Exhibit 3.1

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION

OF

SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

OF

CITI TRENDS, INC.

Pursuant to Section 151
of the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware

Citi Trends, Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Corporation”), hereby certifies that, pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) by the Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), the Board of Directors on December 6, 2023, adopted the following resolution as a unanimous written consent creating a series of shares of Preferred Stock designated as Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock:

RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the Board of Directors in accordance with the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, a series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation be, and it hereby is, created and that the designation and amount thereof and the powers, preferences and rights of the shares of such series and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereon, are hereby fixed as follows:

(i)             The distinctive serial designation of this series shall be “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock” (hereinafter called “this Series”). Each share of this Series shall be identical in all respects with the other shares of this Series except as to the dates from and after which dividends thereon shall be cumulative.

(ii)            The number of shares in this Series shall initially be 2,000, which number may from time to time be increased or decreased (but not below the number then outstanding) by the Board of Directors. Shares of this Series purchased by the Corporation shall be cancelled and shall revert to authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock undesignated as to series. Shares of this Series may be issued in fractional shares which are whole number multiples of one ten-thousandth (1/10,000th) of a share, which fractional shares shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional share, to all rights of a holder of a whole share of this Series.

(iii)            The holders of full or fractional shares of this Series shall be entitled to receive, when and as declared by the Board of Directors, but only out of funds legally available therefor, dividends, (A) on each date that dividends or other distributions (other than dividends or distributions payable in Common Stock of the Corporation) are payable on or in respect of Common Stock comprising part of the Reference Package (as defined below), in an amount per whole share of this Series equal to the aggregate amount of dividends or other distributions (other than dividends or distributions payable in Common Stock of the Corporation) that would be payable on such date to a holder of the Reference Package and (B) on the last day of March, June, September and December in each year, in an amount per whole share of this Series equal to the excess (if any) of $300.00 over the aggregate dividends paid per whole share of this Series during the three month period ending on such last day. Each such dividend shall be paid to the holders of record of shares of this Series on the date, not exceeding sixty days preceding such dividend or distribution payment date, fixed for that purpose by the Board of Directors in advance of payment of each particular dividend or distribution. Dividends on each full and each fractional share of this Series shall be cumulative from the date such full or fractional share is originally issued; provided that any such full or fractional share originally issued after a dividend record date and on or prior to the dividend payment date to which such record date relates shall not be entitled to receive the dividend payable on such dividend payment date or any amount in respect of the period from such original issuance to such dividend payment date.

The term “Reference Package” shall initially mean ten thousand (10,000) shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), of the Corporation. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the close of business on the Separation Time or the Flip-in Date (each, as defined in the Stockholder Protection Rights Agreement, effective as of December 6, 2023, as such may be amended from time to time) (A) declare or pay a dividend on any Common Stock payable in Common Stock, (B) subdivide any Common Stock or (C) combine any Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then, in each such case, the Reference Package after such event shall be the Common Stock that a holder of the Reference Package immediately prior to such event would hold thereafter as a result thereof.

Holders of shares of this Series shall not be entitled to any dividends, whether payable in cash, property or stock, in excess of full cumulative dividends, as herein provided on this Series.

So long as any shares of this Series are outstanding, no dividend (other than a dividend payable in Common Stock or in any other stock ranking junior to this Series as to dividends and upon liquidation) shall be declared or paid or set aside for payment or other distribution declared or made upon the Common Stock or upon any other stock ranking junior to this Series as to dividends or upon liquidation, unless the full cumulative dividends (including the dividend to be paid upon payment of such dividend or other distribution) on all outstanding shares of this Series shall have been, or shall contemporaneously be, paid. When dividends are not paid in full upon this Series and any other stock ranking on a parity as to dividends with this Series, all dividends declared upon shares of this Series and any other stock ranking on a parity as to dividends shall be declared pro rata so that in all cases the amount of dividends declared per share on this Series and such other stock shall bear to each other the same ratio that accumulated dividends per share on the shares of the Series and such other stock bear to each other. Neither the Common Stock nor any other stock of the Corporation ranking junior to or on a parity with this Series as to dividends or upon liquidation shall be redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired for any consideration (or any moneys be paid to or made available for a sinking fund for the redemption of any shares of any such stock) by the Corporation (except by conversion into or exchange for stock of the Corporation ranking junior to this Series as to dividends and upon liquidation), unless the full cumulative dividends (including the dividend to be paid upon payment of such dividend, distribution, redemption, purchase or other acquisition) on all outstanding shares of this Series shall have been, or shall contemporaneously be, paid.

(iv)             In the event of any merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange reclassification or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of this Series shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per whole share equal to the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, that a holder of the Reference Package would be entitled to receive as a result of such transaction.

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(v)             In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, the holders of full and fractional shares of this Series shall be entitled, before any distribution or payment is made on any date to the holders of the Common Stock or any other stock of the Corporation ranking junior to this Series upon liquidation, to be paid in full an amount per whole share of this Series equal to the greater of (A) $0.01 or (B) the aggregate amount distributed or to be distributed in connection with such liquidation, dissolution or winding up to a holder of the Reference Package, together with accrued dividends to such distribution or payment date, whether or not earned or declared. If such payment shall have been made in full to all holders of shares of this Series, the holders of shares of this Series as such shall have no right or claim to any of the remaining assets of the Corporation.

In the event the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to the holders of shares of this Series upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, shall be insufficient to pay in full all amounts to which such holders are entitled pursuant to the first paragraph of this Section (v), no such distribution shall be made on account of any shares of any other class or series of Preferred Stock ranking on a parity with the shares of this Series upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up unless proportionate distributive amounts shall be paid on account of the shares of this Series, ratably in proportion to the full distributable amounts for which holders of all such parity shares are respectively entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up.

Upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the holders of shares of this Series then outstanding shall be entitled to be paid out of assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders all amounts to which such holders are entitled pursuant to the first paragraph of this Section (v) before any payment shall be made to the holders of Common Stock or any other stock of the Corporation ranking junior upon liquidation to this Series.

For the purposes of this Section (v), the consolidation or merger of, or statutory share exchange by, the Corporation with any other corporation shall not be deemed to constitute a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation.

(vi)           The shares of this Series shall not be redeemable.

(vii)          In addition to any other vote or consent of stockholders required by law or by the Certificate of Incorporation, and except as otherwise required by law, each share (or fraction thereof) of this Series shall, on any matter, vote as a class with any other capital stock comprising part of the Reference Package and shall have the number of votes thereon that a holder of the Reference Package would have.

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(viii)         If and whenever dividends payable on this Series and any other class or series of stock of the Corporation ranking on a parity with this Series as to payment of dividends (any such class or series being herein referred to as “dividend parity stock”) shall be in arrears in an aggregate amount equal to at least six quarterly dividends (whether or not consecutive), the number of directors then constituting the Board of Directors shall be increased by two and the holders of shares of this Series, together with the holders of all other affected classes and series of dividend parity stock similarly entitled to vote for the election of two additional directors, voting separately as a single class, shall be entitled to elect the two additional directors at any annual meeting of stockholders or any special meeting of the holders of shares of this Series and such dividend parity stock called as hereinafter provided. Whenever all arrears in dividends on the shares of this Series and dividend parity stock then outstanding shall have been paid and dividends thereon for the current quarterly dividend period shall have been paid or declared and set aside for payment, then the right of the holders of shares of this Series and such dividend parity stock to elect such additional two directors shall cease (but subject always to the same provisions for the vesting of such voting rights in the case of any similar future arrearages in dividends), and the terms of office of all persons elected as directors by the holders of shares of this Series and such dividend parity stock shall immediately terminate and the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors shall be reduced accordingly. At any time after such voting power shall have been so vested in the holders of shares of this Series and such dividend parity stock, the Secretary of the Corporation may, and upon the written request of any holder of shares of this Series (addressed to the Secretary at the principal office of the Corporation) shall, call a special meeting of the holders of shares of this Series and such dividend parity stock for the election of the two directors to be elected by them as herein provided, such call to be made by notice similar to that provided in the by-laws for a special meeting of the stockholders or as required by law. If any such special meeting so required to be called shall not be called by the Secretary within 20 days after receipt of any such request, then any holder of shares of this Series may (at the Corporation’s expense) call such meeting, upon notice as herein provided, and for that purpose shall have access to the stock books of the Corporation. The directors elected at any such special meeting shall hold office until the next annual meeting of the stockholders if such office shall not have previously terminated as above provided. In case any vacancy shall occur among the directors elected by the holders of shares of this Series and such dividend parity stock, a successor shall be elected by the Board of Directors to serve until the next annual meeting of the stockholders upon the nomination of the then remaining director, if any, elected by the holders of shares of this Series and such dividend parity stock or the successor, if any, of such remaining director. If the holders of shares of this Series become entitled under the foregoing provisions to elect or participate in the election of two directors as a result of dividend arrearages, such entitlement shall not affect the right of such holders to vote as stated in Section (vii), including the right to vote in the election of the remaining directors.

(ix)             This Series shall rank as to the payment of dividends and distributions and amounts upon liquidation, dissolution and winding-up junior to all other series or shares of Preferred Stock unless otherwise expressly provided in the terms of such series or shares of Preferred Stock.

(x)             In the event that the Corporation or its agents determine that they are obligated to withhold or deduct any tax or other governmental charge under any applicable law on actual or deemed payments or distributions to a holder of the shares of this Series, the Corporation or its agents shall be entitled to (A) deduct and withhold such amount by withholding a portion or all of the cash, securities or other property otherwise deliverable to, or by otherwise withholding or deducting any property that is owned by, such holder, or (B) in lieu of such withholding, require any holder to make a payment to the Corporation or its agent, in each case in such amounts as they deem necessary to meet their withholding obligations, and in the case of (A) above, shall also be entitled, but not obligated, to sell all or a portion of such withheld securities or other property by public or private sale in such amounts and in such manner as they deem necessary and practicable to pay such taxes and charges.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have signed and attested this certificate on the 6th day of December, 2023.

	/s/ David N. Makuen
	Name: David N. Makuen
	Title: Chief Executive Officer
Attest:
/s/ Michael C. Buchsbaum
Name: Michael C. Buchsbaum
Title: Secretary

Signature Page to

Certificate of Designation