Lord + Taylor At Danbury Mall To Close At End Of Month

DANBURY, CT — Iconic fashion retailer will be closing its Danbury Fair Mall location permanently on or around Dec. 28.

The store's parent company, Le Tote, informed the state Department of Labor and Mayor Mark Boughton of the move in a letter dated Nov. 30. The letter was signed by Le Tote's chief restructuring officer.

Two months ago, the chain informed the DoL of their intent to cut 28 jobs at its Danbury site, 24 at Westfarms Mall in Farmington, 40 at the Westfield Trumbull Mall, and 58 positions at its store in Stamford. Those cutbacks were scheduled to begin Dec. 1.

The store said it was able to hang on for another four weeks due to "favorable inventory levels not envisioned at the time of the original notice."

Le Tote announced its bankruptcy in August. The company cited increasing competition from online retailers as well as the "devastating impact" of the coronavirus for its decision.

The coronavirus pandemic has proven a moment of reckoning for many iconic retain brands in Connecticut. Pier 1 Imports and JCPenney both filed for bankruptcy, blaming the virus, in May, just around the time many mom-and-pop outfits were preparing to reopen. Both companies had also been struggling pre-pandemic as well, suffering the effects of the rise of online retail giants like Amazon and Wayfair. Brooks Brothers, J. Crew, Neiman Marcus, Jos. A. Bank, Men's Wearhouse, Lane Bryant, Justice and Ann Taylor.