BCBG Max Azria Group Inc., the glitzy fashion house founded by designer Max Azria, is looking to close stores and restructure as the company copes with a debt burden and a shift of many consumers online, Bloomberg News reported yesterday. The chain plans to reduce its focus on brick-and-mortar shops, concentrating instead on licensing, e-commerce and selling through other retailers, according to Seth Lubove, a spokesman for BCBG at Sitrick & Co. The fashion brand has operated more than 570 boutiques worldwide, including more than 175 in the U.S. BCBG has “too large a physical retail footprint,” Lubove said in an e-mailed statement. “In order to remain viable, the company — like so many others in its industry — must realign its business to effectively compete in today’s shopping environment.”
