Payless has not announced which locations they plan on closing, but the company is looking at filing for bankruptcy protection. USA Today reports that Payless ShoeSource will need to close at least 500 stores.

These numbers are down from the 1,000 stores that Bloomberg News reported earlier this year. USA Today reports 400 to 500 closings are part of the company's initial plan to re-organize.

In Bell County, we have several Payless locations that could potentially be included in this initial round of store closings. Payless has not made public the locations it plans to close yet. The company currently looks after 4,000 locations in 30 different countries. USA Today says Payless is the largest family footwear provider in the Western Hemisphere.

Payless has Central Texas locations in Temple, Harker Heights, Killeen, and Copperas Cove.

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