Wet Seal, a specialty retailer for teen girls and young women, is closing 338 stores — including its Tampa Bay locations at WestShore Plaza and Westfield Citrus Park — triggering nearly 3,700 job cuts.
The California retailer's locations at Tyrone Square Mall and International Plaza were not affected, according to employees working there Wednesday morning.
All told, two-thirds of the company's stores across the country are being shuttered, with 173 remaining open.
In a statement, Wet Seal, which competes with such other "fast fashion" retailers as the popular H&M and Forever 21 — stores that are able to incorporate current runway trends into merchandise within weeks — said it was left with no alternative after it was unable to secure "meaningful concessions" from its landlords.
The closings were effective Wednesday.
Sean Daly can be reached at sdaly@tampabay.com. Follow @seandalypoplife.