Updated April 12, 2019

A retail store is closing their doors in Pulaski due to slump in sales.

Discount chain Fred's at 1676 West College Street, a Memphis-based company announced Thursday it will close 159 underperforming stores with going out of business sales starting this week.

Management at the local Fred's said they were told not to talk with the media and suggested calls be made to the Memphis office.

Personal at the corporate office would not return phone calls concerning the number of workers in the Pulaski store that would be affected by the closing.

The closing stores represent nearly 29% of Fred's 557 stores and are located in 13 states with Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee losing the most stores.

Sales at Fred's stores  fell 4.9 percent in the first nine months of 2018, compared with a year earlier.

In a statement Thursday, Fred’s CEO Joseph Anto  said after a careful review, they  have made the decision to rationalize their footprint by closing underperforming stores.

Fred's is part of a wave of recent retail closures. Based on figures from global marketing research firm Coresight Research, bankruptcy filings and company earnings reports, more than 6,500 stores are slated to close locations in 2019.

Liquidation is underway at the local store with discounts ranging from 5 to 20% on most items with some exclusions. The store is  expected to close by the end of May.