Ascena Retail Group Inc. (Mahwah, New Jersey) will discontinue apparel line for tween boys, with all merchandise and store signs scheduled to be removed by summer, the company said in a statement Tuesday.
“At this point in its evolution, it is appropriate for Justice to focus on its core girls business, including refinement of its merchandise assortment and overall marketing strategy,” Ascena ceo David Jaffe said in the press release.
According to Columbus Business First, the Brothers line represented less than 1 percent of Ascena’s $4.8 billion in revenue for 2014, and never turned a profit since its launch in 2012. The Brothers brand had a presence in about 200 of the chain’s 1000 stores. Justice has struggled in recent years, with overall sales down 1.6 percent in 2014.
Ascena purchased the Justice chain (formerly Limited Too) in 2009 from Limited Brands Inc. (Columbus, Ohio).