Avenue Clothing closed all of its physical stores in 2020 during bankruptcy. As of 2024, the brand operates DTC-only via avenue.com — there is no Avenue store finder because there are no Avenue stores to find.
If you remember Avenue from a mall trip in 2018 or 2019 and are searching for an Avenue Clothing store today, the most important thing to know is the answer to that search: the physical stores no longer exist, and they have not for several years. The brand still exists, but only online. Tracking the FullBeauty plus-size brands for our Plus Size Contemporary readers, here is what happened, what Avenue is now, and where to shop in person if you specifically want the plus-size in-store experience.
Avenue Clothing stores — what happened
Avenue’s parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in summer 2020, in the middle of the pandemic-driven retail collapse. As part of the wind-down, every Avenue store closed — roughly 220+ locations at the time of the filing. There was no rescue plan that kept stores open; the entire physical footprint shut.
FullBeauty Brands acquired the Avenue intellectual property and digital assets out of the bankruptcy proceedings. In 2021, FullBeauty relaunched Avenue as a DTC-only brand, fulfilled out of FullBeauty’s Indiana warehouse network. The new Avenue is a different operational entity from the pre-2020 Avenue — same brand name, same logo, same general aesthetic, but no stores, smaller catalog, and shared customer service infrastructure with the other FullBeauty brands.
The “Avenue Clothing Store” search intent today is largely nostalgic — shoppers remembering the brand from a mall location and not yet aware of the closure. We see this consistently in plus-size brand searches; physical-retail closures during the pandemic happened faster than search-intent updated.
How to shop Avenue today
avenue.com is the only way to shop the brand. The site carries the current catalog (sizes 14-32), processes orders through FullBeauty’s Indiana fulfillment, and routes returns through the same backend as Lane Bryant, Catherines, Roaman’s, and Woman Within.
The DTC experience is functional. Free shipping kicks in at the published threshold (verify on the current site banner — thresholds change). Returns are accepted within 30 days of delivery for unworn items with tags attached, processed by mail with a prepaid return label option.
Avenue does not have a buy-online-return-in-store option, because there are no stores. Returns must go through the mail process. This is a meaningful difference versus Lane Bryant, where the ~600-store footprint enables in-person returns even on online purchases.
Pre-2020 Avenue stores — what was different
For shoppers who remember the original Avenue, the store experience was a value-tier plus-size mall format — typical store size around 4,000-6,000 square feet, located in mid-tier malls and strip centers. The assortment was broader than the current DTC catalog: more dresses, more outerwear, more occasion wear, more denim variety.
The pre-2020 Avenue was known for accessible plus-size pricing in an in-person setting — at a time when many plus-size shoppers had limited in-store options, Avenue gave them a try-on experience in the value tier. Lane Bryant covered the mid-tier, Catherines covered the older customer, and Avenue was the bring-your-friend, browse-the-racks, find-the-deal store.
The closure removed that specific role from the plus-size retail landscape. Lane Bryant absorbed some of the customer base, Torrid picked up some, and a meaningful portion went to department-store plus sections (Macy’s, JCPenney) or to DTC alternatives like Eloquii (premium tier) and direct online shopping at the new Avenue.
In-person plus-size alternatives to Avenue
If you specifically want the in-person plus-size shopping experience that Avenue used to provide, the closest substitutes:
Lane Bryant — sister brand under FullBeauty, ~600 stores nationwide, mid-tier pricing ($30-80 typical). The closest in-person match for the value-to-mid-tier plus-size shopping experience. The Lane Bryant store has the broader assortment and the Cacique bra fit specialist services that Avenue never had. Use the Lane Bryant near Me locator for stores in your area.
Catherines — also a FullBeauty sister brand. Most Catherines physical locations also closed in 2020-2021; the brand operates as primarily DTC now with occasional pop-up or co-located retail. If you preferred Avenue’s older-skewing aesthetic, Catherines may fit.
Torrid — not a FullBeauty brand, but ~600 plus-size mall stores across the US. Sizes 10-30. More trend-forward and edgier than Avenue ever was, but the in-person try-on experience and similar size range make it the closest non-FullBeauty in-person substitute.
Department-store plus sections — Macy’s INC plus, Nordstrom (limited plus assortment but higher-quality), JCPenney’s Worthington Plus, and Kohl’s plus assortments all offer in-store browsing across multiple plus-size brands. The variety is broader than a single-brand store, but the depth per brand is shallower.
For specifically the value-tier plus-size in-person experience, Lane Bryant is the closest single replacement, with the caveat that the price tier is slightly higher than the original Avenue.
Avenue’s relaunch product range
The current Avenue catalog at avenue.com is narrower than the pre-2020 store assortment, by design. The post-relaunch product range focuses on:
- Basics — T-shirts, tanks, leggings, simple knit tops
- Workhorse dresses — T-shirt dresses, knit midi dresses, simple wraps
- Plus-size denim at the value tier ($25-40)
- Loungewear and basic activewear
- Seasonal layering pieces — cardigans, light jackets
What is conspicuously narrower compared to the pre-2020 catalog: occasion dresses, formalwear, statement outerwear, accessories, shoes, intimates depth. The brand now plays the basics-and-everyday role within the FullBeauty family, ceding the broader category coverage to Lane Bryant.
For specifically the dress assortment, see Avenue Dresses. For the digital shopping experience details, see Avenue Online Shopping.
Avenue customer service after the relaunch
Avenue customer service runs on the shared FullBeauty Brands customer service infrastructure — the same line that handles Lane Bryant, Catherines, Roaman’s, and Woman Within. During peak periods (sale events, holiday shopping), hold queues are noticeable.
The fastest support channels: live chat at avenue.com, then email, then phone. Reps can transfer your call between FullBeauty brands if you ordered from the wrong site, which is genuinely useful when the production overlap means an item shows up on multiple brand catalogs.
For shipping or order-status questions specifically, the order tracking on avenue.com plus the FedEx shipment tracking are usually faster than calling. For return questions, Avenue’s published 30-day return window from delivery is the policy of record — see the brand’s current return page for the prepaid-label process.
Will Avenue ever reopen physical stores?
There are no announced plans as of 2024 for Avenue to return to physical retail. The FullBeauty Brands strategy since the 2020 acquisitions has been to consolidate physical retail into Lane Bryant (the family’s anchor brand with the largest store footprint) and run the other labels — Avenue, Catherines, Roaman’s, Woman Within — as DTC-primary brands.
That strategic logic is unlikely to change. New plus-size physical retail is expensive, the post-pandemic mall environment is challenging, and FullBeauty already has the Lane Bryant footprint to handle the in-person customer experience for the plus-size segment. Avenue stores would compete with Lane Bryant for the same shopper at a different price tier — an inefficient use of the parent’s retail capital.
If you specifically want Avenue’s value-tier plus-size aesthetic in person, the only path is to wait and watch — and that watch is unlikely to deliver. The DTC-only future is the operating reality.
The bottom line
Avenue Clothing has no physical stores in 2024 and no plans to return to physical retail. To shop the brand, go to avenue.com. To get the in-person plus-size shopping experience that Avenue used to provide, the closest substitute is Lane Bryant — a sister brand under the same parent FullBeauty, with ~600 stores nationwide and a mid-tier pricing structure slightly above Avenue’s value tier.
Practical advice: if you need to try on plus-size clothing in person before buying, default to Lane Bryant or Torrid. If you want the value-tier basics that Avenue specializes in and don’t need to try on first, avenue.com handles the order. Browse current Avenue inventory: Avenue Plus Size Clothing on Amazon.
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FAQ
Are there any Avenue Clothing stores still open?
No. Avenue closed every physical store during the 2020 bankruptcy, and the post-2021 relaunch under FullBeauty Brands has been DTC-only. There are no Avenue retail locations operating in 2024.
Where can I find an Avenue store near me?
You can’t — Avenue has zero physical retail locations. The brand operates online only via avenue.com. The closest in-person plus-size shopping experience to Avenue is Lane Bryant (sister brand, ~600 stores) or Torrid (~600 stores).
What happened to Avenue Clothing?
Avenue’s parent filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020 and closed all physical stores. FullBeauty Brands acquired the Avenue brand assets out of the bankruptcy and relaunched the company as DTC-only in 2021. The current Avenue is operationally separate from the pre-2020 Avenue but uses the same brand name and aesthetic.
Is the Avenue website legitimate?
Yes — avenue.com is operated by FullBeauty Brands, the same parent company that owns Lane Bryant, Catherines, Roaman’s, and Woman Within. The site processes orders through FullBeauty’s Indiana fulfillment and shares customer service with the other FullBeauty brands.
How do Avenue returns work without a physical store?
By mail only. Print a prepaid return label from your avenue.com account, package the unworn item with tags attached, and ship within 30 days of delivery. Refunds typically post 7-10 business days after the warehouse receives the return. There is no buy-online-return-in-store option because there are no stores. Compare to Lane Bryant’s Lane Bryant Return Policy in-store return option for the family’s other DTC-friendly path.
