"Empty Stores Everywhere! America’s “Retail Apocalypse” Is Already
The Worst In History, And There Are Signs That It Is Getting Even Worse…"
by Michael Snyder
"Did you know that more stores were closed in the United States last year than ever before? More than 8,000 stores were permanently shuttered in 2025, and it appears that 2026 will be even worse. U.S. consumers have very little discretionary income to spend these days, and empty stores litter the landscape. If you live in a relatively prosperous area in our “K-shaped economy”, there may be just a few empty stores where you live. But if you live in a depressed area of the country, you may be faced with constant reminders of our retail apocalypse because there are abandoned stores virtually everywhere that you go. The wealthy are still spending lots of money at retailers, but things have gotten very tight for the rest of us. As a result, we are witnessing a tsunami of store closures that is unlike anything that has ever happened in the entire history of our nation.
Coresight Research is reporting that a whopping 8,234 stores were permanently closed in the United States in 2025…"Data shared with Daily Mail last month shows 8,234 US stores permanently closed last year – a staggering figure that marks a fresh blow to brick-and-mortar retail." That’s 12 percent more than last year’s total of 7,325 closures, according to Coresight Research, and the highest number ever recorded. We set the bar really high in 2024, and then we smashed that number by 12 percent in 2025.
Is that a good sign for the U.S. economy or a bad sign? Needless to say, if the U.S. economy really was in good shape thousands of stores wouldn’t be closing. And the number of store closings is a figure that government bureaucrats have no way to manipulate. Stores either stay open or they get closed. The fact that so many are being closed says a lot about where things are heading. And this month there have been all sorts of signs that America’s “retail apocalypse” is getting even worse.
For example, Francesca’s has suddenly announced that all locations will be permanently closed and all inventory will be liquidated…"Nationwide women’s clothing brand Francesca’s has begun the process of closing all store locations, Women’s Wear Daily reports. A customer service representative told the outlet the company was “liquidating our inventory and closing soon.” Francesca’s didn’t confirm the news publicly or provide any further details. The company, which began in Houston in 1999, lists more than 450 locations across 45 states on its website. As of Monday, the site was advertising “last chance” warehouse clearance sales. Francesca’s says it employs more than 3,400 associates. Over 450 more stores are gone. Just like that.
Meanwhile, the parent company of Value City Furniture has decided that now is the time to permanently close all 89 of the stores that it runs…The parent company of Value City Furniture announced it would be closing all of its stores after nearly 80 years in business. American Signature Inc.’s decision comes after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2025, according to The Street. A press release from the company stated that liquidation sales started on Jan. 10, 2026, at the company’s 79 Value City Furniture stores and 10 American Signature Furniture locations. Value City Furniture was an institution when I was growing up. I can still remember the television commercials. But now in the blink of an eye it is gone. This is what the economic environment is like in 2026.
Macy’s was once a retail behemoth, but it is currently closing 14 stores as part of a plan to shutter approximately 150 locations by the time we reach the end of this calendar year…"Macy’s announced that it’s closing more than a dozen additional stores in 2026 as it pushes forward with plans to shutter underperforming locations to boost profitability. Approximately 14 stores are slated to close during the first fiscal quarter as part of its “Bold New Chapter” turnaround strategy, which includes shuttering about 150 underperforming locations by the end of 2026."
But at least Macy’s is doing better than Saks. Earlier this month, Saks Global made headline news all over the globe when it announced that it would be filing for bankruptcy…"Saks Global – the parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman – filed for bankruptcy protection on Wednesday, marking a low point for the nation’s biggest luxury department store conglomerate. The firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which indicates a need for new ownership as debt impedes operations. Stores will remain open, but some locations may shutter as part of the reorganization."
I don’t know how a turnaround is going to be possible. The company has been churning through hundreds of millions of dollars, but things just keep going downhill. Of course just about every retailer that is dependent on mall traffic is hurting these days. In fact, one of the most popular stores for plus-size women’s apparel has been rapidly shutting down locations…
"A popular mall merchant continues closing “underperforming” locations as it aims to shutter hundreds of stores. Torrid, a retailer of plus-size women’s apparel, announced in August 2025 it had closed 57 stores towards its plan to shutter 180 stores for the year. More recently, individual store closings are continuing, including a Connecticut location that is shutting down this month, The Street reported."
When I was a teenager, going to the mall was the thing to do. But who has the money to shop at the mall at this stage? Yes, the wealthy still have lots of money to spend, but the middle class is evaporating right in front of our eyes.
GameStop once thrived selling video games to middle class kids, but now they plan to close over 470 stores in 2026…"GameStop is closing more than 470 stores nationwide to start 2026. While the Texas-based video game retailer has not released a list of which stores are closing, the GameStop website lists hundreds of locations as closed. A spokesperson for GameStop did not respond to a request for the full list."
Unless some sort of a miracle happens, we are going to shatter the all-time record for store closings that we just set in 2025. The numbers don’t lie. We really are in the midst of a horrifying retail apocalypse. So I would encourage you to visit your favorite stores while you still can, because more of them could suddenly disappear at any time."
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