PacSun / Pacific Sunwear

PacSun's 2016 bankruptcy collapsed a teen apparel retailer that couldn't adapt as youth fashion moved from surf/skate brands to fast fashion. The company had grown to 600 stores in malls targeting teens. When Forever 21 and H&M offered similar aesthetics cheaper and teens shifted to shopping online, PacSun's mall-based model failed. The company emerged from bankruptcy in 2016 with fewer stores and refocused positioning. PacSun demonstrated that teen retail faces particularly violent trend cycles.