Athletic Apparel Chain Closing 4 Locations In Maryland

PASADENA, MD — Store closing sales at the footwear and athletic apparel retailer Olympia Sports begin today at four Maryland locations, just as the holiday shopping season gears up. The closings come as the company shuts down 76 stores nationwide; three other stores will stay open in the state.

The Maine-based chain was recently acquired by JackRabbit, which will continue to operate 75 Olympia Sports locations nationwide. At one time, the athletic brand assortment sold in more than 150 locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest.

The closing sales began Nov. 1 and included $44 million worth of inventory, the company said.

Below are the locations that are closing in Maryland:

• Aberdeen Marketplace, 1016 Beards Hill Road, Aberdeen
• Big Elk Shopping Center, 143 Big Elk Mall, Elkton
• North East Plaza, 103 North East Plaza, North East
• Lake Shore Plaza, 4159 Mountain Road, Pasadena

The number of brick-and-mortar businesses in Maryland continues to fluctuate as iconic chains dwindle and newer companies retrench in a bid to survive. Several national retailers announced store closings this summer, with plans to carry out those closings by the end of the year.

By the time the holiday shopping season arrives, Marylanders can expect fewer chain stores to choose from.

These Olympia Sports stores in Maryland will remain open:

• 10808 Town Center Blvd., Dunkirk
• 6400 Ridge Road, Eldersburg
• 122 West Dares Beach Road, Prince Frederick

Here's a look at the national retailers that announced store closings in recent months:

Kmart, Sears
Kmart has announced another round of store closings. This time, two in Maryland will be closing by the end of the year. READ MORE.

Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Bath & Beyond, the popular home accessories store with 19 locations in Maryland, has a refreshed look coming to some of its stores before Christmas, while underperforming locations might close or be relocated in the near future. READ MORE.

Dressbarn
All Dressbarn stores will be closing by the end of the year, including 22 Maryland locations, the company announced in May. Some locations have already closed. "Customers can continue to shop at Dressbarn in-store and online and use Dressbarn-branded credit cards for purchases," the company said in a statement. READ MORE.

Avenue
The women's clothing store is closing more than 200 locations across the country, including all eight stores in Maryland. READ MORE.

Charming Charlie
Women's fashion accessory retailer Charming Charlie filed for bankruptcy and will close its roughly 260 stores across the country, including five in Maryland. READ MORE.

Other store closings announced this year include 90 Family Dollar locations in the state and 11 Maryland Mattress Firm stores.