Oshkosh To Close Genuine Kids Stores

OshKosh B’Gosh Inc. stock rose about 9 percent Thursday, a day after the clothing maker said it would cut about 1,100 jobs by closing its Genuine Kids retail stores and two factories in Tennessee.

The company will close a 324-employee sewing plant in Red Boiling Springs, Tenn., by July and a 302-employee plant in Celina, Tenn., by late September, spokeswoman Rani Quirk said.

Genuine Kids’ 88 retail outlets nationwide have about 500 employees. OshKosh said the division’s continuing losses and poor outlook forced the closings. It hopes to have all the stores closed by next year’s first quarter.

OshKosh also said it will discontinue its European businesses to focus its international operations on other markets.