This can’t come as a surprise to anyone who has been following the misfortunes of American Apparel—or even anyone walked by its W. Broadway store and wondered how it can be in the red. From the Wall Street Journal:

American Apparel LLC is handing out pink slips to workers at nine of its stores, including its outlets in Georgetown and Tribeca, this holiday season as the struggling retailer readies itself for a January auction of its business. The company said in a court filing Wednesday it intends to shut down the nine poorly performing stores by the end of the month—before a planned auction of more than 90 of the company’s remaining stores. The retailer is throwing in the towel at the nine locations because these stores are likely to be left behind by any retail purchaser, said restructuring adviser Joseph D’Ascoli in a filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del.

None of the other eight stores are anywhere near New York City.