Chico’s of Great Neck Estates to close in July

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Chico’s of Great Neck Estates to close in July
Chico’s, a women’s clothing boutique store on the corner of Middle Neck Road and Elm Street, is in its final days, a customer service representative said. (Photo by Janelle Clausen)

Chico’s, an international women’s boutique store at 78 Middle Neck Road with hundreds of locations nationwide, will be closing its doors in Great Neck Estates next month, representatives with the company confirmed last Thursday.

Signs in the windows of Chico’s, a longtime presence at the corner of Middle Neck Road and Elm Street, had warned of the store’s impending closing.

A customer service representative said the Great Neck Estates boutique store’s final day would be July 23. Asked why it is closing, she said, “It’s due to more traffic online than people coming into the store.”

“On a regular basis, we carefully examine our stores based on many factors, including lease terms, business performance and overall real estate strategy,” Natalie Wills, the director of corporate communications for Chico’s FAS Inc., said via e-mail Friday. “The Chico’s boutique in Great Neck, NY will close on July 23, 2019.”

The anticipated shuttering of Chico’s, one of three brands in Chico’s FAS, Inc., follows the recent closing of retailers like Yanni’s Furs and M.K. Nemati, a women’s high-end clothing retailer whose owner also spoke about declining foot traffic.

Nearby chains in neighboring Great Neck Plaza, like Lonny’s Wardrobe and Jildor Shoes, have also closed their doors in the Great Neck area while maintaining other locations.

Harold Citron, a retail analyst from Great Neck, said Chico’s FAS, Inc. has seen comparable store sales drop for five of the last six fiscal years. After peaking with 1,547 stores in fiscal 2014, it currently operates 1,416 stores and plans to cut even more as part of a “retail fleet optimization plan.”

This is the product of a national trend of declining foot traffic and the rise of e-commerce, Citron said.

“They’re looking for ways to cut expenses and you do that by closing stores that are underperforming,” Citron said, adding that the trend is seen “not just with Chico’s, but across a number of retailers.”

Nearby locations for Chico’s boutique stores include the Bay Terrace Shopping Center at Bayside, the Seventh Street Shoppes in Garden City, and 2300 Broadway in New York City.

There are also stores in Merrick, Woodbury, Deer Park, and Lake Grove, according to its website.

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