Dressbarn announces first store closures as part of plan to shutter all 650 locations

Dressbarn is starting to shut stores this month and next, kicking off the process of it going out of business entirely.

Its parent company, Ascena Retail Group, announced in May that it planned to wind down Dressbarn and ultimately shut all 650 or so of the women's clothing stores in order to focus on its more profitable brands, like Ann Taylor and Loft. At the time, it didn't say when it would begin closing stores or which locations were slated to close first.

On Friday, however, a list was posted on Dressbarn's corporate website with 28 locations set to close in the coming weeks, at various malls, shopping and outlet centers across the U.S. (See the full list below.)

The closings by Dressbarn come amid a wave of store closures across the country this year. More than 6,000 closures have been announced so far this year by companies ranging from Payless ShoeSource to Gymboree to Charlotte Russe, Victoria's Secret and Gap. That's more store closures than in all of 2018, when 5,864 closures were announced over the entire year, according to a retail real estate tracker by Coresight Research.

Dressbarn, which has been around for more than five decades, has struggled to grow in apparel retailing as more women steer toward fast-fashion retailers such as H&M and Zara, off-price chains such as T.J. Maxx and Ross Stores, and even Target. Amazon also continues to take a larger share of the apparel market online.

Ascena shares are down more than 70% this year.

Here's the complete list of Dressbarn stores set to close in June and July, according to the retailer's website:

June Store Closings:

ALMADEN PLAZA - 5353 Almaden Expressway SAN JOSE CA

SOUTHBURY PLAZA - 100 Main Street North SOUTHBURY CT

EAST BROOK MALL - 95 Storrs Road MANSFIELD CT

LANDING AT TRADITION - 10748 SW Village Parkway PORT ST. LUCIE FL

WILLOW LAKE EAST SHOPPING CENTER - 2670 Lake Circle Drive INDIANAPOLIS IN

ERSKINE VILLAGE - 1290 East Ireland Road SOUTH BEND IN

EASTGATE SHOPPING CENTER - 8143 E Kellogg Drive WICHITA KS

FIVE TOWN PLAZA - 354 A Cooley Street SPRINGFIELD MA

SHOPPES AT BRANSON HILLS - 1013 Branson Hills Parkway BRANSON MO

PROMENADE DIBERVILLE - 3944 Promenade Parkway DIBERVILLE MS

RIMROCK MALL - 300 S 24th Street West BILLINGS MT

POPLIN PLACE SHOPPING CENTER - 3019 West Highway 74 MONROE NC

AFTON RIDGE SHOPPING CENTER - 6330 Bayfield Parkway CONCORD NC

TANGER OUTLET AT THE WALK - 108 North Michigan Avenue ATLANTIC CITY NJ

UNION CENTER - 89-89 Union Turnpike GLENDALE NY

SALMON RUN MALL - 1300 Arsenal Street WATERTOWN NY

MARKET AT HILLIARD - 1888 Hilliard Rome Road HILLIARD OH

TULSA HILLS SHOPPING CENTER - 7418 South Olympia Ave West TULSA OK

SEASIDE FACTORY O/C - 1111 North Roosevelt Drive SEASIDE OR

RICHLAND TOWN CENTRE - 300 Town Centre Drive JOHNSTOWN PA

FLORENCE MALL - 1945 West Palmetto Avenue FLORENCE SC

LEBANON PREMIUM OUTLETS - 270 Outlet Village Drive LEBANON TN

CENTRAL MALL - 3327 Mall Drive TEXARKANA TX

GREENBRIAR TOWN CENTER - 13015 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway FAIRFAX VA

SETTLERS MARKET AT NEW TOWN - 5225 Settlers Market Blvd WILLIAMSBURG VA

July Store Closings:

PALM VALLEY PAVILIONS WEST - 1400 N. Litchfield Road GOODYEAR AZ

PANORAMA PLAZA - 1601 Penfield Road ROCHESTER NY

OUTLET SHOPPES OF BLUEGRASS - 1155 Buck Creek Road SIMPSONVILLE KY

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