Clothing Retailer Closing 200 Stores Including All Massachusetts Locations

Massachusetts is a great place to live. Residents and visitors have their choice of city or county life, plenty of restaurants, and of course plenty of shopping.

Massachusetts is home to an abundance of independent retailers from book stores, to sports equipment and gift shops. While small and family-owned businesses are a vital part of the state's economy, big box stores have their place in Massachusetts as well.

The state of Massachusetts has 48 Walmart locations, 49 Target locations, and 45 Home Depot stores just to name a few. So there is no shortage of chain stores in the Bay State, but one popular clothing store chain has announced the closure of almost 200 stores nationwide.

Eddie Bauer Announces Closure of 200 Stores Nationwide, Including Four in Massachusetts

According to reports, Eddie Bauer LLC is shutting down almost 200 stores across the country after a failed March 6 auction in attempts to sell all or part of the business. No qualified bids were submitted. Eddie Bauer stores have already started liquidation sales earlier this year and all stores closings expected to wrap up by the end of next month.

The closures include the chains four Massachusetts locations in Burlington, Wrentham, Lynnfield and Lee.

Eddie Bauer founded the company in Seattle in 1920, starting it as a fishing shop. It has a strong history of providing gear for the first American to climb Mount Everest and of making down jackets and sleeping bags for the military during World War II.

Founded in 1920 in Seattle by outdoorsman Eddie Bauer, the company began as a sporting goods store and pioneered quilted down apparel after Bauer invented the "Skyliner" jacket in 1936 to combat hypothermia. Known for "expedition-quality" gear, it outfitted military forces in WWII and early Himalayan expeditions, becoming a major retailer known for its lifetime guarantee.

Since then the clothier has become a global brand in casual American sportswear, even parlaying their brand in vehicle partnerships, touted as Ford luxury model.