2 Southeastern Massachusetts Payless Stores Closing

KINGSTON, MA — The Kingston and Wareham Payless stores are some of about 400 stores the shoe chain will close after a bankruptcy filing. A total of 11 Massachusetts Payless stores are slated for closure. The Attleboro, Swansea, Darmouth, Hanover, Brockton and New Bedford stores will remain open, the company said.

Payless said the affected stores will close "immediately." The company, founded in 1956 and headquartered in Topeka, Kansas, has struggled with decreasing sales due to competition from Walmart and Amazon, among other competitors. Payless reportedly has debt that exceeds $500 million.

About 35 Payless stores in Massachusetts avoided closure.

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These are the Massachusetts Payless stores scheduled for closure:

• Kingston Collection, Kingston
• Wareham Crossing, Wareham
• Westford Valley Marketplace, Westford
• Scarlet Brook Marketplace, West Boylston
• The Center at Hobbs Brook, Sturbridge
• Berkshire Mall, Lanesboro
• Walpole Mall, East Walpole
• Greendale Mall, Worcester
• Eastfield Mall, Springfield
• Market Basket Plaza, Raynham
• Shoppes at Blackstone Valley, Millbury

The closures leave Payless with about 4,000 stores in 30 countries.

Photo: Matt Rourke/Associated Press