Forever 21 To Close 12 SoCal Stores, Lay Off Hundreds

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — The Chapter 11 filing by the Los Angeles-based fashion retailer Forever 21 will soon lead to the closure of 12 California stores and the layoff of an estimated 350 to 400 workers.

Forever 21 reported in September that it had filed for bankruptcy protection and would be closing up to 178 stores.

That total was later cut to 111 stores, and a Nov. 14 notice was sent to the state Employment Development Department by Forever 21 listing 21 California store closures, including 12 in Southern California, the Orange County Register reported.

The California store closures will begin Jan. 5 or within two weeks after that date, the company said. The 12 Southern California stores set to close in January include:

-- Fashion Island 1101 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach South Bay Galleria

-- South Bay Galleria 1815 Hawthorne Blvd, Ste 188 Redondo Beach

-- Montclair Plaza, 5060 Montclair Plaza Ln. #2121 Montclair

-- 757 Spectrum Center Drive, Irvine Pacific View Ventura Mall, 3301

-- 1 E Main St. #1260, Ventura

-- Puente Hills Mall, 1600 S. Azusa Ave. #106, City of Industry

-- The River at Rancho Mirage, 71800 Highway 111, Suite #B19, Rancho Mirage

-- The Plant, 7888-2 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys

-- Tustin Marketplace, 2856 El Camino Real, Tustin

-- 135 N. De Lacey Ave., Pasadena

-- 500 N. Euclid Street, Anaheim 555

-- The Shops at Mission Viejo, Mission Viejo

These closures will result in nearly 300 layoffs, according to the EDD's website. But the agency's list doesn't include the stores in Irvine, Tustin and Mission Viejo, so the actual number of job losses will likely total 350 to 400, the Register said.

—City News Service