NATCHEZ — Rue21 is closing 400 unprofitable stores across the county — including 13 in Mississippi — but the teen clothing retailer’s Natchez location is expected to stay open.

Of 24 rue21 stores in Mississippi, the retailer will close 13 stores in Batesville, Brookhaven, Columbia, Corinth, Flowood, Greenville, Greenwood, Hattiesburg, McComb, Meridian, Oxford, Philadelphia and Vicksburg.

The retailer has a little more than 1,200 stores across the country.

Rue21 confirmed news of the closures over the weekend on social media.

“It’s true — we are closing some stores. It was a difficult but necessary decision. We still have hundreds of locations across the country, and our website rue21.com, open for business,” the company said on its Facebook page.

The shuttering of brick-and-mortar stores by Rue 21 follows similar moves by Payless Shoe Source and other retailers across the country struggle with rising online competition. Natchez’s Payless location also remains open despite company closures elsewhere.

Bloomberg reported earlier this month that the Rue 21 could soon file for bankruptcy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.