Francesca’s says ‘all sales are final’ amid reports of store closures and liquidation. Here’s the latest

This month, American shopping malls received another nail in the coffin. Francesca’s, the women’s fashion and accessories chain, has reportedly quietly begun shutting down all its stores. Here’s what you need to know.

What’s happened?

The women’s fashion and accessories chain Francesca’s has reportedly begun the process of going out of business, which will involve shutting down all of its stores.

The news of the closures was first reported by Women’s Wear Daily. Per that report, a customer service representative confirmed it is currently closing all its stores, with liquidation sales underway.

However, the chain has not broadly announced the news. Fast Company has reached out to Francesca’s for comment. An automated recording on the company’s customer service line said all associates were busy. Emails to Francesca’s went unreturned. We’ll update this post if we hear back.

The women’s fashion chain was once ubiquitous in shopping malls across the country. Founded in 1999, the retailer rose to prominence during the early 2000s as malls were at the height of their cultural relevance just before online competitors began to reshape the shopping landscape. 

In 2011, Francesca’s debuted as a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq, but by 2020, the retailer was facing severe financial struggles, not helped by the onset of COVID-19 lockdowns and the decline in mall foot traffic.

That year, the company filed for bankruptcy and was delisted from the Nasdaq.

After exiting bankruptcy, the chain attempted a comeback, and even now its website lists 457 boutique stores in 45 states that employ more than 3,400 individuals.

But Francesca’s has struggled over the past few years, incurring significant debt. One vendor told Women’s Wear Daily that Francesca’s owes approximately $250 million in unpaid invoices.

What has Francesca’s said about its shutdown?

As of the time of this writing, Francesca’s hasn’t made public comments about its going out of business. Currently, its website continues to operate as normal, with no mention of store closings.

The only information on the website that even implies its stores are closing is its updated Return Policy page, which now states that “As of January 14, 2026, all sales are final.”

It also says that gift card sales are final and gift cards won’t be returned.

Employees were also reportedly blindsided by the shutdown, with a source telling Women’s Wear Daily that merchants were laid off last week “with no warning.”

Which Francesca’s stores are closing?

Reportedly, all of them. When stores close, they usually only keep their doors open until all their remaining inventory has been liquidated. 

Francesca’s shoppers looking for good deals in liquidation sales are advised to contact the store directly before heading there to confirm it is still open. 

When are Francesca’s stores closing?

It was not immediately clear when all this will happen. As of Monday, Francesca’s was still posting on Instagram as if everything were normal, although it is being inundated with questions from users about the reported closures.

Mall retailers have had a bad year

Unfortunately, Francesca’s is not the only mall retailer to have faced financial struggles over the last 12 months.

In the first half of 2025, fast-fashion retailer Forever 21 closed hundreds of locations in America. And in August, teen and tween fashion and accessory chain Claire’s also decided to shutter hundreds of stores.

The story behind such closures is the same for many retailers involved: rising costs, consumers who are increasingly more choosy about where and what they spend their money on, and foot traffic that never fully recovered after the COVID-19 pandemic.