Forever 21 Closing These 4 Connecticut Stores

CONNECTICUT —It looks as though the ill-named Forever 21 will be shuttering stores in Danbury, Meriden, Stamford and Mashantucket, as the retailer charts its way through murky financial waters.

The Los Angeles-based clothier announced it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a letter to customers Sunday. The statement made it clear that the operation was not going out of business, but was filing bankruptcy protection as a "deliberate and decisive step to put us on a successful track for the future."

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

But it won't be positioned in the Danbury Fair Mall, Foxwood Outlets in Mashantucket, Stamford Town Center or the Meriden Square Mall. Forever 21 will be closing those four locations, as well as 174 more nationwide, it announced this week. The total number of closures planned represents about a third of Forever 21′s operation in the U.S.

This means that the Forever 21 locations at the Connecticut Post — 1201 Boston Post Road, Milford and the Trumbull Shopping Park — 5065 Main Street, Trumbull are expected to remain open for now.

The "underperforming" stores are expected to be sold and closed by Dec. 31, though the company may not shutter all of them as it continues negotiations with landlords, the filing says. Forever 21 does not expect to exit any major markets in the U.S., it has advised customers, and is directing them to their online store locator where they will maintain the most up to date store list. Customers who have questions about Forever 21 products, warranties, or rewards, should contact their Customer Service Department at 1-888-494-3837.

Forever 21 hitched its chariot to the youth market with its low-cost trendy styles, but now joins a growing list of brick-and-mortar establishments that have seen their revenues upended and business model dented with the emergence of e-commerce goliaths such as Amazon. The clothier saw its revenue decrease to $3.3 billion last year, down from $4.4 billion in 2016, according to the New York Times. The retailer also has laid off more than 10,000 people since 2016.