The Forever 21 on Fifth Avenue Has Already Closed

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

We knew it couldn't really mean "forever." After Forever 21 surprised us with the announcement that it was shutting down its giant store 640 Fifth Avenue with a major sale, the fast-fashion brand has already left the building, leaving only a few forgotten clothes racks and this sad sign in its wake this morning.

This location only opened back in February, taking the place of an H&M that had dominated the location for 15 years prior (and now that the 42nd Street store is being replaced with & Other Stories and COS, the Swedish retailer only has its 48th Street flagship along Fifth Avenue). It marked Forever 21's return to Fifth Avenue after three years; that store at 693 Fifth Avenue opened in 2010 and shut just as quickly as this one less than two years later, eventually being replaced by Valentino. The brand is now directing customers to its nearest mega-store over in Times Square.

This leaves two gaping holes on a lucrative stretch of Fifth Avenue retail: Along with this corner of 51st Street, the former Juicy Couture on the opposite end of the block has yet to be filled.