Payless has announced that it will be closing all of its 2100 locations nationwide in the next few months. According to Ahiza Garcia of CNN, liquidation sales began this past weekend and “stores will begin closing in March, though most will stay open until May.” It has been noted that the closing of its United States and Puerto Rico locations will not affect its international operations.
Payless will also be terminating online operations, meaning the online store will be shut down also. According to Garcia, “the company first filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2017 and closed roughly 400 stores at that time. It reorganized and cut millions of dollars in debt, but that doesn’t appear to have been enough to save the company.”
The company’s website states that Payless currently has over 3600 stores and employs over 18,000 people. Garcia added that Payless is just the next victim of the switch away from brick and mortar shopping to online shopping in the “age of Amazon.” She said, “Online shopping has led to a drop in foot-traffic at US malls, which were a vital source of customers for stores like Payless.”
