Fashion retailer Fat Face has confirmed that it will close all of its US stores and instead focus on an online-only model in the country.
It has 23 stores in the US, but the decision to close arrived due to rising operational costs, which have made the store estate unsustainable. It will result in around 145 job losses.
The online-only presence in the US will be supported by Next’s Total Platform.
Fat Face will now focus on its UK stores, which remain a core part of the business. This year, it has opened three new stores, refurbished seven and revamped 28 shop fronts.
It also plans to expand its online offer to new markets beyond the UK and the US.
A spokesperson told TheIndustry.fashion: “Looking ahead, we remain focused on scaling our digital capabilities and bringing our high-quality designs to a wider audience.”
Fat Face’s most recent financial results showed that sales fell 11% from £267.7m to £237.4m in the 52 weeks to January 25, while profit before tax decreased 21% to £16.9m, partly due to the migration of its online business to Total Platform.
Trading through Next surged 86% over the year, following Next’s acquisition of Fat Face at the end of 2023.
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