Demise Of Connecticut Lord & Taylor Stores Set For After Holidays

CONNECTICUT — The once-mighty Lord & Taylor stores are hanging on in Connecticut through the holiday shopping season and longer, but will then vanish from the retail landscape.

LeTote, the parent company of Lord & Taylor, set the date for all four state stores in separate declarations to the state Department of Labor.

A total of 150 jobs will be lost.

The state locations are:

• The Westfarms Mall on the Farmington-West Hartford line
• In Stamford on High Ridge Road
• In Trumbull on Main Street
• In Danbury on Backus Avenue

The iconic free-standing store in Stamford — essentially the Lord & Taylor mothership — was once considered a landmark when it came to department stores.

The announcement to close Lord & Taylor locations was initially made in a notice sent to the state labor department in October. LeTote cited the coronavirus and "other adverse business conditions" as the cause.

The permanent closure was initially targeted for a two-week period beginning Dec. 1.

On Nov. 30. LeTote officials said that has been extended until a 14-day period beginning Dec. 28.

The reason is "favorable inventory levels" for the holiday season.

The job-losses per store are:

• Westfarms — 24
• Stamford — 58
• Trumbull — 40
• Danbury — 28

Lord & Taylor's roots can be traced back to 1826 in New York City. The luxury department store chain was acquired by LeTote in 2019.

It August of this year, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with the sights sets on liquidating all 38 stores.