SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 27, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — Wet Seal, which had Utah locations in Salt Lake City, Ogden, Layton, Sandy and Orem, has filed for bankruptcy and closed all its locations, which numbered 171 across 42 states.
In a letter dated January 20, the company notified employees in the company’s Irvine, Calif., headquarters that the office was permanently shutting down, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Wet Seal is the latest of multiple retails chains to downsize or close all locations for good. In late December and January, clothing retailer The Limited closed all its brick and mortar locations, including one in Salt Lake City. It will continue online sales.
Kmart and Sears announced the upcoming closure of 150 stores nationwide, including Kmarts in Layton and Vernal. Macy’s announced the closure of 68 outlets, including one in Layton and one in Sandy.
Challenges mentioned by some of the companies’ representatives include online sales and the rise of trendy new retailers, including British import H&M.
