It’s the end of the road for rue21

Pittsburg-based teen clothing retailer rue21 plans to close all of its U.S. stores in the next six weeks and sell its intellectual property after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to federal court documents.

It’s the third time the teen apparel company, which operates 543 stores nationwide with six in Massachusetts, has filed for bankruptcy.

In a court filing, interim CEO Michele Pascoe said that Rue21 was “negatively impacted by challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and related adverse market trends, including a shift in consumer shopping patterns from traditional brick-and-mortar retailers to online retailers and changing consumer preferences.”

Pascoe also said “under-performing retail locations, increased industry competition and the uptick in online shopping, inflation and macroeconomic headwinds, and challenges raising capital” led to the retailer’s bankruptcy.

Rue21 employs around 4,900 workers and is nearly $195 million in debt, Reuters reported. The retailer first filed for bankruptcy in 2003, then again in 2017. It operated 1,000 U.S. stores at its peak, but closed 400 locations during the 2017 bankruptcy, according to the report.

In court documents, the fashion retailer said it plans to hold “going out of business” sales in the weeks leading up to its closure. On Friday, the company’s website displayed a message saying, “our site is being updated… check back soon.”

The brand’s Massachusetts storefronts are located in Braintree, Brockton, Holyoke, Hyannis, Leominster, and North Andover, according to the company.