GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Younkers department store at RiverTown Crossings mall in Grandville is closing.
The closure affects 163 workers, according a WARN document (PDF) filed Monday by Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., which own Younkers.
Companies are required to file WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act) paperwork with the state in advance of large layoffs.
The same WARN letter from Bon-Ton said that three Carson's department stores in Livonia, Rochester Hills and Clinton will also close, amounting to an additional 525 jobs impacted.
The letter said the layoffs will start June 5, though it's not yet clear precisely when the Grandville Younkers will shut its doors. There is a chance that Bon-Ton could sell the store, according to a statement from the company.
“We are required to provide notification under certain state and federal laws of potential job losses even as we work diligently to complete a sale of the Company as a going concern. Bon-Ton is in active discussions with an investor group to acquire the Company in a court-supervised sale process. We are encouraged by the interest in Bon-Ton and we hope that jobs will be preserved through a sale process. We remain committed to pursuing the best path forward for the Company and its stakeholders, including Bon-Ton associates," the statement reads.
Bon-Ton filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February.