Justice Store In Bolingbrook To Permanently Shutter Amid Pandemic

BOLINGBROOK, IL — Ascena, the parent company of clothing retailers including Justice, Lane Bryant, Ann Taylor, LOFT, Catherine's, Lou & Grey and Cacique, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy July 23, announcing plans to close about half of its 2,800 stores, including 76 Ann Taylor, LOFT and Lou & Grey stores, more than 600 Justice stores and all Catherine's plus-size clothing store locations. All locations outside the U.S. will also close.

The closings include all 13 Catherine's stores in Illinois and 26 local Justice stores.
The LOFT store at 662 W. Diversey in Chicago will close, according to Business Insider, along with the LOFT Outlet store at Gurnee Mills and the Lou & Grey store at 3442 N. Southport Ave. in Chicago.

Disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said the last few months negatively impacted "meaningful progress" toward getting the company back on track financially.

According to USA today, the closings include 26 Justice stores across Illinois. The "tween" clothing store, which caters to girls ages 6 to 12, has more than 800 stores across the country.

It has been confirmed that the Justice store located at 631 E. Boughton Road, Suite 145 in Bolingbrook will also be shuttering.

More closings could also be coming. The final number and locations of stores that are closing has not yet been determined, the company stated in its news release. Ascena previously closed all Dressbarn stores, including 27 in Illinois, last year.