Macy’s
Macy’s is the newest department store company to report a slew of upcoming store closures over the next few years. The business announced in January that it intends to shut 45 stores in 2021 permanently. According to CNBC, the cuts are part of Macy’s broader effort to close 125 stores by 2023, limiting its footprint to top-tier malls.
Macy’s
Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Bath & Beyond, which announced the closure of 200 stores last year, plans to close another 200 stores in 2021. According to USA Today, another 43 stores will be indefinitely closed by the end of February. The closures would occur in 19 jurisdictions, with California accounting for nine of them.
Bed Bath & Beyond
Express
Express announced last year that it intends to close 100 of its stores by 2022, beginning with 31 stores in 20 states in January 2020. Another 35 stores are scheduled to shut before the end of January 2021, with 25 more joining in the following year.
Express
Office Depot
Office Depot’s restructuring program, first revealed last spring, will be carried out until 2021. Then, via 2023, the office supplies company will close an undisclosed number of outlets and lay off over 13,000 employees. According to reports, the plans are part of the company’s continuing attempts to reduce expenses as it transitions from a conventional store to an IT services provider.
Office Depot
Walgreens
Walgreens is currently closing over 200 of its outlets in the United States after first reporting the closures in 2019. The closures would represent fewer than 3% of the pharmacy chain’s overall store count, which currently stands at approximately 9,600 stores worldwide.
Walgreens
The Children’s Place
This year, The Children’s Place will also close scores of stores throughout the world. The children’s clothes chain unveiled intentions to close 200 stores in 2020 and another 100 by the end of 2021 last year. However, according to “Today,” the firm has not announced which stores would close, although it mainly targets “mall-based” locations.
The Children’s Place
J.C. Penney
Since declaring bankruptcy and shutting more than 150 stores last year, J.C. Penney will shut more stores this spring. The department store chain revealed in December that it intends to close a further 15 stores before the end of March 2021. “We also decided to close an additional 15 stores as part of our shop optimization plan, which started in June with our financial restructuring,” J.C. Penney said in a statement to USA Today. “These stores will launch liquidation sales later this month and close to the general public in mid to late March.”
J.C. Penney
Francesca’s
Francesca announced in November 2020 that it would shut about 140 stores by the end of January 2021. In December, the women’s boutique chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with plans to sell the business, including its brick-and-mortar locations. According to USA Today, the firm currently has 558 stores operating but “plans to renegotiate a variety of leases through this process, which could entail closing new boutiques,” according to a statement provided to the publication.
Francesca’s
Signet Jewelers
Signet Jewelers, which trades under the names Kay Jewelers, Zales, Jared The Galleria Of Jewelry, and Piercing Pagoda worldwide, is also shutting more stores this year. The diamond jewelry chain confirmed in 2020 that it would not reopen at least 150 North American outlets that had been briefly closed in March owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Another 150 stores are set to close before the end of February 2021.
Signet Jewelers
Pet Valu
Pet Valu also entered the list of stores that have gone out of business due to the coronavirus pandemic. The pet products retailer announced in November 2020 that it would shut its 358 shops and warehouses across the United States. As a result, customers will no longer position orders on the company’s website, even though closing sales have already started in markets worldwide.
Pet Valu
Justice
Justice is expected to close its remaining branches this year, after permanently shutting over 600 outlets last year. In November, parent company Ascena Retail Group Inc. announced intentions to close the tween girl chain, with the 108 remaining locations scheduled to close by early 2021.
Justice
GameStop
GameStop, which has closed hundreds of shops in the past two years, is preparing to close even more in 2021. The video game retailer announced intentions to close more than 1,000 outlets before the end of its fiscal year in March December. The closures come after almost a decade of financial difficulties for the gaming behemoth, attempting to recoup its debts after posting a $458 million net loss in 2018.
GameStop
Sears
Since declaring bankruptcy in 2018 and shutting the bulk of its stores during the previous two years, Sears, which Transformco operates, is now seeing a dramatic downturn in sales. According to CNN, the troubled retailer is undergoing a “slow-motion liquidation” and will resume closing stores where possible during the following year, as well as listing some sites through commercial real estate agents.
Sears
The Disney Store
Disney revealed on March 3 that 60 or so of its North American Disney Stores would close by the end of 2021. Instead, according to the group, E-commerce, social networking, and theme park shopping ventures would be prioritized. The business had 330 outlets worldwide as of 2016, with 200 in North America.
The Disney Store
Kmart
Kmart, which the same parent firm operates as Sears, Transformco, is also shutting its doors. The chain has sharply reduced its overall store count to just 48 locations, with further closures anticipated in the coming year as the commercial real estate sector recovers.
Kmart
H&M
Following the closure of 180 stores in 2020, H&M plans to close another 250 stores in 2021. The retailer’s decision was primarily motivated by the coronavirus pandemic and an increasing transition to online purchases. In a comment to “Good Morning America,” H&M CEO Helena Helmersson said, “More and more shoppers began shopping online after the pandemic, and they are making it evident that they enjoy a comfortable and empowering environment in which shops and online connect and reinforce each other.”
H&M
Victoria’s Secret
Victoria’s Secret is expected to close other shops in the coming two years since closing 250 stores throughout the United States and Canada last year. On an earnings call with investors in May 2020, Victoria’s Secret CEO Stuart Burgdoerfer publicly addressed the expected closings. According to USA Today, he said, “We will anticipate a meaningful amount of incremental store closures outside the 250 that we’re pursuing this year, suggesting there will be more in 2021 and perhaps a little more in 2022.”
Victoria’s Secret
Gap
For the next two years, Gap plans to reduce the physical footprint significantly. Gap Inc. reported in October 2020 that by the end of 2023, it would close 220 Gap stores throughout North America. The store cuts as part of the retailer’s plan to step away from malls to concentrate on city centers and stores.
Gap
Banana Republic
The Banana Republic, which Gap Inc. also owns, will close several stores. By 2023, the corporation plans to close 130 Banana Republic stores. In addition, the chain would close 350 stores, accounting for about a third of its North American outlets, between the Banana Republic and Gap.
Banana Republic
Carter’s
Carter’s is now closing hundreds of outlets indefinitely while contracts for those locations end in the coming months. The children’s clothing and accessories store unveiled intentions to close nearly 200 stores in October 2020, with about 60% of those locations expected to close by the end of 2021. At the end of 2022, the existing shops will be closed.
Carter’s
American Eagle
After unveiling intentions to close 40 to 50 stores by 2020, they may complete other American Eagle locations this year. Last fall, executives announced that the retailer is considering closing up to 500 stores over the next two years as leases expire. When deciding which stores to close permanently, Chief Financial Officer Mike Mathias informed Retail Dive that the retailer considers “leasing tenure, mall profile, proximity to other stores, and consumer experience level.”
American Eagle
Zara
Zara is shifting its focus away from brick-and-mortar stores and toward online transactions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Inditex, the apparel brand’s holding group, revealed last summer that it would close up to 1,200 stores across the world during the next three years, beginning in 2020. The corporation also intends to spend $3 billion on improving its digital activities, including expanding its online customer support staff.
Zara
Men’s Wearhouse
Tailored Brands, the parent company of Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank revealed last summer that it had selected close to 500 stories for closure “over time.” The COVID-19 pandemic struck the men’s clothing retailer hard as buyers moved to remote jobs and had less need for formalwear. Nevertheless, the corporation is steadily recovering after filing for bankruptcy in August and exiting the final phases of the Chapter 11 proceedings in November.
Men’s Wearhouse
Chico’s
Chico’s is sticking to its recently stated intention to close 250 locations over the next three years, which began in 2019. The women’s wear store, among many others, is attempting to turn its emphasis to online sales and operations.
Chico’s
Abercrombie & Fitch
At the end of January 2021, Abercrombie & Fitch will close its four most significant flagship locations. The closures would take effect mainly in London, Paris, Munich, and Dusseldorf, Germany, and were scheduled before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. In addition, three more essential stores will close this year as their leases end, in Brussels, Madrid, and Fukuoka, Japan.
Abercrombie & Fitch
Nine West
Nine West wants to restructure its debts by selling off parts of the company and applying for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This all happened thanks to its $1.5 billion debt. As a result, the shoe retailer decided to let go of its Easy Spirit brand and closed all stores but 25. The brand is also planning to focus more on jewelry and clothing brands such as Anne Klein, One Jeanswear Group, and Kasper Grouper.
Screenshot 12
Payless
Payless ShoeSource boasts the highest number of store closures among all the companies that plan to close this year. The company plans to close more than 2,500 stores and hold clearance sales to do away with their goods and liquidate their stores. Some stores will remain open until May, but the other ones will close by the last week of March.
Payless
Gymboree
Gymboree Group Inc is a children’s clothes retailer that filed for bankruptcy protection in mid-January. They also announced closing around 800 Gymboree and Crazy 8 stores across the United States and Canada. In addition, it has suspended online transactions and started liquidation sales in the stores as well. This is actually the second time that Gymboree has filed for bankruptcy in the span of two years. Just in 2017, the company halted operations in several stores.
Gymboree
Charlotte Russe
In March 2019, Charlotte Russe confirmed that the entire chain is going to shut down. Yes, it covers more than 500 stores across the nation. The company made an earlier announcement about the closure of 94 stores. The other ones closed down by April 30, 2019. The company has already stopped online transactions, but it is still possible to buy products in liquidation sales in specific locations.
Charlotte Russe
Starbucks
In the summer of Starbucks announced that it would permanently shut down 150 underperforming stores. This is thrice the number that it normally closes during a fiscal year. The company, however, said that the closures would affect big cities with oversaturated markets. In those places, the coffee chain branches are just competing against one another.
Starbucks
Christopher & Banks
In late 2018, Christopher & Banks revealed that it was planning to close 30 to 40 stores by 2020. This does not, however, mean that the sales of the company are going downhill. On the contrary, the e-commerce business of the company has experienced an increase. On top of that, it is expected to go up some more this year!
Christopher & Banks
e.l.f Cosmetics
Like the other businesses on the list, e.l.f, cosmetics also has plans to shut down physical stores and focus on e-commerce instead. Twenty-two of its stores shut down by the end of March 2019. However, the patrons of this brand should not panic since it is still possible to purchase their products through the official website and in drugstores across the nation.
elf
Destination Maternity
Destination Maternity Corp. plans to focus less on its retail presence to revitalize the company and boost e-commerce sales. About 42 to 67 stores would be affected by the store closures rolling out within the year. They did this in the hopes of reducing store expenses and expanding their online presence. According to USA Today, the company is also planning to open smaller locations “with reduced square footage to drive higher productivity.”
Destination Maternity
Foot Locker
In March 2019, Foot Locker Inc. announced that it would shut down 167 stores. It planned to invest more and pour in millions of bucks in the remaining locations. This move was made to improve profit margins. The shareholders of the retailer were surprised that it did well during Q4 of 2018.
Foot Locker
J. Crew
It sure feels like J. Crew is always in the news these days. After losing its CEO in 2018, the company kicked off 2020 by closing 6 stores in January. These closures are part of its plan to close 30 stores overall. They made the plan public last summer. However, we have yet to find out which locations they plan to shut down to achieve their goals.
J. Crew
Vitamin Shoppe
Vitamin Shoppe is suffering issues similar to the one of GNC. They are focusing on e-commerce and working on a subscription service to ward off these problems. In 2017, the top-line sales reached $1.2 billion and suffered a drop of 8.5%. You can attribute the predicament to the decreasing popularity of shopping malls and the rise of competitors. We hope that they will soon get out of the rut with their category expansions, delivery services, and marketing events!
The Vitamin Shoppe Store
Bebe
The sales of Bebe started to go down when Neda Mashouf, the creative director and wife of founder Manny Mashouf, left the company. The brand was developed in 1979. With the decline of shopping malls, the company had to deal with many problems. In 2018, Bebe suffered an operating loss of $4.6 million. On top of this, it paid out $65 million to shut down retail stores and focus on e-commerce.
Bebe
David’s Bridal
It looks like fancy gowns and expensive wedding ceremonies are no longer common these days. Instead, more brides are opting for cheaper weddings and more casual dresses. Unfortunately, this is not good for wedding gown retailers like David’s Bridal. This brand is suffering a rapid sales decline. On top of this, they have a loan of $520 million and unsecured notes worth $270 million, due in 2020.
David’s Bridal
Bon-Ton
Online retailer and department store Bon-Ton might have stuck around for a century, but it is time to say goodbye. The store applied for bankruptcy in the past year and then liquidated its stores. In 2018, however, it reopened for e-commerce and relaunched a few stores. They had great success in the beginning since they operated in small towns with little competition. Amazon, of course, changed that.
Bon-Ton
Claire’s
Claire’s is an accessories store that was established in 1961. It was the favorite store of many young American girls for a long time. The company, however, ceased IPO and applied for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2018. In May that year, it shuttered more than 130 stores across the country.
Claire’s
Southeastern Grocers
Supermarkets are also experiencing sales challenges. For example, southeastern Grocers, which is in charge of markets like Winn-Dixie, Bi-Lo, and Harveys, announced that they would shut down 22 stores by March 25, 2019. This decision came less than one year after it recovered from its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. During that time, the company had to close 94 stores. Among the three brands it owns, Bi-Lo is the one that is set to suffer the most since 13 locations are going to cease operation.
Southeastern Grocers
Shopko
Shopko first announced its plan to shut down 70 percent of stores by May 2019. However, they later changed their plans and intended to close all the stores permanently. In January 2019, Shopko applied for bankruptcy and hoped that a buyer could help it out of this mess. Sadly, it failed to get a buyer and tried to liquidate all its merchandise. As a result, it closed all locations by June 2019.
Shopko
Performance Bicycle
If you are a cycling enthusiast, we have bad news for you. The biggest bike retailer in the country has shut down its operations. The last of its 104 locations shut down on March 2. Advanced Sports Enterprises applied for bankruptcy last fall. In the beginning, it hoped to save at least half of its locations by trying to renegotiate the leases. Sadly, it had no choice but to fold and close the company.
Performance Bicycle
Lowe’s
Lowe’s is a famous retailer of home and garden supplies. The company has shut down 51 stores already, and they were all underperforming. The closures happened in 2019. It shut down 20 stores in the US and 31 in Canada. The company announced these plans at the end of 2018 and planned to complete the store closures by February 1, 2020. The move to shut down stores happened when longtime CEO Robert Niblock retired and got replaced by former J.C. Penney CEO Marvin R. Ellison.
Lowe’s
Vera Bradley
Vera Bradley is rethinking its business operations by focusing on licensing and foregoing actual brick-and-mortar shops. Instead, the brand is thinking of selling home merch through retail chains such as Bed Bath and Beyond and Macy’s. It is also planning to shut down as many as 50 stores out of 110 by 2021. That is when many of the leases are due to expire. However, it is still possible to visit a physical store since 52 Vera Bradley factory outlets remain in operation.
Vera Bradley
Henri Bendel
In early 2020, Henri Bendel shut down all of its 24 stores across the nation. Then, in the fall of 2018, the parent company L Brands announced that the entire brand, including its website and famous Fifth Avenue location, would be shut down. Instead, the company decided to focus on other brands with higher potential, such as Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works.
Henri Bendel
Family Dollar
Dollar Tree is a discount retailer that said it is planning to shut down around 390 Family Dollar locations in 2020. It would mean that the clients now have to get their personal care items and other essential products elsewhere. This company also decided to rename around 200 branches. It is planning to implement other changes as well. Soon, they will try to up the prices of their products in a couple of stores.
Family Dollar
J.C. Penney
J.C. Penney was a mall staple for several years, although it has also suffered a decline in its sales over several months. In addition, it dealt with a dry spell in the holiday season and saw a decrease in stock value. These things made the company announce the closure of 18 department stores in 2020. Not only that, but it is also planning to shut down 9 furniture stores. This means that it will close a total of 27 locations.
J.C. Penney
Z Gallerie
Z Gallerie is an upscale home furniture company. It is on the list of retailers that filed for bankruptcy as of late. Reports claim that the company is trying to look for a buyer that can save its fate. Until then, the company is shutting down 17 stores, which make up about 20 percent of its stores across the country.
Z Gallerie
Beauty Brands
Beauty Brands let the world know that it was going to shut down 25 stores in 2018. In January of that year, the company filed for bankruptcy and reduced its corporate staff. Its application for bankruptcy said that the company was suffering from an increased operating cost since it was “a predominantly brick and mortar retailer.”
Beauty Brands
Things Remembered
After Things Remembered applied for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2019, it found a buyer who helped save many stores. Enesco LLC purchased 176 locations from the retailer specializing in personalized items and engraved products. Even so, it was only able to save a small part. At the time of the bankruptcy filing, the company had 450 stores. Unfortunately, this meant that 250 stores are due to be shut down.
Things Remembered
Ascena Retail
What do Ann Taylor, Dress Barn, Lane Bryant, and Loft all have in common? They all belong to the same parent company, Ascena Retail! The company has been suffering a decline in sales over the past few years. To make up for it, the company plans to shut down hundreds of stores across all the brands. Around 667 locations are due to be closed—the first 400 of those happened in July 2019.
Ascena Retail
Lord & Taylor
After being in operation for over 100 years, Lord & Taylor decided to shut down the flagship store last year. It is the one located on Fifth Avenue. Sadly, more stores are going to close shop this year. Lord & Taylor is planning to shut down 10 more locations in 2020, but they have yet to announce which ones.
Lord & Taylor
Kohl’s
Kohl’s wanted to avoid suffering the same things that other mall retailers did, which is why the company is going to close 4 stores located in or near malls this year. The company said that they were “lower-performing” stores and assured that the employees at those locations would get a severance package or a position at another shop. It looked like the closures were meant to be a preventive measure instead of a desperate need. The company plans to have the same number of shops by opening 4 smaller ones.
Kohl’s
99 Cents Only
99 Cents is a store that offers products at a low price. It is a competitor of brands like Dollar General, Walmart, and Dollar Tree. In December 2017, the company had a reported net loss of $27.1 million on top of its $42.4 million loss during the first and second quarters. Ares Management later bought out this company before it was sold to Canada Pension Plan and, finally, a private family. Jack Sinclair, the new CEO, reported positive same-store sales. Despite this, the discount store is still declining rapidly.
99 Cents Only
Neiman Marcus
During the 2017 fiscal year, Neiman Marcus witnessed a decrease of 5% in its $4.7 billion top-line sales. There are suggestions to let go of 200 employees and make a “Digital First” customer engagement plan. Rumor had it that Hudson’s Bay, a Canadian company, wanted to buy it. Sadly, this did not happen.
Neiman Marcus
Cole Haan
Cole Haan is a luxury footwear brand that was on the list of at-risk companies published by USA Today in 2018. It started to change its image by focusing less on dress shoes and more on athletic footwear. Sadly, this backfired. In 2013, Apax Partners bought this brand and did away with the famous comfort tech of Nike. Unfortunately, things have yet to improve for the company.
Cole Haan
FullBeauty Brands Holdings Corp
FullBeauty Brands Holding Corp is the owner of several plus-size women and men clothing lines. It owns labels such as Jessica London, Roaman’s, Brylane Home, Ellos, Woman Within, fullbeauty.com, and KingSize. They are blaming Amazon for the decline in sales. In Q1 of 2017, it suffered a 30% revenue drop. With new people in charge, the company hopes to improve sales and do things right.
FullBeauty
Eddie Bauer
Eddie Bauer is an outdoor company based in Bellevue. In 2009, it bounced back from its bankruptcy. However, we don’t know what is next for the company. It suffered a credit ranking downgrade at the hands of S&P Global as well. There is a good chance that it will merge with California-based company PacSun.
Eddie Bauer
Mattress Firm
Unfortunately, our favorite mattress retailer recently applied for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Part of it is due to an accounting issue. The company announced that it would put 700 of its 3,500 stores on the market. They hope to turn things around by ending excessive leases and restructuring the company.
Mattress Firm
GNC
GNC, a company that has been selling nutrition and diet products since 1935, is slimming down. The vitamin and supplement retailer has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, stating that 800 to 1,200 locations will close. Around the world, the company operates 7,300 stores, including 3,600 standalone locations in the United States and 1,600 mini GNCs within Rite Aid pharmacies. GNC explains on its website that it has been struggling financially for the past few years but that it is making progress toward paying down its debt and keeping up with online competitors.
GNC
Pier 1 Imports
Pier 1 Imports has thrown in the towel, along with the scented candle, silk pillow, Papasan chair, and everything else this home furnishings retailer is known for. It began the year by announcing that nearly half of its 900 stores would close. The business had filed for bankruptcy and was looking for a buyer. Instead, pier 1 has closed all of its stores, bringing an end to a company that began in 1962 in San Mateo, California, with a single location selling bean bag chairs, incense, and love beads to baby boomers.
Pier 1 Imports
New York & Co.
New York & Co. began this year by announcing that it would close more than 25 of its stores by early February, following a disappointingly quiet holiday shopping season in 2019. According to the women’s fashion and accessories retailer, shoppers spend more time on its website than in its stores. That was the diagnosis in early 2020 before the coronavirus made an appearance. But, then, there were about 380 people left.
New York & Co.
Stein Mart
Following decades in business, several retailers have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It lasted more than a century in the discount department store chain Stein Mart, which opened in 1908. However, in mid-August, the company announced that it had filed for bankruptcy and that “a significant portion, if not all, of its brick-and-mortar stores” would be closed. There are over 280 of them spread across 30 states. Clothing, shoes, jewelry, bedding, luggage, and even candy are all available at Stein Mart’s low prices.
Stein Mart
AT&T
AT&T is closing 250 retail stores, including AT&T Stores and Cricket Wireless stores. The Communications Workers of America estimates that 1,300 people will be affected by the store closures. AT&T plans to offer workers from the affected stores’ other work-from-home opportunities within the company, according to CNN. The store closures come just over two years after AT&T announced plans to open over 1,000 new stores. The company had over 5,300 locations at the time.
AT&T
Tuesday Morning
Even for a deep-discount retailer whose stores usually look like they have going-out-of-business sales, these are trying times. Tuesday Morning has filed for bankruptcy and will be holding real liquidation sales as it prepares to close around 230 of its nearly 700 stores in the summer of 2020. In a news release, CEO Steve Becker says, “The prolonged and unexpected closures of our stores in response to COVID-19 has had severe consequences on our business.”
Tuesday Morning
Family Video
Never mind Blockbuster, which only has one store left (in Bend, Oregon). Another video rental chain is still in business, renting DVDs and Blu-rays, but many of its locations show the closing credits. According to The Times of Northwest Indiana, Family Video, the “largest movie and game rental chain” in the United States, is closing hundreds of locations. More than 300 people will be left. The company explains that “recent events have caused us to make some tough business decisions on its website.”
Family Video
Art Van Furniture
The Midwest’s Art Van Furniture and Mattress stores have long been a fixture, but the region will have to adjust to life without them. Art Van filed for bankruptcy a few days after the chain announced closing all its company-owned stores in eight states in early March. As a result, customers have been lost to Amazon and Wayfair, according to the company’s filing. “Despite our best efforts to remain open, the company’s brands and operating performance have been hit hard by a challenging retail environment,” spokeswoman Diane Charles said in a statement.
Art Van Furniture
Papyrus
The greeting card that says, “We’re sorry to see you go,” is appropriate for this occasion. Papyrus, an upscale stationery and greeting card retailer with locations across the United States, has closed. Schurman Retail Group, the chain’s 70-year-old parent company, filed for bankruptcy in January and announced that its stores would close. A total of 254 Papyrus, American Greetings, and Carlton Cards stores have closed, with 178 in the United States. The rest are in Canada.
Papyrus
Forever 21
Forever 21 is one of the “fast-fashion” industry’s giants. The chain sells low-cost clothing that frequently changes to keep up with trends, and its massive stores have become a popular destination for teenagers looking for trendy clothing at a low price. However, with young shoppers questioning whether Forever 21’s disposable clothing is good for the environment, the retailer has been forced to file for bankruptcy and close down a portion of its operation. For nearly 350 stores worldwide, including nearly 200 in the United States, “Forever” has come to an end.
Forever 21
Modell’s Sporting Goods
If you’ve ever visited New York City, you’re probably familiar with Modell’s Sporting Goods, which seems to have almost as many locations as subway stations. In fact, two Modell’s have been located within one block of each other in Times Square. However, they are now closing, along with all of the company’s other East Coast locations. In February, Modell’s announced that 24 of its stores would close, but a few weeks later, the chain filed for bankruptcy and announced that all of its locations, from Massachusetts to Virginia, would close.
Modell’s Sporting Goods
A.C. Moore
A.C. Moore, a chain of arts and crafts stores, is no longer in business. The retailer, which operated primarily east of the Mississippi and was known for its generous coupons, has closed its doors. The company announced that it would close its doors in early 2020. In 1985, a man named Jack Parker opened the first store in New Jersey. Up to 40 A.C. Moore stores may have reopened as Michaels arts and crafts stores.
A.C. Moore
Wilsons Leather
Wilsons Leather, a retailer known for its leather belts, shoes, handbags, gloves, and, most notably, jackets, is stepping up its game. Wilson Leather stores dwindled from more than 700 locations in the United States and Canada in the early 2000s. As a result, parent company G-III Apparel Group decided to close the last of them. G-III is also closing its 89 G.H. Bass shoe and apparel stores. DKNY, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Karl Lagerfeld are the company’s “five global power brands,” according to the company.
Wilsons Leather
Olympia Sports
For half of the Olympia Sports stores, the game was over in 2020. This is a regional sporting goods retailer with locations throughout New England, New York, and the East Coast. Last year, the company was acquired by JackRabbit, a retailer of sneakers, exercise equipment, and athletic apparel with locations across the United States. Because the deal excluded 76 of Olympia Sports’ more than 150 locations, liquidation sales began in November 2019 and continued into the new year.
Olympia Sports
Sur La Table
Sur La Table, a cookware retailer, was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, filing for bankruptcy in early July and announcing plans to close nearly half of its 121 locations. The remainder would be sold to a private equity firm. Sur La Table was founded in 1972 in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Shirley Collins, the company’s founder, had a simple idea; according to the company, “Make good food. Share it. Do so often.” In addition to selling kitchen and dining room products, the chain also offers in-store and online cooking classes.
Sur La Table
Brooks Brothers
When many Americans worked from home in shorts and soiled polo shirts, selling suits and other fine clothing to men and women is difficult. That’s part of the story behind Brooks Brothers’ bankruptcy filing and store closures, which dates back to 1818. It is the oldest continuously operating clothing brand in the US. The retailer has never had to deal with anything like the coronavirus in its 200-plus-year history. On the other hand, Brooks Brothers had been on the decline even before COVID-19, thanks to lax work dress codes and the growing popularity of online shopping.
Brooks Brothers
Earth Fare
Smaller organic grocery stores learn that the goliath Whole Foods and its owner, Amazon, are unbeatable. So earth Fare, based in Asheville, North Carolina, has decided to give up the fight. In early February, the chain announced that it would close all 50 of its natural foods supermarkets in 10 Southern and Midwestern states. Then, just as going-out-of-business sales were getting underway, the company filed for bankruptcy. Dinner for the Earth was the name of the first Earth Fare restaurant, which opened in 1975. In 1993, it was replaced.
Earth Fare
Bose
Bose is closing all 119 of its retail locations in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia because it is no longer interested in having brick-and-mortar stores. In addition, the Bose website lists 50 locations in the US, all of which will close in the coming months. The first Bose store in the US opened in 1993 as a place for customers to test and experience the company’s products. However, Bose claims that its customers are increasingly shopping online.
Bose
Lucky’s Market
After failing to compete with Whole Foods, another natural foods supermarket has thrown in the (recycled paper) towel. Based in Colorado and known for its slogan “Organic for the 99%,” Lucky’s Market filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late January and announced the closure of 32 of its 39 stores across ten states. According to media reports, the company planned to sell the remaining seven.
Lucky’s Market
CVS
In 2020, CVS planned to close about two dozen of its drugstores, roughly half of the number closed in 2019. Because there will be roughly 9,900 CVS locations left, you’ll be able to find one on nearly every corner. The local pharmacy and retail chain focuses on its MinuteClinic locations, which provide basic walk-in medical services. So far, the clinics have been installed in approximately 1,100 stores. So you’ve come to the right place if you need a flu shot, suspect a bladder infection, or want to get your cholesterol checked.
CVS
Hallmark
“When you care enough to send the very best” used to be Hallmark Cards’ slogan. However, today’s problem is that fewer people send greeting cards at all. According to Hallmark’s website, the company’s brand can still be found in over 2,000 card shops. However, according to various media reports, well over a dozen will close in 2020. These include a 44-year-old Hallmark store in Evansville, Indiana, and Rich Schauer’s long-running Forest Park, Illinois.
Hallmark
Nordstrom
Another department store chain, Nordstrom, has decided to make some of its coronavirus closures permanent. The Seattle-based retailer, which was known for its excellent customer service and used to have live piano music in its stores, has announced that 16 of its locations in the United States and Puerto Rico will close. According to a press release, the closures are part of its long-term strategy to “strengthen its business.” Nordstrom will have 100 department stores left.
Nordstrom
Century 21
Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw character on the HBO show “Sex and the City” called Century 21’s Lower Manhattan store “the best part of jury duty.” For nearly 60 years, the off-price fashion retailer has been a New York City institution. That long run, however, is coming to an end. Century 21 has filed for bankruptcy and will close all of its stores. In a statement, co-CEO Raymond Gindi blames the chain’s demise on insurance companies, which he claims “have turned their backs on us at this most critical time,” referring to the pandemic.
Century 21
Bloomingdale’s
Bloomingdale’s, a high-end department store, has a long history dating back to its founding in 1861. Macy’s Inc. now owns the chain, which has remained relatively small over the years. Unfortunately, it’s now even smaller. In mid-January, a Bloomingdale’s store south of Miami — one of only 35 full-line Bloomingdale’s locations listed on the company’s website — closed. The first Bloomingdale’s in Miami opened in 1984, and it was closed for more than a year after Hurricane Andrew ravaged South Florida in 1992.
Bloomingdale’s
Stage Stores
Regional discount department stores find it difficult to compete with national behemoths like Walmart, Target, and Kohl. The latest retailer to notice this is Stage Stores, which owns Gordmans off-price stores and a slew of other regional brands like Bealls, Goody’s, and Peebles. The company filed for bankruptcy on May 10 and announced that all of its locations would close permanently. After a disappointing holiday season in 2019, Stage Stores was trying to get back on track financially — but then came COVID-19, which forced the company to close for several weeks.
Stage Stores
Dressbarn
Ascena Retail Group announced in May that all Dressbarn locations would close by the end of 2019 to focus on its more successful brands like Ann Taylor, Loft, and Lane Bryant. Earlier this year, Ascena sold Maurice’s brand to a private equity firm.
Dressbarn
Fred’s
In September, this discounter and pharmacy, with a large presence throughout the Southeast, filed for bankruptcy and announced the closure of all of its locations. Fred’s had already gone through several rounds of closures this year, with fewer than 100 stores remaining when it decided to shut down completely.
Fred’s
Charming Charlie
Charming Charlie filed for bankruptcy in July, citing an increase in the number of empty stores, and announced the closure of all remaining locations. The jewelry and accessories retailer was in bankruptcy court for the second time in two years, following a round of 100 store closures in 2018.
Charming Charlie
Party City
Party City added ten more locations to a list of 45 stores set to close by the end of the year late last summer. Who is the main culprit? Due to helium shortages and rising helium prices, one of the store’s main businesses, balloon sales, suffered. In addition, 65 of the chain’s Canadian locations are being sold.
Party City
LifeWay Christian
LifeWay Christian, a faith-based bookstore, announced in March that it would close all of its 170 locations due to declining foot traffic and sales. However, the company continues to sell its products online.
LifeWay Christian