Fashion Bug to close after the holidays

STERLING – All Fashion Bug stores, including Sterling’s, will close in early 2013, Ascena Retail Group announced this week.

Ascena paid about $900 million for Charming Shoppes Inc., a retailer that specializes in women’s plus-size clothes and that owns the Fashion Bug chain, which Ascena said it plans to close down.

Charming Shoppes closed 124 Fashion Bug stores last year.

A manager at the Sterling store Tuesday referred all questions to Ascena, but its spokeswoman, Gayle Coolick, was on vacation.

Charming Shoppes operated 1,832 retail stores in 48 states under the names Lane Bryant, Cacique, Lane Bryant Outlet, Fashion Bug, Fashion Bug Plus and Catherine’s Plus Sizes. It now will operate as a separate subsidiary of Ascena.

Ascena’s other wholly owned subsidiaries – the Dressbarn, Maurices and Justice brands – have about 2,600 stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada.