MD Store Closings: 10 Justice, 4 Catherine's Shuttering

MARYLAND — The parent company of clothing retailers including Justice, Lane Bryant, Ann Taylor, LOFT, Catherine's and Cacique filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Thursday. Ascena Retail Group announced plans to close about half its 2,800 stores, including 76 Ann Taylor, LOFT and Lou & Grey stores, more than 600 Justice stores and all Catherine's plus-size clothing store locations. All locations outside the U.S. will also close.

Ten Justice stores in Maryland and all four Catherine's stores are slated for closure.

Disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said the last few months negatively impacted "meaningful progress" to get back on track financially.

The "tween" clothing store Justice, which caters to girls ages 6 to 12, accounts for the bulk of the closures. It has more than 800 stores across the country, and more than 75 percent will shutter.

According to USA today, these are the Maryland Justice stores that will close:

• Annapolis: Westfield Annapolis, 1825 Annapolis Mall
• Bel Air: Harford Mall, 644 Bel Air Road
• Columbia: The Mall in Columbia, 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway
• Cumberland: Country Club Mall, 1262 Vocke Road
• Frederick: Francis Scott Key Mall, 5500 Buckeystown Pike
• Gambrills: Waugh Chapel Towne Centre, 1410 South Main Chapel Way
• Glen Burnie: Marley Station Mall, 7900 Governor Ritchie Highway
• Hagerstown: Valley Mall, 17301 Valley Mall Road
• Salisbury: Centre at Salisbury, 2300 North Salisbury Road.
• Waldorf: St. Charles Towne Center, 11110 Mall Circle

No Ann Taylor or LOFT stores in Maryland are on the list of those slated to close, according to Business Insider.

Ann Taylor, LOFT, Lane Bryant, Justice and Lou & Grey "have significant long-term potential, and we continue to deliver on their mission to provide all women and girls with fashion and inspiration to live confidently every day," Chief Executive Officer of Ascena Gary Muto said in a statement. "This comprehensive restructuring, as well as the actions we are taking to optimize our brand portfolio and store fleet, mark a new start for our company and will allow us to expand our customer-focused strategies across her mobile, online, and store experiences.”

Ascena operates four Catherine's stores in Maryland, which will all close:

• Capitol Heights
• Glen Burnie
• Waldorf
• Windsor Mill

More closures could also be announced. The final number and locations of stores that are closing has not yet been determined, the company stated in the news release. Ascena previously closed all Dressbarn stores last year.

See Also:

• Maryland Chain Retailers That Closed Stores In 2019
• Papyrus Closes All Stores, Including 5 In Maryland
• Dressbarn Shutters Nationwide

— By Shannon Antinori and Elizabeth Janney