Body Central closing all of its stores

Jacksonville, Florida-based teen-clothing retailer Body Central Corp. is closing all of its stores – including at least three in Greater Cincinnati – as part of a liquidation.

The company operated 265 stores in 28 states under the Body Central and Body Shop banners. It also operated a catalog business and the www.bodycentral.com e-commerce website. The company received a notice of default on its outstanding debt last week.

"While the company has made significant reductions in expenses and reduced excess inventory levels, our top line remains challenged by both the overall market environment and the transition time required to complete the merchandise transformation that began in the latter half of 2014," the company's former President and Chief Executive Officer Ben Rosenfeld said in a Jan. 7 statement.

Body Central had stores in Northgate Mall, Tri-County Mall and Florence Mall. The company was founded in 1972 and opened its first store in in Jacksonville.

Body Central is among teen-clothing retail chains that have been hit hard by the drop in mall visitors, according to Bloomberg.