Forever 21, Pier 1: Can Maryland's 28 Stores Survive Shake-Ups?

MARYLAND — Two staples of Maryland malls have bad news for customers: Both national retailers plan to close more than 100 stores apiece as they struggle to re-trench in the coming months. Clothing chain Forever 21 is expected to shut down 178 stores in the United States, and the home decor store Pier 1 could close up to 145 of its locations.

Forever 21 representatives said in a letter to customers on Sept. 29 that the company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The clothing store geared toward teens and shoppers in their early 20s made it clear, though, it wasn’t going out of business, and instead filed for bankruptcy protection as a “deliberate and decisive step to put us on a successful track for the future,” according to the letter.

Pier 1 announced its own possible store closings after reporting low financial results on Sept. 25.

“As anticipated, our fourth-quarter sales and profitability were disappointing and reflect the execution issues we identified earlier in the year and have been working with urgency to correct,” Cheryl Bachelder, interim Pier 1 CEO, said in a statement.

The two companies join a growing list of brick-and-mortar establishment that have seen a nosedive in revenue and popularity with the emergence of e-commerce companies such as Amazon and Walmart. In early September, Bed Bath & Beyond said it would close some stores and overhaul others ahead of the 2019 holiday shopping season.

“We are confident this is the right path for the long-term health of our business,” Forever 21 said in the letter to customers. “Once we complete a reorganization, Forever 21 will be a stronger, more viable company that is better positioned to prosper for years to come.”

Neither Forever 21 nor Pier 1 has yet specified the locations that will be closed, but for now everything seems to be off the table.

Here are the Forever 21 locations in Maryland:

• Annapolis Mall: 1115 Annapolis Mall No. 173, Annapolis
• Arundel Mills: 7000 Arundel Mills Circle Suite G, Hanover
• Mall In Columbia: 10300 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia
• Harbor Place & The Gallery: 200 E. Pratt St., Ste 2096, Baltimore
• Mondawmin Mall: 2401 Liberty Heights Ave., Space #2600, Baltimore
• Wheaton Mall: 11160 Veirs Mills Road, Space 167, Silver Spring
• White Marsh Mall: 8200 Perry Hall Blvd Space 1215, Baltimore
• Towson Town Center: 825 Dulaney Valley Rd., Space #1405, Towson
• Montgomery Mall: 7101 Democracy Blvd, Space 1252, Bethesda

Here are the Pier 1 locations in Maryland:

• Annapolis: 2101 Somerville Rd
• Gambrills: 1352 Main Chapel Way
• Pasadena: 8140 Ritchie Hwy
• Bowie: 4410 Mitchellville Rd.
• Laurel: 3401 Fort Meade Road
• Columbia: 6131 Columbia Crossing Circle
• Catonsville: 6600 Baltimore National Pike
• Nottingham: 8165-A Honeygo Blvd.
• Easton: 219 Marlboro Ave.
• Baltimore: 1809 Reisterstown Rd.
• Rockville: 12137 Rockville Pike
• Waldorf: 3237 Plaza Way
• Hunt Valley: 118 Shawan Rd.
• Gaithersburg: 30 Grand Corner Avenue
• Bel Air: 615 Bel Air Road
• Westminster: 405 North Center St.
• California: 45098 Worth Ave.
• Frederick: 2470 Osprey Way
• Salisbury: 2320 North Salisbury Blvd.

Forever 21 saw its revenue decrease to $3.3 billion last year, which is down from the $4.4 billion in 2016, according to the New York Times. The company has also laid off more than 10,000 people since 2016.

The home goods store Pier 1 has been dealing with its own recent troubles. It had to close 30 stores at the end of its fiscal year in March of 2019, and the number of closures could now increase up to 15 percent of their outlets.

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