Outside sounds of all stores closing this week

Outdoor Voices, an activewear company, will close all of its stores on Sunday, according to four employees at four different stores who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the news.

In an internal Slack message reviewed by The New York Times, some employees were notified on Wednesday that “External Voices is embarking on a new chapter as we move to an exclusively online business.” In-store products will be 50 percent off, according to a Slack message.

Two employees said that this news was surprising, adding that they were not offered an end-of-service bonus.

Outdoor Voices, which lists 16 retail locations on its website, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Founded in 2014 by Tai Haney, the brand has become known for its muted colors and Instagrammable aesthetic. Consider matching crop tops and leggings in pale shades of earthy colors. The hashtag and company slogan, #DoingThings, became popular on social media, where brand loyalists regularly shared photos of themselves participating in athletic activities such as running, hiking or spinning. The company often hosted events, such as group exercise classes, and also built an editorial platform called The Recreationalist.

Many of Outdoor Voices' clients aren't just shoppers; They were loyal. The company was a stylish sports and entertainment brand, perfectly positioned to appeal to millennials, but it was also selling a lifestyle. Lifestyle helped the brand Raising millions in funding. In a 2019 profile, The New Yorker likened outside voices to… Lululemon.

However, behind the facade of hashtags and spandex, problems arose. In 2018, the company was valued at $110 million. (That same year, Outdoor Voices released its Sports Dress, a stretchy dress with shorts underneath that inspired many imitators.) By 2020, that valuation number had dropped to $40 million. Several top executives left the company in succession. Ms. Haney and Mickey Drexler, a retail expert known for his work at Gap and J. Crew who became an investor and president of Outdoor Voices in 2017, reportedly did not get along. In February 2020, Ms. Hani stepped down as CEO, retaining a seat on the company's board of directors.

A store manager said she was notified of the store's closure on Tuesday and was offered $500 to stay in the store for the rest of the week. She said it felt like a slap in the face.