All Addition Elle and Thyme Maternity stores in Canada will be closing.

“The strategic decision to close two beloved Canadian fashion brands was not made lightly, but it is necessary to enable our business to move forward as a profitable organization. All of the efforts we put forth to turn these brands around were derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and, unfortunately, we can no longer afford the required resources to bring them back to profitability,” said Stephen Reitman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Reitmans (Canada) Limited.

In the coming weeks, all physical stores of the company will continue to safely reopen based on governmental guidelines, including all 54 Thyme Maternity and 77 Addition Elle stores. For these two brands, the objective will be to liquidate the inventory in anticipation of their permanent closure this summer. As a result of this restructuring, they will be reducing the workforce in the retail stores and at the Head Office in Montreal so 1,400 employees will be laid off.

“The impact on all of our employees is, by far, the most difficult and emotional part of this whole process. We are heartbroken to have to say goodbye to esteemed colleagues and we are truly grateful for their hard work and many contributions to our company over the years. With an enhanced product offering at Penningtons, where women can find aspirational and affordable head-to-toe fashion, we will do everything possible to make our Addition Elle community excited to continue to shop with us. We are committed to the plus-size market in Canada with both a size-inclusive offering at Reitmans, and dedicated expertise and service at Penningtons.”