Christopher & Banks, a specialty women’s apparel retailer, is closing its Kent Station store after nearly 15 years as part of a nationwide shutdown.
The store opened at the shopping center in November 2006. Kent Station opened in late 2005.
“We learned late last week that Christopher & Banks will be closing all stores nationwide,” said John Hinds, Kent Station general manager, in a Jan. 19 email. “This is a company-wide issue and not specifically related to Kent Station. Christopher & Banks has been a great tenant at Kent Station since opening its doors. We are sad to learn they will be closing this and all locations.”
The Kent location is scheduled to close in late February or early March, Hinds said.
The Kent Station store sits north of Ramsay Way in the west area of the shopping center, just east of the Fourth Avenue North and Ramsay Way entrance.
“The space has great visibility on the corner of that building and is in close proximity to one of our main entrances,” Hinds said. “Kent Station will immediately start the process to find a replacement tenant for that space.”
Christopher & Banks filed last week for relief under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to a Jan. 14 news release.
“Since the start of the COVID pandemic, we have taken aggressive steps to protect our business while continuing to serve our customers in a healthy and safe environment,” said company President and CEO Keri Jones in a news release. “Despite the tremendous advancements we have made in executing our strategic plan, due to the financial distress resulting from the pandemic and its ongoing impact, we elected to initiate this process and pursue a potential sale of the business in whole or in part to position the company for the future.
“I want to extend my deepest gratitude to our dedicated associates, loyal customers and supportive partners for their commitment to Christopher & Banks throughout these challenging times.”
The Minneapolis-based specialty retailer featuring exclusively designed privately branded women’s apparel and accessories, operates 449 stores in 44 states, according to its website. It began operations 65 years ago, in 1956.
The company will be closing its 13 Washington locations in Bellingham, Burlington, Centralia, East Wenatchee, Kennewick, Kent, Lynnwood, North Bend, Puyallup, Silverdale, Spokane, Spokane Valley and Vancouver.
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