Athletic Apparel Chain Closing 2 NoVa Locations

WARRENTON, MD — Store closing sales at the footwear and athletic apparel retailer Olympia Sports begin today at two northern Virginia locations, just as the holiday shopping season gears up. The closings come as the company shuts down 76 stores nationwide; there are no other Virginia locations of the retailer.

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 Virginia:

• The Marketplace At Stafford, 1240 Stafford Marketplace, Stafford
• Warrenton Village Shopping Center, 251 W. Lee Highway, Warrenton

The number of brick-and-mortar businesses in Virginia and the District of Columbia 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, DC and northern Virginians can expect fewer chain stores to choose from.

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

Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Bath & Beyond, the popular home accessories store with 26 locations in Virginia and two in the District of Columbia, 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 28 Virginia 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 three stores in Virginia. 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 eight in Virginia. READ MORE.