Express to close 4 Connecticut stores amid bankruptcy filing

Fashion-retailer Express Inc., has filed for bankruptcy, and it is set to close approximately 95 of its Express retail stores, including several establishments in Connecticut.

Four Express locations in Connecticut are set to close: the Express store at Danbury Fair mall; the Express Factory Outlet store at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills in Manchester; the Express Edit store at 181 Greenwich Ave., in Greenwich; and the Express Edit store at 125 Main St., in Westport, according to a list of planned closings that was included in one of the company’s bankruptcy filings on Monday. Closing sales are set to begin on Tuesday.

“Ultimately, the debtors’ management team and advisors determined that it is appropriate to close and wind down approximately 95 underperforming brick-and-mortar stores, with the potential to close and wind down additional stores in the future,” the company said in the filing. “The debtors expect all sales at the initial closing stores to be completed and the properties vacated by June 30.”

The list did not include the Express stores at Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, Trumbull Mall and Westfarms mall on the Farmington-West Hartford line or the Express Factory Outlet stores at Clinton Premium Outlets and Tanger Outlets at Foxwoods in Mashantucket — indicating that those stores will stay open, at least for the time being.

Express Inc., is also planning to close all of its UpWest stores, but it does not have any UpWest establishments in Connecticut. The nearest UpWest stores to Connecticut are in Manhattan; Garden City, New York; and Boston.

In the past year, the company reduced its store count by approximately 100 stores, leaving it with approximately 580 stores at the time of the bankruptcy filing. Those closings included the shutdown of the Express store at Stamford Town Center in February 2023.

But even last year, the company had still been opening stores — as highlighted by the launch last May of the Express store in Greenwich.

Four Express locations in Connecticut are set to close: the Express store at Danbury Fair mall; the Express Factory Outlet store at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills in Manchester; the Express Edit store at 181 Greenwich Ave., in Greenwich; and the Express Edit store at 125 Main St., in Westport.

Photos courtesy Express This Express Edit store opened on May 19, 2023, at 181 Greenwich Ave., in Greenwich. However, the store is set to close down by June 30 as a result of Express Inc.’s bankruptcy filing.