Popular Stores Go Bankrupt

As 2015 began, three popular stores ended by filing for bankruptcy: Delia's, Deb, and Wet Seal. All three stores are clothing shops for teenage girls and have been facing an increase in competition. Many of the stores are holding going out of business sales in the Lehigh Valley Mall. Delia's was the first of the stores to close. 

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Delia's has been in the business since the 1990s. The store was loved for its inexpensive clothing and its expansive catalog. The popular company started to lose business in the past years and looked to find a buyer, to no avail. The store filed for bankruptcy in December 2014. Delia's will be closing all store locations, starting with the store's website. Sales increased from 60-80% to 80-90% during the store's final days of business. By the end of February, all 92 Delia's locations will have been closed. 

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After 80 years of business, Deb, another popular teen clothing store, filed for bankruptcy. The company declared bankruptcy, but is still in the early stages of closing sales, at 50-70% off all merchandise. Like Delia's, Deb will continue to lower prices until all of their products are sold. Additionally, Debs website has already been shut down and is now an announcement for their in-store closing sales. 

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Likewise, Wet Seal, another trendy teen clothing store, is closing. The company filed for bankruptcy in January. According to 6ABC News, over 300 Wet Seal stores will be closing and 3,700 employees will be laid off. Despite these sad statistics, Wet Seal will continue to run over 100 stores, including the Lehigh Valley Mall location and their website. 

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Later this year, Cache, the women's clothing retailer and a popular prom dress source also filed for bankruptcy. The company will remain in business for tight now, but is beginning to close locations; the Lehigh Valley Mall store is currently among stores that are closing. 

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While it is upsetting to see so many popular and loved stores go bankrupt, one can seize these sale opportunities. Stores such as Charlotte Russe and Forever 21 sell clothes that appeal to teenage girls. These businesses can offer an alternative to some of these loved stores.