(Filed Under wholesale Lingerie News). The U.S. retail chain Rigby & Peller is currently down to just four locations and could soon close one of those stores according to a company executive at parent company Belgium-based Van de Velde.

The firm recently “permanently closed” its lingerie shop at 104 5th Avenue, between 15th and 16th Street in Manhattan, leaving the chain with shops in Chicago, Atlanta, Boston and at 1252 Madison in New York.

However, as it announced its first half results last month, Van de Velde revealed “We have decided to limit our owned and operated retail activities in the United States to three stores where we continue to strive for excellent consumer experience. These three stores contribute to a positive result.”

In response to an email request from BODY seeking further clarification on which stores will remain, company CFO Karel Verlinde explained in late September, “In recent months our teams worked very hard and have successfully negotiated with our landlords. As a result at least three stores will remain open. For one store we are still in a negotiation process. At this point in time, we do not want to jeopardize that process and consequently we cannot give you more details about the store.”

The former Intimacy stores, which once numbered almost 20 locations, were acquired by Van de Velde, in a series of transactions beginning in 2007. In 2015 the names of the all the U.S. Intimacy stores were changed to Rigby & Peller, a brand that Van de Velde took control of in 2011.

Van de Velde owns other retail chains in Europe, as well as the PrimaDonna, Marie Jo and Andres Sarda wholesale brands. — NM

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Published 10-09-2021 by Nick Monjo