Business & Tech

Massachusetts Lord & Taylors To Close In Dec., 162 Face Layoffs

The company said in notices filed with the state that its four Massachusetts locations will begin layoffs on Dec. 1.

BURLINGTON, MA — Mass layoffs will begin Dec. 1 for Lord & Taylor's four Massachusetts locations, as the company begins closing all its stores nationwide.

Le Tote, Lord & Taylor's parent company, reported 162 layoffs planned for its Boston, Burlington, Natick and Braintree, in a state filing required under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act.

The chain will cut 56 jobs in Boston, 35 in Burlington, 27 in Natick and 44 in Braintree.

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The parent of the nation's oldest chain of department stores announced its bankruptcy in August. The company cited increasing competition from online retailers as well as the "devastating impact" if the coronavirus for its decision.

Le Tote, an online fashion retailer, bought Lord & Taylor in 2019.

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The coronavirus pandemic has proven a moment of reckoning for many iconic retain brands in Connecticut. Pier 1 Imports and JCPenney both filed for bankruptcy, blaming the virus, in May, just around the time many mom-and-pop outfits were preparing to reopen.

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