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British fashion brand to shutter all 3 Maine stores amid US exit

FatFace storefront in Portland Photo / Renee Cordes British fashion retailer FatFace plans to close all three of its Maine boutiques, including this one at 34 Exchange St. in Portland's Old Port. The store, which opened in 2016, was the company's first on U.S. soil.
By Renee Cordes

FatFace, a British fashion and lifestyle brand, plans to shutter all 23 of its stores in the United States —including three in Maine — as part of a plan to shift its North American focus to an online-only model.

The stores occupy prime downtown real estate in Camden, Portland and Kennebunkport. The Portland store, at 34 Exchange St., opened in 2016 as the retailer's first location on U.S. soil.

All three Maine boutiques are scheduled to close on Sept. 3, according to a spokesperson for the company.

“We’re focusing on supporting our store colleagues at this time,” the spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Mainebiz. “We’d like to thank all customers who have shopped with us for their support over the years.”

While no information was immediately available as to how many jobs in the Pine Tree State would be affected, British tabloid Express reported that the overall closures will result in 145 total job cuts. 

Citing an anonymous source, the publication said that rising costs and economic uncertainty have made maintaining physical stores in the U.S. unsustainable as the company focuses on the U.K., where it recently opened three new shops, renovated seven and revamped 28 storefronts.

“While with any digital migration it can take time, this move will give us additional digital capabilities to enhance the experience for our customers and more seamlessly manage our operations,” CEO Will Crumble told the Express.

FatFace, named for the La Face ski mountain in the French Alps known for its steep and challenging terrain, was founded in 1988 by Tim Slade and Jules Leaver as a business selling T-shirts at ski resorts. Over the years it expanded into men’s, women and children’s clothing as well as accessories including handbags, hats, belts and footwear.

The company was acquired by British retail rival Next PLC in 2023. Earlier this year, FatFace returned to the black for the first time since the acquisition after posting a pretax profit of £3.8m ($5.2 million) for the 12 months through Jan. 25, 2025, according to media reports.

As a certified B Corporation since 2023, FatFace is required to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability. It was recertified this past March with an improved score.

On July 31, Next posted higher-than-expected second-quarter sales, which the company attributed to better summer weather and “trading disruption at a major competitor.”

The company also raised its full-year guidance on pretax profit amid a bullish outlook for international online sales. In its home markets the company said it expects national insurance changes to put a dent in consumer spending as the year progresses.

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