Payless ShoeSource company on Tuesday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced the immediate closure of 400 stores, including four Maine locations.

The announcement affects the Payless stores in Biddeford, Presque Isle and Ellsworth, as well as the Bangor store in the Broadway Shopping Center. The store at the Bangor Mall will remain open.

“This is a difficult, but necessary, decision driven by the continued challenges of the retail environment, which will only intensify,” Payless chief executive W. Paul Jones said in a statement. “We will build a stronger Payless for our customers, vendors and suppliers, associates, business partners and other stakeholders through this process.”

The closures will affect Payless stores throughout the U.S. and in Puerto Rico as well. Here's the full list of closures.

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