Lord & Taylor Closing Last 2 MD Stores, All Nationwide

COLUMBIA, MD — Lord & Taylor is closing all of its stores, including the last two Maryland locations, as the retailer gears up for a series of going-out-of-business sales.

Lord & Taylor LLC and its parent company Le Tote Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this month.

"While we're still entertaining various opportunities, we believe it is prudent to simultaneously put the remainder of the stores into liquidation to maximize value of inventory for the estate while pursuing options for the company's brands," said the company's chief restructuring officer, Ed Kremer.

For now, that means going-out-of-business sales, which kicked off at most stores on Thursday.

Even before boutiques and malls were shutdown by the coronavirus outbreak, traditional brick-and-mortar establishments saw a nosedive in revenue and popularity with the emergence of e-commerce companies such as Amazon and Walmart.

Lord & Taylor has the following Maryland locations:

• The Mall in Columbia: 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia
• White Flint Mall: 11311 Rockville Pike, Kensington

The White Flint store closing process had already begun with a closing sale that began Aug. 2. The location on Rockville Pike was all that remains of the White Flint shopping mall — which was slated for demolition and redevelopment as a town center. It was the subject of a lengthy legal battle between the owners of the White Flint Mall, Lerner Enterprises, and the upscale department store chain.

In July, 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.

Other chains that are closing some or all of their Maryland stores include Pier 1 Imports, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sears, Kmart, Motherhood Maternity, Dressbarn and more.

Pier 1 closed half of its stores to "better align its business with the current operating environment." Nine Maryland stores, including shops in Nottingham, Rockville and Gambrills, were removed from the chain's website. The company confirmed on social media the stores removed from the website were slated for closure. Patch has posted the full list of the Maryland Pier 1 stores expected to close.

Macy's in February said it would close at least one of its 16 stores in the state.

A record 9,300-plus store closings were announced in 2019, and that number could be even higher in 2020, according to a report by Business Insider.

Related:

• MD Store Closings: 10 Justice, 4 Catherine's Shuttering
• Victoria's Secret Closing 250 Stores; See Locations In Maryland
• J.Crew, Which Has 4 Stores In MD, Files For Bankruptcy
• Maryland Chain Retailers That Closed Stores In 2019
• Papyrus Closes All Stores, Including 5 In Maryland
• Dressbarn Shutters Nationwide