Express files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, announces store closures NBC Bay Area [Video]

Express Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, as the fashion retailer looks to sell of the majority of its stores.

Columbus, Ohio-based Express, which is also the parent of Bonbons and Upwest brands, is shuttering a handful of its operations in the process. In an announcement addressing its Monday bankruptcy filing, the company said it planned to close 95 of its Express retail stores and all UpWest stores.

Closing sales at these locations, which were not immediately specified, are set to begin Tuesday. Beyond these closures, Express said that it “expects to conduct business as usual.”

Also on Monday, Express announced that it received a non-binding letter of intent from a group led by WHP Global to potentially purchase the majority of its stores and operations. Express said that it had filed for Chapter 11 protection “to facilitate the sale process.”

The consortium exploring the deal also includes …