Skip to main content
BoF Logo

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

Forever 21 Prepares for Potential Bankruptcy Filing

The company has been in talks for additional financing and working with a team of advisers to help it restructure its debts.
By
  • Bloomberg

NEW YORK, United States — Forever 21 Inc. is preparing for a potential bankruptcy filing as the fashion retailer's cash dwindles and turnaround options fade, according to people with knowledge of the plans.

The company has been in talks for additional financing and working with a team of advisers to help it restructure its debt, but negotiations with possible lenders have so far stalled, the people said. Focus has thus shifted toward securing a potential debtor-in-possession loan to take the company into Chapter 11, they said, even as some window remains to strike a last-minute deal that keeps it out of court.

Representatives for Forever 21 didn’t respond to a request for comment.

A bankruptcy filing would help the company shed unprofitable stores and recapitalise the business, said the people, who requested anonymity discussing private negotiations. Yet it could also be problematic for the country’s major mall owners, including Simon Property Group Inc. and Brookfield Property Partners LP. Forever 21 is one of the biggest mall tenants still standing after a wave of bankruptcies in the retail sector.

ADVERTISEMENT

Empty Spaces

If the chain were to close a significant number of stores as part of the restructuring, its landlords could have trouble filling the vacancies. Indianapolis-based Simon counts Forever 21 as its sixth-largest tenant excluding department stores, with 99 outlets covering 1.5 million square feet, according to a filing as of March 31.

Co-founder Do Won Chang has been focused on maintaining a controlling stake in Forever 21, which has limited its fundraising options.

A faction of company officials, without the approval of Chang, had asked its biggest landlords to consider taking a stake in the retailer amid a disagreement within its leadership, Bloomberg previously reported.

Founded in 1984, Forever 21 operates more than 800 stores in the US, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

By Eliza Ronalds-Hannon, Lauren Coleman-Lochner; Editors:  Rick Green, Dawn McCarty, Rizal Tupaz

In This Article

© 2024 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions

More from News & Analysis
Fashion News, Analysis and Business Intelligence from the leading digital authority on the global fashion industry.
view more

Subscribe to the BoF Daily Digest

The essential daily round-up of fashion news, analysis, and breaking news alerts.

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
CONNECT WITH US ON
BoF Professional - How to Turn Data Into Meaningful Customer Connections
© 2024 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy and Accessibility Statement.
BoF Professional - How to Turn Data Into Meaningful Customer Connections