Francesca’s, a women’s clothing and gifts store chain with a location in Naperville, is shutting down all of its remaining stores.

While the company has not announced its closure publicly, a Francesca’s customer service representative told Women’s Wear Daily that it was liquidating its inventory and would be closing all of its locations soon. Other sources told the news outlet that some of the retailer’s employees were abruptly let go and that an inventory liquidation was to begin last week.

Frances McCarrell, a part-time sales cashier at Francesca’s in Naperville, said she did not know what date the Naperville store would be closing. Signs on its front windows announced that all merchandise was discounted by 10% to 30%.

Downtown Naperville Alliance Executive Director Katie Wood said the alliance has not been informed of a closing date.

The Naperville store, located at 25 W. Jefferson Ave., has been in downtown Naperville since 2005, McCarrell said. According to Wood, it’s been at its current location for at least 15 years.

Founded in 1999, the Houston-based company had more than 450 stores across the country. According to Francesca’s website, there are about a dozen stores in Illinois, including locations in Chicago, Geneva, Algonquin, Aurora, Orland Park, Lombard, Schaumburg and Skokie.

In December 2020, the chain filed a Chapter 11 petition for bankruptcy court protection. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, the company tried to cut costs and improve online sales but was unable to keep up with the impact, according to previous reporting by the Chicago Tribune. Following the filing, Francesca’s planned to close dozens of stores across the country, including five locations in Illinois, the Tribune reported.

Tiger Capital LLC, SB 360 Capital Group and Terramar Capital LLC acquired Francesca’s in early 2021 following the chain’s bankruptcy filing. In 2022, the chain expanded its reach with the creation of the Franki by Francesca’s tween line. The following year, the company also acquired Richer Poorer, a California-based clothing brand that has been worn by celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Jessica Alba and Suki Waterhouse.

Despite the expansion efforts, the company continued to struggle financially, with some vendors reporting in January 2024 that they had not been paid for months, according to Women’s Wear Daily reports. Two months later, the company was forced to cut costs and fired some people from leadership positions.

Francesca’s corporate headquarters and Terramar Capital for comment could not be reached for comment.

For some Naperville residents, news of the pending closure brought disappointment. Colleen Doyle, a Naperville resident since 2015, said Friday she had been shopping at Francesca’s for about a decade, noting that it had become her go-to store for “fun little birthday gifts” and one of the few places in downtown Naperville where her 11-year-old daughter could shop.

She noticed sales signs in the window while she was shopping Friday but did not think much of it until a sales cashier told her that all sales were final.

“She’s like, ‘We are closing.’ And I was like, ‘Wait, what?’” Doyle said. “I honestly thought they were going to be a victim of downtown Naperville increasing rent costs and then she told me that all 400 (stores) were closing and it was a whole bigger thing.”

After picking up a gift for her friend, Doyle decided to take advantage of the final sale. One special deal in which customers could buy one piece of jewelry and get another piece for $9 prompted her to buy a watch and a pair of earrings, she said.

“I was really sad,” Doyle said. “I let my group of six (friends) that I met with for lunch … know that it was closing, and one woman … she’s like ‘Oh my gosh, this sweater is from Francesca’s. Both of these bracelets are from Francesca’s.’ She’s like, ‘It’s my favorite little shop.’”

In the past, Francesca’s has participated in Naperville’s Halloween Hop, an annual event during which businesses hand out treats to guests. That helped make the chain store feel like it was part of the broader Naperville community, Doyle said.

“They came out and were part of the community, which you don’t necessarily see with corporate businesses in downtown,” she said. “You tend to see it with the mom and the pops (stores). So I think this one hurts a little more because it feels like we’re losing a mom and pop, even though it isn’t.”

cstein@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/20/francescas-downtown-naperville-closing/