign license from the Guilford Planning & Zoning Commission. As stated by CT Insider, T.J. Maxx is interested in a previous Walmart location in the town. Municipal authorities also indicate that the vendor intends to move to nearby Guilford, which is approximately a 10-minute car ride to the west. However, it’s not entirely negative information.
In regards to T.J. Maxx, they were not prompt in officially confirming the news.
CT Insider informed Sabrina Stewart, the public relations expert for TJX/T.J. Maxx, that currently, T.J. Maxx has not disclosed any alterations to their Clinton stores. Stewart mentioned that the company typically refrains from discussing store inaugurations “until the intended opening date approaches” when questioned regarding the relocation to Guilford.
Best Life contacted T.J. Maxx for a statement, but has not received a response yet.
The J.Crew store in the Arden Fair mall in Sacramento, California, is being closed, according to the Sacramento Business Journal. Nathan Spradlin, the marketing director for Arden Fair, verified that the clothing store is leaving its 5,600-square-foot spot on the ground level, but did not furnish an official date for the closure.
Spradlin informed the Sacramento Business Journal that J. Crew decided to leave because another store nearby needed to expand into part of the J. Crew area. “They performed successfully at Arden Fair and are a brand we would welcome to be included in our future mix of retailers.”
Which is expanding is a retailer.
“We are proud to continue serving our customers online and are constantly looking forward to evaluating our business and store footprint,” a J.Crew Group spokesperson told Best Life regarding the closure. “After careful consideration, we have decided to close certain stores in order to better support our broader omnichannel strategy.”
A spokesperson for J.Crew mentioned that regular assessments were mentioned in relation to the closure of Portland, while also giving a comparable statement about the closure in Portland, Oregon. J.Crew shut down an additional establishment in Portland, Oregon in January.
Although it is unfortunate to bid farewell to specific J.Crew establishments, the merchant is also extending its J.Crew Factory presence.
Earlier this year, the retailer announced plans to open new J.Crew Factory stores in Wheaton, Illinois at the Danada Square East shopping mall, in Shenandoah, Texas at the Portofino Shopping Center, in Denton, Texas at the Denton Crossing shopping center, and in Queens, New York at the Bay Terrace Shopping Center.
The State announced that J.Crew shuttered its store at the shopping center in January 2021. Additionally, a typical J.Crew Factory store is commemorating the brand’s comeback to Trenholm Plaza in Columbia, South Carolina.
In 2023, Gap Inc., The company that owns brands such as Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Athleta, confirmed that it will be closing 55 to 50 stores. Chief Financial Officer Katrina O’Connell announced during an earnings call on March 9th that these stores will be shuttered this year. In addition to Gap, the closures will also affect Maxx, T.J. Maxx, and J.Crew.
In October 2020, Gap Inc. Declared its intention to close around 350 Gap and Banana Republic stores within the next three years, O’Connell stated that the closure strategies align with those plans.
O’Connell stated, “We are on track to achieve our goal of closing 350 non-strategic Banana Republic and Gap stores in North America by the end of fiscal year 2023, with approximately 90 percent of that goal already achieved.”
