Express To Close 31 Stores This Month, Including 1 In Tampa Area

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL — Fashion retailer Express will close 31 stores by the end of the month, including one store in Pasco County, the company announced.

The retailer plans to close stores in 20 states, a move that follows the closure of nine locations in 2019, according to this week’s announcement. An additional 35 locations are expected to close by the end of January 2021, leaving a remaining 25 to shutter next year, Business Insider reports.

In Florida, Express plans to close its Wesley Chapel location by month’s end.

Express has six locations in the Tampa region:

• International Plaza, 2223 N. West Shore Blvd., Tampa
• Brandon Town Center, 565 Brandon Town Ctr Mall, Brandon
• Citrus Park Town Ctr, 7926 Citrus Park Town Center, Tampa
• Westfield Countryside, 27001 U.S. Highway 19 North, Clearwater
• The Shops at Wiregrass, 28210 Paseo Dr., Wesley Chapel
• University T.C., 140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota

The closures are part of a new corporate strategy aimed at reducing costs and providing a boost to the struggling brand, according to a statement on the company’s website.

Express is one of several companies to announce closures this month. The well-known stationery store Papyrus is closing all of its stores across the country. Also this month, home decor retailer Pier 1 Imports said it plans to close nearly half of its stores, a move intended to "better align its business with the current operating environment."