Five Dressbarn stores around the Pittsburgh region will close as part of the company’s announcement Monday that it would shutter all 650 locations.
The closure includes those in Westmoreland Mall, Cranberry Township, Tanger Outlets near Washington, Monroeville and near The Mall at Robinson, according to a store list on the retailer’s website. Dressbarn sells women’s clothing.
The closure is another blow to Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield, where at least five stores have closed locations there so far this year — Sears, Charlotte Russe, Helzberg Diamonds, Gymboree and Payless ShoeSource.
BonTon closed its doors in August. That space is being renovated for a mini casino.
At the end of 2018, the vacancy rate at regional malls across the country was about 9%, according to the latest figures from Reis, a real estate research firm.
The Tribune-Review found in March more than 10% of the nearly 100 retail spaces at Westmoreland Mall were vacant. That figure did not include the pending closures.
Dressbarn officials said the retailer has not been operating at an “acceptable level of profitability in today’s retail environment,” the Associated Press reported. It was unclear when the stores will close. Dressbarn employs about 6,800 people, the AP said.
