Retailer Express Files for Bankruptcy; Announces Plans to Close At least 15 Stores Across NJ, PA & NY

One of the nation's largest fashion retailers has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and it will definitely affect shoppers in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

As part of the filing, they announced plans to close about 100 stores across the country, with quite a few in our area. We have a complete list of the stores in our area that will be closing (and when) listed below.

The company reported $1.2 billion in total debts, according to the bankruptcy petition. The same listing shows the company has $1.3 billion in total assets available.

Published reports say that the company has struggled with sales in recent years because of the changes to the American workplace following the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The formal and smart casual market for both men and women has softened over recent years because of a rise from working from home and the casualization of fashion," Neil Saunders, the managing director of GlobalData, told the media. "This puts Express firmly on the wrong side of trends and, in our view, the chain made too little effort to adapt."

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The company is in the process of entering agreements with partners as part of the Chapter 11 process, according to multiple reports. In fact, they say that WHP Global, Simon Property Group, and Brookfield Properties are likely to purchase a majority of the company’s retail stores and operations.

CLOSING LIST - Express to Close Stores Across New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York

Currently, Express operates 530 Express retail and Express Factory Outlet stores across the country.

As part of the restructuring, they'll close seven stores in New Jersey, two in Pennsylvania and six in New York City.

Liquidation sales are expected to start at all of these stores as early as tomorrow (Tuesday, April 23).

Here's the list of which stores will shut their doors (forever).

New Jersey

• Garden State Plaza - Paramus, NJ
• Woodbridge Center - Woodbridge, NJ
• Freehold Raceway Mall - Freehold, NJ
• Deptford Mall - Deptford, NJ
• Hamilton Mall Mays Landing, NJ
• Livingston Mall - Livingston, NJ
• Moorestown Mall - Moorestown, NJ

Pennsylvania

• Fashion District - (Market Street) Philadelphia, Pa.
• Walnut Street - (1521 Walnut Street) Philadelphia, Pa.

New York

• Kings Plaza - Brooklyn, NY
• Cross Country Center — Yonkers, NY
• The Sands — Oceanside, NY
• Fulton Street — 490 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY
• Broadway - Soho — 514 Broadway, New York, NY
• Flatiron - 129 5th Avenue, New York, NY

The parent company also operates a total 12 UpWest retail stores. All of those stores will be closing as well, The Washington Post reported on Monday.

The chain's online and app shopping experiences will not be affected by the filing, reports say.