INFAMOUS weight loss chain Jenny Craig is closing all of its stores in the United States and Canada after over 40 years in business.
The company informed employees on Tuesday via email that it would be shutting its doors, leaving many people shocked.
Jenny Craig told its staffers that it was closing “due to its inability to secure additional financing,” according to internal communications reviewed by NBC News.
Hourly employees worked their final day on Tuesday while salaried employees were set to finish on Friday.
The weight-loss chain was founded in 1983 and operated approximately 500 stores in the US and Canada.
It also operates locations in Australia and New Zealand, however the recent closures do not appear to be affecting business in those countries.
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Jenny Craig employees told NBC News that there was no indication the company was struggling until the past couple of weeks.
As recently as one month ago, job openings were posted online, raises were given out and additional training for employees was done.
Last week however, corporate employees in the Carlsbad, California office were notified that the company would be closing that office on June 24. However, they were also warned it could close as soon as Friday.
As the company moves to close their North American locations, they will be shifting towards an online retail model.
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“Like many other companies, we’re currently transitioning from a brick-and-mortar retail business to a customer-friendly, e-commerce-driven model,” a spokesperson told CNN.
Details on that model have not been released, and as of Friday, Jenny Craig’s website was no longer active.
Additionally, customers were told that “all auto-delivery subscriptions have been canceled” and that “all coaching sessions, food orders and merchandise sales have ceased online and in corporate centers,” according to CNN.
The recent store closures have left many social media users shocked – with some surprised that the company didn’t close earlier.
Others shared their success stories from working with Jenny Craig, saying they are “sad” to see the doors shut.
"Welp. Jenny Craig worked wonders for me while i was on the program. Started in october at 286lbs and have managed to lose about 35 pounds so far," one client tweeted.
"Sad to see it go and not sure where I’ll go now. But thankful they gave me a good start."
Many others also indicated they were glad the company was shutting down, claiming it perpetuated body image issues or an unhealthy diet culture.
"not gonna lie, I genuinely forgot Jenny Craig was A Thing," one twitter user wrote, adding: "Hasta la vista, diet culture!"
Amid the closures, recent reports have also indicated that the company is preparing to file for bankruptcy protection.
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Currently, the company has debts of approximately $250 million.
It comes as weight-loss companies like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig have faced competition from prescription drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy that have been used to lose weight.
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