• July 21, 2010

Liz Claiborne says it has decided to shut down its branded outlets in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, shuttering 87 stores.

The stores were "originally designed and leased to handle clearance for many brands in our portfolio," the company says in its release, "an outdated consumer proposition and one that no longer makes economic sense, given the vast changes we have made to our portfolio and business strategy over the past three years."

Claiborne is gearing up for two major launches next month: the Liz Claiborne brand at JCPenney and Liz Claiborne New York at QVC. The company says the outlet stores it operates for its other brands, including Juicy Couture, Lucky Brand, and Kate Spade, will not be affected.