Clothing retailer EbLens announced that they're closing all of their stores, including 18 in Connecticut, by the end of the summer.
A spokesperson told NBC Connecticut that EbLens stores are closing for a variety of reasons, including the pandemic and inflation. They also noted that retail in a "very tough business."
Nearly 200 employees in Connecticut alone will be laid off because of the closures, the spokesperson said.
There are currently 18 EbLens locations in the state. These include West Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, Norwich, Wethersfield, New Britain, Meriden, Waterbury and Bloomfield.
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Other locations appear to have already closed and are no longer listed on their website.
EbLens has stores in five states and they are closing all of their locations, according to the spokesperson.