Mall owner Simon Property Group is considering a bid to buy Forever 21 Inc., the bankrupt teen retailer that’s running out of money and time, Bloomberg News reported. Simon would pair with Authentic Brands Group LLC to buy and operate the stores and the brand. The talks are continuing, and there’s no guarantee that the various sides will agree on terms or that a sale will result. Representatives for Los Angeles-based Forever 21 and Simon didn’t respond to messages seeking comment, and Authentic declined to comment. Forever 21 was talking about selling a stake to Simon and its other largest landlord, Brookfield Property Partners LP, before it filed for bankruptcy in September, Bloomberg previously reported. Talks broke down and the company had to seek court protection without a reorganization plan in place. The chain has since struggled to raise money to exit bankruptcy, with potential lenders and buyers balking because of poor sales and the founding Chang family’s insistence on maintaining control.
