Gymboree Closing up to 450 Stores Nationwide

Hip2Save may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you via trusted partners and affiliate links in this post. Prices and availability are accurate as of time posted. Read our full disclosure policy here.

Gymboree is the latest store to close retail locations due to declining sales!

Gymboree announced yesterday that they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and plan to close low performing stores as part of their plan to reduce and pay off over $1 billion in debt! Gymboree said it plans to stay in business but will close 375 to 450 of its 1,281 nationwide stores.

The list of closing stores has not yet been announced, but Gymboree hopes to have plans finalized by late September.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you still shop in-store at your favorite retailers?
Join The Discussion

Comments 39

  1. Summer

    Wow ! Assuming we can still shop online with them though

  2. Erin

    Mine already closed recently.

  3. Steph

    Maybe their prices shouldnt be so high?! They prices do not match the quality

  4. Hope

    They have adorable clothing, but the prices are simply too high unless you can catch final clearance items. You can usually find better deals at old navy, crazy 8, and children’s place.

    • JenniferS

      Totally agree with you on that fact!!

    • Kim

      I think crazy 8 is a joint company with gymboree.

      • crystal

        Yes they are, as is Janie and Jack

  5. Robyn

    My mother and I just recently discovered the store and we love it they have sales all the time I was able to get my daughter’s birthday dress for only $15

  6. Laura

    I still have some store credit. I guess I better get it used!

  7. Michele

    Normally the prices are rather high but I feel like they’ve run A LOT of sales the past year and everything is very reasonable. I bought beautiful party dresses for my daughter for $15 approximately. I generally only shop there once or twice a year during the clearance sales but I’ve found some really good deals on a regular basis.

  8. Joy

    This brand has gone downhill the last couple of years. My boys are teenagers now and the quality was much better back then. I know this because my nephews and nieces still wear Gymboree and there is definitely a difference in quality.

  9. Whitley

    Sadly I found this out when I tried to use my Gymbucks last time 😭

  10. Dee

    They want top dollar for low quality items. Plus, the stores are so tightly packed you can’t navigate a stroller safely through the racks of clothing. Who the heck decided a children’s store should be unwelcoming to moms pushing strollers? We went once each to two different locations and I won’t go back. I love Hanna Anderson, the store is nice and roomy and the quality is fantastic!

    • Laura

      I bought Gymboree for my older kids when their quality was good. I don’t know what happened to their quality in recent years. I was so disappointed when I went to the store to get my daughter a dress. Cheap fabric. 😳

  11. Sarah

    I ❤️ Gymboree! I will keep shopping there, I can get quality clothes for really cheap when they go on deep discounts! The clothes have held up better than any of their competitors clothes that I have had my kids wear

    • lisa

      i second that, their pjs esp are thicker than most with the exception of Hannah. You do have to wait till most items go on sale but they do. I recently scored stacks of shorts for about 3.00 during a sale and I sure did stock up on various sizes. I hope my store isn’t closing.

  12. SP

    The store nearest me doesn’t even have a fitting room, so I don’t even bother shopping there. Are they all like that? My daughter is hard to fit and I don’t want to bring something home and then have to return it if it doesn’t work out. I wouldn’t be surprised if my location closes, I never see anyone in there.

    • Michelle

      Agreed. Their stores are ridiculous. No fitting rooms and I HATE their round check out table–makes zero sense. I buy their pjs online during sales and that’s it.

  13. Nina

    Wow hard to believe they have 1281 stores nationwide.. that’s A lot of stores per state.. probably why they went bankrupt. I’ve only shopped there once, good clothes but definitely not a go to.

  14. Di

    Their pajamas are some of our favorites….especially since they usually have the styles in both toddler AND the big kids sizes so when i’m trying to get my kids and their cousins all in matching, it’s our go-to-place! I do ONLY shop when things are on sale tho, their normal prices are significantly inflated.

  15. Sherry

    I’m not surprised at all. The writing was on the wall. I have 3 boys aging 10, 8 and 6. I started buying their products with my first one and I have seen through the years the decline in their products’ quality. I stopped buying when my last one turned 2. It was not worth it anymore. They downsize everything. The then medium size became small, the xlarge became like medium. Oh j know it as I have compared the shirts and shorts and pjs that I have bought. The 10 year-old shirt is even much nicer than the 5 -year-old ones! They should have heed to the complaints. Soon even the online store will not thrive.

  16. kimberly

    the store is expensive,
    but the outlet has great prices!
    hope the outlet at least stays open.

  17. Jaclyn

    We have a declining middle class in this country. Gymboree is a middle class store. Their other brands are crazy8 and Janie and jack. I keep seeing so many middle class stores having issues. A sign of the times.

  18. Svetla

    I would like to find out when will they be having a final sale. When stride rite was closing I bought 7-8 pairs for my boys for $5-6 a pair.

  19. terry

    We love Gymboree for our grandchildren! I hate seeing all these retailers closing their brick and mortar stores, we always buy more in store where we can see and touch fabrics and put outfits together.

  20. Brianna

    I love Gymboree! I can dress my tall 63″ 6 year old appropriately for her age with their clothes. Too many other retailers that sell clothing for her height are for teens and beyond appropriate. I personally like some of the older lines better than the newer ones, they are better made and with better details. I’ve always ordered online for her, so I hope that stays open!

    • Jill

      Your 6 year old is 5 feet 3 inches!! Wow!!!

      • Jen b.

        I thought the exact same thing! My 9 year old son who’s always been like 90th percentile in height is just under 5 feet. He turns 10 in 3 weeks. But 5’3″ at age 6?? Sign her up to be a supermodel 🙂

      • Julie K.

        She is several inches taller than me, and I am almost 40. 🙂

  21. cindy

    It’s all my fault, lol. My three kids outgrew that store over the past several years. No wonder their sales have gone down. I remember the days of buying quality clothing and reselling it on EBAY. I would even sell new items on EBAY.

    • Gena

      Me too! My hubby used to joke that I just rented all my kids clothes for pennies! Never lost money on gymboree. Those were the days!

  22. C

    I love to buy Gymboree clothing for my kids. I think they have good quality clothing but I have to agree that their prices are too high. I usually only buy stuff when there is a sale with free shipping. I don’t even remember the last time I went inside an actual Gymboree store.

  23. Shannon

    I feel like they have good sales and lots of good priced clearance items. It’s not my go to store but I like their free shipping no minimum days. Returning is a pain tho. I hope they start doing free returns like gap does if they are getting rid of many stores.

  24. Amanda

    Here in Albuquerque, NM, our malls are losing stores like crazy. It’s like walking through a ghost town, with half the stores closed down. I mostly shop online, but occasionally do in-store shopping, probably twice per year, mostly during Christmas.

  25. Kim

    I love Gymboree! I do agree, shop sales. Their onesies/pants are so much better than Carter’s and I can usually get them just as cheap.
    This will include Crazy 8 stores as well – so it might not be 450 Gymboree stores. I’ve heard a rumor that Crazy 8 will totally close.

  26. Kamille

    I do not shop there due to the high prices. Even the clearance prices are sky high!! They have super cute stuff but it’s not a boutique.

  27. Sarah washington

    Saw this coming a while back they only used to offer free shipping around every holiday now its every 2 weeks. My store closed a year ago. Gymmies are great quality and last 2 years but everything else is declining quality I get better quality older styles from thrift stores than I do the newer styles at Gym!

  28. Kristie

    I think the major issues are declining quality over the last few years and claustrophobic stores. I have loved Gymboree for years, but I have barely shopped there in last year or two. The instore experience was always miserable, but I occasionally would do it to get something in the right size. There is no room to walk between racks and setups, nevermind if there are more than two other people in the store. Most moms have strollers and kids with them when they shop. I can’t remember a time that was not a stressful nightmare at that store. No thanks.

  29. Nancy

    I’m so upset about these stores closing. Crazy 8s and Gymboree have the cutest clothes at reasonable prices. My biggest complaint about them is there were no dressing rooms. Important if your child is between sizes. Sadly, Payless shoes is closing. I don’t know how I will be able to afford to dress my grand kids. I just hope Old Navy doesn’t bite the dust, because there is no way I can afford Nordstrom.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

It's not your Grandma's coupon site!

Sign up for a Hip2Save account (it's free) to access all of the awesome features!

Forgot Password?

Don't have an account? Register

Forgot Password

Don't have an account? Register

Become a Hip2Save Insider

Don't Miss Out! Join our large community of insiders - it's totally free! Once you join, you'll be able to save & share your favorite deals, rate posts and recipes and add items to your HipList and Cookbook! What are ya waiting for?!



Already have an account? Login

Thank you for rating!

Would you also like to leave us a comment?