GNC to Shutter Store in Town of Vienna

GNC will close its location in Vienna as part of the company’s plans to shutter between 800 and 1,200 stores across the country.

The vitamins and supplements retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection early last week.

The store at the Maple Avenue Shopping Center is a part of several ones closing in Virginia, including locations in Sterling, Franklin and Charlottesville, according to GNC’s website. “Please note that even closing stores may remain open for a period of time,” the website says.

In a June 23 letter to its customers, the company stated that the COVID-19 pandemic “created a situation where we are unable to accomplish our refinancing and the abrupt change in the operating environment has had a negative impact on our business.”

Here’s more from the letter:

As a result, we felt the best opportunity for us to continue to improve our capital structure and address certain operational issues was to restructure through a Chapter 11 reorganization. This gives us the opportunity to improve our balance sheet while continuing to advance our business strategy, right-size our corporate store portfolio, and strengthen our brands to protect the long-term sustainability of our company.