Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister Stores at Simi Valley Town Center to Close in March

Last month Abercrombie and Fitch contacted the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to announce they will be shuttering their stores at the Simi Valley Town Center by the end of March. Never good news to hear of local stores closing, but this is part of a wider plan announced by Abercrombie this past Wednesday that it plans to close 180 of its 1,014 U.S. stores over the next 3 years (following the closure of 71 stores in 2011). This will eliminate 117 jobs in Simi Valley, though hopefully new jobs will come when they find new tenants for these spaces. A&F generated $4.2 billion in 2011, with net income of about $128 million.

There are California laws that require employers with 75 or more employees to give at least 60 days' notice to employees and local officials when they plan to terminate 50 or more employees in a mass layoff.

Other notifications submitted to the Board of Supervisors last month included Zodiac Pool Systems, which is closing its Moorpark facility (125 impacted local jobs) and EDO Communications and Countermeasure Systems, which is closing its plant on Willow Lane in Thousand Oaks, thus impacting 147 jobs.

Let's hope to see a reversal of this trend.  In the meantime CLICK HERE for links to over 200 employers in Ventura County and surrounding areas.