What is happening to Forever 21?
Forever 21 has been operating in the UK for almost a decade, but at the time of this crisis for the business, it only has 3 stores open in England. These are the Oxford Street branch in London, the Bullring branch in Birmingham, and the Church Street branch in Liverpool. One of the reasons that Forever 21 is in this position is because it prioritised physical expansion over e-commerce, then began to lose out to their digitally savvy competitors. High store rents for the large amount of floor space found in Forever 21 stores have become untenable in the face of falling profits. In a public letter on the US website, Forever 21 reassured its customers that it would not be going out of business completely. It will continue to operate in the US, UK, and Europe at least while they roll out the store closures and determine the future of the brand. They might become another online-only retailer in the UK and Europe instead.
Forever 21 London Oxford Street Closing Down
Even the flagship UK store for the American retailer has not escaped the closures. The London Forever 21 store on Oxford Street is now covered in signs alerting the public that they are having a closing down sale. Though there has been no formal announcement from Forever 21 about the future of the store, or its other 2 UK stores, it seems clear that the end is coming. The Oxford Street store remains open from 9am to 10pm except on Sundays, when it opens from 12pm up to 6pm only, until further notice. You can contact Forever 21 Oxford Street by calling 0207 493 1553.
Forever 21 Birmingham Bullring Closing Down
The Forever 21 store in the Birmingham Bullring will also be closing its doors for good soon. The shop in the Upper Mall West area of the shopping centre is also hosting a sale to clear out their stock before the store closes. For the time being, it will be open during the usual hours of 10am to 8pm on weekdays. It is also open from 9am to 8pm on Saturdays and from 11am to 5pm on Sundays. If you need to contact the Forever 21 Bullring store, you can call on the phone on 0121 616 2169. The staff will provide as much information as they are able to about the store or sale.
Forever 21 Liverpool Church Street Closing Down
The Forever 21 store closed unexpectedly for around a week following the news breaking of the US company filing for bankruptcy. It re-opened after this on the 30th of September, but has now confirmed that it will eventually close down for good. It was the first Forever 21 store in the UK to seem at risk, but now all 3 are offering dramatic price drops to clear them out before closure. The Liverpool Forever 21 store opening times are 8.30am to 8pm during the week, closing at 7.30pm on Saturdays, open from 11.30am to 5.30pm on Sundays. The number is 0151 709 5557.
When is Forever 21 closing down in the UK?
Unfortunately, there is currently no official closing date for the UK Forever 21 stores. Some of them are even still advertising to hire staff, although these positions will obviously be temporary to help with the shutdown. It is very unlikely that the stores will stay open until Christmas, so it might be wise to get some bargain Christmas presents from Forever 21 stores now. They are likely to close completely once they have sold out their stock, as they will not be restocking. Forever 21 has already gone into liquidation in Canada, but some stores in the US may remain open until the end of next year. The future of Forever 21 stores in Europe is yet to be determined, though many will close.
Is the Forever 21 online store closing in the UK?
There is no mention at all of the store closures on the UK website for Forever 21, which is continuing to operate as usual. There are no changes to the terms and conditions or returns policy, although you should note that this will obviously change with regards to in-store returns. It seems likely that the online Forever 21 store will continue to operate in the UK even as the brick and mortar stores disappear. There are normal ongoing sales on the website rather than the drastic clearance sales in stores. If you place an order online, please be aware it is at your own risk. You can contact Forever 21 online customer services by sending e-mails to ukcustomerservice@forever21inc.com.
Can you still use Forever 21 gift cards in the UK?
If you have a Forever 21 gift card, then it is advisable to spend this as soon as possible. You will not be able to get a cash refund for the gift card, and if Forever 21 collapses unexpectedly, you could lose out completely. This already happened to many people when House of Fraser was taken over by Sports Direct last year. The best way to prevent losing the money on a gift card is to use it to purchase something that you are unlikely to want to return. If possible, it is better to use it on the website as there is more to choose from. If you intend to use it in a store before it closes, you should check beforehand whether they are still accepting payments with gift cards, as they may not be able to.
Can you still get a refund from Forever 21 in the UK?
As the closing down sales are final sales, you will not be able to return anything that you buy at a reduced price from a Forever 21 store. When you make a purchase, you are doing so knowing that the store is due to close, and that you will no longer be able to return purchases for an exchange or refund even with the receipt. As for online purchases, the website is currently unchanged. However, your returns options will be affected. Previously, online customers could return an online order by bringing their invoice with it to a Forever 21 store. Once the stores close, the only return option for orders will be to request an online return and ship the items back to Forever 21 yourself.
