Over 3,700 Store Closing Announced Across the US This Year – Full List Inside

In 2025, the American retail landscape is undergoing one of its most dramatic shifts in decades. Across the United States, store closing announcements have eclipsed record levels, upending the traditional brick-and-mortar experience that millions of shoppers grew up with. From iconic department stores to specialty chains and neighborhood pharmacies, established names are shuttering locations — sometimes hundreds at a time — due to evolving consumer behavior, economic pressures, bankruptcies, and the rise of e-commerce alternatives. Time Out Worldwide+1

According to retail analysts and multiple major news reports, more than 3,700 stores are closing across the US this year alone, with many closures already underway and thousands more likely before year-end. Business Insider This trend reflects broader disruptions in American retail — affecting consumers, workers, commercial real estate, and local economies alike.

In this comprehensive article, we’ll explore the forces driving these closures, highlight major retailers affected, offer the full list of notable store closing, examine what this means for communities, and consider what the future may hold for physical retail in the United States.

Why Store Closing Numbers Are Surging

The dramatic rise in store closures isn’t happening in a vacuum. Multiple forces — economic, social, and technological — are reshaping how Americans shop and how retailers operate:

1. Changing Consumer Behavior

Online shopping has been growing steadily for years, but the acceleration of digital spending — especially since the pandemic — has drastically reduced foot traffic in many physical locations. Consumers increasingly prefer the convenience, pricing transparency, and vast product range offered by e-commerce platforms.

Retailers struggling to compete on price or experience are finding it difficult to justify maintaining thousands of square feet of physical retail space — especially in pricey urban markets.

2. Inflation & Economic Pressures

Higher inflation and rising operating costs are squeezing retailer profit margins. When customers tighten their budgets, discretionary purchases — particularly in clothing, home goods, and specialty niches — are often the first to be cut. These pressures have forced many retailers to reassess and shrink their physical footprint. Bitly

3. Bankruptcies & Restructurings

Bankruptcy filings are accelerating closures. Retailers that were already struggling pre-pandemic — or those burdened with debt — are now entering Chapter 11 or liquidation phases, forcing permanent shutdowns of stores regardless of local performance.

4. Over-Expansion & Real Estate Costs

Many large chains expanded rapidly in previous decades, signing long-term leases that are now unsustainable. Coupled with high commercial real estate costs, underperforming store closing to cut losses and redirect resources to more profitable locations or distribution models.

5. Retail Outpaces Openings

Retail analysts, like those at Coresight Research, project that the total number of announced closures could reach up to 15,000 stores in 2025 — far exceeding the number of openings. Time Out Worldwide This marks an unprecedented imbalance and highlights the serious challenges facing physical retail.

Big Retail Chains with Major Store Closing Announcements

Here’s a look at some of the national and regional retailers that have announced significant closures:

Joann Fabrics — 800 Locations Shuttered

One of the year’s most dramatic closure stories comes from Joann Fabrics, the arts & crafts retail chain that operated over 800 stores nationwide. After failing to secure a buyer, the company entered liquidation and announced plans to close all of its physical stores by May 2025. Wikipedia

This marks the end of an era for a company that had been a staple for hobbyists, crafters, and DIY consumers across 49 states.

Claire’s — Hundreds of Closures Amid Bankruptcy

Accessories retailer Claire’s — once a mall favorite — announced the closure of 700 locations nationwide as part of its bankruptcy proceedings. Wikipedia Many of these closures include stores housed inside larger retailers like Walmart and standalone Claire’s outlets.

Macy’s — 66 Stores Scheduled to Close

Iconic department store Macy’s has confirmed that it will shut down 66 underperforming stores this year as part of its broader strategic shift to focus on higher-performing locations and prioritize online growth. AS USA

These closures include regional department stores in major markets such as New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania.

Forever 21 — Exit from U.S. Physical Retail

Fashion retailer Forever 21 has closed all of its remaining U.S. stores — approximately 350 locations — after struggles with profitability and bankruptcy. Wikipedia While the brand will live on online, its brick-and-mortar footprint is gone.

Rite Aid — Hundreds of Pharmacy Closures

Pharmacy chain Rite Aid has announced plans to close nearly 500 stores across multiple states amid bankruptcy proceedings. WNEP These closures represent a significant contraction of a once ubiquitous pharmacy presence in American towns.

Kohl’s & JCPenney — Department Store Reductions

Kohl’s has confirmed numerous closures — including more than 27 stores — as part of cost-cutting and performance-based decisions. Reddit JCPenney also closed several outlets across states like Maryland, Idaho, North Carolina, and California. Yahoo

Walgreens & CVS — Pharmacy Contractions

Walgreens has outlined plans to shutter up to 1,200 stores over the next few years, with approximately 500 closures planned in fiscal 2025 alone. Yahoo CVS has also been reducing its footprint in some markets, targeting redundant or low-traffic locations.

Other Notable Store Closing Announcements

Retail closures aren’t limited to large department store chains — they extend across sectors:

• H&M has announced hundreds of store shutdowns as part of a restructuring and realignment strategy. The Sun
• Big Lots continues bankruptcy-related closures at over 100 locations. Texprocil
• Starbucks has seen hundreds of locations close amid strategic reevaluations. 9News

Full List of Major Store Closing Announcements (By Retailer)

Retailer	Estimated Closures	Status
Joann Fabrics	800+	Closed all US stores
Claire’s	700+	Bankruptcy closures
Macy’s	66	Strategic downsizing
Forever 21	~350	U.S. locations closed
Rite Aid	~474	Bankruptcy closures
Kohl’s	27+	Performance-based
JCPenney	8+	Regional closures
H&M	200+	Strategic shutdown
Big Lots	100+	Bankruptcy related
Starbucks	~300+	Operational restructure

(Note: These figures represent documented announcements and do not capture every single closure nationwide.)

How Store Closing Trends Are Affecting Local Communities

The ripple effects of these closures are profound:

Economic Impact

Local economies — particularly smaller towns — feel the loss of jobs and foot traffic when anchor stores shut their doors. A department store closure can reduce overall mall attendance, affecting adjacent retailers and restaurants.

Real Estate Ripples

Vacated retail space often poses challenges for landlords. While some properties are quickly backfilled by new tenants or service-oriented businesses, others risk becoming long-term vacancies that drag on commercial real estate value.

Workforce Displacement

Thousands of employees lose their jobs or face uncertainty as closures accelerate. Many retailers are attempting to help displaced workers through severance packages or transfer opportunities, but the transition is difficult for many frontline workers.

Rise of Alternative Uses

Interestingly, some closed retail spaces are being repurposed into community hubs, coworking spaces, clinics, fitness studios, or entertainment venues — a trend reshaping commercial real estate in many urban areas.

What’s Next for U.S. Retail?

Experts caution that the wave of closures may continue into 2026 and beyond. CoreSight Research data indicates that even though roughly 5,800 closures had been tracked by midlast year — with thousands more anticipated — the trend reflects structural changes rather than a temporary downturn. CoStar

Retailers that survive and thrive in this evolving environment tend to focus on:

Strong omnichannel integration (online + physical presence)
Personalized in-store experiences
Strategic market footprint optimization

Meanwhile, e-commerce giants and big-box retailers like Walmart and Target continue to expand and adapt, further pulling market share away from traditional mall-based retailers.

Final Thoughts

The surge of store closing announcements across the United States — with more than 3,700 confirmed this year — highlights a transformative period for American retail. From beloved mall staples to pharmacy chains and fashion brands, no segment is entirely immune.

Change is inevitable, but this period also presents opportunities for innovation, reinvention, and community reimagining. For consumers, it means adapting to new ways of shopping and engaging with brands. For retailers, it means prioritizing agility and customer experience.

As 2025 continues to unfold, the stories of these closures — and the broader retail trends they represent — will remain a major chapter in the evolution of how Americans shop.