Lane Bryant, Ann Taylor, Justice stores closing at Charlotte area malls

A New Jersey retail group’s bankruptcy means multiple store closings are coming to Charlotte area malls and shopping centers.

Ascena Retail Group’s filed for Chapter 11 last week in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The filings include closing more than 1,600 underperforming brick-and-mortar stores, according to national news outlets.

The company brands in the Charlotte area include Ann Taylor, Lane Bryant and Justice for Girls. Other brands include LOFT and Lou & Grey.

Clearance and sales are underway, as store closings are expected to continue within the next 30 to 60 days, according to Ascena’s website.

These stores, USA Today first reported, are closing in Charlotte:

▪ Lane Bryant at Northlake Mall in Charlotte and Valley Hills Mall in Hickory.

▪ Ann Taylor Factory Store at Concord Mills.

▪ Justice stores at Charlotte Premium Outlets, Concord Mills, Northlake Mall, Carolina Place Mall in Pineville, Franklin Square in Gastonia, and Valley Hills Mall.

▪ Catherines at Centrum Shopping Center in Pineville and Startown Plaza in Hickory.

The list includes 36 store closings across North Carolina.

Among those in the Raleigh area are: Catherines and Justice at Crossroads Plaza Shopping Center in Cary; Justice at Streets at Southpoint in Durham; and Justice at Crabtree Valley Mall and Lou & Grey at North Hills in Raleigh.

The retail store closing come after malls were shuttered in March because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Malls were able to reopen in May in North Carolina.

In May, the 58-year-old company Pier 1 announced it would close all 450 stores in the U.S. after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 2:57 PM with the headline "Lane Bryant, Ann Taylor, Justice stores closing at Charlotte area malls."