Stein Mart

In August 2020, my friend bought a $25 gift card for my birthday in Sept. We were not informed, until this week, all Stein Mart stores were closing & gift cards were void.
Why can Stein Mart accept cash & charge cards till the end of this month but not pre-paid gift cards (which is cash)? Isn't this stealing/fraudulent?
I wish to file a claim against Stein-Mart for the return of these funds.
Please advise what steps I need to take. Thank you
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