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A national chain is closing dozens of stores, including a location in the Triangle.
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West Marine, which sells boating gear, said it’s offering discounts as it prepares to shut down its Raleigh store.
“We recently made the difficult decision to close select store locations,” the company wrote on its website. “While this change wasn’t easy, our commitment to you hasn’t changed one bit — West Marine is open, stocked and ready to help with everything you need to get back on the water.”
West Marine is set to close the store after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Here’s what we know about the company and the closure of its Raleigh location.
West Marine is set to close at 3027 Capital Blvd., near the intersection with Huntleigh Drive. The company on its website didn’t reveal the last day for customers to shop at the Raleigh store.
“We are not able to comment on anything outside of what has been disclosed in the public court filings, including the specific timing of store closures or future plans with respect to those stores or others,” FTI Consulting, a communications advisor for West Marine, told The News & Observer in a Tuesday, June 16 email.
For now, West Marine will have sales at its Raleigh store and the others it plans to close. The company said it will continue to accept gift cards, but customers won’t be able to exchange or return items bought from the Triangle shop.
West Marine has more than 200 stores and roughly 2,600 workers across the United States. It sells boats, motors, fishing rods and other water-related equipment, according to its website and court filings.
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CEO Paulee Day said severe weather and the end of the coronavirus pandemic have changed boating habits. West Marine’s leader also cited the financial impacts of inflation and long-term leases in a May 18 bankruptcy filing, adding that the company had more than $500 million in outstanding debt obligations.
“West Marine is closing select retail locations as part of its ongoing Chapter 11 restructuring,” the company told USA Today in a statement. “This decision reflects our effort to align our store footprint with our current business needs, while continuing to evaluate our portfolio in coordination with landlords.”
The Raleigh store isn’t the only one set to shut down. West Marine also will close its location in Oriental, in Eastern North Carolina.
Nationwide, a total of 59 stores are affected. Other closures are planned in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
West Marine fans will still have options in North Carolina. The store’s website lists locations in Cornelius, Morehead City, Nags Head, New Bern, Washington and Wilmington.
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