Forever 21 shoppers reveal how they knew the store was going downhill amid closings

After Forever 21 revealed it's shutting its doors, former shoppers and employees flocked to social media to reveal how they knew the store was going downhill years ago. The mall chain is set to close 200 more stores as it prepares for second bankruptcy in five years amid mounting debt.

Forever 21 was previously wildly popular with American teenagers and twentysomethings for its inexpensive going out tops and on-trend items, but was replaced by even cheaper items from fast fashion retailers like Shein and Temu. At its peak in 2015, Forever 21 was worth $6 billion and had struck deals with celebrities including Kendall and Kylie Jenner.

Despite popular collaborations with throwback brands like Juicy Couture and Hello Kitty and collaborations with influencers, it couldn't find its previous foothold. On Reddit, former shoppers explained exactly when they knew the retail chain was over when the prices started going up while the quality went down.

'Seems like they have just gone downhill for quite a few years,' one Reddit user wrote, explaining that many of the items are 'pretty garish' with 'cheap feeling material.'. 'And then you go to their MASSIVE clearance section, and it all looks and feels like rejects that even Temu and Shein would have a hard time selling,' they continued.

After Forever 21 revealed it's shutting its doors, former shoppers and employees flocked to social media to reveal how they knew the store was going downhill after its 2000s heyday. The mall chain is set to close 200 more stores as it prepares for second bankruptcy in five years amid mounting debt.

Despite popular collaborations with throwback brands like Juicy Couture (left) and Hello Kitty (right) and collaborations with influencers, it couldn't find its previous foothold. Many people complained about the prices, explaining that it was now much more expensive for lower quality.

'It really seems to me like they are rebranding and marking up horribly cheap items but trying to not brand themselves as "fast fashion,"' a commenter wrote. Others thought it was simply because their clothing didn't resonate with Gen Z like it did with millennials.

'The "21" crowd aged out and the younger generation didn't want to wear what older people were,' one Reddit user explained. One former employee wrote, 'I used to work there and I am 100 percent not surprised by this. Quality seems better on certain basic items but the majority is still overpriced literal garbage.'.

'I used to love it there but you outgrow it when you realize its all just ruined by unnecessary graphics and wording,' they said, adding that they've since aged out of the target demographic. Some thought the competition was too tough, with other retailers coming out ahead, including Uniqlo and Abercrombie & Fitch.

'Not quite Zara or Aritzia or Anthropologie fast fashion prices but getting close to what more mid-tier fast fashion retailer charge for much worse quality,' one person wrote. At its peak in 2015, Forever 21 was worth $6 billion and had struck deals with celebrities including Kendall and Kylie Jenner (pictured above in 2011).

'This is going to impact so many 40 year old Moms that believe they’ve still "got it,"' a commenter joked. Some simply thought the closings were amusing, given the store's name. 'This is going to impact so many 40 year old Moms that believe they’ve still "got it,"' a commenter joked.