Teen retailer Rue21 is the latest chain to downsize its brick-and-mortar footprint, an ongoing trend thus far in 2017. The company announced over the weekend that it would be closing 400 of its stores, slimming down to a total of 700 locations.
“It’s true – we are closing some stores,” states a message posted on the company’s website. “It was a difficult but necessary decision. But the good news is we still have hundreds of locations across the country, and our website rue21.com, open for business!”
The most central of Central Ohio stores to close is the location at the Northpointe Plaza in Lewis Center. The Jefferson Outlet Mall location is also closing, along with stores in Bellefontaine, Circleville, Marion and Athens.
Rue21 will keep open Columbus locations at Easton Market, The Mall at Tuttle Crossing, The Town & Country Shopping Center, Westpoint Plaza and several other regional locations.
Other retailers that have closed locations in 2017 include Gamestop, RadioShack, hhgregg, J.C. Penney, Wet Seal, American Apparel, The Limited and Macy’s.