By this time next year Fashion Bug stores in Ogdensburg and Massena will be no more after falling victim to a corporate buyout, after their parent company, Charming Shoppes, Inc. was purchased by Ascensa Retail Group, Inc.

“With our recently completed merger with the Ascensa Retail Group, Inc. we have made the difficult decision to close our Fashion Bug Business,” wrote Charming Shoppes, Inc. Vice President of Investor Relations Gayle M. Coolick in an email.

According to Associate Press reports Charming Shoppes, Inc. closed 124 Fashion Bug stores last year, leaving approximately 600 stores scattered across the U.S. in 43 states.

“The Fashion Bug brand has been proudly serving American women for 70 years and our Massena and Ogdensburg locations have been in business for nearly 25 years,” Ms. Coolick wrote. “We have greatly enjoyed doing business in St. Lawrence County and would like to thank our customers for their loyalty.”

Ms. Coolick said she’s not sure when either store will close, but she did say, “Many of our Fashion Bug locations will be operating throughout the end of the year.”

As the closure of those stores nears, Ms. Coolick said both stores will eventually be holding liquidation sales.

“We will be holding wonderful sales events prior to the store closings to assist us in clearing product,” she said. “This will be a great opportunity for our customers in St. Lawrence County.”

She said the dates for those sales are not yet known.

While Ascensa will be closing all of its Fashion Bug locations, other stores owned by the group will remain in business including Lane Bryant, Catherines, Dress Barn and Maurice’s, who currently operate a store in St. Lawrence Centre, Massena.

“We would like to encourage our customers to check out our sister brands,” she said, naming off the other chains they own.

“All of our brands have a wonderful selection of misses or plus sized clothes, or both, and we hope that our customers will consider them for their fashion needs,” Ms. Coolick said.

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