Less than two months after shuttering all of its 500+ stores, Charlotte Russe is making a minor comeback. The fashion retailer relaunched its online store on June 3, and reopened five physical stores on June 5. YM Inc., the new owner of Charlotte Russe, plans to open 100 locations.
YM, which operates more than 560 stores across North America under the banners of Canadian retailers Urban Planet, Suzy and Bluenotes, purchased Charlotte Russe’s brand and intellectual property in March after its parent company filed for bankruptcy.
The five reopened stores are located in:
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- Southland Center in Michigan;
- Cumberland Mall in Georgia;
- Willowbrook Mall and Monmouth Mall in New Jersey; and
- Park City Center in Pennsylvania.
Starting slow is the safe option for YM, especially given the poor performance of Charlotte Russe in the leadup to its bankruptcy and liquidation. With a small store footprint, Charlotte Russe should be able to go back to basics by improving its merchandise selection and integrating its stores with its e-Commerce experiences.
Charlotte Russe is the latest retailer to be resurrected post-liquidation in the past year, joining companies such as Toys ‘R’ Us, (now Tru Kids Brands), Bon-Ton Stores and Brookstone.
