Store manager of Crossgates Rue21 shares closing plan

As the newest store manager, Morgan Marinia said they are left to fend for themselves, not knowing when their location will close. "If you call someone, we have a payroll manager and one or two other people up there. We don’t really have much. There’s no one really above us to give direction."

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -The retail brand Rue21 announced on May 2 that all of its stores are going out of business. Of its 541 locations, ten are in New York, and one is at Crossgates Mall. NEWS10's Anthony Krolikowski spoke with Morgan Marinia who has been working at Rue21 for over three years.

As the newest store manager, Marinia said they are left to fend for themselves, not knowing when their location will close. "If you call someone, we have a payroll manager and one or two other people up there. We don’t really have much. There’s no one really above us to give direction."

The team at Crossgates said the bankruptcy came out of the blue. Pushing for extra sales and loyalty programs like store credit cards and fragrances have not been as important as in years past, but employees say a focus on old product was troubling.

"They kept telling us we were going to be light on stock and things like that because we’re going in a different direction. They kept trying to reassure us that our jobs were secure and that we are not going anywhere even until the week before."

Marinia stated no severance packages are being offered, but the Gordon Brothers, a liquidation company hired to oversee the closure, is offering extra money to employees who stick around until the end.

"It’s a lot of people calling every day like, “Oh, what’s your sale? What is it?” Right now, people are just disappointed that our sale isn’t more. Our sale right now is only 50% at most. It’s not really a closing sale. We’re really trying to draw it out."

Marinia described his store as looking like a jungle. The remaining employees cannot handle the messes being made by customers. And making matters worse, those employees are now having trouble getting paid.

"Our pay was late this week. Some of my associates, it still says pending. It doesn’t say that it’s in their bank accounts. When we go to other stores, we fill in, they reimburse us. A lot of us have gotten our reimbursement checks and they’ve bounced."

But Marinia said he always has a backup plan and already has two new jobs. He’s been helping his Rue21 family also find their next careers. "I’ve definitely canvassed every store in the mall to make sure everyone had a spot. I’ve closed other companies and I’ve never been treated this poorly."

NEWS10's Anthony Krolikowski reached out to Rue21 and Crossgates Mall on the brand's closure and is awaiting a response. Stay with NEWS10 as we learn more.