With the opening of stores and malls came several announcements of closures due to the increased financial hardship caused by the pandemic. Already on the verge of bankruptcy in recent months, the La Senza chain of stores is closing close to 30% of its locations. This past January, Retail Dive magazine, which specializes in retail trade, announced that the chain of underwear stores was carrying heavy debts of more than US$9 million.
Although the pandemic has wiped out several of the company's points of sale, La Presse confirms that seven stores are currently open out of a total of 22 in Quebec before the pandemic: in Chicoutimi, Gatineau, Quebec City, Saint-Jérôme, Sainte-Foy, Sherbrooke, and Trois-Rivières.
Branches that will no longer be welcoming new customers have posted a sheet of paper on their entrances indicating that "this La Senza store will not reopen."
It also refers customers to an online list of currently accessible stores as well as the measures put in place for their reopening.
Among the various premises that are abandoned are the branches at the Promenades Saint-Bruno, Galeries d'Anjou, Carrefour Angrignon, Place Versailles, Galeries Saint-Hyacinthe, Carrefour de Rimouski, and Place Rosemère.
Some of them are already empty while others still have merchandise inside.
La Vie en Rose has reportedly carried out a count confirming that more than 30 of its competitor's shops out of 100 are closed forever.
La Senza, on the other hand, is not the only giant in the underwear industry to see its turnover decrease.
Victoria's Secret has also announced the closure of 250 stores in North America by the end of the year.
Retail shops have been open in every region of Quebec since May 25, but only time will tell whether they're able to survive the health crisis and the sudden change in shopping habits it brought with it.
This article was originally published in French on Narcity Québec.
