Forever 21, the store that taught us all the phrase “fast fashion” (and also “this looked better online”), is officially shutting down all of its U.S. locations. Yup, every single one of them. All 354 stores are going buh-bye by May 1st, so get your final fix of $6 sunglasses and crop tops while you still can.
This fabulous flop is brought to you by a little thing called bankruptcy — Chapter 11, to be exact. That’s the one where you don’t completely die, you just dramatically faint for a while and hope someone revives you with cash and a new business model. Unfortunately, as of April 30th, no fashion fairy godmother (or billionaire investor) had come forward to save the day. Rude.
Forever 21 spilled the tea in court documents, saying that their downfall was due to a lethal combo of high inflation, sky-high costs, and — let’s be honest — getting absolutely bodied by TikTok girlies shopping on Shein and Temu. (Because when you can get an entire outfit delivered for $14 and a prayer, who’s walking into a mall anymore?)
Oh, and they’ve already pulled the plug on gift cards and store credit as of April 15. So if you’ve got a $10 gift card sitting in your drawer, it’s officially a fashion relic. Refunds and exchanges? Also canceled. We’re in full ghosting mode now, babes.
Blame it on the economy, blame it on Gen Z’s obsession with minimalism, or blame it on the fact that we finally realized we don’t need 27 neon tube tops — but Forever 21 just couldn’t hang. According to their CFO and co-chief restructuring officer (aka the people with the most stressful jobs in the mall), the rise in import costs, labor wages, and competition from overseas fast fashion brands made it impossible to keep up.
Also, here’s some nerdy retail tea: online retailers like Shein and Temu can skip out on certain import duties thanks to a loophole called the de minimis exemption — which basically means, “if it’s cheap enough, Uncle Sam doesn’t care.” And Forever 21, being an actual U.S.-based store with real physical locations, didn’t get to cheat like that. Ouch.
The silver lining? International Forever 21 stores are still alive and twirling. So if you’re feeling nostalgic, maybe book a flight to Tokyo or Dubai and pretend you’re 19 again, buying glitter heels you’ll wear once.
So pour one out for the store that once dressed us for college ragers, job interviews we were underqualified for, and every “$20 and under” challenge with your bestie. Forever 21, you may be gone, but your confusing sizing and 37 varieties of faux leather will live on in our closets (and our hearts) forever.
