Nittany mall store closes

With the recent closure of Justice in Nittany Mall, girls getting ready for back-to-school shopping have one less option locally.

Store employees confirmed the closure in July, but declined further comment. Representatives of Ascena Retail Group, which owns more than 1,000 Justice stores across the world, did not respond to requests for comment. Justice sells clothing and accessories for tween girls.

David Jaffe, Ascena’s CEO, told investors in June that the company would close up to 650 of its stores by 2019. Ascena also owns Ann Taylor, Dress Barn, Loft, Lane Bryant, Maurices and Catherines stores. About 200 stores will close and the remaining 450 closures will depend on whether the retailer can negotiate lower rental rates.

Jaffe announced Aug. 1 that the company created a new position for executive Gary Muto, who will be responsible for “reinvigorating and driving top-line growth across Ascena’s full brand portfolio.”

Sales decreased by more than $100 million, 8 percent, year-over-year, according to Ascena’s most recent fiscal report to investors. Revenue dropped by 6 percent for Justice.

This story was originally published August 4, 2017 at 9:57 AM with the headline "Nittany mall store closes."