Could This Popular Shoe Store in Rochester Be Closing Soon?

With three locations in town, one, if not all of them, could potentially close their doors.

According to reports, shoe retailer Payless Inc. is set to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, leading to the closure of as many as 500 stores as soon as next week.

The Topeka, Kansas-based company has about 22,000 employees working at 4,000 stores in 30 countries. The rise of online shopping and continued competition from other retailers is causing Payless to struggle bringing in those shoppers who still prefer to do their shopping at the mall in person.

What's even more sad, is that you can now add Payless to a growing list of chain stores that have announced closures within the past year. Other popular retailers like JC Penney, Sears, Kmart, Aeropostale, Macy's and Children's Place have all announced that they are closing their doors due to declining sales and increased online competition.

We still have a couple days before we learn the fate of our stores here in Rochester, but would you miss them if they left?