Mall shoppers will no longer have to wonder how to pronounce the name of the store Bebe.
The women's chain — which was the rage in the early 2000s with its fitted and revealing clothing — is the next storefront soon disappearing from shopping malls.
The California-based chain, with a location at Mall of America, disclosed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Friday that it will close all of its 168 stores by the end of May.
The news comes after the chain said last month that it was exploring strategic alternatives and was aiming to close just 21 of its most unprofitable stores.
Teen apparel retailer Rue21 is also teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. The retailer, with about nine stores around the Twin Cities, has said it will close about 400 of its more than 1,100 U.S. stores. At least three of the local stores are closing, according to store employees: in Eden Prairie, Coon Rapids and Elk River.
Bebe and Rue21's woes add to 2017's rough start for the retail industry. A number of companies have filed for bankruptcy or announced store closings as consumers shift their spending online and gravitate to fast-fashion and off-price retailers such as Zara and T.J. Maxx. At the same time, many shoppers have opted to allocate their budgets to eating out more or going to concerts instead of buying more clothes.
In recent months, the Limited, Wet Seal, hhgregg and American Apparel have closed or are in the process of shuttering all of their stores. Others such as BCBG Max Azria, Gordmans and Gander Mountain also have filed for bankruptcy and are closing some stores.
Payless ShoeSource said earlier this month that it will close 400 of its 4,000-plus stores after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Meanwhile, Macy's, Sears and J.C. Penney are shuttering hundreds of locations as they look to retool their businesses to be more digitally focused.
Kavita Kumar • 612-673-4113
