The Liz Claiborne New York store at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in the Hudson Valley will close in coming months as the New York City-based retailer eliminates its 87 branded outlets in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Officials at Liz Claiborne Inc. said operating losses from the outlet business should be eliminated by early 2011 when the closings are completed. Liz Claiborne operates four outlets in New York state and one in Connecticut.
William L. McComb, Liz Claiborne Inc. CEO, said the company is investing instead in the capital-efficient, license-oriented Liz Claiborne brand being launched in August at JCPenney and at QVC. He said the fleet of outlet stores, originally designed to handle clearance for many portfolio brands, is “an outdated consumer proposition” that “no longer makes economic sense.”
