8 Major NJ Stores To Shut, 4K Layoffs As New Closure Announced

NEW JERSEY — Another major store is going to close soon in New Jersey – just as other major retailers in the state are planning to shut their doors before Christmas. The news comes as 4,000 layoffs are hitting New Jersey during the holiday season and beyond (see list below).

Eight major stores are planning to close over the next two months, and a number of other retailers are shutting their doors, too.

The Sears at Freehold Raceway Mall will close by February. The store was the last of the chain's sites at the Jersey Shore, where the storied company once had locations in Toms River and a number of locations throughout the region. Read more: Sears At Freehold Raceway Mall Is Closing

Kmart is also closing a store in West Orange, and it's shutting sites in Wayne, Trenton, Wall and Somers Point by Christmas. Liquidation sales have begun at those stories. An exact closure date is not yet known, but company officials had said mid-December. Read more: Kmart Store In West Orange To Close

The Lord & Taylor's at Woodbridge Center Mall is also expected to close by Dec. 24 and 84 layoffs are scheduled for that date. The store's Moorestown location also is expected to close by the end of the January, and 81 layoffs are scheduled for Jan. 31. Read more: Woodbridge Center Lord & Taylor Will Be Closing: Report

Smaller stores are supposed to close, too. The Children's Place at the Bridgewater Towne Center is closing and hosting an inventory sale to get rid of everything inside. Read more: The Children's Place Is Closing In Bridgewater, Holds Major Sale

The retail chain Destination Maternity plans to close 201 locations in the United States, including four in New Jersey, as the maternity apparel store continues through its Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection case. Read more: Destination Maternity Closing 4 Stores; 642 Layoffs In NJ: Report

Forever 21 also identified the locations in New Jersey that are set to close: Deptford, Mays Landing, East Hanover, Cherry Hill, Short Hills and East Brunswick

Other retailers that have announced store closings – but haven't disclosed where or when they'll occur – include: Barneys, Bed Bath & Beyond, Pier 21 and Walgreens.

Here are the layoffs planned in New Jersey:

• Givaudan Flavors Corp. - Cranbury (Dec. 13): 4
• Givaudan Flavors Corportion - Middlesex (Dec. 13): 100. The flavors and fragrances company is shuttering two New Jersey sites, according to ROI-NJ. The company, based in Switzerland, says it will be closing sites in Middlesex and Cranbury in December.
• Barneys New York, Lyndhurst (Dec. 15): 263
• Destination Maternity Corporation - Florence (Dec. 21): 212
• Destination Maternity Corporation - Moorestown (Dec. 21): 430. Moorestown-based Destination Maternity is among the latest retail businesses to file for bankruptcy. The company, which has $260 million in assets and is $244 million in debt, filed for bankruptcy on Oct. 21, according to court documents. Read more: Moorestown-Based Destination Maternity Files For Bankruptcy
• WestRock, CP, LLC, Newark (Dec. 21): 114
• Lord & Taylor, Woodbridge (Dec. 24): 84
• Alcami Corporation, Edison (Dec. 27): 27
• CarePoint Health Management Associates, Jersey City (Jan. 13): 241
• Community Housecall Providers, LLC, Jersey City (Jan. 13): 17
• Garden State Healthcare Associates, LLC, Jersey City (Jan. 13): 161
• Hoboken University Medical Center, Hoboken (Jan. 13) 1,038. CarePoint Health – which owns Hoboken University Medical Center, Christ Hospital in Jersey City and the Bayonne Medical Center – has signed a letter of intent with RWJBarnabas Health (RWJBH). Under the agreement, Hoboken University Medical Center and Christ Hospital will become part of RWJBH. Bayonne's future is unclear at press time. As a result, 1,038 layoff notices were issued to employees of Hoboken University Medical Center and 1,074 notices were issued to workers at Christ Hospital, according to the state Department of Labor. Read more: CarePoint May Sell Hudson County Hospitals To RWJBarnabas
• Christ Hospital, Jersey City (Jan. 13) 1074. CarePoint Health Management Associates in Jersey City also issued 241 layoff notices, effective Jan. 13.
• CarePoint Health Medical Group, Old Bridge (Jan. 13) 49
• Quality Care Associates, LLC, Jersey City (Jan. 13) 159
• Lord & Taylor, Moorestown (Jan. 31): 81
• Oakwood Worldwide, Totowa (Feb. 3): 11