The Decline of Forever 21...What Happened? 

Bro fr we're like "oh! that looks good-...oh no."

I Definitely thought I was the only one💀

Seriously!

@ghost mall same here, I'm 35 and I just buy plain basic shirts now lol. Nothing fancy, just simple and comfortable.

This. Maybe my tastes have changed, but I remember getting nice men’s cardigans and basics when I was younger. Last time I walked into a Forever 21, it looked like a straight up KB toys and just about every item had some dumb graphic or gaudy design.

I was surprised this point wasnt on the list.

I do plenty of online shopping, but unless there's free returns, I would rather try clothes on in person. Otherwise it's just a hassle.

A&F went down for reasons that had nothing to do with e-commerce

Forever21 has e-commerce. At least for the past 8 years I've been a shopper there.

Ugh, I think that online clothes shopping should be banned! Pain in the neck, not being able to try things on...

I worked at a K-Mart for 6 months through christmas to the store's liquidation. They got rid of most of the christmas staff, and things mega slowed down business wise. However, when you're in liquidation, business spikes back up. Since liquidation lasts months, you will need some new staff.

@Arielle ♪ nice fake music tick 🤓

Lol! That is ironic!

"We're hiring to make everything go", kind of like how the Roman imperial army hired a bunch of Germanic tribes right before the western empire fell.

Yeah I know when toys r us close down they hired a bunch of people to help with the rise in sales and cleaning up the building etc

Yes and the cheap screen prints and fake “gucce/asidas/channel” style knock offs make everything look sooo cheap

100 percent aggree. Growing up I knew so many of my female friends going to Forever 21. The guys would all go to H&M, Gap, Express and Zara. Never went to forever 21. I never even knew they had a mens section.

I was definitely not shopping at forever 21 at a young age had they sold men's clothes. I was always at hot topic and anchor blue. Can we get a video about Miller's Outpost/Anchorblue?

Agreed. But also when they first launched menswear under the Heritage 1981, they had really nice, quality designs and fabrics. That shifted drastically over time. I also know of people who used to work in design at F21 and they said designers they were poaching at the time were from brands like Guess, but the company let these people go as 21 Men became the mens' brand, and designs suffered over time...as did fabrics as cheaper materials were being used. You'll notice F21 reuses a lot of fabrics and prints in multiple piece variations.

Those men's section's at H&M are also empty most of the time. No humans to be found anywhere. So I really don't think that's it. And becoming just another H&M would have killed them even sooner. They wouldn't stand out if they did.

I actually think this is one of the main reasons. I’m surprised this wasn’t mentioned. In the early/mid 2000s there weren’t many options for fashionable cheap clothes especially for plus size. Other cheap fashion forward brands started to arise and technology (androids and iPhones) becoming more popular and readily available which made for people to have more options and less reason to go to the mall.

Clothing quality is trash. Fabric is basically tissue paper. Actually worse than other fast fashion like H&M -- or Zara, which actually has some nice stuff.

I bought a black tank top and when I put it on it was so shiny because of the high polyester content. It’s plastic. 😖

I bought leggings and everybody could still see my ass 🤣😭😭it was hella see through

I still have a Emo long sleeve sweater type shirt from 2009 from Forever 21 and my mom got some clothes there that year somewhere that still were together the last I saw them she would wear them to the goth Clubs and cemeteries.

I once bought sweatpants from their, it was spring so most warm clothes were in clearence and when i wore it again at home like tons of tiny pieces of wool was falling. Man i bet i can find something thats cheaper but doesn't feel cheap in my local goodwill.

H&M always seemed to have the cheapest made stuff to me. The stuff from forever 21 at least had all the stitches properly sewn and wasn't as thin as a McDonald's napkin. But fast fashion is terrible.

@@ZachJ-0 Yeah, I see what you mean. That's also why I don't shop at H&M.

@@ZachJ-0 cheap materials and slave labor.. look at Nike these days. You can't get a harm-free article of clothing let alone a cell phone that isn't produced under slave labor lol lol lol some brands are just a cult of personality and get to charge wider profit margins.

I always dreaded going into Forever 21 for any woman in my life. When I hit my mid 20s it was no longer an option and I was so glad to see that day.

EXACTLY lol

H&M already low quality lol

@@Almighty_Mage that's the point.....if H&M is low quality..... Then forever 21 is complete trash.......

H and m is more expensive

@@tsarina24honolulu87 no cuz actually

It sad too because malls used to be full and fun place to shop at but now it's becoming a gost town..

@@runrafarunthebestintheworld idk how hate a bad thing Edit also fuck your name is ruins my comment

I don't even like Amazon, to be fair. Yes, there's other retail sites, but Amazon's on my blacklist because of stupidly high shipping costs in US territories, and they have a serious distaste for US territories as well. They strongly cater to the mainland US, but not its territories at all.

Amazon has been around since 1994

I don't buy clothes online. I ha e to try them on. I don't understand online shopping for this reason.

Totally, it felt like i was digging through a bargain bin every time I shopped there. I can't really blame the employees for not keeping it tidy tho considering how poorly they were treated.

Yeah, it can be hard to shop there because it’s so chaotic and all over the place. Because products go in and out so fast, they can’t keep a cohesive presentation at any time.

I have to agree middle school and high school yesss but ugh the quality in my eyes started to get bad after 2016ish then it just got so worse in 2018. And their prices are very high now. Especially the mens section like you’re better off just buying a better quality item their men jeans I remember trying to get my brother a pair were like $60 bucks and I’m like you can get a good pair of Levi’s or Nordstrom pants for less than that

Very poor quality and very young designs, like for teenagers. We had better "cheap" stores in Canada, especially at the time, Suzy Shier and Dynamite, those were my staples in my 20s.

Fast fashion is not out of fashion in fact it is growing. Look at Shein

@@slickrick2420 they have a point there and h&m has fast fashion too

Maybe I could’ve worded myself better. Apologies. It’s not the idea of fast fashion’s trendy nature that’s out of style per se. Can’t deny the success of Shein and H&M, but more specifically I’m referring to the politics and environmental impacts behind fast fashion companies. It’s not a good look for any company. Sooner or later that stuff comes back to bite them, and it’s especially prevalent these days. But yes, Shein and H&M make cool stuff 😎

@@MrDemonsushiGuy I didn't like shein or h&m because I didn't have a good experience with the clothing

@@personwitharat9039 Why? Quality problems?

My point people aren't teens forever

Agreed. And online vs bricks and mortar is no guarantee. Both Nasty Gal and Misguided filed for bankruptcy recently. Shein crushed them

@@Whatisthisstupidfinghandle wow, I didn’t know that 😰🤭 very concerning for many reasons...

Even when I was a teen, I disliked HM and forever 21 cause their clothes were garbage

It’s seemed to workout for hot topic

I remember some years ago a supermarket checkout video warning older women not to compete with younger women when it came to fashion and dress. To the point, it seemed to be saying, stay out of Forever 21 ! You are simply not that age anymore ! 😂

Agreed, as a man whose peak fashion is my everlasting Adidas track suit, I could care less about this company going under. But their story is quite interesting.

I used to walk through the big, 2 story store at the Garden State Plaza, NJ, as they had entrances direct to the parking deck.

Working Mall retail is truly its own unique hell

I pretty much hated how small there sizes ran...i was smaller size then and I feel like I shouldnt of had to go into a plus size (there isnt anything wrong with plus size its just my size then was generally medium or small)

Yeah I had a friend who had a really bad experience working there in HS, after she quit she refused to ever step foot in one again.

@@miley4051 womens sizing is literally all over the place

@@gildedpeahen876 true

that's azians for u!

@@vetealv2174came here to say exactly that. You can take a person out of Asia but you cannot take Asia out of a person

… I don’t think anyone is buying clothes from the store & just wearing them immediately without washing first… or is that just me?? 😅

@@yanikeonpurposeI’ve literally never thought to wash clothes from the store, except for under garments, and it annoys me doing so because it takes the newness out of it

Oh

Lol I thought the name was supposed to be alluding to moms having nostalgia for when they were 21 years old back in the day

Wrong, "the countdown to decline begins the minute you open." they became a billion dollar company that is still around for 3 decades. Your entire comment makes *some* sense but you're way off the mark there pal hahah they peaked 2 decades after opening and the entire economy has shifted. You're looking through a pinhole trying to make your argument lol

That reminds me, whatever happened to Wet Seal?

@@WobblesandBean you brought back memories of being a mall employee with that one!

That’s so true lmao. Trends change and brands get associated w specific trends not just “being trendy” in general. It’s rare when u see a Calvin Klein whose navigated these transitions since the early 80s … was that when Brooke shields did her ad? I didn’t see it firsthand but they’re an iconic brand

Well, rest easy knowing we ladies already have that in Ann Taylor, Chico's, and Talbots.

@@LindseyLouWho - seriously now…. My mother is 95 years old and living in assisted living. She wants me to order some clothes for her online because she’s lost weight since last summer. Got any ideas where I can find some for her? Many thanks in advance.

@@enigmawyoming5201 I realize this post is a few days old, but in addition to the stores mentioned, try Northstyle, Soft Surroundings, and Lands End. Also Coldwater Creek and Christopher and Banks. All cater to a more mature lady. Best wishes to your mom!

@@aksez2u - thank you SO MUCH for this information! I just got off the phone with my Mom about a half hour ago and she again asked me to find her some summer clothes because her facility doesn’t turn the air conditioner down enough during these hot days that are happening in our area (Denver, in her case). Thank you also for the good wishes you send to her!

@@enigmawyoming5201 I hope you find lots of cute things for her! ❤️

@ghost mallit is, I can't believe 2015 was 7 years ago

Too long, didn't read.

@ghost mall well in a business perspective it’s been a minute.

Yes! That was my favorite too! All the classy button ups and ruffle tops. It was a fancy core before all fancy cores.

@@loveofmangos001 so? i dont think they even care that u didnt read it and its not like ur the comment judge

In terms of quality, yes, H&M has better quality than F21. The moment you wash your clothes from F21 they look like rags, i could never re-wear them. The designs of their clothes also declined. Now its just full of coachella outfits, lots of crop tops and holes that's only meant to be worn once

Old Navy was a staple when I was younger. Their bad pant sizing is the only reason I don't shop there anymore

Old Navy is great! And I love that most of the clothing is actual cotton, sometimes rayon blends, but hardly any scratchy cheap polyester.

@@M123Xoxo And they have slips inside all of their white dresses to prevent see-through!

I stopped shopping at Old Navy because I think they're basics are not as good anymore and their quality is declining too. It's a way better option than forever 21 though and their basics are still ok.

That's a pretty good point. I wonder if there's some deep-seated cultural aspect in Korea that dictates this.

@@matthewbowen5841 yes. Korea replicated Japan economically. And they're society is really big into conformity.

@@matthewbowen5841 yes, otherwise they would have listened to their business advisors, in the US the common capitalistic business practice is idea-finding investors- success- sell, meanwhile the more conservative model led by S.Korean family system has the selling point as the last possible option, more than likely due to personal pride and feelings. Both have advantages and disadvantages.

They were great when I needed a cheap t-shirt at the last minute for reasons not worth getting into right now. It was cute but it did not last forever. I didn't need it to at the time.

I feel the same way. When I was in my 20s, I was the skinniest I could weigh and still be healthy, and I have always been short but with proportionally wide hips. Finding clothes has always been a struggle, and back then I often found things at Forever 21 because they'd make clothes for shorty skinny adults. But now it's like... idk, I don't find anything there like I used to, plus their physical stores are less inviting than they used to be. I never could stand the loud music and that has gotten worse now that I'm 30. I've also gained some weight and can now shop at whatever store I like, ha ha.

Shitty quality that prices went super high. I remember when forever 21 and h&m were competition while hollister was still kinda the “it store” before fast fashion became a huge thing in the late 2010’s

i was always curious about how koreans viewed the founders of forever 21, this was good to know

Rn the American Dream is BTS so it makes sense I mean BTS can buy out Forever 21 I'd they wished to

To be fair, I don't really shop Amazon at all. Hate having to pay for high shipping costs, and they're not being fair to US territories as well.

@@JonTheVGNerd I hear ya, sometimes some clothes from Amazon don't fit right and the size chart can be so confusing.

Forever 21 does have Plus size

@@sagethealchemist yeah but they aren't cut right. the bottom of my sleeve from there connects with the torso WAY too low because all they seemed to have done is take a standard size and add some inches, which just doesn't work.

I was thinking the same when he said they were Koreans. Those companies also have government support.

The only have three pages of swimsuits and I only saw one sport illustrated monokini that was sexy asf ONLY ONE

Same, i used to online shop from them all the time years ago, but now the clothes on their site are not cute anymore.

We do have a Plus size section!!!

Their plus size clothes were als9 like 2 sizes smaller than other brands too, and ugly.

That is a market that has a huge (no pun indended) demand for plus size clothes that actually look good and it can be done. It would be smart for a business specializing in fashion to do this. But if you don't you're going to hurt yourself in the long run

I honestly moved away from Forever 21 when I needed plus size clothing. My closet is basically a Torrid ad these days, but they're the only plus size brand chain that seems to at least understand plus size proportions. Forever 21 plus sizing always sat weird on me.

Yeah, when I was in college, had they had a plus size section they definitely would've gotten all of my money. They jumped on that train too late and fell short when they finally did. The selection wasn't there. Many items were online only. They didn't have great shipping options and their return policy was too restrictive to make plus size online shopping feasible.

THEY WENT OUT OF BUSINESS.

What’s a&p

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company better known simply as A&P. They were once the biggest grocery store retailer in the United States (and at one time the world), but also a great innovator and trendsetter in business models we know and use today. They were around for over 150 years, but they are no longer in business now.

We share this experience in-common in that I too have childhood memories of shopping at A&P when I was growing up in Michigan in the late 80's and early 90's. It was the weekly experience to go with my late mom and head on down to the A&P store. I remember how they used to have physical bottle returns (just give someone your big bags of empty cans for money) and I remember that the bag boys in checkout would actually grind your coffee beans as you were being checked out. It was always a special trip because I would always get a little Borden chocolate milk from a paper carton and an early junk food called Pecan Twirls for the ride home. I was sad when that store was sold out to Farmer Jack in the late 90's, and I only shopped that store one time because I thought their prices were exorbitant and was appalled. Farmer Jack folded completely a couple of years later on in the early days of the long Michigan recession. I know about H-E-B and I hear that they are quite the dominant juggernaut when it comes to grocery stores down there. I hear that there is them and then everybody else. It is kind-of amazing how regional grocery stores can be, like of-course Michigan has its Meijer which is unheard of outside of the midwest, whilst I know stores like Piggy-Wiggly and Winn-Dixie are mostly South. From how I understand it the grocery store business is not a get-rich-quick profession and your margins for error between success and failure are very narrow.

@@theearthmovesagain Since you were in MI probably back in the 1970s visiting A&P did you have K Mart and A&P combined stores at that time? We did in Buffalo Grove IL, back in the early-mid 70s it was really a concept ahead of its time because you really didn't see the super general merchandise center-with full line groceries as a regular thing in the USA until WalMart arrived nationally in the late 80s and mostly early 90s with it.

Well, I have to say that I never saw an A&P store combined with a K-Mart store before, nor never heard of one possibly existing somewhere around me either. I would not dismiss that idea entirely, though, since I can easily envision it happening. This was back in a time when K-Mart was a very strong store and a very serious player in retail; when you connected yourself with a K-Mart you were hooking up with a winner! I remember when other businesses used to have leases and separate space within K-Mart stores, and in-fact my first-ever job interview was with a Little Caesar's inside of a K-Mart store! I do remember, however, seeing this concept you speak of with another grocery store brand that was around when I was young, the IGA. We had two blended IGA stores in my area, the first one was with an independent drugstore. That was kind-of a neat place, actually; when you entered the drugstore, there were stairs that took you up to a second floor that was still the drugstore but was also whereas you could overlook both them on one side and, on the other side, the grocery store. You had to take another set of stairs down to enter the IGA from there! The other one was connected with a Ben Franklin five-and-dime store. (Who out there remembers that store anymore, eh)? It was a more-straightforward store design - enter Franklin's and then head towards the back of their store and you were now suddenly inside an IGA. To my childhood mind that was kind-of cool, and even a little bit strange, how you just could move from one entire store to an entirely different one just like that, how the architecture and the designs, even the floors and the lighting, just switched so suddenly. You are correct, this was a rather innovative idea in its time; it is commonplace, even boring, now, but several decades ago, the thought of this "one-stop-shop" was a relatively new concept and, honestly, the future to come. I can remember how older folks than I was would just be so blown away and overwhelmed by such stores. The first time I remember seeing a so-called "superstore" myself was when I shopped at a Meijer in probably the late 80's or early 90's. It was not as big as it is now and it was a differently-run store back then (department managers used to all wear these distinctive grey suits with these vests and ties that they do not do anymore), but it was definitely a "Wow!" experience to be in a single place that sold so much stuff underneath one roof. I do remember that as a teenager hearing about the "threat" of the coming of these Wal-Mart stores to Michigan, though, this gigantic superstore from down South that just sold "everything" cheaply and that put all of the local smaller competition out of business. I can remember from those days actual grassroots efforts by concerned peoples to stop such a store from coming to their towns! It all sounds so terribly naive now. Is not this strange to remember back to how life had once been and to what we had once thought then? But, there is so much history that is never written down but shared and learned only in the stories such as ours when we tell them!

Honestly yes but their quality is so bad now. Worse than when I was In middle school and high school and their prices are so high especially the men they are scamming the men section

same, i have some clothes in my closet that are "out of trend" but i still wear them

I've noticed Claire's used to be more for teen girls, now it's elementary school girls who wear it. Maybe that's part of the reason for their decline.

@@supervivo7069 they're more accessories and various knickknacks than stuff you "wear" tbh

I feel like I've seen you in the comment section of almost every video I've watched since that one Caddicarus "George of the Jungle" game review from years ago. I can't complain. I like your comments! Plus you also have great taste in content. ;)

@@ohm_sweet_ohm Probably a comment bot of some kind

Their shops are always so messy.....

I never shopped there. Went there one time when I was 16 or 17 and I thought everything was too childish with way too many designs/graphics. Wasnt my style.

Probably the fastest one to burn a business

This sounds more like urban outfitters

At full price they were ok, but they had fantastic sales, when you'd be able to get stuff at below 10$ a piece. I got a nice big wool mix sweater that I still wear to this day for literally 10$ on sale.

Forever 21 definitely got expensive but they are ripping off the men. If you go the mens section their prices are like urban outfitters. Speaking of urban outfitters they are a complete scam. Bad quality clothing for ridiculous prices. That was my store in high school and idk what I was thinking. The only thing good about urban outfitters is if you are a vinyl collectors or they would have good books or knickknacks but even back in my high school years urban outfitters never had the prices they have now it was affordable the only expensive clothes would be like the sweats and hoodies before they became cheap quality

Hahaha is that what you tell yourself after your gf left you for an older guy?

Chaebol?

@@Tokuijin the typical family run company and business model in S. Korea. Extreme control and ownership passed only through the close/extended family, basically creating a royalty line in business.

i agree. a lot of the returns are not allowed because it’s “final sale” also it feels like everything runs so small?

is this just your way of compensating for being overweight or do you genuinely think this is a good idea 😂

@@JimiArchive I’m not overweight, but if you look around you’ll find that they don’t exactly include bigger people in their size groups. They’re not the only ones either.

That’s really interesting, some other commentators said that they used to shop there because it was the only place where they could find nice and trendy plus sized clothes. Maybe it was a location thing?

LOL