Orchard Supply Hardware announced Wednesday that it was closing all of its stores nationwide by February, including a location at the Long Beach Exchange shopping center in East Long Beach that just opened in March.

An employee at the local store confirmed the store’s closure. A liquidation sale will begin Thursday, and is expected to last about 10 weeks, he said.

“We were shocked,” said Chris Working, an associate.

The chain, owned by Lowe’s, has 99 locations in California, Oregon and Florida, as well as distribution centers, all of which will close by the end of fiscal 2018, according to a statement from the company, which detailed its quarterly earnings.

Lowe’s said it was closing the stores to focus on its “core home improvement business.”

“To facilitate an orderly wind-down, the company intends to conduct store closing sales and has partnered with Hilco Merchant Services to help manage the process and ensure a seamless experience for customers,” the company said.

Orchard Supply has had financial problems for several years. The company was purchased by Sears in 1996, but filed for bankruptcy protection in 2013, which is when Lowe’s purchased its assets.

LBX off Lakewood Boulevard includes some 266,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. Orchard Supply Hardware was the first tenant to open in the shopping complex, followed by Whole Foods 365 and Nordstrom Rack.

A spokesperson for LBX could not immediately be reached for comment.