Coronavirus claims first closure at Modesto’s Vintage Faire Mall; others could follow
Coronavirus has claimed its first reported business inside Vintage Faire Mall as the pandemic and its economic fallout continue largely unabated across the Central Valley.
GNC, a national vitamin and supplement company, will close its location in the Modesto mall. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this week, announcing a plan to close some 800 to 1,200 stores across the country. The Vintage Faire location was listed among the first phase of 248 stores that will shut down.
The company has not set a date yet for the initial round store closings, stating that the locations “may remain open for a period of time.” But the Vintage Faire location was already closed, with all of its signs taken down and interior emptied out.
In a letter to customers posted online, the company said efforts to pay down debt were hampered by the coronavirus and forced the bankruptcy.
“(T)he COVID-19 pandemic created a situation where we were unable to accomplish our refinancing and the abrupt change in the operating environment had a dramatic negative impact on our business,” the statement read.
Vintage Faire Mall reopened for in-store shopping May 22 after nine weeks of being shuttered due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The center saw about two dozen of its more than 100 stores and kiosks reopen that first weekend. Today some 80 stores and kiosks are open for in-store shopping at the mall.
Macy’s, one of the center’s remaining anchors, announced it was reopening its Modesto location for in-store shopping this week.
The mall dodged another major loss earlier this month when J.C. Penney, its other remaining anchor store, announced the Modesto store wasn’t on a list of some 154 sites the company plans to shutter as part of its bankruptcy proceedings. But the J.C. Penney stores in Turlock, Los Banos and Tracy are closing. The storied American department store chain is one of the largest and most high-profile national retailers to file for bankruptcy because of the coronavirus.
Vintage Faire Mall spokeswoman Annie Amies did not reply to requests by The Bee to find out if any other stores had closed permanently at the center due to the pandemic.
The Modesto mall still has other potential departures looming. Several national brands have announced planned store closures, citing the COVID-19 outbreak. The companies haven’t released which stores will be closing yet, but those planning more nationwide closures with existing stores at Vintage Faire include Bath & Body Works, Kay Jewelers and Victoria’s Secret/Pink.
The pandemic has also pushed other big national brands into bankruptcy including Neiman Marcus, J. Crew, Tuesday Morning and Pier 1 — with the latter going out of business entirely and closing all 540 stores including its locations in Modesto, Turlock and Manteca.
In more positive news for Modesto’s mall, work has resumed again on the former Sears anchor spot. Dick’s Sporting Goods and Dave & Buster’s will take over the space — into the first and second floors, respectively — on the east end of the shopping complex. Work had been halted on the Dave & Buster’s side of the project in March when the company closed all of its locations nationwide and stopped construction on new projects.
New exterior cladding has gone up on the building, and work is underway. But when either will open in the new space remains unknown. Existing Northern California locations in Milpitas and Fresno remain closed because of the pandemic, but the Roseville site has reopened. Before the coronavirus outbreak, both companies had planned to open sometime this year.
This story was originally published June 25, 2020 at 1:49 PM.
