Eddie Bauer, an outdoor apparel brand founded in 1920, is set to close stores in Augusta, Kittery and South Portland after the North American retail chain filed for bankruptcy this month.

The stores have started to liquidate merchandise and will soon close, but an exact date hasn’t been announced, an employee at the Augusta store said Friday.

Eddie Bauer LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Feb. 9 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey, according to court documents.

The agreement with the company’s lenders allows it to pursue a possible sale while moving forward with the liquidation of 175 remaining stores in the U.S. and Canada.

Gift cards will be accepted and rewards points will be honored at stores only through March 12, the bankruptcy agreement states.

Eddie Bauer merchandise will continue to be sold online and through wholesale operations that transitioned in January to a new company, Outdoor 5, according to Catalyst Brands, a holding company that manages Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand, Aéropostale, Nautica, Brooks Brothers and JCPenney.

Marc Rosen, CEO of Catalyst Brands, blamed Eddie Bauer’s bankruptcy on declining sales, supply chain issues, inflation, tariffs and other industry challenges.

“This is not an easy decision,” Rosen said in an online statement. “We are grateful to the retail company’s associates and customers for their loyalty and trust. However, this restructuring is the best way to optimize value for the retail company’s stakeholders and also ensure Catalyst Brands remains profitable and with strong liquidity and cashflow.”