Forever 21 planned to close 178 stores in the United States as part of its 2019 bankruptcy restructuring.
The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on September 29, 2019, after years of rapid expansion, expensive leases, falling mall traffic and growing online competition. Its filing requested approval to close up to 178 U.S. locations, particularly stores outside its major markets.
The figure referred to planned closures, not the retailer’s entire American footprint. Forever 21 also announced extensive international reductions, especially in Europe and Asia, while intending to concentrate on stronger U.S. and Latin American operations, e-commerce and licensing.
A common mix-up is with the company’s second bankruptcy in 2025. That later process ultimately involved closing the remaining U.S. stores, whereas 178 was the widely reported maximum proposed during the 2019 restructuring.