Frugal Fannie's closing Massachusetts store after 43 years

Frugal Fannie's, a warehouse women's clothing store known for its bargains, is closing its Westwood, Massachusetts, location after 43 years.

A going-out-of-business liquidation sale will start Thursday at the store just off Route 1. Co-owners Kathleen "Fannie" Doxer and Orrin Doxer said they decided to close due to a number of factors including an expiring lease, staff retirements and health considerations.

Kathleen Doxer said "It is with profound sadness that we bring this brilliant chapter to a close."

"This store has been our life," Doxer said in a statement. "Many of our employees have been with us since the early days, and they have become family. Our loyal customers have travelled near and far to shop with us for decades, and many have become friends."

It's not clear yet how many people are losing their jobs as a result of the closure. Frugal Fannie's said in a March Facebook post that "90% of our team is made up of women, with many serving in leadership roles across the store."

Frugal Fannie's commercials have been a familiar sight on Boston TV for decades. The store advertised "designer and brand-name clothing, shoes and accessories" at half the cost of big-name department stores. 

In the early 2000s, Frugal Fannie's went bankrupt and closed all of its stores including locations in Framingham, Reading and Brighton during an economic downturn, The Milford Daily News reported at the time. The original location in Westwood was able to reopen months later, however.

Frugal Fannie's is just the latest New England institution to close its doors. In 2023, the Christmas Tree Shops shuttered all of its stores 50 years after getting its start on Cape Cod.