Jenny Craig Is Shutting Down!

After almost forty years, Jenny Craig will close its doors in the weight loss and nutrition business!

In an email sent to employees late Tuesday, the company said it will close “due to its inability to secure additional financing.” Jenny Craig corporate and salaried field employees' last day will be Friday, and hourly centre employees’ last day working was Tuesday. 

The company operated about 500 company-owned and franchised stores in the United States and Canada, according to H.I.G. Capital when it acquired Jenny Craig for an undisclosed amount in April 2019. It now employs more than 1,000 people.

For the past two weeks, Jenny Craig had been running out of money as it searched for a buyer.

The company is trying to go from physical operations to an e-commerce model.

Two current Jenny Craig corporate employees say they fear the company will file for bankruptcy by the end of the week.

Jenny Craig was founded in 1983 to help people lose weight, and the brand became a household name for its weight loss program. The program provided special menus designed by chefs and nutritionists to help consumers lose weight. The company recruited celebrities to front the brand, including actors Kirstie Alley, Valerie Bertinelli and Jason Alexander, and singer-songwriter Mariah Carey.

The company has faced increased competition recently after a handful of drugs that can help people lose weight, such as Wegovy, Rybelsus and Ozempic, hit the market promising to help consumers shed pounds.