BATON ROUGE – The Mall of Louisiana is no longer immune to the changing habits of shoppers, it appears, as three stores plan end-of-the-month closures.

The Gap, which already announced its closure, will shutdown at the end of the month along with Banana Republic and Paris Parker, a hair salon. The Gap and Banana Republic are owned by the same company; Paris Parker is based in Hammond.

Brick and mortar stores, especially those housed in malls across the country, have felt stress over the last decade as shoppers' habits evolve – and, like many industries, move to the internet.

Representatives for the Mall of Louisiana have not returned calls and emails for comment related to the latest wave of closures, though, in December said the storefront currently leased by The Gap was being pitched to other vendors.

Then, Jacob Wilson, the general manager of the mall, said a negotiation is being worked out with a “national first-to-market retailer to backfill the location” and would share more information “soon.”

Both The Gap and Banana Republic will keep locations at Towne Center open. Paris Parker has two additional salons in Baton Rouge that will remain open, a company representative told WBRZ Tuesday.

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