Ann Taylor will close its store in Towson Town Center in Towson on Saturday, the retailer said.
Parent company Ascena Retail Group Inc. announced in June that it plans to close up to 667 of its stores, which include the Ann Taylor, Loft, Dressbarn, Lane Bryant and Justice brands among others, over the next two years, blaming the rise of online shopping. National retailers have been closing stores by the thousands as more people shop online and price competition has intensified.
“Thanks for all the fun times and great style. We’re saying farewell to our Towson Town Center store on January 27th, but we can’t wait to see you soon,” the retailer said in an email to customers, urging them to shop at the brand’s store in The Mall in Columbia.
The women’s apparel brand has been part of the Towson mall’s 100,000-square-foot luxury “Crate & Barrel” wing, which opened in 2008 and now includes retailers such as Tiffany & Co., Sur la table and the Apple store. Lisa Bisenius, the Towson mall’s senior general manager, said she hopes to have an announcement soon about a new tenant to fill Ann Taylor’s space.
Besides Columbia, Ann Taylor has Baltimore-area stores at Arundel Mills in Hanover, and Annapolis Mall. A former store at The Gallery at Harborplace closed two years ago.