Linens 'n Things store in Surprise will close

A Surprise bedding and housewares store is one of 177 underperforming locations selected to close by its parent company.

Linens 'n Things at 13712 W. Bell Road will close by the end of the year, company spokeswoman Susan Kenney said. The store opened at the Surprise Towne Center plaza in 2002.

Linens 'n Things is auctioning off to a third-party company the rights to the store's final liquidation sale, though store representatives did not have an estimated date for the sale.

Clifton, N.J.-based Linens 'n Things filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May. As part of its financial reorganization, the company announced it would close 120 stores. Looking to cut costs further, it announced an additional 57 store closures, including the Surprise location.

"We've found a lot of stores are closing in areas where the real estate market and economic downturn hit people the hardest," Kenney said.

Linens 'n Things joins several other big-box retailers in filing for bankruptcy this year. Among others are discount clothing chain Steve & Barry's and Mervyns department stores.

Six Linens 'n Things will close at retail centers across Arizona. The closures will affect stores at the following shopping centers: Broadway Parc in Tucson, Prescott Gateway, Chandler Crossing, Crossroads Towne Center in Gilbert, and Tempe Marketplace. Arizona, California and Florida will have the most Linens 'n Things stores closing.

Prior to the closures, Linens 'n Things operated 589 stores in 47 states and seven provinces in the United States and Canada.