Major Retailer Closing Headquarters, 11 Massachusetts Stores

Massachusetts is a great place to live. Residents and visitors have their choice of city or county life, plenty of restaurants, and of course plenty of shopping.

Massachusetts is home to an abundance of independent retailers from book stores, to sports equipment and gift shops. While small and family-owned businesses are a vital part of the state's economy, big box stores have their place in Massachusetts as well.

One of the nation's most popular fashion retailers announced it is filing for bankruptcy and will close stores nationwide including here in Massachusetts.

Forever 21 Closing Headquarters, 200 Stores Nationwide

In 2019 Forever 21 announced it would file for bankruptcy, and earlier the year the company announced it would be filing for a second time. As fallout, the company says it will shutter its Los Angeles headquarters, over 200 stores nationwide and lay off close to 700 employees, according to Retail Dive. Layoffs are expected to start April 21.

While it is still unclear which stores will close, the number estimated is 200, out of the chain's 350 locations. At its peak, the business had over 800 locations, but that number dropped after the first bankruptcy filing in 2019.

In Massachusetts, the fast fashion retailer operates 11 different storefronts in Auburn, Braintree, Burlington, Dartmouth, Holyoke, Hyannis, Marlborough, Natick, North Attleboro, Peabody, and Saugus. There is no official announcement on which locations with close on what day.

The retailer which was founded in 1984, has seen declining sales in recent years citing stiff competition from discounted online retailers like Temu and Shein.