Womenswear retailer Deb Stores Holding LLC joined clothing chains including Loehmann’s Inc. and Coldwater Creek Inc. in filing for bankruptcy, saying a shortage of capital left it with “old, tired stores,” Bloomberg News reported yesterday. The Philadelphia-based operator of Deb Shops sought chapter 11 protection yesterday with plans to close some stores and sell inventory if it can’t find a buyer for the business. The company specializes in juniors “fast fashion” and offers moderately priced clothing, accessories and shoes for young women. As of Sept. 30, it had 295 locations, according to court filings. The company said that it has been working jointly with Gordon Brothers Retail Partners and Hilco Merchant Resources on an agreement to liquidate merchandise and that it will seek approval to designate the venture as the stalking-horse bidder in a court-supervised auction.
