Manchester Express Store Liquidation Process Moving Along

MANCHESTER, CT — Part of the doomed Express store at Manchester's Shoppes at Buckland Hills mall resembled a scene out of the movie "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" on Thursday with an assortment of mannequins peering out front windows on the men's side, but other parts of the store were still conducting liquidation sales.

The anticipated closing is late June, staffers anticipated. This week marked the fifth since the Manchester store was one of four Express stores in Connecticut designated for closure as the clothing retailer begins bankruptcy proceedings.

Express and its subsidiaries announced on April 23 a voluntary Chapter 11 filing out of U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware Tuesday to "facilitate" a sale process.

Also that day, the Ohio-based company said it has received a non-binding letter of intent from a consortium led by WHP Global and participants including a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Simon Property Group and Brookfield Properties for the potential sale of a substantial majority of the Company’s retail stores and operations.

Meanwhile, 95 stores across the country were in the closure list, including Connecticut locations at:

• The Buckland Hills mall, 194 Buckland Hills Drive, in Manchester
• 125 West Main St. in Westport
• 181 Greenwich Ave.
• Danbury Fair Mall, 7 Backus Ave., in Danbury

In a bankruptcy filing summary, Express officials said the company has received a commitment for $35 million in new financing from "certain of its existing lenders," subject to court approval. Additionally, on April 15, the Company received $49 million in cash from the Internal Revenue Service related to the CARES Act, according to the summary.

Express also has Connecticut stores in:

• Trumbull
• Milford
• Clinton
• Mashantucket
• Farmington