MAHWAH, N.J. – The first Dressbarn opened in Stamford, Connecticut in 1962, the brainchild of Elliot and Roslyn Jaffe. The popular one-stop-shop for women has grown into about 650 stores across the country. This week, Ascena Retail Group, Inc., the parent company of Dressbarn, said it will soon be implementing plans to wind down and eventually close all 650 stores.
Locally, that will impact three stores: in Monmouth County, the store on Route 9 in Howell; and in Ocean County, the store on Hooper Avenue in Toms River and the outlet location in the Jackson Premium Outlets.
There are 29 stores total in New Jersey. Nationally, those stores employ about 6,800 people.
“For more than 50 years, Dressbarn has served women’s fashion needs, and we thank all of our dedicated associates for their commitment to Dressbarn and our valued customers. This decision was difficult, but necessary, as the Dressbarn chain has not been operating at an acceptable level of profitability in today’s retail environment,” Steven Taylor, chief financial officer of Dressbarn, said. “During the wind down process, we will continue to provide our customers with the same great experience both in-store and online, offering them even better deals and value. We will work to assist our associates through the transition and maintain existing relationships with our vendors, suppliers, and other key stakeholders through this process.”
