Limited Stores LLC, which operates retail chains, outlet stores and e-commerce sites for The Limited and The Luxe Collection brands, is closing all of its more than 200 stores and selling only online.
A message on The Limited’s website tells shoppers: “We’re sad to say that all The Limited stores nationwide have officially closed their doors. But this isn’t goodbye. The styles you love are still available online – We’re just a quick click away 24 hours a day.”
A spokesman for privately held Limited Stores, No. 216 in the Internet Retailer 2016 Top 500 Guide, said in a statement to Internet Retailer that all of its bricks-and-mortar stores will permanently close Sunday, and that the retailer will continue selling online after stores have closed.
A call to the retailer’s customer service line ended with an automated message stating, “That extension is not reachable at this time,” while a customer service representative responding via live chat on the retailer’s website directed a reporter to email the general customer service line.
Limited Stores filed a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) notice with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services warning of mass layoffs and the potential imminent closure of its New Albany, Ohio, headquarters. The retailer has not posted on its Facebook page since Dec. 13, when it acknowledged that high order volumes through its website were causing shipping delays. The Limited stores had slashed prices and were reducing inventory during the holiday selling season.
The retailer in February told Internet Retailer that e-commerce sales grew 15.4% in 2015 to $130.0 million. Its compound annual growth rate for online sales between 2010 and 2015 was 21.3%.
In mid-December, Limited Stores provided the following statement to Internet Retailer:
“Limited Stores, like many of its peers, is facing ongoing challenges in the current retail environment. After a detailed and thoughtful review, management has made the difficult decision to separate a number of associates at the company’s headquarters in New Albany. This action enables us to focus our resources on the operation of our stores and e-commerce platforms while we continue exploring options to address these challenges and provide greater financial flexibility, including discussions with a number of interested buyers.”
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