Houston-based retailer to close up to 40 boutiques in 2019, 'hit pause' on remodels

After reporting another quarter of declining sales, Houston-based Francesca’s Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: FRAN) disclosed this week that it plans to close 30 to 40 stores in fiscal year 2019, which begins Feb. 3.

That’s just one of the strategies company executives outlined on a conference call discussing third-quarter results.

Francesca’s has identified 129 underperforming boutiques, CFO Kelly Dilts said on the call, according to a transcript posted by Seeking Alpha. Within the next three years,…