IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Bebe Stores Inc., a mall retailer that specializes in women’s clothing, will reportedly close all of its stores.
The Brisbane, Ca.- based chain is abandoning its brick-and-mortar operations – approximately 170 locations in the United States and Canada – and will concentrate exclusively on online retail, according to multiple reports.
Those reports were based on a story by Bloomberg, which quoted anonymous sources who said the chain is taking that action to avoid bankruptcy.
Bebe Stores might still have to file Chapter 11 if enough mall landlords aren’t willing to negotiate their leases, according to Bloomberg.
The chain started in San Francisco in 1976. Its founder, Iranian immigrant Manny Mashouf, is still its chairman and chief executive.
Bebe Stores has 34 stores in California, including three in the Inland Empire: Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga, Desert Hills Outlet in Cabezon and Ontario Mills Outlet, according to the company’s website.
