Dressbarn

Dressbarn's 2019 closure ended a 57-year-old women's apparel chain. Parent company Ascena Retail Group (itself later bankrupt) decided to wind down all 650 Dressbarn stores rather than attempt turnaround. The brand targeted working women over 45 - a demographic increasingly shopping online. Dressbarn's mall locations and dated positioning made survival improbable. The orderly wind-down demonstrated recognition that some retail concepts have no viable future.