RIP, A.J. Wright
Just when I thought I was finally over
Steve & Barry’s, two years after that single-channel retailer’s demise, I’ve been hit with another ton of bricks.
TJX announced today that
it’s closing all 162 of its its A.J. Wright stores.
That means 4,400 people are going to be out of jobs, though many will find new employment when TJX converts 91 of those locations into Marshall’s, T.J. Maxx and Home Goods locations. The company is also closing A.J. Wright’s two distribution centers.
A.J. Wright is (or was, I guess) TJX’s arm for “urban” fashions, and catered to moderate income customers. For me, it was a great place to buy inexpensive t-shirts and shorts, and the occasional pair of jeans or polo shirt. I also bought a lot of sports apparel there, from my vintage-look Mitchell & Ness corduroy cap (pitcured) to a Milwaukee Brewers “Sausage Race” t-shirt. I was still a pretty active eBayer back when A.J. Wright opened in Bridgeport, CT, so I’d bought my fair share of authentic jerseys there to sell online.
The move by TJX comes as kind of a surprise to me, since the merchant has been remodeling stores and opening new locations with a bright orange decor. But when I look at some of the merchandise it offered, it wasn’t the most hip, most stylish apparel around (let’s face it, would you be caught in my Whalers cap?). Plus, a few research analysts out there have noted that A.J. Wright had slowed down TJX’s growth potential, so the move does make sense on Wall Street.
So by mid-February, A.J. Wright will just be just another labelscar in retail history.
